StoveRepair.center (844) 415-7620Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm Book a visit
A white gas stove and a stainless electric stove side by side in a bright kitchen, both clean and off.

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.

(844) 415-7620

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • Three guides
  • Read before you book
  • Says where to stop

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 415-7620

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
A white freestanding gas stove with worn cast-iron grates in a lived-in US home kitchen, one grate lifted aside and a burner cap resting on the counter next to a cooling pot, a dish towel on the oven handle, afternoon light from a side window.
6-minute read

Is it worth fixing an old stove, or time to buy a new one?

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.

A kitchen mid-remodel in a US home, a new stainless freestanding stove still on its moving dolly in front of an open wall that shows a capped gas stub and a heavy electrical receptacle, cabinets without doors on either side, a coffee mug on the bare counter.
5-minute read

Gas or electric stove in a remodel: settle it before the walls close

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.

A cream enameled cast-iron heat-storage stove with two domed hotplate lids set into a brick alcove in a lived-in US farmhouse kitchen, a kettle on one lid, a folded towel over the rail and a basket of apples on the counter beside it.
4-minute read

Heritage and cast iron stoves explained: AGA, La Cornue and ILVE at home

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?

The short answerIs 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 answerGas 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 answerHeritage 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
  1. 01The stove, tried the way you use it
  2. 02A number before the work
  3. 03Common stove parts already on board
  4. 04Put 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
A US home kitchen in the evening with a stainless freestanding stove whose clock and knobs are completely dark, a cold pot sitting on a burner and a homeowner looking at an open breaker panel in the hallway beyond. Problem

Stove Won't Turn On

6 causes, cheapest first

 A US home kitchen with a white freestanding electric stove, three coil burners glowing orange under pots and the fourth coil lifted out of its socket and resting on a towel on the counter. Problem

Stove Burner Not Working

6 causes, cheapest first

 A US home kitchen with a stainless freestanding stove, a pot simmering on a burner on top while the oven door below is open and a sheet of unbaked cookies sits on the rack in a dark, cold oven. Problem

Oven on My Stove Won't Heat Up

6 causes, cheapest first

 A close view of the glowing display on a stainless slide-in stove in a US home kitchen, a blurred unreadable message shining on it and an owner's manual lying open on the counter beside the stovetop with out-of-focus pages. Problem

Stove Error Code

8 causes, cheapest first
A grandparent and a child stirring a pot together on a white gas stove in a lived-in family kitchen
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
A white electric stove with one coil burner dark while the others glow, a saucepan waiting.
Why the stove is doing that

Common problems

A hand resetting the clock on the back guard of a stove after a power cut, the display blank.
Stove checks an owner can safely make

Troubleshooting

Stove knobs soaking in a bowl of soapy water on the counter beside a white gas stove.
Keeping the stove out of trouble

Maintenance and prevention

A metal lid resting on a pan on a switched-off gas stove, every knob at off.
Keeping the household safe around the stove

Gas, fire and burn safety at the stove

A freestanding stove on a moving dolly in a kitchen doorway, wrapped in a blanket.
Moving, hooking up and bringing a stove back

Installation and setup

Not sure which section?

Start from your question

The four questions most visits start with, each with the guide that answers it.

18 guidesWhere to start Where to start

Back to your everyday

Let’s get your stove working again.

Three short steps online, or one call. Tell us what you are seeing and pick a window that works.

Schedule a repair Call (844) 415-7620
(844) 415-7620 Schedule a repair