Ovens

I have a free-standing double oven with a smooth top. I love it! The only thing I would recommend is to get the small oven on the top. Mine is on the bottom and it's not as convenient as I had hoped. 2 of my neighbors have the small oven on top and they use them all the time. None of us have stainless but I know that the newer stainless is better than the old stuff. The prints don't show up as easily from what I hear. Have fun shopping!

Well I had (3) glass top cooktops in the same house...1st one I dropped a canister of sugar on and cracked the glass, the second the babysitter boiled over a pot of water and blew out all 4 burners and the 3rd my son dropped a small glass bottle on it the $16 bottle of vitamins survied. we now have a porcelain jen-air 2 coils and a removable grill. We have never used the grill and I could really use the other two burners but they don't come with the cooktop and they are around $50 each. I am not over joyed with the porcelain as my pans have chipped it around the edges of the burners and it gets very hot. I also have a convection double oven. I don't use the convection often but I do like the double oven it comes in very handy around the holidays. I have the GE gold about 8 yrs. old and I have had to have 3 repairs made do to a manufacturing flaw but yet it was not covered under warranty or design flaw. I personally would take the time to research consumer reports and I would buy top of the line and get the extended warranty.

I don't have experience with convection or double ovens, but I can tell you about flat top and stainless. After having a flat top range for over 10 yrs. I would never go back to the ancient coil burners. The smooth top is so easy to clean, and looks way nicer too! As for stainless, all of our appliances are stainless. It is very easy to clean and looks beautiful in the kitchen. I wipe it down maybe once a week with stainless steel cleaner. The only thing I get any fingerprints on is the fridge, and that's only on the handle generally. Our kids have to ask when they want a snack, and my oldest, 6, has recently started to open the fridge on his own. They both know that the oven is OFF LIMITS. We taught them when they began to crawl that the oven is HOT and not to touch. We also are big about teaching them to have respect for other people's things and to take care of their own stuff. So, they don't just go touching or running their Hot Wheels all over the appliances. I suppose it's all about preference, but I love how my kitchen looks, and that's "important" since it's where I spend a majority of my time. Happy Oven Hunting!

I loved my Flat top! So easy to clean. I would recomend a scratch and dent place. They knock off at least a hundred off the price. Try Arvada Appliances. They are honest and reasonable.
C. B

We just redid our home and kitchen. I didn't have the money for the convection but my tip to you is put in a wall oven!! It is up and easier to get into and take stuff out of. I love mine! I would never go back to one below the stove!

I'm researching to get an oven myself. I was ready when I got my dishwasher in Jan. but couldn't find one I loved. I really would like a convection oven myself. I think I want one that converts the recipe's automatically...anyway I thought I wanted a double oven, the idea of cooking two things at a time--anyway when I went to the stores to look at the ones I liked in reviews and research online I was really dissapointed, so make sure you check them out in person. Not one of the double ovens didn't open onto the floor. I am not old but seriously I don't want to bend over that far to pull things out of the oven!! I can't imagine as I get older how much more inconvenient it will get. I held off because I am not in love with anything I found. The closest was a Samsung that converts and is a convection etc. smooth top with a 5th burner etc. but the blue inside it turned me off...I know but I am picky. anyway once you've done the research make sure you see the oven in person and think about it's functionality in your kitchen...I could picture going to pull something out of my oven and having a dog or a toddler run by and get burned really badly--so I'm still waiting until I find exactly what I want--which may mean a kitchen remodel which isn't in the budget right now lol.
as for stainless steel--check out the new matte finishes, they don't show fingerprints!!! and you still get the look of stainless steel. I have a stainless steel dishwasher, no finger prints. it's awesome and matte doesn't mean textured it is just a different way they make the stainless steel so that it doesn't hold the finger prints. I've had it since Jan. and am very happy with it.

Just a quick thought, if you still enjoy canning I don't think they recommend the flat top for canners. You would have to ask the appliance store about this but we chose the old style coil burners because I didn't want to give up canning my vegetables.

I have a free standing double oven with flat top in stainless steel. I absolutely love it. I find no problems with finger prints as there really isn't much stainless to clean. I rarely use the large oven, only if I am doing a roast dinner, and the large oven is huge.

The one problem we have found is that you cannot put the child lock on it as it does not stick to it. I am lucky though as my 15 month old tends to stay away from it.

Oh by the way the make is Maytag, Sears sell them and are always doing deals, but definitely go check it out.

We replaced all of our appliances (convection/range, space saver microwave, dishwshr), with Amana, and all of them needed maintaince in the first 3 years. I would avoid Amana if I could.

M.
I would definately not get stainless steel. They are terrible to keep finger prints off of. I do have to say though, that I love smooth top. They are so much easier to clean and keep looking nice, and they cook just great!