When I bought this house it had a Tappan coil stove top. I understand Frigidaire bought Tappan. When I looked at replacement stove tops, the new Frigidaire one in the right size looked exactly like my old Tappan. And they were quite budget friendly. My old Tappan finally gave out. I did replace mine but went with gas and had the new gas line installed.

If you aren't planning to live there forever and are looking for a budget option, I'd go with the Frigidaire. It will do the job. My Tappan must have been 20 years old. I had it repaired a few times when the wiring and coils deteriorated.

If you aren't planning on living there long....I'd be looking in the ads for a used one.
Does SO have a truck? between the 2 of you, you could move it clean it up well and spend very little.
Spend what you save on a portable propane burner you could move outside to can on.
Linda c

We have a propane grill and I could can on it. I don't and I won't, it just doesn't fit my lifestyle. I am thinking of buying an induction burner or an electric canner. Both are kinda pricey, so right now I just want a stove to can on. I have looked at used ones, can't really find anything I like and I need something right now, as the oven is completely kaput. The computer is shot, will cost $375 to replace and not worth it. That's what I'm worried about with the flat top glass or ceramic stoves. I tend to blow out burners! With my coil stove, I've been able to replace them. Maybe I'll take another look at the Tappan. They had a cheapo one at Lowe's and I actually liked that one the best of all the coil ones I looked at, but I figured it would just be kinda junky working. I'm sure the one from 20 years ago was way better.

Likely that you can repair that oven very inexpensively if the problem is something simple like a heating element. DIY & shop online for parts. In my experience, I've found the best buys from vendors on eBay.

Otherwise, I'd shop for a used one. Garage sales & Craigslist.

We already looked online, it's a Kennmore stove and we can order the parts. The part that is broken costs $385 to replace, (it's the computer that controls the oven temp.), so that's what it would cost to fix, even if we did the labor ourselves. I've fixed other things on the stove easily, this does not seem worth it. Kinda ticks me off that the part is so expensive.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kennmore Electric Range parts

I agree with ci_lantro. Regular electric ranges are relatively easy to fix by yourself and parts are generally inexpensive. You may even be able to find "How To Fix" on youtube.

I am not sure why the control part is $385. Are you sure that�s the part for your stove? I did not see that in the Parts Diagram in the link you posted.

BTW, buying a used one you will have to go get it, install it and dispose of the old one. Buying a new one often the store will do everything.

dcarch

It's the electronic control....the stove won't work without it.
Craigs List....see below.

Here is a link that might be useful: $350 new coil range

It gets me mad that companies charge that kind of money for parts, like inkjet printers' outrageous prices for ink cartriges.

An electronic temperature controller uses type K thermocouple sensor, $3.00 to $10.00 each.

A PID digital temperature controller, $30 to $50 each.

dcarch

lpink, I have had two Frigidaire electric ranges and was very pleased with both of them. I bought a new one for my old house and when we moved here in 2000 I bought another for this house. I have two pressure canners and a HWB canner have them all going alot in the summer and never had a problem with either stovetop and they were flat tops. I know it is recommended not to can on them, but I did, just pick up the canner to move it, don't slide it.

Last year I bought an Electrolux range, not because I was unhappy with the Frigidaire. I just liked the features of the Electrolux and wanted it from the moment I saw it. I still have the Frigidaire and wish we lived closer and I would sell it to you at a good price. I kept it because I thought I might want to have it installed in my outside storage building to can on. The Electrolux has been a challenge to can on because it gets so hot so quick, but I think I finally have it figured out. It is a flat top also.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a flat top Frigidaire electric range!

I checked the users manual of the Fridgidaire online and it said you could can on it but you had to use a flat bottomed canner. I don't have one but could get one. If I get a coil range, I already have a special heavy duty canning coil. I really need to get some kind of other gizmo for canning, like an induction hot plate or one of those electric canners. It's the canning that did in my oven, the steam from evaporating tomato sauce got inside the controls and shorted out the computer.

We bought a Frigidaire Professional Series flat top as part of the kitchen remodel, and I LOVE it!! One of the burners heats water so fast, it's almost instant. By the time I get done grinding the coffee beans for hubby in the morning, the water is already boiling.

You do have to have perfectly flat-bottomed cookware. I had to get rid of some of the old cookware because of that. If also has a convection oven, but I haven't used that feature yet.

It also cleans so easily, I would never want to go back to coil burners.

I have had my Frigidaire electric range just about 3 years. It has the glass top and I love it. Mine is the slide in model and I got it on clearance at Lowe's. I am baking all afternoon today in the oven :)

Sue

I was hoping/ thinking maybe all you needed was something like a heating element for the oven.

$385 for a part is just insane! (I did find that part-new- on eBay for only $289. There weren't any used ones available when I looked.) BTW, that is a GE part so your Kenmore is a rebadged GE. Just in case you want to call Jeffrey Immelt to let him know that you will not be replacing your stove with another GE...

Anyway, good luck with your search. I hope you find one that you'll love.

LOL, here's the irony . . . I walked to the local appliance store a couple of blocks from house a couple of days ago and asked them if they had any black and white stoves. The one I have now is black and white and that's what I think will look best in my kitchen. Well, the only one they had like that was a Hotpoint, (GE's cheaper line). It's almost a carbon copy of the stove I have. I'm kinda leaning towards that one, for a couple of reasons. First . . . the devil you know. Second, relatively cheap, and third, which is probalby oddly important, the microwave over my stove, also GE, is about 3 inches lower than it should be, so there's not that much room over the stove. BF drew this to my attention when we installed a new micro. It's not the way the micro was installed, it's the way the cabinets were installed, all too low he says. I'm not complaining, I can barely reach the top shelves as it is. But that makes for a tight fit for the stove, head clearance wise. Newer stoves, including the Frigidaire flat top I like, are 47-48 inches high and my current stove is 46 inches. Seems like a small thing, but I've only got 5 inches between the back of the range and the top of the micro as it is with a 46 inch high range. BF thinks this is minor, but I'm not so sure. This is not the stovetop part, it's the back of the range. But the whole operation is tight. That's probably one reason the steam from the tomato sauce screwed up the computer on my old stove. But the newere stoves have the computer part completely enclosed. My older one had buttons and knobs for the oven that were sticking out of the frame, and that's where the steam probably got in. I should have been paying closer attention . . .

Here's an old photo of my current stove, with my old micro. The new micro is even lower, but it was the only one I could find with the right kind of vent for my set up. I need a micro with a vent due to my propensity for burning things! Plus with the tight squeeze, I've got to move the steam away or I can't see what I'm cooking! No possibility of installing an outside vent due to my living in a row house.

The other option I am considering is this Premier one. Made in the USA at least. But no one carries it, I'd have to order it so could not try it out ahead of time. No chance of steam issues with that one, I love the front dials. But I would just have to order it cold, so not too crazy about that.

I am so not a fan of the GE corporation, due to their involvement in some of the major water pollution incidences of our time. The only other issue is the Hotpoint is the same as the Premier in that I have to order it, they don't have a floor model so I can't try out my canning coil to see if it works on the stove. I tried out the coil on all the Kennmore ones, it didn't fit. The only electric stove that fit my current canning coil was the Whirlpool one. That stove is also 48 inches and only comes in all black or all white. I guess I'd have to go with black on that one because the micro is black. The Frigidaire is also 48 inches high, so that's what's holding me back. BF dismisses my height concerns.

Here is a link that might be useful: Premier electric range

Well, if it comes down to buying the Hotpoint, if it was me, I'd just bite the bullet and buy the part ($289 on eBay) and fix the one you have. Esp. since you're thinking that maybe you won't be in your present home all that much longer.

That's the least expensive way out, it's the 'devil you know', you already have a canning coil that fits... Do your sauce reductions in the oven, on a front burner or in a portable Nesco.

Besides the cost of a new range, you'll save on the sales tax and won't be adding a broken stove to the landfill.

As to height concerns w/ other ranges... The pix you posted doesn't show how much space you have between the top of your cabs and the ceilings (if any). Suggestion: IF you have space above (and no soffit), since those are factory cabs, you could raise just that one cabinet that is over the stove.

Another possibility is replacing just that cabinet w/ one not so tall.

Yet another possibility would be to remove the cabinet altogether & install fixed open shelving bridging between the cabs to the left & right of the microwave. Then reinstall the microwave.