An oven dilemma
Just before Christmas my OH came into the sitting room and announced that we needed a new oven.
She was of course joking, all we really needed was a new bulb in it so she could keep an eye on what was going on in there.
I looked out a bulb, but never quite got round to changing it, 
. The other day, a 12 hour ultimatum was issued, so I went
to change the bulb.
Things then went from bad to worse as the thick glass bulb cover broke off in my hand! I duly put in a new bulb, and OH then handed me the oven cleaner to use on the door so she would be able to see through the glass.
While cleaning round the door I managed to dislodge the door seal.....again.......it really needs replaced too.
After one use the new bulb blew, possibly due to the absence of the glass cover.
This oven is a very good model from Miele, in its 28 year life it has only ever needed a new fan element, but at 28 years old, should we spend money repairing it?
Opinions please!!
OH and DD have already been researching on-line, and have been out looking at new ovens, and have decided a new Miele, costing around £1100 is out of the question.
The 2 contenders are a Neff with the "slide and hide" door, and an AEG with a side opening door, both have similar features and cost around £700. 
OH was keen to get a new oven, however, it seems these modern ovens have a short life if the assistant in Currys is to be believed. She claimed the average oven lasts only 5 years.
Can this be right?
A new glass bulb + cover + a new door seal for the Miele will cost around £45. It sems a pity to dispose of an otherwise working oven for the sake of £45.
Comments
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One other bit of information......
The reason for the 2 contenders, other than their features, is that the door design will enable OH to more easily access the oven.
The oven is built in just above worktop height.
Since having a partial shoulder replacement 8 months back, she is finding reaching over the door to put food in the oven is both difficult and painful.
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Definitely the £45 option, why have to learn to use a new oven
it takes ages to get to know its foibles. I have replaced my bulb and cover in my oven, OH replaced the hindges after I put too much weight on it when cleaning oven
I now get him to remove door.Edit: just seen your above post, sorry it has to be the new oven then, or you will have to assist.
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You were lucky that OH does not have a new kitchen (or even home) in mind!
I’d suggest replacing the bits as the main parts will go on for ever and I’m not sure that the newer ones are quite as good. The Currys person may be right but Miele is at the far end of the spectrum, as you’ve already experienced and there’s not much to
wear out in an oven. The bulb needs to be an ‘oven’ one (more expensive) to withstand the heat.On the other hand, an event like this can be a useful excuse for making a change. AEG is pretty good, although I’d still prefer Miele. To a certain extent, that may depend on how long you intend to keep your current home for. If you think Miele is expensive,
compare with the price of the appliances fitted in vans.0 -
One other bit of information......
The reason for the 2 contenders, other than their features, is that the door design will enable OH to more easily access the oven.
The oven is built in just above worktop height.
Since having a partial shoulder replacement 8 months back, she is finding reaching over the door to put food in the oven is both difficult and painful.
...Get a new oven, don't let your wife struggle on with pain and difficulty. A new oven will be much more efficient, will virtually clean itself and you'll all be happier!
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Why not scrap the oven and use the microwave, if you haven't got a microwave buy a cadac you can then use it with the caravan.
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If you decide to replace your oven, I hope you don't encounter the problem we have.
We decided to replace ours but, the space in my fitted kitchen was measured to fit an oven bought a few years ago and we now find that the majority of cookers are now several centimetres wider. I can't replace my cooker without destroying my perfectly good
kitchen.
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You were lucky that OH does not have a new kitchen (or even home) in mind!
I’d suggest replacing the bits as the main parts will go on for ever and I’m not sure that the newer ones are quite as good. The Currys person may be right but Miele is at the far end of the spectrum, as you’ve already experienced and there’s not much to
wear out in an oven. The bulb needs to be an ‘oven’ one (more expensive) to withstand the heat.On the other hand, an event like this can be a useful excuse for making a change. AEG is pretty good, although I’d still prefer Miele. To a certain extent, that may depend on how long you intend to keep your current home for. If you think Miele is expensive,
compare with the price of the appliances fitted in vans.Ohhhh.......a new kitchen has already been mentioned......several months ago!
Bulb was a special oven one.
We intend to stay here as long as possible, we designed the house to suit us when it was built. However, we doubt we will last another 28 years, so another Miele oven is probably not necessary.
However, OH and DD were speechless at the suggestion that a £700 oven would last only 5 years!!
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One other thought ,have you tried Miele service they are not cheap but are very good and give good service +12mth waranty on their work ,might give you a breathing space or a report on whether its worth it
Replacing the bits myself is no problem. The rest of the oven is in good working order, so I think we will speak with the parts people tomorrow to ensure the parts we have found will fit, then maybe give the Miele another chance, OH does like it.
However..........I need to think about making life easier for OH.
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One other bit of information......
The reason for the 2 contenders, other than their features, is that the door design will enable OH to more easily access the oven.
The oven is built in just above worktop height.
Since having a partial shoulder replacement 8 months back, she is finding reaching over the door to put food in the oven is both difficult and painful.
...Get a new oven, don't let your wife struggle on with pain and difficulty. A new oven will be much more efficient, will virtually clean itself and you'll all be happier!
Good points Brue.......hence the dilemma.
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If you decide to replace your oven, I hope you don't encounter the problem we have.
We decided to replace ours but, the space in my fitted kitchen was measured to fit an oven bought a few years ago and we now find that the majority of cookers are now several centimetres wider. I can't replace my cooker without destroying my perfectly good
kitchen.Fortunately we will not have that problem as the size of this type of built-in oven was standardised at least 35 years back.
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Two words of warning if you choose to replace your oven - your wife may hate the slide away door. My sister does, because it stops her using it as a temporary shelf when lifting out very hot food to see if it's cooked.
Another - the highest temperature on more modern ovens is much lower than it used to be (Health and Safety issues) and if your wife is used to an oven which will cook at high temperatures she may despair of the lower temperatures available on some modern ovens. Check your Miele highest temperature and make sure you get a replacement which matches it if you can (though it may take some finding).
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with yor headI'm pretty sure that when manufacturers make their products they don't make one part more robust than another part. Bulb today, element next month, fan mid summer , timer two weeks later .. and so on. Rather than spending half your life with your head inside the oven ... get a NEFF.
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However, ......I need to make life easier for OH.
Buy the oven you want, and do all the cooking!
Mrs W hasn't cooked a meal in our house for 25 years. (I kid you not)
I took over the reigns when we both worked and I was home first, it has continued into retirement.
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There is quite simply no equal to Miele when it comes to reliability & long life. Yes, they are expensive but long outlast everything else. We have an all Miele Kitchen. The oven is 25 years old & replaced a Phillips that lasted 7 years. The washing machine & diswasher are both 14 years old and the Vacuum about 25 years. When you consider that in many cases other makes would have lasted less than half the Miele life they are not so expensive after all.
TF
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If you decide to replace your oven, I hope you don't encounter the problem we have.
We decided to replace ours but, the space in my fitted kitchen was measured to fit an oven bought a few years ago and we now find that the majority of cookers are now several centimetres wider. I can't replace my cooker without destroying my perfectly good
kitchen.Same here Jill. In fact when we had our kitchen fitted at the time, we had the gap made so that we could go that extra few millimeters, so hoping that when it comes to a new oven, we can get one that fits
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There is quite simply no equal to Miele when it comes to reliability & long life. Yes, they are expensive but long outlast everything else. We have an all Miele Kitchen. The oven is 25 years old & replaced a Phillips that lasted 7 years. The washing
machine & diswasher are both 14 years old and the Vacuum about 25 years. When you consider that in many cases other makes would have lasted less than half the Miele life they are not so expensive after all.TF
That's a bit of a sweeping statement. I bet our Aga will outlive any Miele.
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Two words of warning if you choose to replace your oven - your wife may hate the slide away door. My sister does, because it stops her using it as a temporary shelf when lifting out very hot food to see if it's cooked.
Another - the highest temperature on more modern ovens is much lower than it used to be (Health and Safety issues) and if your wife is used to an oven which will cook at high temperatures she may despair of the lower temperatures available on some modern ovens. Check your Miele highest temperature and make sure you get a replacement which matches it if you can (though it may take some finding).
That's interesting Val. OH and DD have been to play with the Neff door and observed that, at least on the one in the showroom, the door could be left pulled out sufficiently tto place hot things on. However, this is not something that she normally does with the present oven door as we have suitable "landing places" for hot things very close.
Will check out the temperature range, I think OH mostly uses 160-200 celsius.
Have been kept busy today as DD arrived unexpectedly to discuss "wedding things", so we have not yet managed to check if the parts we have found will fit the Miele.
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There is quite simply no equal to Miele when it comes to reliability & long life. Yes, they are expensive but long outlast everything else. We have an all Miele Kitchen. The oven is 25 years old & replaced a Phillips that lasted 7 years. The washing
machine & diswasher are both 14 years old and the Vacuum about 25 years. When you consider that in many cases other makes would have lasted less than half the Miele life they are not so expensive after all.TF
I do agree TF, Miele are very good, we have 2 of their vacuum cleaners, the oldest is 27 years old.
If we bought a new Miele, it would outlast us!
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(I think you'll find new ovens last longer than the sale girl's pitch, she's hoping to sell more ovens.)
