My husband and I just moved in to a new home but our kitchen space is quite limited so I opted for this oven. It heats up quite faster than other ovens, but I guess its also because of the size. But since this is not a self-cleaning oven, there is quite a space still inside. I really don’t mind so much of that anyway, because our family is small. I do have issues though, when we have friends coming over for dinner, but its nothing that I cannot handle. Some say it is quite difficult to hear the timer when it is done, but I haven’t really had the hardest time about this because our space is not that much big.

Since this particular oven (Frigidaire FES365EB) doubles as a broiler, it is one feature that I would love to have at the same time. Instead of purchasing a different appliance for that purpose, it pays to know that my oven can do that too. That does not only save money, but also space in the kitchen.

Heat control is very easy. I would say that this does not only fit those who have had ovens before, but also for small families like ours and for singles too. It is very convenient to use, and for a working woman like myself, it means a lot to me.

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Ceramic Oven Hobs
One kind of oven hob stealing the show in the cooking world though is the ceramic hob and this is due to the advantages that ceramic hobs can provide against competitors.
One of the main advantages of ceramic oven hobs is the fact that they tend to heat up quicker than others in its class. This is more than helpful when cooking as cooking time can be significantly reduced making it cheaper to cook too as the time the electricity is on is a lot shorter than with other oven hobs.

Another advantage of ceramic hobs is the general strength of them, if you have them installed correctly and spend time keeping them in a great condition, often they will last forever. You can buy ceramic hob cleaner from general supermarket stores and always wash them with a soft cloth to prevent scratching and marking. Also, ceramic hobs can often come with additional touch screen features giving it an extreme safety feature helping to prevent injury and any surprise A&E trips!

Overall when picking an oven hob, you should shop around spend your time choosing carefully as a hob when cared for correctly can last forever. Also make sure to have the hob installed correctly otherwise issues such as disconnection and electricity waste can happen.

Advantages of electric range cookers are the price range. Often gas cookers and hobs can be quite expensive making a purchase a very big and costly decision, where as an electric range cooker is often cheaper and you can also get big brand names too. Many more companies are jumping onto the bandwagon of electric cookers making the choice less complicated now.

In addition to this they are also easier to switch on. When switching on a gas cooker it can sometimes be unsafe due to the flames that come out, but with electric cookers there is no need for any fire lighters as electric cookers switch on with no flames and no fuss. Yet it can take some time for them to cool down meaning children should be kept away from the cooker during the cooking process or cooling down process.

There are so many decisions when purchasing a brand new electric range cooker such as what program features you’d like on your cooker, whether you decide to have an easy clean feature on your cooker and the size of the cooker you’d like. This all depends on the size of your kitchen. Electric range cookers often come in apartment sizes too making them affordable and perfect for everyone.
Electric range cookers can often be a cheaper alternative to cooking as well, meaning you save money and still get high quality delicious food!

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Deciding which cooker to keep in your home can be a difficult choice, you have the decision between gas, electricity or a new breed of cooker known as dual fuel.

A dual fuel cooker provides the convenience of an electric oven and a gas stove which is often a favourable choice for people buying a new cooker. If you have difficulty in deciding between gas and electric you may decide that dual fuel cooker is for you. This can also be a cost friendly choice as gas or electric can be rather expensive to run alone, but combined it could work out as cheaper.

Cost & Reward
Dual fuel cookers can be slightly more expensive to purchase than gas or electric cookers but the savings in utility bills can often be worth the high one time payout. Though, you will notice in the coming months that dual fuel cookers are starting to decrease in price so it may be worth waiting for that little bit longer.

Popular Choice
The top rated dual fuel cookers on the market right now are the Kenmore Elite 75603. This dual fuel cooker provides five average cast iron burners for normal cooking and two power burners for extremely fast water boiling. This can be extremely useful if you don’t want to wait around during the cooking process.

This dual fuel also includes two ovens making cooking for a large family a breeze. Some people have reviewed this product and have said that even the food quality is better.

This dual fuel cooker comes in at around $1,300. So slightly expensive, but for the top rate quality appliance you are getting, it would seem every penny is worth it.
Another top rated duel fuel cooker is the Electrolux EW3LDF65GS. This cooker has been labelled as the best duel fuel by two major publication companies. The product boasts a self cleaning feature, ten cooking options including the ‘Perfect Turkey’ option and five gas burners. This cooker is exactly what you need if you like your food to be cooked to perfection and you like your utility bills to come through as good as ever too.

This is a little more expensive than the Kenmore and comes in at around $1,900.

But from what I’ve heard, this is completely worth it.

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Not only that, this oven also has PreciseAir technology meaning that baking and roasting is literally a breeze, leading to fantastic tasting food that your friends and family will enjoy meal after meal. You’ll never have to battle with your children about dinner time ever again!

This product comes in at around $2,500 making it on the more expensive end of the price range, but don’t be put off just yet, as the amount of money you’ll save in energy bills and specialist cleaning products for your oven and hob will be dramatic meaning that this oven is not just a purchase for your kitchen, its also a money saving purchase too.

Gas or Electric Oven? Which to Buy?
This definitely depends on how often you use your oven, if you’re like me and you end up using your oven or stove every night to cook then this should affect your decision greatly.
Gas ovens and stoves are usually cheaper than electric ovens, this is because more often than not, gas units are charged at a cheaper rate than electric units, this does depend on where you live but this generally is the case.

Also, gas ovens have the ability to control the heat when cooking as do gas stoves. You can choose how high or low to have the heat so you can cook better quality meals. Electric ovens don’t provide this ability, you are set with one heat setting and electric stoves can take a very long time to cool down making them rather dangerous. Of course, if you take precise safety cautions this shouldn’t be a problem.

It is said that meals that are cooked in a gas oven rather than in an electric oven are going to last 50% longer when stored in a fridge or freezer. Gas ovens are so much better at cooking high quality meals as the temperature of them is variable.

Another reason as to why gas ovens can be a better alternative to electric ovens is because they are easy to maintain and easy to upgrade. New ranges of gas ovens are being brought out all of the time, whereas electric ovens are not constantly upgraded meaning that the appliance can fall behind the modern times.

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There are many good choices not matter what your budget is. You can buy a freestanding range or a built in range. The oven may have convection or other quick-cooking features. You can choose from gas, electric, or a combination of both. Those are just the basic decisions you need to make before buying. There are many extra features that help with the convenience of the range.

Even though they are widely available on cooktops, induction is just now making it’s way to ranges. Induction uses powerful electrical elements that produce magnetic fields, which will heat the magnetic pots and cook the food in them. Induction ranges are very good, but still very expensive. Several high scoring ranges can do many things at once with a second oven that can cook a side dish while the main oven is cooking the entree. Smooth-top models are the best selling electric ranges.

“Pro” Ranges are shown to be of poor value. Viking, claims that its dual-fuel VDSC530, has the largest oven available. While it is still a sizable oven, others can be found that are larger for less money. DCS says its gas RGTC305SS, delivers cooking to restaurant standards, but you’re likely to be disappointed when even broiling. Dual-duel ranges are also found to have no performance increase, and only a higher cost.

Unless you are stuck on quick fix meals (convection feature can add 250 to the price tag), you can find good cooking with a stainless-steel trim for under $1000.

At the end of the year, many retailers flip their inventory of cooking appliances making huge discounts on that year’s models. You will also want to look at the manufacturers website for holiday sales and rebates.

Be a little Skepticle

Manufacturers claim the dual fuel ranges offer the best quality gas and electric, but its been proven that many were beat out by less expensive all electric or all gas ranges.

Look for Features that Add Value

Look for a range that has at least one high powered burner or cook top element that will be great for faster boiling and hotter stir-fries. Check out slide in models if you want a built-in look for less money. Its controls allow for custom backlash. In the oven, convection settings can speed roasting times. Many ranges today offer a separate cooking drawer that allows you to prepare separate dishes at the same time at different temperatures. This is a great feature if you enjoy having company and entertaining.

Reconsider pro-style Ranges

In a recent Consumer Reports survey, subscribers shooed that owning a pro style range is a mixed bag. While most of them liked their high heat burners and fast broiling of the pro style ranges, more reported pricier repairs. Almost half of the models were repaired within an 8 year period. Compared to only 17 percent of repairs for regular ranges.

Don’t Forget the Hood

If you’re a avid cook, you will want a hood that can handle all of the heat and steam. Make sure the hood is at least as wide as the cooking surface it’s over.

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Physical Features

The first thing to notice is the overall quality of this oven. The knobs are real stainless steel instead of cheap plastic or aluminum like most other brands. The cobalt interior of the convection oven makes cleaning a simple and easy task which is a huge plus compared to some other ovens out there.  The upper oven can handle multiple courses at the same time which is great for dinner parties and holiday meals. The additional lower oven can allow you to bake, broil, or warm multiple dishes simultaneously. The luxurious lighting will allow you to clearly see the interior of the oven. The overall look of the oven will at a much luxurious look to your kitchen.

Cooking Options

The cook top contains 5 very powerful sealed burners that will make any cook happy with the variability of them. They can bring water to a quick boil or suit any other cooking needs. There is also a perfect turkey button which makes poultry very moist and delicious (you’ll love this option). It also has a rapid preheating option which is nice.  The lower oven is good to use when you want to keep dishes warm until it’s time to serve. However, unlike the upper gas oven, the lower oven is electric which can take longer to preheat. It’s best to use for warming, but it takes longer if you plan using it for higher temperatures.

Other Perks

Some of the small things to like about this oven is the way the door stays put and doesn’t fall or close by itself. The sealed burners are also very nice. If you have a spill on the cooktop it will prevent a larger mess. The racks inside the oven slide very easily. The temperature for the gas burners are also very controllable.

Some Cons

The self cleaning feature is nice if you don’t cook that often. However, it is easier to clean it by hand if you cook a lot. Like I said earlier, the lower oven is not a great cooker and it’s small, but it is good for warming.

Conclusion

The Electrolux EW30GF65GS Double oven is a good quality oven and it’s definitely very impressive looking in the kitchen. It is loaded with features that will take some reading in the manual to understand, but once you get the hang of it you’re going to want to use this oven more and more.

Where to buy a Wood Cook Stove?

The first place you would think to look is at local antique shops or auctions. However, there are dealers out there that make new wood stoves that are much safer and of course in a much better condition. If you decide to go with an old wood stove, there are a few things you should look at. First, make sure that the wood grate has no rusty cracks or spots and that it is in overall good condition. Also be sure that the vents are still able to open and close properly so you can control the fire and stove temperature. The condition is extremely important. If you can’t find one in good condition, go with a new one.

Why Use a Wood Stove?

Wood stoves are great because of many reasons. The first reason that comes to mind that it won’t add to your electric or gas bill and it can be used if the power is out. They are also great to use as a heating source for the winter months. There is also something very satisfying by eating freshly cooked food from a wooden stove.

How to Cook with a Wooden Stove

When is comes to wood stove, every one is different. Go by the manufacturer guidelines if possible. There are also books available for you to sharpen your skills with a wooden stove. It’s going to take trial and error at first so try to cook simple recipes starting out. Cooking is going to be slower. The first thing you’re going to need to do is load from the front or left side depending on your model. To start the fire, use crumbled newspaper in the fire and ignite.  Fill up the box with plenty of newspaper, but leave enough room for air to circulate.

Dampers are a movable iron plate that regulates the draft in the stove. There are two different dampers to use. One of them opens that chimney and needs to be opened in order to let the smoke out when cooking. The air intake is on the bottom and is used for controlling the fire. Open it all the way to start the fire and adjust accordingly. The less air in, the slower the fire. The other damper should be kept closed with igniting the fire. Once the fire is going you can open this damper and add the logs.

I recommend using cast iron or steel for cooking. It’s going to require practice, but you should get the hang of it. Maybe after a few scorched meals. Good luck and enjoy cooking with a wood cook stove!

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