Gas? No Way. I'm Going Back To GLASS...

I purchased this unit after remodelling our kitchen and wanting that "professional" look. I thought I was getting something that was on par with restaurant quality ranges, something that delivered delicious meals, unmatched performance and outstanding heat control. Boy, was I ever fooled and terribly mistaken...

I grew up cooking with gas. It was always praised for its instant response, fast temperature changes, more control over the heat, and overall better cooking results no matter what type of cookware you used. Some years later after we moved into a new subdivision which featured all-electric hook-ups, I had no choice but to cook using the built-in Frigidaire smoothtop. Granted, I did have to purchase new pots/pans and the ceran cooking surface took some getting used to, but the honest truth is that electric cooking isn't as bad as some make it out to be. The new smoothtops are VASTLY improved over the old traditional coils and earlier glass versions... I used "Cerama-Bryte" on a daily basis, and found it MUCH easier to keep clean and maintain than any gas range I've ever used.

Now, my experience with this range was a pure nightmare. As others have mentioned, my issues have centered around the ignitors and oven thermostat. I've had four service calls already, and nobody can seem to figure out just what exactly the problem is. Calls to Viking and Sears have given me nothing but the run around and the usual "we'll get back with you" response. I'm so angry and disappointed that I wasted $6000(can) on this bloody thing. I'm angry and upset that what I really got was an overhyped, overblown flaming piece of you-know-what. It sure looks nice sitting there, but that's where it ends in my opinion. I guess this is one of those toys you buy when you want to impress your friends, or strictly for its appearance, since it's completely useless as a cooking appliance...

Am I the only one who has become increasingly frustrated and angered over the toy-like construction of appliances today? What happened to the days when major appliances had a 20yr lifespan? Oops, I forgot. We live in a culture of planned obsolescence. A throw-away society of made-in-China JUNK. If I were the president or CEO of this company, I would frankly be ashamed to manufacture, market, and sell this garbage. Viking and other "pro-style" ranges do not impress. My verdict? Stay far, FAR away. I'm going to back to a smoothtop range. Cooking with gas is overhyped as far as I'm concerned, especially when the range performs absolutely no function whatsoever. Even when it did work, I wasn't that thrilled with the heat control either. I found it hard to get a true simmer, and a large pot of water took 20+ minutes to boil, something my Frigidaire smoothtop handled with aplomb.

Never AGAIN. It's on the way out of my house this weekend, and BOY, am I ever grateful that I didn't take the electrical connection out when we remodelled our kitchen. I might even go so far as to have the gas hook-up removed altogether. Based on everyone else's review here, there should be a class-action lawsuit over this matter. For crying out loud, I've got a cheap $20 table-top barbecue that works better than this thing... Junk. Absolutely useless appliance that should be recalled immediately!