The Black Range

The temperature was 13 degrees when we left for school this morning. It is now a toasty 42 degrees outside, with a moderate wind that feels like it is blowing straight off the ice. I think I'll write about something nice and warm... like my new range!

*

Last fall my ancient oven's door quit opening all the way. The door only opened about a foot, causing risk to life and limb when trying to insert a cake or casserole.

*

Luckily I have appliance insurance, a great blessing when you own a 33-year-old home with the original appliances still intact. They sent out a guy and then desperately searched for replacement parts so they wouldn't have to purchase a new range for me, as specified in my contract.

*

Am I bad for praying they wouldn't find the part? I confess I've been hoping for several years that my old range would die!

*

Happily for me, they don't keep old hinges around for 33 years. I was offered a new range, with an option to upgrade and pay the difference.

*

Let's see, the old range was not self-cleaning. It had 3 small burners and only one large burner, a real pain when cooking a meal requiring 2 big pans, like spaghetti. Did I want to upgrade? You betcha!!
*

For just $136, I now have a lovely, self-cleaning black range (I heard black is easier to keep clean) with two large burners and a wonderful, smooth ceramic top. After using the stove for 2 weeks now, I can testify it is SO much easier to wash up!

I had to take a picture of the inside before we used it. Self-cleaning or not, you know it'll never look this good again!

*

Jacob got to cook on the new stove first. That's him frying eggs for breakfast before school the morning after we installed it.
*

This range is taller than the old one, so we need to raise the spatula-holder hanging above it.

I was first to use the oven when I baked these yummy stuffed bell peppers a few days later. Here they are, ready to go in.

*

I must say, the range works great. The flat burners heat up fast and cool down fast. The oven interior is huge compared to the old one and heats so evenly. I'm sure it also uses much less energy.

*

Thanks so much to Robert, Susan, and Tony Bob for helping us install the new and haul out the old!

For Dylan, of course, the range was pretty unexciting. The box, now, that's something else entirely! The next day it was transformed into a fort, which Dylan generously shared with Diego. In fact, Diego spent part of the night sleeping in it.

*

The old range literally fell apart when it was pulled out. One metal side fell off, the top was hanging by the wires, and the bottom bent and broke loose.

*

Those of you in my age range may recall those funky colors from the 1970s: avocado, tangerine, harvest gold. Well, I'm thrilled to have one less bit of harvest gold in my kitchen!