Wednesday, August 15, 2012

007's newest secret weapon: exploding glass stove

I think I'm going to be picking up/sweeping up glass in my kitchen for days to come.

Yesterday, the glass front of our range's oven exploded. All it took was a little bump, from what I heard. I wasn't in the kitchen; I was hanging out clothes and didn't hear a thing, until Youngest came out of the house, distraught and apologizing and saying the stove was broken and she didn't mean to do it.

We bought the stove used a few years ago, so I don't know if the glass pane replacement part is available anymore. (From what I've been reading online about glass stovefronts exploding or disintegrating, maybe I don't even want that type of stove.)

Although I was rather hoping to replace the ancient and ailing refrigerator first (and we still might have to do that), I am still counting my blessings.

1) The oven wasn't on at the time.

2) I hadn't gotten around to running the self-cleaning cycle, which is a few months overdue. Just imagine that big panel of glass deciding to let go right about the time the oven hits 500 degrees.

3) No pets were in the kitchen at the time. Even though it's "safety glass" and fell apart into little cubes, there were still some sharp little shards. Believe me. I've got three small punctures in my fingers and hand to prove it. Though we cleaned up the glass as thoroughly as we could, I still keep coming across little pieces this morning. Necessary decree: No bare feet in the kitchen for the foreseeable future. (Pets are a bit of a problem, there. We'll have to keep a sharp eye out for glass and keep picking it up.)

4) The stovetop still works, unaffected by the oven's trauma.

5) We're in the middle of a heat wave, so I wasn't planning on using the oven anyway. But when crisp autumn days come, it'll be missed.

6) I got a chance to hug Youngest and explain to her once more that people are more important than things. I haven't always been so good at that.

So, any suggestions on replacing our range? Any brands to steer clear of? Any brands you'd recommend, even as a used appliance?

(Of course this all may be moot. We really need to replace the refrigerator first. Ovens are optional. Refrigerators are not.)