--- title: "Choosing and comparing — Stove Guides | StoveRepair.center" description: "Whether the old stove deserves one more repair, gas or electric when a kitchen is being redone, and what living with a cast-iron heritage stove such as an AGA…" url: "https://stoverepair.center/guides/choosing-and-comparing/" --- Deciding what stove to keep or buy # Choosing and comparing guides. Whether the old stove deserves one more repair, gas or electric when a kitchen is being redone, and what living with a cast-iron heritage stove such as an AGA really involves. ## Choosing and comparing, guide by guide. These guides are for the moments when a stove decision is on the table: the old one has stopped working and you are weighing a repair against a new one, a remodel has opened the kitchen and the fuel is suddenly a choice, or a heritage stove has caught your eye or come with the house. [All 18 guides](https://stoverepair.center/guides/) 6-minute read ### [Is it worth fixing an old stove, or time to buy a new one?](https://stoverepair.center/guides/fix-the-old-stove-or-buy-new/) Which part failed matters more than the stove's age: igniters, elements and knob switches are worth replacing, while a retired control board, rusted oven floor or open recall points to a new stove. 5-minute read ### [Gas or electric stove in a remodel: settle it before the walls close](https://stoverepair.center/guides/gas-or-electric-stove-for-a-remodel/) What is behind the wall now, what the electrical panel can carry, how each stove cooks day to day and why the exhaust duct belongs in the same decision. 4-minute read ### [Heritage and cast iron stoves explained: AGA, La Cornue and ILVE at home](https://stoverepair.center/guides/heritage-cast-iron-stoves-explained/) How a heat-storage AGA cooks by moving food between ovens, what French and Italian classic stoves share with ordinary ones, and what weight, metric widths and imported parts mean for an owner. ## Deciding what stove to keep or buy. They compare across makers rather than for one of them. Each one explains what the choice depends on in your particular kitchen, from the part that failed and whether it is still made, to the supply behind the wall and the capacity of the electrical panel, to the weight and metric width of a European classic. Read them before you shop or sign off on an estimate. A stove usually outlasts the enthusiasm of the day it was bought, and the questions here are the ones owners tell us they wish they had asked first. [Not sure where to start?](https://stoverepair.center/guides/#start-here) ### The short answer Is it worth fixing an old stove, or time to buy a new one? It is usually worth fixing an old stove when the failed part is a burner, an igniter, a coil element, a knob switch or an oven element, because those are small, stocked parts. ### The short answer Gas or electric stove in a remodel: settle it before the walls close Choosing a gas or electric stove in a remodel starts with what the kitchen already has behind the wall and what the electrical panel can carry. ### The short answer Heritage and cast iron stoves explained: AGA, La Cornue and ILVE at home A heritage cast iron stove such as an AGA cooks with heat stored in heavy cast-iron ovens, moving food between ovens held at different heats instead of turning a dial. ## When reading is not enough. If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop. [What repairs cost](https://stoverepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 The stove, tried the way you use it 2. 02 A number before the work 3. 03 Common stove parts already on board 4. 04 Put back, then cooked on ## The problems these answer. Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://stoverepair.center/problems/) Problem ### Stove Won't Turn On 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Stove Burner Not Working 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Oven on My Stove Won't Heat Up 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Stove Error Code 8 causes, cheapest first For the heart of your home. ## Questions about choosing and comparing. ### Which matters more when choosing a stove, the fuel or the brand? The fuel, in most kitchens. It decides what the house must supply, which pans you use and which parts are likely to need repair; the brand decides finish, features and how easy parts are to get. ### How long should a stove last before replacing it makes sense? There is no fixed age. A stove with mechanical controls can run for decades on replaceable parts, while one built around a single electronic board depends on that board staying available. ### Do you recommend particular makes? No. We repair every make listed on this site and describe how each kind of stove behaves, so you can match one to your kitchen and your cooking. ## The other sections. Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns. [All guides](https://stoverepair.center/guides/) Why the stove is doing that ### [Common problems](https://stoverepair.center/guides/common-problems/) - [Why my stove won't turn on: dark panel, cold burners or a silent oven](https://stoverepair.center/guides/why-my-stove-wont-turn-on/) - [Why a stove burner stays on high, and how to stop it first](https://stoverepair.center/guides/why-a-stove-burner-stays-on-high/) - [Why the stove keeps clicking with the knobs off, lit or baking](https://stoverepair.center/guides/why-the-stove-keeps-clicking/) Stove checks an owner can safely make ### [Troubleshooting](https://stoverepair.center/guides/troubleshooting/) - [Stove checks after a power outage, from the dark to the reset](https://stoverepair.center/guides/stove-checks-after-a-power-outage/) - [A burner that quit after cleaning: water, caps, coils and knobs](https://stoverepair.center/guides/a-burner-that-quit-after-cleaning/) - [Reading the stove display: normal signs, locks and real errors](https://stoverepair.center/guides/reading-the-stove-display/) Keeping the stove out of trouble ### [Maintenance and prevention](https://stoverepair.center/guides/maintenance-and-prevention/) - [A weekly stove cleaning routine for burners, knobs and the oven](https://stoverepair.center/guides/a-weekly-stove-cleaning-routine/) - [Keeping stove knobs working: cleaning, loose knobs and the parts behind them](https://stoverepair.center/guides/keeping-stove-knobs-working/) - [A stove in a rental: what the tenant looks after and what the landlord repairs](https://stoverepair.center/guides/stove-care-in-a-rental/) Keeping the household safe around the stove ### [Gas, fire and burn safety at the stove](https://stoverepair.center/guides/safety-and-food/) - [Putting Out a Grease Fire on the Stove: Lid On, Heat Off, No Water](https://stoverepair.center/guides/putting-out-a-grease-fire-on-the-stove/) - [Small Children and the Stove: Handles, Knobs and the Oven Door](https://stoverepair.center/guides/stove-safety-with-small-children/) - [Carbon Monoxide and Your Stove: When to Worry and What to Do](https://stoverepair.center/guides/stove-carbon-monoxide-and-when-to-worry/) Moving, hooking up and bringing a stove back ### [Installation and setup](https://stoverepair.center/guides/installation-and-setup/) - [Moving a Stove Without Hurting the Floor, the Gas Line or the Stove](https://stoverepair.center/guides/moving-a-stove-without-damage/) - [A Stove After a Flood or Storm: Before You Cook on It Again](https://stoverepair.center/guides/a-stove-after-a-flood-or-storm/) - [Behind the Stove: What the Cord and Outlet Should Look Like](https://stoverepair.center/guides/what-the-stove-cord-and-outlet-should-look-like/) Not sure which section? ### Start from your question The four questions most visits start with, each with the guide that answers it. 18 guides Where to start Where to start --- **[Read on the site: Choosing and comparing — Stove Guides | StoveRepair.center](https://stoverepair.center/guides/choosing-and-comparing/)** **[Book a visit with StoveRepair.center](https://stoverepair.center/schedule/)**