What Happened To Longevity

 Years ago appliances lasted forever. You could keep a stove or fridge for decades, Not anymore. Now it's considered lucky if they last five years. What's happened? What's going on with our kitchen ware?

This is what I have been thinking ever since my Magic Chef microwave billowed out  black smoke last week. I only had it for two and a half years.It was only a little ways past its' warranty. What happened? This was a brand that my mother picked for a stove that lasted close to sixty years. I thought for sure this was the case for the microwave. a long life for a microwave. I used it often but not every day.It was cleaned so there were no clogged vents to cause any problems. It seems that Magic Chef just used inferior materials. Yet what does that say about their other products? Will their fridges go on the fritz after two or three years of use? I wonder if these newer generations of ranges will last as long as the one we had.My microwave was replaced with Walmart's Home Essentials brand.

It looks the same as the Magic Chef and actually works better. It cooks and reheats better and in less time too. It's perfect for popcorn, leaving less unpopped kernels than the other.

It may not have the roomy height of the other but it does the width  which is perfect for my larger microwave pots. I just hope this one lasts more than two years. It does make me wonder about my fridge  which I've had for eight years and my oven for just over five. It could be that manufacturers are making inferior grade models so we can go out and  buy new ones every few years.

Why aren't today's appliances lasting like they used to? It's due to manufacturers seeming to want us buy new ones every two or three years. It's not quality anymore.It s how long will they function before they die on us,.

What's Your Range

 The stove is the most integral part of the home kitchen. We use it for baking roasting, pan frying and sauteing. Picking the right one and the best one all depends on how much you use it. There are so many different ones out there. which one is the best.

Ovens have been around since the 1400's. Most wealthy families had their own , mostly to bake bread. Poorer ones had to share in a communal oven. These were mostly brick and mud and were surprisingly good in keeping in the heat. They could reach temperatures up to four hundred degrees Farenheit. The only problem was regulating the temperature. There was no Celsius or Farenheit back then. Home chefs just tossed some flour into the oven and if it browned at the correct speed then it was ready. By the end of the 1700's ovens became more compact. They used wood or coal and then around 1820 gas was introduced as one of the fuels to heat them. Great Britain was the first country to have used gas stoves throughout the country. It was only until the end of the 1800's that temperature settings were introduced. It became easier to bake and roast with accuracy. Cakes and breads weren't burned and roasts were evenly cooked, eliminating undercooked or burned areas on chickens and briskets.

Now there are so many different kinds of stoves from the traditional gas to to electric. There are also single and double ones, Larger kitchens can definitely benefit form the double ones, These are roomier and perfect for big families.They're also perfect for roasting such dishes as London Broils and twenty pound turkeys. Single ovens are better for smaller families who aren't into making elaborate meals or throwing large gatherings. These are still good for big roasts (you will have to remove the shelving to accommodate hefty hams and poultry) along with baking of any kind. Many home chefs prefer convection ovens. These are built more or less the same as regular ovens except they have fans and an extra heating element found in the back. They cook twenty-five percent faster than regular ovens. This is great however you will have to constantly adjust cooking, roasting and baking times. You also have to think about the stove top. Do you want to stick with four burners or six? Six do come in handy for holiday cooking, when you have a lot of sides to heat. A four burner does the job just fine and it's less space to clean.

Ovens have been a part of home cooking since before the Renaissance. Now there are so many different kinds. Pick the ones that satisfy your baking and cooking needs.