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clazman

30 inch range will not fit

clazman
9 years ago

Has the kitchen appliance industry made a change in the last 30 years to the "standard width" of kitchen ranges?

We have a Whirlpool RGE6700 electric range that needs replacing.

The problem is that the cutout is 29" for this 30" range.

Now, it appears, a 30" slide-in or drop-in is 31-1/2" and requires a 30" opening.

I have looked at GE, Westinghouse, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, Kenmore, etc. EVERY 30" drop-in/slide-in range requires a 30" opening AND are 31.5" overall.

It looks as though that there are only two alternatives. One, purchase a 27" range and add filler on each side. Or two, rip out cabinetry to install a 30" range (a very poor idea when the cabinetry is custom, not modular).

My wife may have discovered a third possibility. She found a 30" Frigidaire cooktop that is "compatible" with a 30" slide-in oven, which, by the way requires a 29" opening.

Comments (25)

  • jellytoast
    9 years ago

    The specs for my Wolf AG 30-inch range required a 30 1/4 inch opening. I was able to fit it into my exactly 30 inch space, but just barely. I found it very frustrating when shopping for a range that there doesn't seem to be a standard in the industry, not for width, or for anything else. Gas and electric specs for all the various ranges were all over the place, too. When we switched out one range for another, the gas and electrical had to be moved as well.

  • live_wire_oak
    9 years ago

    Is this a drop in range? They are different animals than slide in ranges. Standard sized free standing ranges and slide in ranges have always required 30" of space between cabinets, or a skosh more if you're feeling generous.

    You need a cabinet guy to come in and take a look at the adjacent cabinets to see how to trim them down to fit a 30" range.

  • jwvideo
    9 years ago

    The cooktop and wall oven alternative might also require an electrician as well as a cabinet guy. The service for an electric range is likely to be only 40amps and you'll need greater capacity for the cooktop and the wall oven that you would slide-in beneath it. (I'm assuming that a wall oven is what you meant when you talked about a slide-in oven.)

  • Cadyren
    9 years ago

    Drop in ranges were 29 inches in the late 80s & 90s. My son just bought a house with one dated 1987. While researching for him I saw many complaints about drop in & slide in of that period being only 29 inches. He lucked out, because the custom kitchen actually was made for a 30" freestanding & then they added pieces in the front to cover the gap. You will have to look into cutting your cabinets.

  • Cadyren
    9 years ago

    Drop in ranges were 29 inches in the late 80s & 90s. My son just bought a house with one dated 1987. While researching for him I saw many complaints about drop in & slide in of that period being only 29 inches. He lucked out, because the custom kitchen actually was made for a 30" freestanding & then they added pieces in the front to cover the gap. You will have to look into cutting your cabinets.

  • sofibebe
    8 years ago

    I have a multi dimensional question-

    I had my kitchen redone and we ended up with a 29 7/8" opening for the oven at the front face frames of the cabinet and 30" at the back bc our walls are slightly off. Most stoves are 29 7/8" ... these are overlay style cabinets so we have that almost 1/4" reveal on the face frames of the cabinets.

    I am getting my countertop cut and was wondering if i should make the countertop 1/8" narrower than the face frame edge instead of flush so i can shave off/sand down another 1/16" of either edge of the adjoining cabinet face frames to gain another 1/8" to make the 30" .. or?

    This way i wont have an issue with the granite getting in the way of sliding the oven in in the future?

    Will i have an issue sliding the 29 7/8" stove into the 29 7/8" space?

    Should i try to shave down to get more space? Any suggestions on how to do this neatly? Cabinets are white btw

    Thanks, this is making me crazy


  • daisychain01
    8 years ago

    sofibebe, I'd start a new thread and also post in kitchens. You will likely get better/more answers if you do it that way. Good luck!

  • dan1888
    8 years ago

    I'd want a correctly square side to side to front 30" opening for a slide-in range. Talk with your cabinet manufacturer's customer service group for procedures they would recommend for the face frame reduction and the proper refinishing materials and method.

  • sofibebe
    8 years ago

    Thanks- i'm seeing if I can actually get a cabinetry builder to make an adjustment.

  • Trish Moake
    6 years ago

    I have a big mess. We built in 85 and our Amana glass top range is 34 inches. The cut out is around 21x32. There's about half inch on either side, meaning I could get the cutout to 33 if I pushed it. Ranges are now 30 or 36, with a very few 32 to be found. 36 won't fit due to space constraints, drawers etc. 30 and 32 are too small, the hole is too large. Countertops are laminate. Repair guy already took a chunk out of laminate pulling cooktop to look for model number. Can they make the hole smaller with patching or something, or will I have to purchase new countertops. As shown above, there's no set cutout. This concerns me for next replacement, too

  • PRO
    Joe Henderson
    6 years ago
    Take a look at MicroTrim or TrimkitsUSA. They can make what is called a "hootie" ring, which is a stainless trim ring the cooktop sits in and it makes the hole smaller.

    http://www.microtrim.com/cooktop.htm
  • Amy Cranage
    5 years ago

    We are dealing with the same dilemma as clazman. We need a new dual fuel kitchen range that will fit in a 29" wide cutout -- and they're all 30" or more these days (2018). How did clazman resolve this in 2014? Does anyone have any advice? Please...?

  • wdccruise
    5 years ago

    I picked a couple of ranges at random: the GE JS645SLSS 30 Inch Slide-in Electric Range and the Whirlpool WEE510S0FS 30 Inch Slide-in Electric Range. In both cases, the ranges are 29 7/8" wide and require a 30" wide opening per the Spec Sheet and Dimension Guide, respectively.

  • Amy Cranage
    5 years ago

    Yeah...that's the problem. Our current range (installed in 2001) is labeled "30-inch," but the required minimum cutout was 29, so that's what the installer did. It looks like we're going to have to trim the cabinets and cut into the countertop. :-(

  • wdccruise
    5 years ago

    Sorry, I was misled by, "a 30" slide-in or drop-in is 31-1/2" and requires a 30" opening" whereas the ranges are actually 29 7/8" wide.

  • Susie Hutcherson
    4 years ago

    Clazman and Amy Cranage - we have the same issue - 29" cutout and looking to replace our broken slide in range. What ranges did you end up getting. I am not finding any smaller than 29 7/8.

  • Amy Cranage
    4 years ago

    I searched high and low and could not find a range that fit. We purchased a new 30" range anyway. On Monday, a contractor is coming to look at the cutout; he will probably end up removing the cabinets on both sides and trimming them 1/2" each. Then we have to get the counter top trimmed to match the new cutout. I'll try to remember to post an update when this is all over. If I could do this all over again, I would have gone to a kitchen/bath designer from the start.

  • Amy Cranage
    4 years ago

    Susie Hutcherson - Our new range (LG LSD4913ST) has been installed and I used it for the first time last night! It took a village, a lot of money and several weeks to make it happen, though. We had a cabinetmaker remove, resize (make 1" smaller width-wise) and reinstall the cabinet; that cost $780 (removing it without damaging the counter top was time-consuming, as was rebuilding the cabinet and then re-installing it. At $45/hour, it adds up fast.) A local granite company (Shaker Hill Granite) cut the counter top to match the resized cabinet and new range: that cost $350. I haven't received the bill for hooking up the range yet.


    I seriously doubt you'll be able to find a new range that fits a 29" cutout. If you have any plans on ever remodeling your kitchen, now would be a good time to do it because you're probably going to need a contractor anyway. Good luck!

  • F669 F669
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Hi all. My old range was also 29" wide. I spent a good time and finally found a general contractor and he just moved one side of the cabinet to make room (it was just screwed with two bolts to the wall and two to the floor) The whole process was fairly painless. The total costs was $350 and he even installed my slide-in range for me.

  • HU-128226344
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I have the same issue only my cutout is 28" wide and my existing Whirlpool (from pre 1982 when I bought the house) has an overhand of 1" on each side. There's no way a 29 7/8 will fit without cut out. Any suggestions on what to do? You can see there is 2 " on the left but there's an overhand on the above countertop that may pose a fire hazard when the left burners are turned on!



  • HU-976993352
    3 years ago

    Hi, kind of off topic but are you by any chance selling this Whirlpool cooker? I am looking for one exactly like this for a film set!

  • HU-128226344
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Yes it will be for sale in Portland Oregon sometime around October 18

    Somehow I’m guessing that you’re not in Portland Oregon. If interested send me an email

  • Chet Dtolet
    3 years ago

    Is their a 29 1/2” gas oven available?

  • Justin Holt
    3 years ago

    How much did you get for it? I have one that's very similar.