Review of Moffat [GE] electric range
30" Moffat MCBS524K2WW (made by GE in Canada), non self-cleaning, rated 574 kWh per year.
In June 2009, it cost Cdn $369 plus taxes, less a $50 mail-in rebate, for a net price of $367.
30" Moffat MCBS524K2WW (made by GE in Canada), non self-cleaning, rated 574 kWh per year.
In June 2009, it cost Cdn $369 plus taxes, less a $50 mail-in rebate, for a net price of $367.
[We were going to post this on epinions.com, but that site has become bloated and hard to navigate and access and write for, e.g., if a Canadian brand name like Moffat is not already there. So we made our own page, and added some photos. —Gene Keyes and Mary Jo Graça]
Pro: Good basic electric range at lowest available price
Con: Several stupid design details, especially non-see-through window, and non-handle on drawer
3 stars out of 5
We had never bought a new electric stove before:
just used whatever was in an apartment. When the existing range which
came with our mobile home gave out, we looked at second-hand stores, but
the choices were no good, so a new one it had to be. We wanted the cheapest
no-frills model we could find, and eventually settled on this 30" Moffat
MCBS524K2WW (made by GE in Canada), which we bought at Home Depot, New
Minas, Nova Scotia, in June 2009. We paid Cdn $367 including taxes, after
the rebate which took many weeks to arrive.
We had looked at supposedly more energy-efficient ranges, but what we would save in electricity during their life was less than the difference in price.
Compared to oldies we were accustomed to, this had nice contemporary features, such as a lift-up top to facilitate cleaning under the burners, and no gap between the stove's top and back part, which makes cleaning the top easier. It has a simple to use digital clock and countdown timer, but no complicated clock-&-cooking mechanisms which we've never used on other stoves anyway. In the five months we've had it, so far the range has functioned quite well. (The oven temperatures seem to be some 25º F. lower than our previous stove, so we compensate. We don't know if this one is miscalibrated, or the other one was too hot.)
The annoying things about this stove are a number of really stupid design details which should be quite avoidable:
But apart from all that, it cooks our food OK.
PS: incidentally, the more expensive GE models have a curved top on the back panel of the stove, but our Moffat has a flat surface, where we can put containers of salt, sugar, etc.
We had looked at supposedly more energy-efficient ranges, but what we would save in electricity during their life was less than the difference in price.
Compared to oldies we were accustomed to, this had nice contemporary features, such as a lift-up top to facilitate cleaning under the burners, and no gap between the stove's top and back part, which makes cleaning the top easier. It has a simple to use digital clock and countdown timer, but no complicated clock-&-cooking mechanisms which we've never used on other stoves anyway. In the five months we've had it, so far the range has functioned quite well. (The oven temperatures seem to be some 25º F. lower than our previous stove, so we compensate. We don't know if this one is miscalibrated, or the other one was too hot.)
Lift-up top
The annoying things about this stove are a number of really stupid design details which should be quite avoidable:
1) The oven window has an unremovable white-colored grid embedded in it which makes it just about impossible to see into the oven, even with the light turned on. We are told this was merely a styling device to make the oven door look white. Bleah. (If you've ever seen bus windows plastered with [not]-see-through ads, you get the idea.) So why bother with a window in the first place!
Oven door closed:
(c.c. cookies from a package for illustrative purposes.)
Oven door open:
(c.c. cookies from a package for illustrative purposes.)
2) The [not]-handle to open the storage drawer is simply an angled depression which is nearly impossible to get a grip on, especially if your hands are a bit wet. Our workaround was to attach a piece of non-skid material in and above the groove.
3) The storage drawer is weak and wobbly, as on so many other stoves nowadays. Also, for the space available, it could have been a lot wider and higher. With a depth of only half the opening's height, things fall out in back.
4) There is quite a bit of uncovered sharp-edge sheet metal in the stove, especially right above the non-handle of the storage drawer, where you could cut your fingers if you are not careful. (Also on the oven door, the lift-up stove top, and the storage drawer itself.)
5) The adjustable foot-screws to level the stove were very, very hard to turn.
6) There were big blobs of grease on the storage drawer.
7) The icons are confusing as to which handle is to control which burner, so we attached our own big-print labels: FRONT BACK BACK FRONT.
But apart from all that, it cooks our food OK.
PS: incidentally, the more expensive GE models have a curved top on the back panel of the stove, but our Moffat has a flat surface, where we can put containers of salt, sugar, etc.
Tags: Moffat, GE, electric range, electric stove, MCBS524K2WW, review, epinions, epinions.com, stupid design, stove, kitchen range, range, oven window, stove images