So, I know I said I wasn’t going to post today, but over my vacation a huge dilemma has come up — and I need your thoughts!
I’ve done two posts about what I hope for our kitchen renovation — about 1 year 9 months away and counting (barring unforeseen circumstances): the first about my favorite colorful super capacity stove and my quest for a keeping room.
Here is my dilemma — I LOVE to cook, and I’m not a fan of technology. Because of that, I really prefer fewer electronic parts and a huge amount of cooking capacity. I’ve always been attracted to vintage gas stoves from the ’20s – ’50s, especially the ones have super capacity, like the Magic Chef 1000s:
the Magic Chef 6300s,
and various renditions of the Glenwood Insulated super capacity ranges.
I mean, these things have 3 ovens, 2 broilers, a warming oven, 6 burners, and 3 simmer burners!!!!!! They are a cook’s dream, wrapped in nearly 1,000 lbs of insulation!
BUT, Lacanche makes a GORGEOUS range that is customizable. We could do something like this:
I’ve done years of research. But because I thought I wouldn’t find one of the above vintage stove in my price range when the time was right, I had thought perhaps we might eventually get the Lacanche of my stove post. Hey — there are worse things than being able to specify a double oven range in red or turquoise with beautiful French vintage styling if I so chose!
But while I was on vacation, I received a call about a Glenwood that might be better priced. (I’ve had some feelers out for years.) And now here is my dilemma:
- Do I get the real “dream stove” (aka the Glenwood), though it would probably not be as good for the resale of our home (if, for some reason, life happened and this didn’t become our forever home), and would impose some design limitations on our kitchen plans,
Glenwood SNJ - Or, hold off for now, and keep planning on a double-oven Lacanche in a cool color.
So — what do I do? What would YOU do? What would you do if you were ME? Help!!!!!
-A
PS: Big Reveal is still slated for next week!
21 thoughts on “Help! I Need Your Opinion — Vintage Stove Design Dilemma”
If the only thing that is holding you back from buying your long time dream is the resale concern, put it out of your head. At the moment you don’t have plans to sell, so why not really live there while the house is yours? I have no doubt that the overall loveliness of your home is what a new buyer would want. Plus buyers come in and rip things apart anyway, so why design for someone you don’t even know? I would be paralyzed by indecision, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Enjoy your vacation!
Ha! The funny thing is, if you talk to a lot of decorators, they may have very good opinions of what to do with YOUR home, but when it comes to their own, paralysis! Thanks for your feedback 😉
Hi Amy! As someone who grew up with a vintage stove, I vote for the new one. I agree the vintage one looks super cool and has great capacity, but it just can’t do what a new stove can do in terms of eveness of temperature, speed of heating etc.. Go for the new one- which will be a forever stove for your home!
Thanks Hannah! Could I ask what “vintage” your vintage stove was? ’40s or ’50s or one of these pre-Depression models?
Listen to your heart.
Ah, but my heart is torn! I think my biggest thing is that the Lacanche would make for a much better layout for my kitchen, but I love the vintage stove!
Well, you clearly want that real deal that you’ve been thinking of for years. I feel like if you DID move in the future you would probably want to take that dream stove along with you (unless of course you found it less accurate/functional than expected as a previous commenter said). It strongly depends on your kitchen design but it might be possible for potential resale prospects to remove the vintage stove in the future and replace with a normal range and some sort of narrow cabinet/rolling cart/creative space filling solution that makes sense in your kitchen. And they might want to redo things anyway.
Thank you. Excellent points!
I tried a vintage stove (not exactly like yours, it is GE) at a friend’s house and it was lovely. If you know it is working well, or at least you are prepared with its limitation like what hannah said, then I said go for it.
When you sell the house, you can always give the buyer option for them to take it (showing that it works) or you taking it with some discount on price. If I am a buyer, such deal would make it buying the house much easier.
I would go with the Lacanche. I am on my second one, a Cluny. For resale value, no questions asked. That said, the Lacanche is definitely the feature of our {small} kitchen.
After owning two, I have some pointers, if you would like to contact me by email, I would be happy to share.
Enjoy your vacation, and the beauty of autumn in New England.
Thank you, Robin. That is actually one of my biggest fears with going with the French range — I haven’t been able to find any reviews from anyone who has been cooking on one for years. So many people I know have bought high-end appliances (Wolf, Miele, Bertazzoni) only to be plagued by technical issues and poor service.
Being into old houses so long, I know a few stove techs who swear by the Glenwood.
I will definitely email you for your feedback — thank you for the offer!
The snj is also my dream range . I always remodel with the idea of resale. However if the snj is the center point example a beautiful arched alcove for the range it will be like a work of art . If you pass on the range let me know I am interested ?
Mike
In Florida
I think you’re right, but I’ll let you know if I let it go!
I had one just like it in a farmhouse and I loved it! Get someone to go through it and it will serve you for the rest of your life. The ovens worked great. Loved all the burners and the warming oven, can’t say enough. Miss it even though it would not work in my current house.
Wonderful to hear from an actual Glenwood SNJ user! Thanks for the feedback!
Hi Amy,
I don’t respond to blogs usually but I had to laugh when I saw you dreaming over my Glenwood SNJ. The last in your entry. It is quite simply the best stove I have ever owned. It was rebuilt in NH and it was not in anything approaching good condition when I purchased it. It was featured in last year’s Winter Edible South Shore.
You should never listen to realtors because they lower the bar of expectations to the abjectly dull and unimaginative. Aside from cooking remarkably well this stove allows for time traveling to an earlier era when grace had not entirely left the world. If you want a stove that goes from zero to immolation in 3 seconds buy a modern box. If you want great cooking in a gentler manner buy old. It will surprise you. The simmer grates are flameless.
The Glenwood was just recently joined by a 1929 Frigidaire to complete the kitchen. Both are brilliant and work very well. If you want to ask questions please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
David
Hi David! I think I read that article! Don’t you have the original cookbook????
With great sadness, I let the Glenwood go to an enthusiastic reader, who is in the process of trying to move it to Florida. When it came down to it, we’re still at least 2 years from a renovation (and life — and 200 year old houses — often get in the way with unexpected expenses, so it could be longer!), and my husband was really worried about our lack of a place to store it in the interim. However, I’m very happy to have found such an old-house aficionado to whom to pass it on!
Hi Amy
Thank you so much for the the information on the glenwood snj
it arrived to its new home safe and sound and currently in the process of remodeling a farmhouse where it will reside.
mike
So glad it’s worked out, Mike! Send me a pic when the kitchen is done, and if you like the blog, please spread the word!
Hi David
I am the proud owner of the snj glenwood Amy let go
I am so very excited owning it . I do have a question
do you have the original glenwood cookbook.
mike
in fla
Hi Mike,
Yes, I have the cookbook as well as the same period Robertshaw AutomatiCook book. Robertshaw was the manufacturer of the thermostats.
Has your stove been restored? There are some things that should NEVER be touched that modern restorers seem to discount.I am happy to discuss anything about the SNJ that you may care to ask about. Given that you are in Florida I wonder if you propose to use the stove with its Ourway solid top in place. It does heat up and makes various functions work that would not work if you use burner grates.
I love the stove and it is quite simply the best stove I have ever used. Have you seen the article in Edible South Shore? I attach a link here. http://ediblesouthshore.com/online-magazine/winter-2017/home-range-lunchtime-glenwood-bootcamp/
Thanks,
David
Comments are closed.