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GE Cafe C2S980SEMSS Stainless Steel Slide-In Dual Fuel Range Review

Great stove!

Super Informative

"If you want burners with quick, very powerful output, excellent low-temp performance, good grates, a useable grill, large and well-placed controls, a generous oven with a second warmer or different-heat oven, and excellent value for money, this is your stove.



It also looks very nice in our no-nonsense, but modern and stylish kitchen.



I cook every day, mostly on the burners. Lots of wok cooking, vegetables, seared meat and fish. Occasional large roasts and fowl in the oven, not much baking. Our old stove (I emphasize OLD) was a 1942 Wedgewood with burners that produced 8-inch high blue flames that were fabulous for wok cooking and quick boiling. I spent weeks researching stoves that could compare. Far too many of those pro-look stoves are cosmetic fakes, and far too many are ridiculously overpriced. The GE had more Btu output on the front burners, and better design and operation for home use.



Installation was easy. The oven temp is dead on. The oven vent nostrils (and part of the convection fan) are placed low and at the back, which fits our kitchen design and the way I like to cook. The no-stick grill replaces the center grate, and has deep fat channels. When I'm not grilling, I keep the grate on; it makes for a level stove top onto which I can slide pots without having them tip.



One thing I wanted was front controls, which are better placed and easier to maintain than top or rear controls. The fat oven handle bars are great for hanging towels in the most convenient location. Oven shelves have lots of adjustment.



Caveats. Ignore the numbers on the burner dials. You MUST control burners by looking at the flame height. This is the only feature of the stove that I would call a design defect, and it's minor. I've always adjusted flame height by eye. I'm also not sure whether the screened numbers on the dials won't have rubbed off in five years. The lower oven is electric, but operates on 110v, a blessing since we don't have 220v available. It's useful for heating plates and keeping finished dishes warm, but it doesn't have a lot of height. The center oval burner is designed for grilling. It does not produce a high flame, and I saw some criticism of that in reviews of the CGS 980 and its predecessor. I disagree. For grilling, I want a steady heat that brings the grill up to a controlled and even temperature. The oval shape of the burner accomplishes that. Just give it a bit of extra time to come to temp.





Cleaning. Stainless is more work, no question. We knew that going in, and accepted it. Try to use just mild soap and water, because most "cleaners" also damage the finish. Keep the edges of the oven shelves lubed with edible oil (we use canola) as the instructions say, to keep the shelves from binding on their supports."

Chicken soup in action

• Picture of Product
• Using Product