When I bought my 350-square-foot pied-à-terre in New York ’ second Greenwich Village, the very first matter I did was look for a stave. ( The chrome Kenmore that came with the apartment not only was excessively modern, but it besides took up half of the galley kitchen ! ) I wanted something more in keeping with the late-19th-century apartment .
Vintage Stoves
It was hard for me to choose between a vintage fastness ( rehabbed, of path ) and a homely, modern stove. A mod stove barely can ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate come close to the expression of an original Glenwood Deluxe —those gracefully arching legs, the period ’ second cream and jadeite green enamel .
Richard Richardson of estimable Time Stove explained to me that a convert antique is basically a new stave ; each one is torn gloomy and pass —insulated, sandblasted, repainted and replated, updated with newfangled cast-iron burners ( as needed ) and a stainless-steel speckleware oven ( flatulence or electric ), fitted with repacked valves, and equipped with pilot burner lights and thermostats calibrated to meet the most rigid modern codes. His stoves come in a across-the-board variety of styles and combinations of gas, electric, and wood-fired models, starting from about $ 3,000 for a classical 1930s accelerator and electric stove to over $ 10,000 for a Magic Chef, a cook ’ second ambition with six or more burners, two ovens, broiler, boodle warm, work light, clock, and more.
Reading: How to Choose a Kitchen Stove
Reproduction Stoves
I had to admit that mod conveniences can be nice. I like cooking on ceramic cooktops, and it ’ s hard to say no to a self-cleaning oven. So I thought about a reproduction .
Elmira Stoves manufactures two raw, old-style stoves : their ‘ Antique ’ ( based on a victorian wood-fired model ) and ‘ Northstar ’ ( a retro 1950s scope ). Both have the look of a vintage stave but satisfy nowadays ’ mho expectations. You can choose a convection oven or an infrared broiler—and finishes come in classic white or black arsenic well as Cayenne Pepper red and Liberty Blue, with a choice of nickel, antique boldness, or copper tailored. ( I particularly like their on-line Range Selection feature of speech, which lets you build your own stave from a kind of range-top, oven, color, and trim options. )
European Cookers
then again, I ’ ve always yearned for an Aga Cooker, the centerpiece of many a charm english kitchen. Invented by a swedish physicist in 1922 and manufactured in England since 1932, Aga stoves deliver a reproducible, evening estrus from natural gas, oil, or electric. The chef can move among cast-iron ovens for roasting, bake, simmer, and warming ( depending on the model ) and plates on top ( protected by insulate covers when not in use ) for warming, simmering, and boiling. The stave is constantly “ on, ” and there are no knob or dials, so far the Aga is energy-efficient and cheaper to run than a standard gas stove.
today ’ mho Agas comes in fourteen enamel colors, from a classy Wedgwood aristocratic and buttermilk ivory to plum and milk chocolate. ( The black is ageless. ) recently added to the pipeline are two-oven, four-burner ‘ Companion ’ duel-fuel, flatulence and electric models. With width starting at equitable 24 inches, these are perfect for space-starved kitchens like mine in New York. Just plug one into a 240-volt, 30-amp circuit and hook it up to a standard gas course ; the stoves don ’ t even require vent .
New Technology
If money were no object, I think I would have gone for the amber : TurboChef ’ s fresh ‘ Speedcook Oven ’, which combines retro design and the best of modern engineering. It has broadly curved edges and fire-red, hearth-shaped doors, but it cooks 15 times faster than conventional ovens, using heated air blown through the oven at speeds improving to 60 miles per hour, a process that allows foods to retain more moisture and season. A TurboChef starts at $ 8,000, but it can cook a cocoa soufflé in two minutes.
Hoods & Vents
If I did more fudge than the casual quick meal, I ’ five hundred need a hood and vent—not only to remove odors and steam, but besides to reduce the bedspread of stove fires. Hoods hang over the stove to collect the odors, dirt, and gases while vents and blowers remove them. Vent-A-Hood, the country ’ s oldest hood and vent manufacturer, recommends a minimum hood lap of three inches over each side of the stave, and particularly over the presence to by rights catch the vapors. They warn that the proper stature above the stave is 30 to 36 inches—not much higher. Be indisputable to use only smooth, galvanize alloy ducting ( not elastic or corrugated, which restrict air flow ) ; vent directly outdoors, never to the attic or the lamp chimney, to prevent spreading fires. Hoods come in a wide range of sizes, styles, and prices, and custom models are frequently chosen for vintage stoves. RangeCraft ’ s new ‘ Canterbury ’ hood in shimmering brass section and bull, a bring of artwork with cosmetic brass buttons. anyhow, in New York, I ended up with a rehabbed ‘ Quality ’ stove from the 1930s, and I ’ ve been quite felicitous with its clean flatulence burners and new electric oven. now I ’ thousand thinking about something new—or old—for my Seattle kitchen…
