Help me buy a stove/oven

[geekygirly]

We need to get a new stove in the next week or so, because our current one that came with the house is on its last legs. 

It will definitely be gas, and most likely GE-brand since DH gets a sizable discount through work. Our current stove is very basic so looking at all the options is a bit overwhelming.

• Thoughts on double oven vs. single oven? Double obviously has the advantage of being able to cook multiple things on different temps at the same time, but is also more expensive, and I'm not sure how often I would actually use it. If you have a double oven, is it worth the extra cost?  Is it more energy efficient if you are only using one since the space in each is smaller? Is having two smaller ovens instead of one large one ever an annoyance with cooking large stuff? 
• Convention vs. non-convention. I've read convention is better because of better heat distribution and food can cook faster, but that you also sometimes need to adjust cook time/temp in recipes to accommodate which makes me a bit nervous, lol. And again, convention is more expensive. Is it worth it? 
• Any other features I should be looking at? (Definitely want self-clean...some have steam clean which looks cool. I don't care about wi-fi. Some have a removable griddle thing in the middle or rapid boil features.) 
• Any recommendations of specific models (especially GE) would also be welcome  

TIA for any suggestions!

[sweptaway]

As far as convection goes, ours does both. I bake a lot so the convection is amazing to have. I use it most frequently but I use the non convection when I'm doing roasts, etc. I think most should offer both options.

When we first started looking I really wanted the double. But, we only entertain large groups two or three times a year, tops (or we grill when we do) so in the end I decided it wasn't worth it, especially since it meant smaller ovens.

[Uncaripswife]

MH is the "chef" in our house, and he really misses the convection oven we had at our old house.

The only time we wish we had double ovens is on Thanksgiving.

[jorkzy]

Are you sure the doubles are smaller? I have double wall ovens (though not GE) and they are full size as far as I can tell.

[goldenbird]

If the double ovens are built into a stove, it's one medium size and one smaller, usually. Full size double ovens are usually wall ovens, separate from the stove.

[cribs]

May 28, 2018 17:37:26 GMT -6 jorkzy said:

Are you sure the doubles are smaller? I have double wall ovens (though not GE) and they are full size as far as I can tell.

I think she means a stove with two ovens and not wall ovens

[trueblue]

Samsung Flex Duo Smooth Surface Freestanding 5-Element 5.9-cu ft Self-cleaning True Convection Electric Range

If my stove were to up and die this is what I would replace it with - you can use the divider to make it a true 2 oven set up or remove it tonhave your regular oven set up.

Sorry totally skipped that you need gas and GE.

[rvasc]

The removeable griddle/5th burner is pretty handy.

[rvasc]

With a gas oven, you do want convection.!

[Sweetjane]

When we bought our all gas range they didn't come with self clean so I would look into that if it's important to you. Gas ovens don't lock and go up to 1000* to burn off all the inside junk.

I also wouldn't get anything with extra bells and whistles like Wi Fi. Ovens are just a big hot box and will fry components like that. That's why you don't have timers and clocks on ranges like Wolf, Thermador etc.

I bake/cook alot and I was worried about adjusting to gas/convection but it was no big deal. Basically everything just cooks faster and maybe 5-10* less than a recipe calls for.

I only have a single oven and it's fine. It does have telescoping racks which are amazing.

Typically all gas is less expensive than dual fuel (electric oven with gas stove) so that's a bonus too.

[angrybacon]

I love the double oven. We use the smaller one far more frequently than the larger one, so the size hasn’t been an issue for us.

Ours is LG. I love it.

[loony]

May 28, 2018 17:55:19 GMT -6 rvasc said:

The removeable griddle/5th burner is pretty handy.

I second this. Our griddle pretty lives on the 5th burner. I use it daily.

I would use it for eggs, but my kitchen is currently sinking and so it’s not level enough.

[spicysalmonroll]

May 28, 2018 18:16:32 GMT -6 angrybacon said:

I love the double oven. We use the smaller one far more frequently than the larger one, so the size hasn’t been an issue for us.

Ours is LG. I love it.

Ditto! I'm not big on baking or hosting or anything that would really require 2 ovens but I just wanted it anyways LOL. I love it, and we usually do use the smaller one just for dinners since it heats up faster and uses less energy. Ours has a frozen bake technology which calculates and adjusts the heat so you pop in pizza & nuggets with no preheat. I was skeptical but it works!

[lolacachia]

We have a double and I love it. I use it multiple times a week bc I do a lot of oven cooking. My husband buys giant turkeys for thanksgiving and we don't have an issue with it fitting in the larger oven.

[Deleted]

Our Thermador has a "fast preheat" option. As opposed to regular preheat. It cracks me up every time.

We have a double oven and I love it. Ours is a wall unit, not under the range though, but we know folks who have the kind you're talking about and they're able to fit a turkey in the larger portion just fine. I can recall exactly 0 times that I've cooked something larger than a turkey, I wouldn't worry too much about that.

[vvvvvfee]

we got a GE gas double oven/range about 3 years ago. we were sort of forced into a double oven bc our kitchen is weird-- the appliances are set back in a nook, and part of a wall juts out in front of the stove, which meant our previous oven's door did not open all the way. we solved this problem by getting the double oven (doors are shorter and can open fully).

i don't think i would've spent the extra money on the double oven if we didn't have to. i did not notice any difference as far as our gas bill. i do tend to cook in the smaller oven if i'm just making, say, a casserole. it doesn't seem to preheat any faster. i do feel like baked goods don't do well in the smaller oven-- like the air doesn't circulate as evenly or something.

the larger oven is not really much smaller than our old oven. remember, there is no longer a storage drawer in the bottom. the smaller oven is roughly the same size as that drawer was. we haven't had trouble fitting anything large- we cooked a turkey without issue. obviously you may have to move the racks around. the times when i would need to cook 2 things at 2 different temps are few and far between. the smaller oven is convenient to keep foods warm (like when you're cooking pancakes or frying cutlets) because it's easy to open the little door and keep sliding stuff in there.

we didn't opt for convection.

the steam clean doesn't really work IME. i never use the regular self-clean, either, because it takes forever, makes the house heat up to 1,000 degrees, and sets off the smoke alarms.

ours has 2 regular burners, 1 "simmer" burner, 1 rapid-boil burner, and a 5th, griddle burner in the middle. the rapid-boil burner is awesome. the regular burners seem slightly under-powered compared to our old (ancient) stove. the simmer burner is useful for cooking stuff like rice or oatmeal so it doesn't scorch. the griddle burner is great, too. the stove came with a built-in griddle, but it was non-stick and after about 2 years it was all scratched up and we got rid of it. we bought an actual burner grate for that burner on amazon (it was about $50) and i use it with a lodge cast-iron griddle. the griddle was convenient, but it pissed me off that the stove didn't come with an actual grate, too.

this model is basically what we have except it's not convection. (it looks like all of their gas models come with convection now?)