After a year, I have a lower opinion of this stove. Read the entire review!
Written: Feb 03 '08 (Updated Feb 06 '09)
Product Rating:
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Pros: So many features, oven cooks evenly, beautiful, easy to use.
Cons: Lower oven drawer doesn't work, other warranty-covered issues.
The Bottom Line:
This looked great with so many features, but after one year and a few warranty issues, I would prefer a higher quality range over lower quality with tons of features.
amyjean2222's Full Review: General Electric Cafe C2S980SEMSS Stainless Steel ...
Note: Please see my updated comments below. I am leaving the original review intact.
We bought this stove to replace an old Dacor dual-fuel range. The GE Cafe offered more features for less than half the price of a new Dacor. There is only one negative I have found about the stove so far, and that is that the quality control seems to be somewhat poor. The bottom drawer oven was spot-welded crookedly and doesn't seal when closed, but that is getting replaced under the warranty. Both the folks at GE and the repair guy are totally helpful. Also, several of the screws (all out of sight when installed) are a little crooked, but I'm nit-picky about that sort of thing. I think that you only have to look it over very carefully, and don't be afraid to use the warranty- I learned a lot from the repair guy.
Other complaints I have read seem to be untrue based on our stove. The fan is actually much quieter than our old stove, not distracting at all. The burners work very well- especially the power boil. I also love the glass touch-panel-it works really well, and looks great. The center burner is supposed to be a lower-temperature burner- only 6000 BTU. It does seem to only have two settings- medium and low. The repair guy said this is normal. I don't really mind since most other ranges don't even have a griddle. The cooktop has been pretty easy to clean so far- but it is stainless, so you have to be careful to not use anything too abrasive. That is true for any stainless appliance, so not a negative for this one. The stove comes with the Ceramabryte cleaner which they recommend you use.
The range is so beautiful in our kitchen, and I love the huge oven and huge window.
UpdateFeb. 2009: Well, after one year with this stove I am not as impressed. The lower oven stopped working at some point, which I found out on Thanksgiving day. I have had the repair company come out twice to fix it unsuccessfully, and they tell me they have done all they can and now it is back on to GE to figure out a solution. I may end up getting a new range, but I am waiting to hear back from GE. I have also had another warranty repair done earlier last year-the lower oven drawer was crooked and would not close properly. Also, the burner knobs would stick so that you could turn the knob higher but not lower, so you'd have to turn it really hard ontil it popped back (rather violently) into the off position. This would only happen occasionally, but it is scary to have an open flame stuck on! Both GE and the repair companies they have sent out have been helpful and professional, but I do feel disappointed that I had to spend roughly $150 on an extended 3-yr warranty.
Additionally, the center griddle is not high heat- enough to cook pancakes but not hot enough to fry eggs or burgers. Also, the griddle only has two distinct flame levels, medium and low. It does not have a gradual flame-height like the other burners. The repairman told me that was normal. I also am disappointed with the burners. Keep in mind that I am on propane, which affects the BTU rating. It seems that for a few of the burners, there is no change in flame height for the top and bottom thirds of the knob rotation, and all the sensitivity is built into the middle third, like from #s 3-6. This is one issue that I cannot compare to other ranges since I have not tried any others out in my home. However, I do wish I could trade features I rarely use (lower oven, meat thermometer, center griddle) for an overall increase in the quality of the features I use all the time. I am very happy (still) with the oven and the convection feature. My baked goods cook very evenly.
I still like this stove, but that is mostly based on the look of it. When I originally purchased it, I was also considering a similar Jenn-Air. I think you get what you pay for, and I paid the price of a higher-quality low-feature oven for a low-quality many-featured oven. I hope this review helps-I will continue to make updates as the repair process continues!
Dual Fuel. The instant response of gas on the cooktop and the performance and control of an electric oven. PreciseAir? convection oven delivers even a...More at US Appliance
GE Cafe Series: C2S980SEMSS 30'' Dual Range with 5 Sealed Burners, Non-Stick Griddle, 5.0 cu. ft. Convection Oven and 1.0 cu. ft. Lower Oven: Stainles...More at Home Everything
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