Green original cube and walk-in run for sale

[Lesley]

ooh thats interesting, I didnt know you could do that. Does it use much LPG? what size tank do you need? I see a google session coming!!!lol

 

I'll PM you so it's not taking the thread completely off-topic!

[majorbloodnock]

Thanks very much for the offer, DM. I'm not sure we'll be able to get up to Oxfordshire before we need to buy, but if we can manage it, I'll keep you in mind.

 

Interestingly enough, we've spent plenty of time online and in and out of shops (which is how we spent today, incidentally) and I think we are narrowing it down. All the reviews (we've taken out a subscription with Which?, for instance, and pored over Reevoo) suggest the Rangemasters' ovens are really accurate, and cook evenly - a real bugbear of ours with the current Britannia. We've also realised that the telescopic grill is not just a gimmick, but could be really useful given both our kids like cooking too; it'll allow them to grill to their hearts' content without having to contend with taking a heavy pan out and lifting it onto a work surface.

 

All this means that the Professional Plus is the most appropriate of the Rangemasters, and we can't find anything cheaper that doesn't compromise on either quality or ability, and we can't find anything more capable (in the ways we are interested in) without significantly increasing the budget. The only other likely contender we could see was indeed a Leisure, but we found that the Aga group sold the Leisure cooker business to Beko, and that translates in the current models we've looked at into a somewhat plasticky and disappointing feel in the detail and a lower scoring in the reviews. Given our last experience, we're trying to play as safe as possible, and it seems our original stake in the ground is pretty much the safest bet.

 

Now, of course, comes the fun of shopping around to get the best price. So far, we've seen a difference of approximately £500 between the cheapest and the most expensive prices for exactly the same model...

[Spinning Top]

Oh dear, this could be expensive...

Following a trip to the Rangemaster showroom we've got someone coming to quote on a new kitchen - and while we're at it, we ought to replace the boiler and wouldn't it be a shame not to knock that piece of wall down to open up the space - but then we'll need to replace the floor tiles...............

[Old Speckled Hen]

ooh thats interesting, I didnt know you could do that. Does it use much LPG? what size tank do you need? I see a google session coming!!!lol

You don't need a tank. I have a couple of 19kg bottles and one lasts four months

[majorbloodnock]

Well, we've finally got it. A Rangemaster Professional Plus 90cm with two electric ovens, a separate grill and gas burners on top. We ended up spending £1,440 or thereabouts since Curry's were offering a £100 trade-in on old cookers - far better than having to spend a tenner to get them to recycle the last one.

 

I also have to say that Curry's were excellent in the shop (I usually hate DSG, almost on principle), since the sales staff were both helpful and conspicuously not pushy. Moreover the booking of the delivery and the pre-delivery updates were tip top.

 

Sadly, the guys on the lorry were less so. My wife knew as soon as they got out of the cab that they didn't really want to do an installation, and they wasted no time in finding excuses as to why they couldn't touch the existing cooker. Dangerous, they said, and then left. Luckily for us, the plumbers we used some months ago to install our new boiler were able to shuffle stuff around and come to us today (the day after the delivery) and do the necessary. Was the previous installation substandard? Not according to them, and since they're Gas Safe registered and we've prior experience of their work, I know whose opinion I'm inclined to go with. They even offered to knock £15 off their standard cooker installation price since they didn't have to supply the gas hose, but since they'd like to come back to safety check the cooker once the kitchen around it is finished, I suggested they keep the money to cover the second visit.

 

So how does the new range fare? Well, it's difficult to judge on just one evening's results, but we did a pizza and it came out the correct shade of brown, evenly cooked and dramatically lacking in burnt areas. The difference between this oven and that of the Britannia range we had before is so stark as to be difficult to believe. No doubt we'll find out more as we live with it, but to see something come out perfectly first time is gratifying. We are officially pleased.

[The Dogmother]

I'm glad to hear that you are pleased Major; if you spend any amount of time cooking and baking then a good cooker is essential.

 

The men who delivered mine were also a grumpy lot, complaining and cussing about getting it in my house. In the end I said that as delivering these items was their job, that I expected them to do it with a certain amount of goodwill and polite language. Perhaps grumpiness is a pre-requisite for the job?

 

Do let us know how you get on, and photos of it in situ when the kitchen is finished are essential