Thursday, February 7, 2008

I'm getting excited!

I was going to take a picture of my stove, but I see someone already has.


With my leg propped up in the air yesterday and no little kids at home, I did our 2007 taxes. I know that we are supposed to claim so many exemptions that we would never receive a return, but as of yet that has never happened. We already claim 12. I don't know.
Are you allowed to claim 20?

Anyway, the return will be deposited on the 15th and we will be debt fee except for our van payment and mortgage. We plan to have our van payed off in the next 24 months and to remain out of debt otherwise.

But do you know the most exciting thing? We will be able to purchase a new stove! I love my stove which just turned 8 years old in January. According to the experts, it was never intended to survive so many years. I have used the poor thing daily and it has served me well. But it is seriously in bad shape.

The broiler has been removed because it kept turning itself on in the night and self cleaning the oven. No kidding. It all started one lovely postpartum day when I was cooking a meatloaf. The broiler flipped on and got so hot that the oven went into lock mode. It incinerated the meat. We could see flames shooting out and all that was left was a charred brick. I had a real reason to cry that day.

The burners are, well, barely functional. If you jimmy them just a certain way to get the connection to spark then they may or may not work. Needless to say, I've been using our microwave a lot.

And recently its been taking a long time to bake. I have proof that you can bake a cake in the preheat mode, but it will require an extra hour or so.

What I need is advice. We will be buying an electric range and I need to hear from you. What would you recommend? What should I avoid? If you have an electric stove, what do you like about it or what would you change?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have no stove advice, I'm sorry. But CONGRATULATIONS on getting debt paid off and waiting to get a new stove/oven with cash! With all those problems, many would rush out to buy a new one with credit (and feel perfectly justified! Burning your meatloaft!!!) You're work to get out of debt is great to hear, it helps inspire me in our same quest!

Heather L. said...

That's so exciting! I love my flat top stove.

Saralyn said...

I'm a gas stove gal, so I've no advice on the stove itself, but what I would suggest is to shop around, ask for a lower price, and then don't hesitate to tell store #1 that store #2 is offering you a price x-dollars lower and ask them to beat it.
Comsumersearch.com also has their opinion on the best in certain price ranges.
Happy shopping!

Duckygirl said...

That's so exciting! Paying off debt and a new stove Woohoo!! I am going to second the love for flat top stoves. The cleaning is so easy, just wipe!! I did prefer the knob controlled oven versus the digital one...the digital is electrical and therefore destined to have issues, but you may not be able to avoid that on a new model. Whatever you choose just have a great time picking it out :)

~Laura

Unknown said...

I don't have any advice, but girl, eight years doesn't seem that long for a stove. Ours is 9 years old. Did you get a lemon? That story of the oven locking up and incinerating the meat was classic! I would have been blubbering like a baby. Missed you at Chick fil A yesterday, but glad you are OK!

shay said...

YAY for you!
That is so exciting, getting out of debit and the new stove.

I have a flat top right now which looks like crap but is super easy to clean so...practical. I preferred my gas actually so, that's my recommendation - go gas:)

I can't wait for my new fridge! The old one doesn't sound nearly as exciting as your old stove but equally as frustrating.

Congrats!

Amy K said...

I'm glad you came through surgery! Hopefully it's been a swift recovery process!

I don't know how much more expensive they are but I have a friend with a regular size stove but it has a double oven in it. The second oven is smaller and replaces that warmer shelf (the bottom shelf that I never use except maybe for storage, I don't know about you).

Next time I'm in the market for a stove I TOTALLY want to get that double one (asuming it's affordable, again I haven't priced them). That would enable me to cook things much faster, especially for holidays. Also, you can bake and cook at two different temps. :)

Michelle said...

If you're never planning to can, then I would recommend a flat top range. It is SOOO much easier to clean up after cooking. And they often have several spots that can vary in size by the flip of a switch (so if you're using a larger pan, the whole thing will be over heat....not just the middle). Way to go with less debt and getting your taxes done!

mindi said...

Congrats on the debt issue!!
I would have to say, don't buy Frigidaire!! We have the set of Frigidaire appliances and they have been nothing but trouble.
I would love a flat top stove, but we have gas, so it's impossible.

Cindy-Still His Girl said...

YEAH! So excited for you!!! (And a little envious!) We did our taxes tonight, too, and I'm looking forward to about 10 days from now, but we won't QUITE be done. Ugh.

Stove... we're all electric. Mine is good. Pretty plain but works! :) It is a flat top; I like having the extra "counter" space. HOWEVER... Do NOT place peach cobbler on it and not turn a burner off. Bad, bad, bad things happen.

Milehimama @ Mama Says said...

I HATE HATE HATE the flat top stove. If you spill while cooking, it instantly sears to the cooktop. I scrub it with scouring powder and a plastic scraper, but the only way to keep it looking new is to use a razor blade.

If your pot boils over, there is no where for it to go so it runs down the front into a puddle of steaming mess on the floor. Because the burners aren't raised, the pots and pans scoot around on the stove if you try to stir one handed.

It stays hot for a very long time, and it's just too easy for a small child to set something down (dishtowel, plastic toy, HAND!) and have it burn up (even with the stove off.)

Thank goodness I'm only renting and don't have to keep the thing.

Oh, and it has three small burners and one large burner. Go with two large burners if you can! And knobs on the BACK of the stove instead of the front are a must for houses with children.

Mary@notbefore7 said...

We upgraded our 21 year old stove for one that is only about 5 or 6 years old! We love it! It was a cooktop (flattop?) also and I love that!

It has an indicator light to tell you which burners are still hot and I like that too.

Andrea said...

I have a flat top stove. It's easy to clean BUT does not cool down quickly at all, making it difficult to get things cooked at the right temp. THat's all the advise I can give though!
Glad you're feeling beter!
Andrea