Love Your Oven!

Here at Toronto Refrigeration, we offer services that cost a bit of money in the short run, but ultimately save you lots of money in the long run, this type of work can be categorized as “value added” service. In the long, cold winter, you need your stove and elements for cooking all types of hot meals: roasts, casseroles, soups, stews and on and on. If you have a beautiful range from another era, then you should try to preserve it out of consideration of value and style. Our technicians are trained to fix your broken appliances all year long, and they are especially adept at figuring out old vintage appliances that some call vintage and others call junk.

 While we encourage you to get the most value out of your old appliances, we will also tell you when it’s time to call it quits. Sometimes we form sentimental attachments to certain things in life, but eventually you need to know when to do the reasonable thing and outright replace your oven. While this can be sad, the good news is that buying a new oven is exciting – plus, no matter how efficient your old oven was, chances are it wasn’t as powerful as the ovens on offer in 2017.

Without further ado, here are a few things to consider when shopping for a new oven:

If you just got rid of a range, chances are you’ll want to continue on in the same tradition. There are a few benefits to having a wall unit oven and a separate counter-top/ cook-top, but you’ll end up paying more than if you bought a combo, so from a value perspective it’s not a great idea. Unless you have very specific reasons for wanting a separate oven and cooktop, we recommend going with a range.

Your typical gas or electric range is 30 inches wide, and pro-style ranges are 36 inches wide. For a standard home, we recommend the standard thirty inches. Chances are that this is how much room you have between your counter-space anyway, and standard ranges are so advanced at this point that purchasing a pro-style unit is only advisable if you like the style and are trying to make a statement.

Standard modern ovens can have an interior as large as 4 cubic-feet, which can come in handy if you’re baking for a crowd. Some of the new smart ovens – Samsung makes a great one – can even be split into two separate sections to cook at different heats. Very sneaky! The amount of space in the oven as well as the surface of the stovetop are definitely things you’ll want to take into consideration.

Perhaps most important is whether you want to go with electric or gas. Electric is good if you’re pragmatic and don’t want to have to watch your food too carefully; electric also offers superior control. Many amateur chefs appreciate gas because it feels a bit more involved and a bit more natural. In the middle is dual-fuel, which offers the pleasures of gas elements and the convenience of an electric oven! This decision depends on personal preference.

When you need someone to help fix your broken appliances in a hurry, think Toronto Refrigeration – our technicians are friendly, trustworthy and well reviewed. We’ll keep your old museum piece of an oven working until it’s time to pick up a slick replacement, you can count on it!