Tuesday, March 03, 2015

Six Days Stoveless in Michoacán

In the last two years or so I'd become more and more dissatisfied with our old, GE (made by Mabe, México) stove and oven. The oven was especially underpowered for baking pizzas and hearth style breads. It couldn't get up over a temperature of around 410º F.

The Old Stove huddles nervously in its corner
Then, the range burners started to falter. Some gave out yellow instead of blue flames. Carbon was accumulating on the bottom of my cookware.

Part of that we attribute to the overzealous cleaning methods and overly lavish application of cleansing agents applied by our energetic but often insouciant house cleaning girl, Srta. M. (The younger half of our house cleaning team.) Many times after a cleaning, the burners would not light until thoroughly dried and regularly reamed with a wire to reopen the orifices. The piezoelectric spark plugs were failing. One large burner lost its spark plug when it irretrievably fell down inside the burner plate as my wife was cleaning it.

But we could get by, if necessary with the rangetop. We could light it with a butane torch. What I couldn't tolerate was the wimpy oven. It was good for baking cookies, but not much else. I was badly wanting a new stove and oven. After a year or two of searching, reading and reviewing the possibilities, I'd decided on the following requisites.

1. Heavy range burners.
2. Heavy, well built construction.
3. Oven with two racks.
4. Stainless steel finish.
5. Electronic ignition.
6. Brand: Probably IO Mabe or GE.
7. "Estufa de piso"; that is, on legs, not a built in.
8. Runs on LP gas, not electric.

What I didn't want, deeming as unnecessary: a "capelo", or hinged glass cover; digital controls, "auto slide oven racks." Nor did I want to spend over $10,000 pesos, tops. ¡JA JA JA JA JA!

It was on a Tuesday 3 weeks ago, while visiting Ms RedShoes in Morelia, that we went to Sears at Paseo Altozano to "just look over" stove prospects. There was a substantial array of stoves, many of which met some of my criteria but not all. One in particular was very attractive. A GE (made by Mabe in México). Heavy burner grids. Sturdy construction.Electronic ignition. Stainless steel cladding. Oven with two racks,  auto slide could be enabled or disabled by the user. Capelo. Seemingly a useless frill, but almost impossible to avoid having. Comal thrown in. "Deli drawer" under the upper burners, which at first seemed to be a broiler. Wishful thinking. It was truthfully described by the salesman as a "cheese melter" or food or plate warmer. At the time we were unaware that this feature was electrically powered. I should have known by the digital control panel. But that was not a deal breaker.


The real gasper was the list price. Over $19,000 pesos. But lucky us! There was a sale on in February. We could save 20 % on any stove, including this one. After a few more pass by in review of the other ranges, I took a deep breath and ordered the top model. Final price was about $14, 500 pesos. You know that you wanted to ask ...

After much paperwork and getting 6 months' free maintenance coverage, we determined that it would be delivered in "about" a week. There would be a delivery charge of $500 pesos, payable to the transportistas.

The stove arrived on the Wednesday of the following week. The transport guys unpacked it and placed it in front of the stove recess in the kitchen, but not in it. The reason became apparent. The "Técnico" would have to come and set it up. After all, this is a sophisticated piece of kitchen equipment. Ms M helped by calling the Sears Technical Services Department, and we expected that the Tec would come on Friday. But that was not to be. On Friday afternoon, I called again, and learned that the next Tuesday would be The Day.

Beautiful, tantalizing but inútil.
We'd sold our old stove to Sra. Salud for a token amount, and the transportistas had kindly hauled it down the street to her house. So now we were without a working stove.

Que te vaya bien, mi vieja estufa
We hunkered own to survive without it. That wasn't very difficult, for we have a freezer full of prepared thaw 'n heat food, and a microwave oven. But of course, I wanted to cook and bake. Although I was impatient to get going to work with the new equipment, its unavailability helped also to calm me down a little.

On Tuesday I was enjoying breakfast with my mates at Restaurant El Camino Real when Sra. Cuevas called from home. ""Better get here soon. The Tec is here!"

Hot little red Sears truck
I actually left a third of my breakfast uneaten and hotfooted it back to el Rancho.

When I arrive, the Tec had finished the challenging task of leveling the new stove on an uneven floor, and was ready to continue the setup.

At this point, we watched raptly as he setup and explained various parts and functions. Rather than bore you with further verbiage, I'll let the photo slideshow illustrate it for me.

 


After an hour or more of preheating the oven in order to burn off Factory Odors", I was ready to cook. I cooked and baked so much in the next few days that I've forgotten most of what it was.

I've had the new stove now for a week. I love it. A highlight was baking two batches of Danish Pastries on two separate days. I've made soups, stir fries and baked heavy, Five Grain Bread for 2 1/2 hours. I got to like the auto slide oven racks. I learned that the Triple Burner wasn't for higher heat but for incremental nuances of lower heat levels. I used the comal once or twice for rewarming tortillas. I haven't used the Deli drawer "gratinator/ plate/food warmer yet.

The new stove has been placed Strictly Off Limits to our house cleaning duo by my edict. I cover it with a large black plastic before they arrive. I think we understand each other. (I hope.)

25 comments:

Felipe Zapata said...

We recently purchased a new stove for our pastry workshop. A Whirlpool. Didn't pay anything near what you paid. It has six burners like yours does, and an oven like yours does. And it seems quite sturdy, as most ovens are. Except for the "plate warmer," I bet it does what yours does. I'm not sure what the sky-high price got you apart from looking hudibrastic. Feel free to explain. And ours does not have one of those annoying capelos, thank God.


You are quite right about the Mexican cleaning techniques which might be described as heavily industrial. They clean things to death and your cleaning girl likely pushed your previous stove to a somewhat premature grave ... or at least down to the neighbors' house.


Every time I mention Mexican women's brutal cleaning techniques to my wife, it gets her hackles up.

DonCuevas said...

Life is short but food is long. I liked it. I bought it. Now I have to go look up "hudibrastic".

I agree that our cleaning girl pushed our old stove to an early demise. But her Mamá was able to clean it up and revive it to their satisfaction.

If I recall correctly, you and your bride do not hire cleaning persons but maintain your house yourselves. We, on the other hand, needed help during our years of infirmities, and we have to take the negative aspects along with the good of such helpers.

Saludos,
Don Cuevas

Felipe Zapata said...

I do not need to hire heavy handed cleaners. I married one. As for hudibrastic, I am channeling Steve Cotton.

DonCuevas said...

Are you saying that Steve writes in a hudibrastic way?


DC

Steve Cotton said...

Hey, guys! I am in the room.

May you have many happy future culinary tales.

patzman said...

Thanks for sharing your research. The esposa says we need a new oven/stove. Sounds like Sears may be the place to start. I hope they stay in business till we have time to look.

patzman said...

Where did you buy your oven?

jennifer rose said...

Don Cuevas' stove is a dead ringer for the io Mabe, filled with sigils. I know, because I've got an io Mabe, the first stove I ever bought, having had to settle with hand-me-downs up until then. This one is also the first stove I've had that that's had the heft and quality of that 1950s red Chambers stove that was my first.

In Morelia, Sears is the go-to place for appliances, hands down. I've done the research, driving all over town in search of a deal, always ending up back at Sears.

This stove has gravitas!

Felipe Zapata said...

Coppel across from La Bodega supermarket.

DonCuevas said...

Thank you, Steve.
We have nothing but kind thoughts of you.

Saludos,
Don Cuevas

DonCuevas said...

Oh, why didn't I ever think to look there? WAIL!


DC

DonCuevas said...

Gravitas!I like that. And I like that you guided us to Sears for this all important purchase.

( had to look up "sigils":

sigil |ˈsijəl|

noun

an inscribed or painted symbol considered to have magical power.

• archaic a seal: the supply wains bore the High King's sigil.

• literary a sign or symbol.

Saludos,
Don Cuevas

Kim G said...

I looked up "hudibrastic," and I don't think it applies to stoves. Even fancy Mexican ones.

Kim G said...

As someone who has learned to make pizza in the last year, and who has an oven which will get to 600°, I can definitely say that the extra 100° makes all the difference. Over Xmas, I tried to make pizza in my mother's oven at 500°, but it didn't come out nearly as well.

¡Feliz horneando!

Kim G
Boston, MA
Where we recently baked a batch of ratatouille.

Kim G said...

If your stove has gravitas, it's high time your freezer had granitas.

Saludos,

Kim G
Boston, MA
Where our driveway has granitas, and the stove has ratatouille sitting on it.

DonCuevas said...

Good one, Kim! Thanks.

Occasionally we have storms that bring granizo.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_qAZNMPNAu4/UAyc5EA6qAI/AAAAAAAAxDM/hRPZLbocriw/s640/IMG_4837.JPG
Saludos,
Don Cuevas

Felipe Zapata said...

Kim: Sure, it does. Don Cuevas' new stove is clearly hudibrastic.

DonCuevas said...

I am thinking of having a name plate made for the stove, probably in hammered copper, saying "HUDIBRAS".

Saludos,
Don Cuevas

Kim G said...

From Wikipedia:
Hudibrastic is a type of English verse named
for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, published in parts from 1663 to 1678. For
the poem, Butler invented a mock-heroic verse structure. Instead of
pentameter, the lines were written in iambic tetrameter.


I'm not sure how a stove can be a type of English verse, or even reasonably compared to one.

Felipe Zapata said...

That definition you found is very narrow. Here is what my Collins Dictionary has to say:


"Mock-heroic in style."


From Don Cuevas' photo, I think the stove qualifies.

DonCuevas said...

NOW it becomes clear. I briefly wondered if you meant "hubristic", but no, surely you would never commit such a linguistic error.


Hudibras did a fine job this morning, baking chocolate chip cookies, Italian seeded bread, baguettes (the latter two from the same dough), and cornbread.


Now I want to deploy the auto slide hooks for the upper oven shelf. They seem very tightly attached to their retainers.


DC

Kim G said...

Not "Felipe Zapata?!?"

Mary Lou said...

We need a new stove. Ours is horrible. Of course it is a built in that came with our house. One of those 4 burner narrow jobs with 1 oven rack. On Thanksgiving or Navidad who can get by with one rack??? Jerry fashioned one out of a chrome plated fish basket to get us through our New Years Day Southern dinner party. But, things burn on bottom, or top, or the thing blazes from 350 all the way up to 500 on it's own accord, all in one single use. Yuk! But, Jerry would divorce me if I spent that much money on a stove that could not double as a bass boat! LOL!!!


Around here I am the appointed researcher of all things. I enjoy it. The thrills of searching out a bargain just does it for me!. From my online searching, I have found our wonderful Whirlpool washer and dryer set at Famsa, who across the board has the best prices on almost every appliance one could need. That is, unless one is in need of the high powered caliber that Sr. Cuevas requires, as well he should with his refined skills. We stumbled upon our Mabe fridge at Doce (no website, but easy to find all over Morelia) for an incredibly low price. We have loved it going on two years now. And, we have bought a king sized Wendy mattress with the wood platforms at Coppel. No issues at this point.


We have continually researched Sears and have found that even with their paltry 20% off sales they are consistently much higher in cost than practically any of those three companies I mentioned above. Many of their base prices are inflated. Sorry, but dems da facts. On a few items online they might be around the same prices as others after their sales markdown. But, I have to see the thing in person and kick the tires. I often compare model numbers on items I have seen in person elsewhere and still Famsa wins, hands down. Sears had the same exact laundry models for far more than what we paid at Famsa, even with their 20% sale going on. Famsa had to locate our models in Guadalajara and this took a few days. But, once they arrived in Morelia, delivery was quick, on time, very courteous and expert. We had our plumber/electrician come out and hook them up after installing a designated electrical plug for them. Very pleased.


My dos centavos. Hope this helps someone.


maria luz

DonCuevas said...

Maia luz, we hadn't until the Moment of Truth checked Sears. I also wouldn't want to buy a major appliance on line. That day, we were not far from Sears at Paseo Altozano, so we looked in. I had passed the threshold of patient waiting. I could wait no longer, so I looked over the models and bought the one described above. What the hell, you only live once.

I have so far greatly enjoyed my new stove. Today the Triple Burner got its jets reamed out. I adjusted the auto-slide oven racks more to my liking. It's really a nice feature, but somewhat fidgety to set up.

Just a while ago, I launched the Deli Drawer on its maiden voyage and kept pork chops and plates warm in it while I prepared sauerbraten style red cabbage on the stove top.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yCTeG0e4ap8/VQYT5ZD_B3I/AAAAAAABG8A/SCwxo6exC3c/s512/IMAGE_212.jpg

Saludos,
Don Cuevas

Mary Lou said...

Ooooooooo! That looks sweet! Hmmmmm... higher end stove or bass boat? After going through 9 bass boats in 12+ years, I think it is my turn. No?


ml