OT cooking stoves and hand vacs

I have the Report, Martha but knew that the quilters would be much more
thorough than the Consumers testers would be. My goodness, yes. They
certainly are. Polly

"Martha" wrote in message
...
Consumer Reports did an article on kitchens and appliances quite
recently. You could find it in the library.

Martha

We re-did the kitchen a couple of years ago. The new stuff for kitchens,
just in the past few years, is amazing! I now have a ceramic-top induction
stove. The closest you can get to gas, and even more sensitive in many ways.
And energy-saving: it heats the food directly in the pot, rather than having
to heat the pot first. Water boils in no time! Oil is ready to fry almost
instantly. Cleaning is easier because spills don't get heat-glued to the
surface, and it cools down faster after cooking. The down side (or maybe the
up side, depends how old and beat-up they are): you need to toss out all
cookware that isn't iron/ steel.

My bottom-line absolute must for my new kitchen was a built-in oven closer
to eye level. So it's not part of the stove, and I can see what's going on
without bending over. Electric convection oven with grill. And instead of a
microwave (we have another arrangement for that), I ordered an extra steamer
oven. This is great!
Roberta in D

"Polly Esther" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
When I first was introduced to this group, we had just moved to the Swamp
and were rebuilding a kitchen. When asked for your ideas on kitchen
creation, the input was just wonderful. Now, well . . . maybe not now but
soon, the stove I love is going to need to be replaced. Please share your
thoughts.
Do you have a convection oven? Is it the greatest thing since sliced
bread or something you never use? Do you have a ceramic top? Is it a
pain in the neck to clean or a great joy? Do you have one of those tops
that demands an absolutely flat bottomed pot/pan/skillet? Is it worth
changing all the cookware?
At our homes before the Swamp, we had new stoves. One needed a
full-time parlor maid with a feather duster to keep its surface looking
nice. The other, a top of the line snazzy model was so flimsy that I was
afraid to do much in the way of stirring or flipping for fear it would
fall into the floor. Please tell me what to look for or 'look out for'.
and, also. It crosses my little mind that a vacuum cleaner that didn't
require cords and could wiggle into tight places like the bobbin case area
of my SMs and serger would be so wonderful. Has anybody discovered a
little jewel for picking up snips and fuzzies without weighing 9000 pounds
and needing its own garage? We have a museum quality Electrolux but it
truly does take more time to heave in here and set up than it does to run
it.
All members of rctq who do not cook or clean are excused from replying.
We know who you are. Polly

I wish I needed a new stove with all the discussion here.
Mine is a sealed gas drop in cooktop/oven. It is GE and not
quite 10 years old. The worst thing about it is the burner
pans and grates are a light color (that was standard with the
bisque color) They are a bear to keep clean. The part that
lights the oven died and was pretty expensive to replace. I have
since learned if I had just called the gas company they would
have replaced it at cost. The repair guy said usually the control
panel goes first. It has a high heat and a simmer burner. The
simmer one is pretty worthless for my needs and the high one
isn't all that hot. I picked up a set of rollers at Lowe's not
long ago and we put the stove on those. That is kind of neat
for cleaning. A friend just got a new cooktop with the glass or ceramic
top. I don't know much about those. SHe did have a razor knife
to clean it. She said if her 90 year old SIL could figure
it out she could too!

I have not had good luck with hand held vacs. Years ago I had a
wet/dry dustbuster that was really great. The ones these days
seem kind of weak in comparison. Does anyone have one of the
dirt devil Kone hand vacs? They look kind of neat.

Good luck in your search Polly. I think it is interesting the
response the group has given on stoves. Is it that we all like
to cook or eat or both? LOL
Taria

Julia in MN wrote:
I don't do any more cooking than I have to, but one thing I would look
at carefully is how easy it is to keep clean. A self-cleaning oven is a
must. The stove I have was here when we moved. It has a textured finish
around the knobs that is awful to keep clean; why they use that finish
on appliances is beyond me. It would be so much easier if it were all
smooth. I have always had electric stoves; that's what I grew up with
and what I prefer. I've never had a smooth top stove. I have a
microwave/exhaust fan combination over the stove; I like that a lot.

Julia in MN

Had one of those 'attach to your reg vacuum sets'. couldn't get it to stay
on the regular size vacuum hose. I gave it away. Might work on the in-house
vacuum set-up tho, like we have now. Not about to spend money on it the 2nd
time to find out. Did buy mine eons ago--when they first came out--might be
better made now?
Had a lot of diff attachments for it at the time.
Sorry, not much help

Have an electric flat top cook stove that has the 'bolts for the floor to
keep it from tipping'--got rid of the built-in convection microwave as I
couldn't lift things into it.(Have a regular counter top free-standing
microwave now). I baby-sit when cooking so it doesn't spill over... so far
I haven't had trouble keeping it clean. Can't handle the fumes from the
cleaner--so I go outside when it's done.

Since you are going to have this a long time, I would shop around as much as
possible. We did a lot of online looking before we even went to a store as I
couldn't walk much at the time. Ended up getting one of the 3 that we had
narrowed it down to online. Knew more about it than the salesman--he was
nice enuf to let us 'read' the manual in the store.(Ended up getting it at
Sears for the best price-WATCH the delivery fees--get it in writing BEFORE
you leave the store. Sure glad we did)

HTH
Butterfly


"Kate T." wrote in message
oups.com...
Oh as for the vac. Nancy's Notions used to carry a small vac for SM's
and computers. It only cost about 30 dollars plus shipping. She also
carried attachments for your regular vac that would work also.

I've wanted to get one of the little vacs for such a long time. I
need it for my SM on the MQF. I need to clean it every two bobbins.
Coats and Clark thread is very fuzzy. Haven't been able to find a
thread that wasn't completely lint free.

Never use that canned air stuff on your SM. It only drives the lint
and dirt farther into your machine. That means more time at the
repair shop.

Kate T.

Howdy!

(Ginger, please send back the elves.)

A few years ago I had the cooktop replaced w/ a ceramic solid surface
cooktop (Whirlpool Gold): love it! Love it, love it, love it!

Heats up fast, takes no longer to cool off than any other electric stove
I've encountered, and is so easy to clean & keep clean: baking soda.
No open rings & pans to clean off, dig out, clean under, replace, try to
keep shiny. One of the (2) big burners converts to a medium size or a
simmer ring w/ the flick of a little switch. Switch covers pop off w/ a
little tug (they aren't loose) to clean around, and that's it:
solid surface is fabulous. It was time for new cookware, got some
flat-bottom, easy-clean Calphalon --again, love it! Cost? about $100
at Kohl's sale; more than worth it.

Convection oven: tried one in a friend's house for a few days:
no point in having one here, just wouldn't use it much. Best tools I've
found for better baking: cooking stones, well-seasoned in just a week.
Often wish I had a 2nd oven (we rented a house in Calif. that had a 1950s
era stove, big old Buick-looking thing, w/ a regular oven & a smaller
oven beside it-- wow! what a deal: why did they stop making such
sensible appliances?!?

Vacuum cleaner: The Bosch works great, esp. when I remember to
clean the filter after a few months of snorting pet hair & thread bits.
I like to get a newer, light-weight vac every few years because they keep
improving them, good suction, easy to carry, great on stairs. Cordless--
not so far but that's an idea; my lawn mowers & trimmers are cordless
electric. Son Eli likes the little feather-lite vacuum "stick" he has,
an Electrolux w/ the dustbuster attached, rechargeable that lasts long
enough for his use (bet he'd loan it to me for a plate of nachos).

If you get the ultimate stove/cooktop/oven for one kitchen, will the other
kitchen feel left out? Maybe ought to buy it a new sewing machine.

Ragmop/Sandy--love to cook, love to quilt, love to eat...
tonight: corn on the cob w/ avocado lime butter


On 8/2/07 10:53 PM, in article , "Polly
Esther" wrote:

When I first was introduced to this group, we had just moved to the Swamp
and were rebuilding a kitchen. When asked for your ideas on kitchen
creation, the input was just wonderful. Now, well . . . maybe not now but
soon, the stove I love is going to need to be replaced. Please share your
thoughts.
Do you have a convection oven? Is it the greatest thing since sliced
bread or something you never use? Do you have a ceramic top? Is it a pain
in the neck to clean or a great joy? Do you have one of those tops that
demands an absolutely flat bottomed pot/pan/skillet? Is it worth changing
all the cookware?
At our homes before the Swamp, we had new stoves. One needed a
full-time parlor maid with a feather duster to keep its surface looking
nice. The other, a top of the line snazzy model was so flimsy that I was
afraid to do much in the way of stirring or flipping for fear it would fall
into the floor. Please tell me what to look for or 'look out for'.
and, also. It crosses my little mind that a vacuum cleaner that didn't
require cords and could wiggle into tight places like the bobbin case area
of my SMs and serger would be so wonderful. Has anybody discovered a little
jewel for picking up snips and fuzzies without weighing 9000 pounds and
needing its own garage? We have a museum quality Electrolux but it truly
does take more time to heave in here and set up than it does to run it.
All members of rctq who do not cook or clean are excused from replying.
We know who you are. Polly

Polly,
This thread is interesting, even though we'll be
hanging on to our stove for several more years. I'd
like to mention what SonOne has. It is a freestanding
electric Maytag. The larger oven is beneath a smaller
oven! The small one can be for warming, as Leslie
mentioned, or can be used in normal cooking function.
This small size in handy for people who cook small
amounts, and then the larger oven is available for
large cooking chores. One draw back is that the pans in
the large oven are lower than normal. I am about
average height at 5'6", and found it a tad clumsy when
we cooked a turkey. Since you have mentioned that you
are a small person, perhaps this is okay for you. Plus,
how often does one cook such a large food? HTH.
PAT in VA/USA
PS: I hope to go for the dual fuel someday ... I like
Leslie's choice!

In article , Polly Esther
wrote:

When I first was introduced to this group, we had just moved to the Swamp
and were rebuilding a kitchen. When asked for your ideas on kitchen
creation, the input was just wonderful. Now, well . . . maybe not now but
soon, the stove I love is going to need to be replaced. Please share your
thoughts.
Do you have a convection oven? Is it the greatest thing since sliced
bread or something you never use? Do you have a ceramic top? Is it a pain
in the neck to clean or a great joy? Do you have one of those tops that
demands an absolutely flat bottomed pot/pan/skillet? Is it worth changing
all the cookware?
At our homes before the Swamp, we had new stoves. One needed a
full-time parlor maid with a feather duster to keep its surface looking
nice. The other, a top of the line snazzy model was so flimsy that I was
afraid to do much in the way of stirring or flipping for fear it would fall
into the floor. Please tell me what to look for or 'look out for'.
and, also. It crosses my little mind that a vacuum cleaner that didn't
require cords and could wiggle into tight places like the bobbin case area
of my SMs and serger would be so wonderful. Has anybody discovered a little
jewel for picking up snips and fuzzies without weighing 9000 pounds and
needing its own garage? We have a museum quality Electrolux but it truly
does take more time to heave in here and set up than it does to run it.
All members of rctq who do not cook or clean are excused from replying.
We know who you are. Polly

Hmmm ... well, I don't really cook or clean, but considering that hubby
says it's in my job description ... I'll try to help! g

Now, on the stove, I can't say ... I just have an ol' regular one that
came with the house.

BUT on the vacuum cleaner I can give some input ... I take apart
computers pretty often and I DO clean the innards (and the moving parts
of my sewing machine - I'm a NUT for that!) and what I use is an
attachment for my vacuum cleaner. I've tried Dustbusters, Sharks, etc,
and not a single one of them does as good a job on the tiny bits o'
dust and thread snips like MY vacuum!

So I decided to chuck the itty bitty vacuums and just bought the
attachment kit (it was about $15) and it works like a CHARM! I
bought it at a quilt show about 8 years back? And has NEVER failed me!

Now they're cheaper ... I did a search and came up with this:
http://www.amazon.com/Vacuum-Micro-A.../dp/B000BSJCLY

All you do is attach it to the hose tool of your vacuum cleaner!



--
Happy quilting & quilty hugs!!
Connie

I've started a FREE eZine ... and I've posted *LOTS* of free applique patterns!
Check it out!
http://sewverycreative.blogspot.com/ (YES! It's back up! YIPPEE!!)

Oh my, Pat. You just said the Magic Word. (I don't know what prize comes
with the saying of, just thought you'd want to know.) DH is certain that
nobody makes good stuff like Maytag. We even have the last top-loading
Maytag washer 'in case'. DH bought it for spare parts or replacement or
whatever. I reckon if Maytag ever builds a pickup truck, that's what I'll
be driving. I think I'll sneak a look at the stove with a small oven over a
large one. Sounds just right. Polly
"Pat in Virginia" wrote in message
...
Polly,
This thread is interesting, even though we'll be hanging on to our stove
for several more years. I'd like to mention what SonOne has. It is a
freestanding electric Maytag. The larger oven is beneath a smaller oven!
The small one can be for warming, as Leslie mentioned, or can be used in
normal cooking function. This small size in handy for people who cook
small amounts, and then the larger oven is available for large cooking
chores. One draw back is that the pans in the large oven are lower than
normal. I am about average height at 5'6", and found it a tad clumsy when
we cooked a turkey. Since you have mentioned that you are a small person,
perhaps this is okay for you. Plus, how often does one cook such a large
food? HTH.
PAT in VA/USA
PS: I hope to go for the dual fuel someday ... I like Leslie's choice!

Here ya go- a duel fuel with a double oven- Now that's a great combo!
(Maytag doesn't seem to make a dual fuel???)

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...AAW&lpage=none

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

"Polly Esther" wrote in message
...
Oh my, Pat. You just said the Magic Word. (I don't know what prize comes
with the saying of, just thought you'd want to know.) DH is certain that
nobody makes good stuff like Maytag. We even have the last top-loading
Maytag washer 'in case'. DH bought it for spare parts or replacement or
whatever. I reckon if Maytag ever builds a pickup truck, that's what I'll
be driving. I think I'll sneak a look at the stove with a small oven over
a large one. Sounds just right. Polly
"Pat in Virginia" wrote in message
...
Polly,
This thread is interesting, even though we'll be hanging on to our stove
for several more years. I'd like to mention what SonOne has. It is a
freestanding electric Maytag. The larger oven is beneath a smaller oven!
The small one can be for warming, as Leslie mentioned, or can be used in
normal cooking function. This small size in handy for people who cook
small amounts, and then the larger oven is available for large cooking
chores. One draw back is that the pans in the large oven are lower than
normal. I am about average height at 5'6", and found it a tad clumsy when
we cooked a turkey. Since you have mentioned that you are a small person,
perhaps this is okay for you. Plus, how often does one cook such a large
food? HTH.
PAT in VA/USA
PS: I hope to go for the dual fuel someday ... I like Leslie's choice!

In article ,
"Roberta Zollner" wrote:

We re-did the kitchen a couple of years ago. The new stuff for kitchens,
just in the past few years, is amazing! I now have a ceramic-top induction
stove. The closest you can get to gas, and even more sensitive in many ways.
And energy-saving: it heats the food directly in the pot, rather than having
to heat the pot first. Water boils in no time! Oil is ready to fry almost
instantly. Cleaning is easier because spills don't get heat-glued to the
surface, and it cools down faster after cooking. The down side (or maybe the
up side, depends how old and beat-up they are): you need to toss out all
cookware that isn't iron/ steel.

Roberta, my DT recently switched to an induction cooktop, and she just
loves it! I wish .... Anyway, DH and I went to a Japanese restaurant
not to long ago, and they had individual induction burners on the tables
so we could cook our own "hot pot" stuff -- *wonderful* invention!
That's what I want one day.

--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sfoster 1 (at) earthlink (dot) net (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net