Cooker Calamity

[gabrielconroy]

Hello, in the latest in a series of interesting posts on the Cookd and Bombd forum, I would like some advice on what cooker to get.

When I moved into my flat 8 years ago there was already a pretty old SMEG cooker in there. By now I'd estimate it's 20 years old at least, and recently has conked it. There's no power to it, you see, so the oven doesn't work and you have to light the gas hobs manually.

As far as I can tell the fuse box is normal, although that itself is even more ancient (see below):



It's one of those rewirable ones and as you can see, someone has helpfully written COOKER? above one of them.

I could get an electrician out, or a cooker repairman, but then I'd be paying a call-out fee and if the circuitboard in the cooker has blown it would cost hundreds to fix if it's even possible.

So I was thinking of getting a new one. My mum unprompted offered to help with the cost of some of it, which was very nice of her. Accordingly I'm considering ones around the £800-1500 range and have narrowed it down to:


Rangemaster Pro +
Stoves
Bertazzoni Master Series

Of the three, the last one looks the nicest by far but only has one oven and obviously is 50% more expensive. They have another series that's a bit more expensive still that's supposed to be a lot more sturdy and should last another 20 years.

My question is - does anyone know anything about cookers? Has anyone bought from one of these companies and had them turn out to be made out of paper? Have I overlooked something massive?

[Underturd]

Just be a real man and build a fire pit.

[Cleveland Steamer]

can only hear Mark E Smith shouting the thread title:

COOKER, COOKER CALAMITY!

Nowt else to offer, sorrys

[idunnosomename]

Most likely the element's just gone than anything else. They always crack eventually and break the circuit on whole unit. A replacement only costs about 25 quid but of course you'll need to call out someone to fit it. Shouldn't cost much more than an hours labour.

Edit oh wait its gas is it lol ignore me

[MojoJojo]

Is it electric oven with gas hobs?

[gabrielconroy]

Most likely the element's just gone than anything else. They always crack eventually and break the circuit on whole unit. A replacement only costs about 25 quid but of course you'll need to call out someone to fit it. Shouldn't cost much more than an hours labour.

Edit oh wait its gas is it lol ignore me

It's electric oven with gas hobs, or a "dual fuel cooker" as they are known.

Is it electric oven with gas hobs?

Yes.

[Sebastian Cobb]

If you're thinking of ditching gas on the hobs don't get anything electric that isn't induction because non-inductive electric hobs are universally SHIT.

[Vodkafone]

can only hear Mark E Smith shouting the thread title:

COOKER, COOKER CALAMITY!

Nowt else to offer, sorrys

Remember! You are a hob!

[Uncle TechTip]

Just get an air fryer.

[jamiefairlie]

can only hear Mark E Smith shouting the thread title:

COOKER, COOKER CALAMITY!

Nowt else to offer, sorrys

Gah, beat me to it!

[dissolute ocelot]

£800-1500 seems quite a lot for a cooker. But most important thing is to make sure it'll actually fit where you want it. If it's free-standing that's maybe less of an issue; if it's fitted then there are a bunch of measurements you'll need. AO's website is pretty good at telling you what you need to check. There are sometimes weird issues about where the gas pipe comes in or connects, but I don't know how to check that other than wait for the installer to tut and shake his head. That's when you discover the previous owner did his own gas.

Gas hobs are much of a muchness, but with ovens there are a bunch of wild and wonderful features these days, as well as questions about whether you want single or double, built-in grill, etc. A lot claim to be self-cleaning, but I would not pay extra for that. Uncle TechTip mentions air fryers but a lot of ovens actually claim to have air fryer features, and some have special program modes, steam, microwaves, or other fantastical things inside. Possibly dragons. So you need to ask whether you actually need or want any of that. Plus there's the whole issue of fancy electronic timers and controls like the space shuttle. Does anyone ever use their oven timer? Maybe you want a connected oven you can use an app to switch on? Maybe you'd rather die. I'm 100% on the side of "turn dial to make box hot", "stop box being hot", the end.

[Jittlebags]

If you're thinking of ditching gas on the hobs don't get anything electric that isn't induction because non-inductive electric hobs are universally SHIT.

Not true. You can light your fags on the old fashioned electric ones.

[Dr Trouser]

Not true. You can light your fags on the old fashioned electric ones.

And if you wang the power right up and chuck instant coffee granules at it they make little sparks- great for staring at while you've just done a hot knife off the ring.

[Jasha]

Might be an idea to pull the fuse and see if it's blown before shelling out on a new cooker

[Underturd]

Might be an idea to pull the fuse and see if it's blown before shelling out on a new cooker

That would be the sensible thing to do, stop it right now :-)

[shoulders]

Ask more capable people on a forum dedicated to this topic.

[Underturd]

Do I have to repeat myself?

[Buelligan]

I know this might sound mad, would it be wise to get someone to look at your fucking wiring, before you spend all your money on a cooker that will be destroyed in the house fire? 

I believe, so it's probably bollocks, have some distant memorty that British cookers are supposed to be directly wired, rather than plug-in and the requisite system, including the fuse, should be significantly more robust than the rest of your wiring or some shit (ask buzby, I'm sure he knows).

Also, always gas hobs, never, ever, electric ones of any sort if you want to cook on it.

Also think about cleaning it.  Will it be reasonably easy to keep clean.  Choose one like that if that matters to you.

[MojoJojo]

I believe, so it's probably bollocks, have some distant memorty that British cookers are supposed to be directly wired, rather than plug-in and the requisite system, including the fuse, should be significantly more robust than the rest of your wiring or some shit (ask buzby, I'm sure he knows).

The fact it has a separate fuse in the fuse box means they've at least tried to do the right thing, so no reason to think anything wrong with the wiring.

I've just moved to a house with gas hobs after using induction for years. I was surprised how much longer it took to boil water on gas. But electric kettles exist and now I can use a wok again.

Bit irrelevant though, I don't think you get induction on free standing ovens. And you'd need more wiring for induction. So electric would be conductive or radiant, which should be avoided like the plague.

[Buelligan]

I only suspect the wiring because the fusebox is so old.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Bit irrelevant though, I don't think you get induction on free standing ovens. And you'd need more wiring for induction. So electric would be conductive or radiant, which should be avoided like the plague.

Yeah you can:
https://www.argos.co.uk/browse/appliances/cookers-ovens-and-hobs/freestanding-cookers/c:29623/hob-type:induction/

They even have proper knobs to control the temp rather than up and down arrows that change a digital power level, which is usually the biggest shortcoming of induction hobs.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Not true. You can light your fags on the old fashioned electric ones.

You can still use the grill element (or the toaster)

[Dex Sawash]

RIP why don't Americans have proper names thread

[beanheadmcginty]

Absolutely no need to get a full size cooker in this day and age. Just get the biggest most expensive Ninja oven they do (still only about 200 quid) and a plug in portable induction double hob (about 150 quid). The space/cost/energy savings are immense.

[touchingcloth]

Energy ratings are bollocks. They've had to make the ratings sound like old eBay reviews because they were inflated into meaninglessness - what was an A is now an F, and the actually maybe not totally inefficient ones are rated as AAAAAAAA+++++

I bought a new oven a few months back. I was tempted by SELF CLEANING until I learnt that is basically nukes itself, shortening its life, and comes with a warning to not let cats into the kitchen at the same time as it's running the Pripyat setting.

[touchingcloth]

My parents tried to convince me to buy an air fryer by telling me that theirs is perfect for rehearing a croissant if you cut it in half. Or how their new, larger model will do two whole croissants at once.

I've never wanted or needed to reheat a croissant.

[Underturd]

I've never wanted or needed to reheat a croissant.

Have you thought, that maybe this is what is missing from your life?

[Sebastian Cobb]

Energy ratings are bollocks. They've had to make the ratings sound like old eBay reviews because they were inflated into meaninglessness - what was an A is now an F, and the actually maybe not totally inefficient ones are rated as AAAAAAAA+++++

In terms of ovens I doubt there's much difference between the levels anyway - turning electricity into heat is a process that's essentially 100% efficient; any savings are going to be in making sure heat stays inside the oven which really amounts to insulation and sealing to reduce the duty cycle of the element. Certainly upgrading an oven that works for one that is notionally more efficent is going to be environmentally bad through the manufacturing, you'd be better off checking and replacing seals on the existing unit.

If you want to save energy the trick is to not use an overspecced/big oven for small objects, which is kind of what air fryers do. Or even better change your cooking habits, something that uses a slow cooker or even better an electric pressure cooker (sealed vessel, like cooking in a thermos) will use much less energy.

[Underturd]

Or use the microwave more.

[MojoJojo]

Update on my switch from induction to gas: I set the oven gloves on fire.