Frigidaire 30" Self-Cleaning Freestanding Electric Range Review

When the electrical panel on our range broke a month ago, my initial reaction was mixed.  I was bummed that we had to spend $600 on a new one, but I was also secretly thrilled that we could get rid of the ceramic cook-top I hated so much.  I did a little bit of research and decided on a particular coil-top oven.  However, when we got to Best Buy, they didn't have a single coil-top model in stock.  Since I didn't want to wait 8-10 weeks for delivery, I decided on the Frigidaire 30" Self-Cleaning Freestanding Electric Range, which unfortunately featured the hated ceramic cook-top.

The Specifics (from Best Buy's website)

• 2 oven racks with 6 positions
• Two 9" and two 6" cook-top elements
• Upswept cook-top and smooth-top design contains spills for easy cleanup
• Surface element and hot surface indicator lights let you know the cook-top is still hot
• Self-clean oven feature
• Visualite window with clear glass and oven light lets you see the cooking progress without opening the door and releasing heat
• Built-in storage drawer
• Other convenient features: clock, electronic timer, and Auto-Latch safety lock
• Black and stainless-steel design
• 1 year manufacturer warranty
• Regular price at Best Buy: $599.99 (I bought it on sale for $539)

My Experience

I have been happy so far with the performance of the Frigidaire 30" Self-Cleaning Freestanding Electric Range.  The oven part cooks evenly top-bottom and front-back.  I like not having to open the door to see the progress of my food.  The cook-top burners get hot very quickly.  Unlike coils, they turn red hot almost as soon as you turn them on.  However, I have found that if a recipe says medium, I need to use one notch above medium to get the same results.  The stainless steel and black finish looks very nice with my other black appliances.

As I mentioned earlier, I was less than pleased that this range had a ceramic cook-top.  You can only clean it with Ceramabrite cleaner or very mild dish soap.  Any abrasive cleaners (Lysol or Clorox wipes) will damage the surface.  This always leaves me feeling like I didn't really get it clean, but there's not much I can do about that.  Also, you have to immediately clean up any water or liquid spills (no waiting until you're finished cooking), or they will harden and can stain the ceramic surface.

My Viewpoint

The Frigidaire 30" Self-Cleaning Freestanding Electric Range is a decent low to medium priced range.  The oven part cooks evenly, and the ceramic cook-top heats up very quickly.  If you don't mind the above mentioned drawbacks of ceramic, and don't want to pay and arm and a leg, this is a good range for you.