14 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
Easy to clean, easy on the eyes
Date of Review: Jun 12, 2008
The Bottom Line: This has proven to be a good purchase and we have been happy with it.
We purchased our Frigidaire range in 2002 and it has been mostly trouble-free during our heavy use. My wife is a very good cook and loves to bake. This unit has the excellent "Speed Bake" which is very similar to a convection option. There is a fan in the back of the oven that will circulate the heat in the over for even baking, when it is activated. She loves it because it helps to bake her confections evenly and quickly. It did take her a little while to get used to using this option because it really reduces cook time and she had to learn how to adjust her timing expectations accordingly.
There are four burners for the cook top. In the far right corner is a very small burner, which is good for keeping sauces warm or using smaller surfaced pans. The front right burner is the largest of the four and it is great for getting really high heat for searing, etc. The other two burners are the same and the size is between the other two. Of note, the burner grates, the burner caps, and the burners themselves can all be thrown into the dishwasher. They clean easily because of the coatings on them. The controls are on the front of the range and are clearly marked for which burner they control. The range has a pilot-less electronic-ignition. The user first turn the burner dial to the "light" position to activate the electronic igniter, and then the dial can be turned to whatever desired setting after it starts.
The oven has a lower burner for baking and an upper burner for broiling. The self-cleaning options works well, but it does take quite sometime to complete the cycle. The door automatically locks during the cycle and then unlocks when it is done.
The oven controls are digital and work perfectly. The clock displays the current time all the time, except when the oven is being used. When in the oven mode, the set temperature is displayed on the readout. When the oven is first turned on, the user then sets the temperature. The oven will beep to notify when the temperature is reached. The oven can be set for straight baking by temperature, or it can also be set for temperature and time. The timer can also be used as just a timer without activating the oven. There is a red indicator on the front panel of the machine to show when the "Speed Bake" option has been chosen.
During the course of ownership over the last 5 1/2 years we have had one repair - the igniter had to be replaced for $65.00. I did it myself. The only sign of wear has been the floor of the oven area. It has small cracks in the glazing. I suspect that the high heat from the self cleaning option has hurt the glaze. It does not affect the function, but you would think that area would have been beefed up a little more to withstand the self-cleaning temperatures.
The outside of the range has held up and it looks as good as the day it was installed. It is an attractive design that has still held up. There is a drawer for storing pots and pans under the oven and this has proven to be a very useful storage space.
