Do you really love this stove enough to spend the additional time it would take to keep it in pristine condition in your new kitchen? For example, there is a crystal chandelier in my dining room I happily spend the additional time to keep it sparkling. However, an induction cook top with no metal perimeter is an answer to prayer. This cook top is no more work than daily wiping off the counter. From the photos, that stove looks like a cleaning nightmare.

Agree with texasgal. Plus, do you need a 39" range vs. a standard 30"? You don't have much room to space if you're not planning any structural changes (would you be willing to consider some?)

ps: If you're interesting in layout help, there are a lot of really knowledgeable & helpful people here. They saved my behind several times in the planning stages. If you're interested in getting terrific (free!) advice, read this post and the rest will be history!

I appreciate the feedback! This conversation highlights my internal struggle. The stove is a nightmare to clean but I think if I did get it refurbished it would be easier to maintain. I think a big part of the issue is grime has built up over time. No, I do not need a 39" stove and could really use those extra 9" for counter space and cabinets but I love the look of the stove and would hate to see it go. I think I will see if I can find someone local who does refurbishment and get an idea of what that process is like. If I do ultimately let it go, I will definitely give someone else the opportunity to enjoy it!

Thanks for the link Carrie B. I will check out the post and be back for more advice as I gear up for the remodel. I would love to do some structural changes to increase the size of the kitchen but I'm not sure it is feasible or makes sense fiscally. I would have to do an addition and though the kitchen is on an exterior wall, I have an awkwardly placed concrete block shed and it would make access to the backyard cumbersome. I haven't totally ruled it out though, trying to keep all my options open at this point!

All I can say is that those Hotpoint ranges were rebadged GE and they are top quality. This was before they turned Hotpoint into a landlord brand. I don't know how old yours is (though I could tell you if you post the serial number) or where it fell in their lineup, but many of the models had some cool features that were way ahead of their time. Some of which can't even be found on stoves today.

Gator, I encourage you to share your floorplan drawn to scale. One with the current kitchen plus another showing the entire floor. There are some amazingly creative folks here who may be able to help you come up with a plan to get a more functional space, and fit in the Hotpoint (which is fantastic) without having to expand the kitchen.

If you love it, I would find a way to keep it. I would put some $ into it to get it refurbished instead of spending the same or more on a new, quality range. You will never have the fear of it breaking down like today's electronics. It will likely serve you the rest of your life, if you want it to.

hvtech, what features?

Well they had those awesome thermostatically controlled burners. They were called Sensi-Temp on the GE models, not sure what they called them on Hotpoint. Their top of the line models could do combination thermal/microwave cooking. Some of them had meat probe and rotisserie options, features that we usually only associate with modern ovens. There's probably a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting.

I think this is just one of those personal choice things. I love antiques. I kept some original Hoosier style built ins when we remodeled. But I refused to even consider a vintage range. We had a newish induction range and I flat out wasn't giving up induction. It is awesome for cooking. And it is so much easier to clean. So much easier. I know others love the look and the simplicity of vintage ranges enough to forego the advantages of induction

Yes it can be refurbed. Do you live in a location where someone is doing this type of work? Are you willing to pay an amount equal to the cost of buying new for the refurb? If so, go for it. If you like it, you like it.

I like the look of some vintage ranges, and as stated above it probably would be as reliable as any you can buy today -- but that particular one is not that attractive (to my eye) and seems to be wasting an awful lot of space. The burners look to be confined to only about 22". I would have to think really hard about how I cook, and would a newer stove make my life easier enough to be worth making the change.

Have you tried scrubbing the old grease with baking soda? Sometimes, diet cola works well on such stuff too.

I would agree that the burner arrangement on that particular stove looks rather dreadful. It's eating up a lot of real estate in a small kitchen and not really paying off all that well, I think.

We're keeping a 1940's O'Keefe & Merritt in our kitchen remodel and coincidentally moved into a temporary rental that has a 1960s era yellow double-oven Westinghouse, so, though part of me longs for induction, vintage has won out. If you love vintage and it works with your cooking style but you aren't attached to your particular stove, you could pass it on to a good home and look for a nice, already-refurbished 30" replacement.

Don't forget, you are getting additional counter space with your old stove. Counter space that you can set ANY THING on with no worries. If those came in LP at a price I could budget, I'd have one. Unfortunately, the refurbished ones are out of my reach.

Eye of the beholder? I think it's really great looking (if cleaned better/refurbished). That area to the right of the burners is not wasted space. It just functions the same way as a counter would work to the right of the stove with no worry of putting down something hot that might mar a counter top. Handy. And double ovens! And good pot/pan storage in the lower double drawers.

I wonder if oven cleaner would work to clean it better? Or would that be too caustic?

To be fair, if I already had an induction cooktop, I would not get rid of it to put in a vintage stove. I'm with you on that, crl_. But if the OP has this and loves it, why not try to fix it up and design around it?

Gator, you might also consider shopping around for an already refurbished vintage stove. Or a vintage stove in more pristine condition even if it hasn't been refurbished. It might end up being cheaper than refurbishing your current one.

I hope you can keep the Hotpoint! When you describe something as charming, works well, adds character, and you love it... it sounds like a keeper to me. If you get pros involved with your remodel it will be a great way to determine which ones will understand your vision for the project - if they love your stove, they're in!

Look around your area to see if there is still some old guy who does general appliance repair. It's not a big deal to take one of those apart, give it a thorough cleaning (and have the shiny bits rechromed if necessary), and replace the oven insulation, and those guys can do it for a fraction of what the places that specialize in "restoration" are going to charge. But there are fewer and fewer of them every year.

I completely miss the appearance of my '40s vintage stove, but cooking on the new one is amazing. Totally worth the change in my mind (and cooking on yours would drive me up the wall given how small the cooktop space is), but it really depends on whether it works for you.

Though not quite as old as yours, I, too, had an old 40" Hotpoint.. I got a 12" wide cabinet, used plywood for top and then laid two 12" mosaic tiles front to back. Purchased a new 30" stove and a 42" hood to go over entire width.

The tiles gave me the room to place hot dishes.

New things never seem to be as good as the old but at least I do not have broken nails and raw knuckles from scrubbing the old.

1952 ❤️

I can appreciate an old stove, but not a grungy one and don’t care for the style of the one you have with all those buttons. I always thought I wanted one of those beautiful Viking stoves until I spent two weeks with one, what a bear to keep clean. No way would I trade my induction cooktop and wall oven. If you like the vintage vibe what about a new vintage look stove, they are out there and in fun colors too. That seems like a win win, new, but vintage look.

Forgot to add, that’s a cute kitchen and has lots of potential without a big remodel.

@Kate - check out the year of this thread.

@M Miller - guess the OP probably has a new house by now😳

That stove looks nostalgic all right, but infinitely variable heat dials (which heat the entire element with a continuously variable heat from low to maximum) are the more practical way to go as opposed to buttons (which except for low and maximum, heat different areas of the element with high or no heat, resulting in spaced circular heating patterns), and it is even possible to get faux-retro styled stoves. More likely than not, this isn't just baked on grease (which can be removed with oven cleaner), but corroded metal too requiring now-scarce parts to replace. And restoring the labeling may be tricky. Modern stove finishes are more durable, easy to get parts for, and easier to clean with liftable tops.

I know this is an old question, but the topic is one of repeated interest. If accurate nostalgia really does trump all for immeasurable personal reasons, then by all means get the old stove fixed up.