How long have you had your cooker for?

[SophieJenkins]

We've had our free standing oven/cooker for about 10 years now and I was recently thinking about replacing it, as there was a closing down sale with some great bargains.

However I didn't see any that were as nicely made or felt so nice to open and shut the doors, had proper metal knobs instead of those sort of silver spray painted ones - nothing came close, even the really expensive ones.

Then it occurred to me that there was nothign wrong with keeping it for another ten years - cookers are fairly simple perhaps? I remember my grandparents probably had had the same one since they moved into their house, so for forty or fifty years...

Is this something that you could do now? Or has the design changed. the quality perhaps changed so that cookers have a shorter lifespan?

I really don't know but I love my old cooker and hope I can keep it for a long time, or at least replace it with a similar model next time.

So how long has your cooker lasted?

[PerspicaciaTick]

We've had the job since we moved into the house 17 years ago.
The oven was the same age and did well until a couple of years ago when it broke beyond repair.
If you like it then there's no reason to replace a cooker for the sake of it.

[PerspicaciaTick]

Hob not job.

[SophieJenkins]

Oh 17 years sounds great! Thanks for answering. I can't think what could go so wrong iyswim - I had to get the element replaced a few years back, and that in turn meant the guy broke the inner glass on the door, because I was holding a new baby and couldn't remember how to take the door off.

So that cost a bit and was very tricky to do. I still don't feel I did a proper job!

Only other thing is it is rather dirty inside but a new one would get that way too. The pyrolytic? linings on the Rangemasters looked good, mine doesn't have those. I hated the door closures though as they made a great bang when you pushed them. And the top of the hob had a ridge all round where it was joined on.

It is the little things isn't it.

[PerspicaciaTick]

Maybe treat it to a visit from a professional cooker cleaner?

[poocatcherchampion]

I don't understand why you would replace a functional piece of household equipment.

Have you got more money than you know what to do with?

[poocatcherchampion]

But to answer your question 2 years since the one before packed up - it was very old.

[SophieJenkins]

PCC, yes naturally, rolling in money (?)

The point was to replace it before it went bang, which I wasn't sure if it was likely to do anytime soon, and that it would be better to do so now when I can borrow the money from the bank, and get a good one in a clearance sale, than wait till it's an emergency and I may not have the resources to replace it with anything even nearly as good or long-lasting.

It is quite old, and quite scruffy, and was already second hand when I got it having been bought by someone else, knocked about a bit and returned because the thermocouples weren't working properly.

So I love it but have a shaky sort of faith in it iyswim.

I just thought maybe it would be worth getting a half price cooker now instead of waiting till it blows up (possibly in a year or two?) and having to get something crappy from Argos.

Hope that makes sense.

[Flisspaps]

The hob was here when we moved in 8 years ago. The oven was replaced in February and I got the cheapest one I could find.

[PigletJohn]

cookers don't go wrong much. The oven element will eventually need replacing, the timer/clock might stop working, the oven will need to be cleaned once a year or more.

Our new one is not as good as the old one.

[Belleview]

I've had mine 20 years and I need a new one now! It came with the house I'm in, so I've no idea how old it actually is. Same deal with my gas hob. It's the knobs that are worn, and the enamel. The actual working is still excellent.
I'm also looking to replace at my leisure rather than in an hurry after a breakdown.

[Hulababy]

We've just had a new kitchen so our oven is less than a month old.
Our previous one was about 10 years old as it was new when we bought the house.

We moved the kitchen entirely and I wanted a different type of oven hence getting a new one. the old one worked but was less efficient and had already been repaired once.

[Belleview]

There's fantastic oven cleaner available at Amazon. Can't remember what it's called but it's the one with zillions of reviews. Never seen it in the shops. It's under a tenner and truly brilliant.

[SophieJenkins]

Thank you very much everyone. I will look up that oven cleaner - have found a recipe for a very environmentally friendly mixture though on You tube so will give that a go first! (baking soda features prominently I think)

I have been in the position where I bought the cheapest, simplest thing available and though sometimes it can work out really well, I've also bought things that have been very well made and a bit dearer - but always, always in the sale, or on offer, or ex display with some damage - I can't buy something that isn't reduced! It makes the decisions easier iyswim.

And some of those things have lasted really well. So sometimes maybe it is worth it, if you can afford it, which I sort of can't and sort of can at the moment. I don't want to sound like I'm showing off though

We just moved 6 months ago and have literally only just got the kitchen done, which is a really small kitchen and was very good value (the old one was ripped out last summer when we bought the flat - it was filthy and falling apart)

so that's part of it, but I've built a wooden platform for our old cooker now anyway, so it is the right height, and it looks fine with the new units.

I'm sure the element will go eventually, maybe other stuff - but I am reassured to know there isn't much that is likely to go wrong in the very near future.

The outside is the same as it was new - the same chips out of the enamel, that were there - we haven't damaged it further - it's cleaned up very nicely on the outside. it feels like an old friend!