Well....my sampler is 19th century.....dated 1823 I believe.... Not fabulous, only signed with initials....has a 1/2 inch tear in the edge, colors bright....alphabets....no verse... But I bought it in a box of linens for 10 for the box.....sold out of the box for a while, finally said.....enough I am keeping the rest.....and I had well more than $10 in my pocket. So I sought out the family and told them there was a very nice sampler in the box.....and asked if they really wanted to sell it..... They had no interest!...It has a very good home with me! And I have another....not finished....but of the same perior or earlier....but not finished....just the alpahbets... Oh well....that was another $10....plus a hundred or more to frame!! LOL! Was it the pot with the creamer and sugar? Linda C

We have a Wolf range with the black burner pans. If I'm just spraying and wiping the tops (e.g if they're "dusty" from not seeing much use because we've been grilling a lot or bringing food in, or just lightly "schmutzy"), I use Perfect Kitchen (blue bottle, from BB&B) which was recommended by someone at the Wolf/SZ showroom. It is the only thing I've found so far that can clean without leaving streaks and smears. I find I get better results using it with a paper towels, though sometimes I'll use a microfiber if it's a clean one, and bone dry. For a more thorough or more necessary full cleaning, I remove my pans and wash them in the sink. If your top isn't removable, you can wash it in place, it's just more of a pain to rinse/remove residue. I usually squirt a little dishsoap on a blue scrub sponge (Palmolive is what we use) and sprinkle some Barkeeper's Friend (BKF) on the pans or on the sponge. Don't use the green scrubbies unless they were recommended by your stove manufacturer as those might scratch the enamel/porcelain. For stubborn areas and burnt or baked in grease spots (or if I've gone way too long between cleanings!), I spray the pans with Dawn Power Dissolver Gel, and let them sit for 15 minutes or so, and then scrub/rinse. I dry the pans with a dishtowel (Ritz-flemish Wonder towels are great and still dry things even when pretty damp) and I'm good to go 'til the next time!

My grates are black, and when they look a little goey I toss them in the dishwasher. And boy that does the trick they look like new again. I have heard (don't quote me) that this can cause them to rust. I wonder if this would be the case with SS grates. Mine are some black metal, not sure what they are made of. Bosch Range. ~boxerpups This is from Good Housekeeping Magazine Ask Helouise Is there an easy way to keep burners from getting grimy? -- Elizabeth Malvey, Wakefield, MA If you cook, there's really no way around it -- but you can give burners a thorough cleaning. Start by wiping grates and burners with a damp sponge. Remove grates and soak in hot, soapy water for 30 minutes. Add a teaspoon of ammonia to the sink water to help loosen the grime. Scrub them with a stiff brush to remove any remaining gunk. To minimize future messes, keep an eye on pots so they don't boil over.

Stay away from Viking. They haven’t made a quality appliance in 15+ years. Are you looking for a full range, or a rangetop /cooktop with double wall ovens? After thorough research, we bought a Thermador gas rangetop, and Miele double ovens...with one oven being a combi steam. 5 years, no issues. The Thermador rangetop has an easy to clean, thick enamel under the grates. The star burners cook the center of pots and pans more evenly, than the circular burners on the Wolf. The Miele ovens heat up quickly, and bake and cook evenly. Any chance you’re interested in induction? If my husband weren’t such a flame freak, (he does most of the cooking these days), that‘s what I would’ve gotten. Many people here will attest to how much the love induction, and wouldn’t go back to gas. Anyway...steer clear of Viking!