I am very excited (okay, still a little SHOCKED) to have partnered with Mom Central as one of their Fridgidaire Test Drive Moms - Team Everything!
Why?
Well, as I mentioned in my inaugural post (last week) 'cawse nobody breaks stuff, like I do! We survived THE BIG INSTALL. Seriously, if there was an Olympic event specifically for "big living in a small-ish house" well, our walls would be covered with gold, instead of fingerprints and dog snot (you're welcome!)
Why, YES....that IS smoke you see wah-fting up from our delicious new oven!
This passed week, we've been cooking (and baking) the heck out of our new freestanding range (and oven) and trying really hard to get used to the faster cooking times (2 weeks into the test drive and we are THIS CLOSE to medium rare) but, I was only able to set off the smoke alarm, 3 times.
"Dinner IS ready!"
Wanna see?
Let me begin by saying: I LOVE THIS RANGE TOP! With 4 side burners and center accent burner, it has got PLENTY of room for multiple pots, or over-sized pans and makes plenty of cooking sense.
Using the griddle, in place of the middle grate, not so much.
Oh, it's plenty good enough for a family of 4. However, in our house, breakfast for dinner usually means 2 pancakes (x) 4 kids (+) 1 friend, maybe even 2 and, well, those pancakes up there a lot smaller than the seem.
Now, that's MORE like it!
The griddle grate is cast-iron and, to my knowledge, should probably have been seasoned, but I couldn't find anything in the instructions, or online, to tell me how to do this. I made these pancakes, yesterday (3rd time, in 2 weeks) so, this time, they didn't stick. However, as you can see, I just can't seem to get the heat right, yet.
The "keep warm drawer" is located under the oven.
The "keep warm drawer" is AWESOME! There's a separate setting for the warming drawer and 3 temperature controls to choose from. You can keep foods warm AND cook with the stovetop/oven at the same time.
Dirty oven....
After 2 weeks of baking and broiling and still having trouble getting used to the fast cooking time, or selecting the correct temperature, it was time to test the "self-cleaning" mode.
- 3 hour cleaning time - is used for normal cleaning
- 2-hour cleaning time - for light soils
- 4-hour cleaning time - for heavier burn-on soils
I chose the normal cleaning time.
Aaaaand, there was much smoke [see picture at beginning of post] and lots of stinky fumes, but I don't know if this is normal, or, in hindsight, perhaps cleaning the oven, using the 2 hr. light soil setting, after the 2nd spill, would have been better.
Cleaned oven...almost.
I guess, we'll know better after another cleaning. Also, during the cleaning cycle, the outside of the range (i.e., knobs and handle) GET VERY HOT to the touch. There is a warning in the manual about this. After 3 hours, there was a light ash left behind.
A simple wipe and...viola!
FINAL VERDICT - On the Upside: The range is real stainless steel, with a protective coating that supposedly reduces fingerprints and smudges and, well, it does. Yes...a simple wipe with a dry dish towel is all it takes to clean the outside. The range top is AWESOME. I love that it has 2 side burners and 1 long center burner. Plenty of cooktop. Cleaning the oven was easier than I thought. It really was a mess. The warming drawer makes cooking several dishes, or servings, at once, a dream.On the Downside: However, the stove top is black; in my opinion, THE WORST color for an appliance (or, automobile for that matter) but, as long as it is wiped after use, or most especially after a spill, it's relatively easy to keep after. The fumes and smoke during cleaning was awful. Then again, I'm not sure if this is normal and will know better after another cleaning.
I still haven't found enough courage to use the convection portion on the oven -- maybe next week, after reading the manual a little closer and perhaps investing in a little more fire insurance (just kidding, sort of) but, considering that (unlike my old stove) this range is way efficient and the temperatures are pretty precise...I really do have to re-learn how to cook....everything.
Looking ahead to Week 3: The over the range microwave is still on our counter (saving up a little milk money for new cabinets) but, surprisingly works a lot like a traditional oven...more on that next week...the fridge (will give you our thoughts during week 5) and then there's the dishwasher [choir of angels singing] that I nearly broke, on Day 2.
In the meantime, if anyone needs me, I'll be upstairs...asleep...wake me up when Ty Pennington calls!
© 2010 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.
“I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and will receive a Frigidaire Refrigerator, Range/Microwave, Washer/Dryer set, and a Dishwasher to facilitate my review.”
