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12358w

Range help - which color

6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

the oven thermostat on our 2004 range died a few weeks ago, fortunately my husband was able to find a part to “fix” it. But it’s not doing well maintaining temperature so Im hoping to take advantage of the Black Friday sales for a replacement.

The problem I’m having is that neither of us like stainless steel appliances, we currently have all white, and Id like induction. Although we could live with the amount of stainless on the range, we will not want stainless fridge or dishwasher when those appliance need to be eventually replaced.

The only white induction range I can find is the GE Cafe in matte white, which is beautifu, but I’m having a hard time justifying an extra $1000 for aesthetics. Then to top it off, I took my husband appliance shopping yesterday and he now wants GE in Slate. I like it too, but I’m worried it’s too dark and our remaining white appliances will look weird.

im hoping that someone has a magical suggestion to solve our dilemma!

here is our current range. the dishwasher and fridge are on different walls, it’s hard to tell but our cabinet hardware is brushed bronze, not black



The ranges ive been looking at are

GE Profile is stainless



GE Profile in Slate



LG ProBake 5



GE Cafe in Matte White



The Matte White in a showroom




Comments (53)

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I love the white with copper! How many houses I grew up in with a white stove and white cabinets, I dont think anyone expects them to match.........second choice is stainless, no to the slate.

    12358w thanked RL Relocation LLC
  • 6 years ago

    Totally agree with no on the slate. I'm a stainless fan but would go with the white if you love it. Hopefully, as Shannon stated, any mismatching will fade away if they're not next to each other.

    12358w thanked chloebud
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Not slate.

    Whites appliances never really match other appliance whites. If you don’t mind that, go for the white. There’s not enough light in your space for it to really be noticeable.

    I really like your bs. Very pretty kitchen.

    12358w thanked eam44
  • 6 years ago

    If this is your forever home, do what makes you happy.

    12358w thanked decoenthusiaste
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Thank you all for the input; I’ve read the other posts on here about the Slate, so I was a little hesitant. I’ve read that they scratch easily, but it never seems to be an owner that says that.

    i do prefer the looks of the GE cafe in white, but the Profile in stainless or Slate is $1000 less and includes an 11 piece set of Chantal induction cookware. I’m struggling with the cost difference. If I were to go with the stainless, any suggestions on how to tie it in with the rest of the kitchen? we have a stainless sink and there is a small chrome band on our white Bosch dishwasher. We have no desire for a stainless fridge and dishwasher; Im a chemical engineer and design install stainelss industrial equipment and my husband runs a stainless equipment fab shop. We get enough stainless at work and the quality on average appliances looks cheap to us.


    Would we be able to change the range pull to dark bronze, do they make aftermarite appliance pulls for this type?


    For the white Cafe range, would there be an issue that the range bronze handles are so much brighter than the dark brushed bronze hardware on our cabinets?

    thank you!

  • 6 years ago

    I like stainless appliances, but since you don't, go for the white. That GE cafe is a beautiful looking stove. So much nicer IMO than the Profile. There are 4 different options on the handles, so you can choose a color that you feel will blend in with the rest of your kitchen. Sometimes it's hard to justify more cost, but if you look at it for the life of the appliance, I bet it will cost you $50 a YEAR. That's a no brainer to me. Cafe is the line just below GE Monogram, so it should last you a good long time. As for the pots and pans, what you usually get as a promotion, you probably wouldn't want to cook with. The Cuisinart French Classic line is a great set of pots and pans at a nice price that are made in France and not China. I got both my kids a set for their induction cooktops and they love them. You can get a 13 piece set on sale for around $300, and they'll last a lifetime, with no worries about substandard materials.

  • 6 years ago

    I really like the GE slate myself and have followed a lot of comments about it. Seems most comments against it come from people who have never owned one. Most I've read that have them love them. Biggest downside on it and any brand of black stainless is each brand has their own color. For things to match you need to stay with in the brand. The ge slate has stainless handles so will look ok if you need to get stainless later. I have white appliances in our new to us home and have never liked white appliances. But it's hard to change when things still work. Who cares what is popular and what others think. It is your house and your likes that are important.

  • 6 years ago

    Richfield, I totally get the cheap stainless issue. There is a big difference between nice ss and most of what we see on appliances today.

    Personally, I would spring for the white range. It is gorgeous and hopefully You will get many years of pleasure from it.

  • 6 years ago

    I have the grey slate from GE and absolutely love it . Not sure why people say it scratches easily, because I have no scratches after 3 years. It cleans up easily and leaves no smudges or fingerprints. With stainless, unless you go with same brand, the finishes all looks different to me. Although if I was buying new, I sure like the look of the matte white. So pretty

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    If the $1,000 doesn't break the bank, I'd go for the GE Cafe in white. I have an electric Cafe range in stainless, and it works very well, and the styling is damn nice!

    Are you planning to install a venting system? Even though you don't have gas you still will have grease and steam while cooking and you should be venting that outside.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    In the past 10 years, I've cooked with a regular GE range, a Profile, and a Cafe. The Cafe was so much better! Loved my dual fuel GE Cafe range. (We had it in stainless, but I do love that white with the pretty handles). The stainless is the most timeless - look at the high-end ranges like Wolf or Thermador....they come in stainless. Also, check, but when we had our stainless Cafe, it was legit. Like I could use windex, vinegar, soap and water - whatever. Unlike the crappy "stainless look" finishes on many ranges, where you have to use the stainless wipes or spray for it to look good.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I get the aversion to SS now if you work all day with it. I would get the white I have never regretted getting something I love and spending the money so much better than regretting later. Maybe you could negotiate a good price for the cookware with your purchase.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Have you been dissatisfied with your range over the years? Do you hate cooking on electric elements and are determined to get an induction stovetop? If the answers to those two questions aren’t an emphatic “Yes,” it might be worth your while to take a look at these:




    GE 30” Slide-In Electric Convection Range MSRP $1,909





    GE 30” Slide-In Electric Range MSRP $1,509

  • 6 years ago

    It seems that a lot of people are using the terms “slate” and “black stainless” interchangeably, but they are totally different finishes. (And then there’s “black slate”...) Anyway, please do your research before knocking something without the facts to back it up. You might want to start that research here.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    sammy that's totally true slate and black slate are NOT the same as black stainless. that link you shared has some great info

  • 6 years ago

    It nevertheless is a new color introduced that may not last. A few years ago some brands like Jenn-Aire introduced a bronze finish. It was fresh and new for about a year. Then lost its pizzazz.
    Now it's gone.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Here's the thing - and the reason we all have different appliances - some people value the look. Given the option of two ranges of identical quality, many folks would definitely pay more to own the more attractive option. I don't like mismatched whites, so I wouldn't be buying these appliances piecemeal, but that's me.

    A good range ought to last you 10 - 15 years. Over its lifespan the $1,000.00 difference in price is negligible. It's $100.00 a year. And it's OK to spend money on a look that you think is beautiful.

    I hate to bring it up, but now would be the time to purchase a matching vent hood as well. Your fridge and dishwasher may be different whites, but the vent hood (how are you living without one?) and the range should match.


  • 6 years ago

    I agree with eam44 - Get the hood now. I do see an outlet in OP's photo above, but no hood. Perhaps they are getting a wooden hood that matches the cabinets, or a microwave that has an exhaust. This cafe model does have a matching microwave (also a convection oven) that I'd be getting at the same time. I'd also be paying close attention to the fridge to make sure the color isn't discontinued. Perhaps you can get a package deal on all the appliances in this Cafe line. It is beautiful and worth every penny imo

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    If you've never had an induction range, reconsider that choice. I've not had one but worked with someone that did -- someone that cooked/entertained a lot -- and she hated it. If what you've had has worked well for you, go with that and get a hood to match.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    With all the fanfare about induction, I'd like to hear from the other side.

    Suezbell, what were the reasons your colleague did not like induction? Just curious.

  • 6 years ago

    Thank you all for the feed back.


    we do need a range hood, it’s on my husbands to-do-list to build (He’s already run the duct through the roof) I’d like to do something like this picture, just haven’t decided how much I want painted vs wood. I want to do a 36” hood over our 30” range. We have 44” between cabinets so I don’t think the Cafe hood would look right




    I‘be always had electric coil ranges so I looked at non-induction ranges since there are more white options, but the comments to my other range post here convinced me induction was the way to go. I’m not a neat cook and I hate cleaning burned on stuff on my cooktop.


    There are other hardware color options for the Cafe series, but they are $500 extra for the set so I’d need the range hardware to go with my brushed bronze cabinet pulls?


    i have thought about the matching Cafe fridge, but we only have 30” and the Cafe model that size has French doors, which seems less than ideal. But I’d keep my eye out for a new model.


    So odds are i wouldn’t be replacing my fridge and dishwasher with the matching Cafe suite. Given that, will it still look better to have the white Cafe vs stainless or Slate Profile?


  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago
    • The slate is a non-starter unless you’re buying all new appliances before they stop making it. Which will be in five years or so.
    • Neither of you wants stainless, although that would be my choice.
    • That leaves the white GE Cafe that you like, and it’s really pretty.

    There are other white induction ranges out there. Berta makes one, but the reviews have not been great, and it costs more. Viking makes one as well, near the $7K mark. You do have options.




  • 6 years ago

    following

  • 6 years ago

    For what it's worth, because I had a white refrigerator and dishwasher, I wanted a white range but couldn't find one in my price range so went with SS. It looks just fine, in fact I love my Bosch range. And no, the white appliances don't "match" but I don't notice and I don't think anyone else does either. IMO my kitchen is fabulous.

  • 6 years ago

    following

  • 6 years ago

    If this is more difficult because you super want the slate, ignore me, get what you want.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    ritchfield95 - The wooden hood will look great over the new cafe range in either the wood that matches your cabinets, or white. I love the photo you posted. Very classic. My daughter has this cafe induction and it is a dream to cook on. No burnt on food, and you can even put paper towels down on top of the burner and under the pan when frying and then just throw away the paper towel so no greasy mess to clean up. She also loves the knobs, over the sliding controls of the range she replaced. I think after a lifetime of cooking on electric you will be very pleased. There is a small learning curve, but you will adapt quickly to the faster cooking of induction. My daughter also has the cafe 30 inch french door fridge and I agree that they are not the most roomy, but not many 30 inch fridges are. Even her old one wasn't roomy. She solved this issue by getting a very inexpensive freezer for her basement that she uses for overflow. As for the cafe handles not matching your current cabinet hardware (is it possible to change the cabinet hardware if needed?) There are many nice looking inexpensive options, should you choose to get different handles on the range. One of the things I like about the cafe series, is that it has a similar look of a high end range (Viking, Wolf, etc.), at a much lower price point. In addition, GE appliances are easy to service almost anywhere and parts are not usually a problem. That being said, your last question asks if the white cafe would be the best choice given that you won't be getting the fridge and dishwasher to match (or should you just go stainless). I believe one of your first comments was that you and your husband DIDN'T like stainless. If you don't like it, then why get it. I would NEVER go with slate, but you could rethink the stainless. However, that cafe range is in a class by itself (be it stainless or white). I don't think any of the other options you had looked at can come close to the looks and performance the Cafe has. If it were me, I'd probably get the fridge as well. Both the range and fridge are prominent appliances in the kitchen and I like the looks and handles to match. Dishwasher, not nearly as important. That being said, it doesn't have to happen right now. Sometimes you can pick them up on sale, or get a scratch and dent model that has a dent or scratch somewhere not visible. Good luck to you.

  • 6 years ago

    Are we before, during or following a Trend? I like white kitchens in old houses. They were the norm. I don't like white cabinets or appliances in newer homes. I think people have said gray is out for maybe the last 10 years but it is still a common color here in new homes. I've had it in my homes to some degree since 1986 and will continue to have it long after the Fad is over. Color and style do date a home. But some homes are timeless. we all have our personal preference. GE brought in slate appliances in 2012, that's already 7 years. Not so new. At this point it is still my favorite when I replace mine.

  • 6 years ago

    I bought the GE slate appliances as a package when we bought our home two and a half years ago. They were attractive to me and I thought they'd go well with the kitchen in the home, which at the time we didn't intend to redo. I didn't want stainless because my prior experience with it had left a bad taste in my mouth. It always seemed to be dirty and getting it clean without streaks seemed impossible. The slate did match well, but I often found myself wishing I'd bought stainless because I discovered my kitchen was so dark and while I didn't feel the appliances made it darker I felt shinier finishes might have been better given my circumstance. We are now smack in the middle of a full gut remodel. I'm now wishing I had a counter depth fridge and I don't like the GE counter depth fridges and anything else I get won't match. Though the only counter depth fridge I DO like is an LG and they have a black stainless finish that to me looks like a shiny version of the slate and I've wondered if I could pull them off together. Ultimately I doubt I'll buy any new appliances as these are still newish and in good shape and I'm making other changes to brighten up the kitchen so I think they'll make a nice contrast.

    Despite all this "I wish I had..." the fact is I do like my slate appliances. They continue to be attractive, they are super easy to clean. I can grab a Lysol wipe in an emergency, wipe them down and they dry spotless. They do not scratch easily, mine still look pristine and I have dogs and kids and the range and fridge were stuck literally l on either side of the back door which we go in and out of constantly until just this last weekend and nothing.

    So, I think if you like them and the future of your kitchen is not uncertain they are a good choice, if you feel you might be making changes in the future and you're not sure what yet they could pose a challenge because they are unique. I don't feel they have the same dark black hole quality of black appliances but they won't brighten up a kitchen if you really need that either.

    As hard as it is to spend so much money get what you really want IF you can afford it. You won't regret it, you will regret what you didn't get.

    As for matching, the only way to get that is to buy all the same appliances at once. Look at four stainless fridges and you'll see four completely different finishes, same for whites and blacks. I do think if one appliance is going to be different it's okay for the range to be. I'd probably think about what direction you want to go when it's time to replace the other appliances and let that guide you more.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I had to replace 3 of my appliances and went w/the GE Cafe fridge (french door, counter depth) and wall oven. did the Profile microwave. I wanted black, but their matte white is beautiful too. I love the black and got the bronze handles.

    As mentioned, it isn't a huge fridge, but we have another one out in the garage for excess drinks and freezer stuff. The fridge is really nice with fruits and veggies. In my other fridge berries would rot within two days. this one they last over a week (something to do w/the air flow). It's worth the extra money.

    I love the oven too. So, the fridge is more than looks, its a quality piece that you should have for quite awhile. (just make sure to have them unpack it carefully and if you notice any damage, report it within the first 30 days. they screwed up my doors with packaging and I had to have it replaced)

  • 6 years ago

    Thanks for all of the input, I ordered the Cafe in Matte White:)


    There we’re comments in this post and my other on induction that said there were special electrical requirements for induction ranges. I read the manual for this range and it seems like our existing service will work, am I missing something?

  • 6 years ago

    Congrats on ordering the Cafe - It is stunning and you will be pleased. If you have the service that the manual says is needed, you should be good. Some induction models (5 or 6 burners require more power).

  • 5 years ago

    Good for you! Let us see a pic when you have a chance.

    The specs for your range can be viewed here. You want to make sure that your wiring gives you 40 Amps for the range, that's all. Depending on how old your current range (and home) is, you may have less than 40 Amps there, and that could require anything from rewiring the circuit to updating your electrical box.


  • 5 years ago

    That is gonna look smashing!

  • 5 years ago

    It’s in! We couldn’t get it adjusted quite high enough to level with our counters so DH put a couple blocks under it for now. We are having our wood floors refinished in the spring and will find a better solution then. ( Our cabinets were custom made by the previous owners with a finished height of 37.25”)

    Thanks for all the input!



  • 5 years ago

    Looks great! How did he get it on the blocks? We might have to do something like that as well. Our new countertops go in Friday and I don't think the range will be high enough.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    @12358w - OMG - it looks fabulous and I love the backsplash. Let us know how you like it. I bet you'll soon be going for the fridge. It looks so high end. I hope you love it.

  • 5 years ago

    Wow! Looks terrific!

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    OHHHH AWWW NICE!

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    Beautiful! Love your kitchen!

  • 5 years ago

    You will love induction. It's night and day above cooking on electric.

  • 5 years ago

    @Forever Now: How did he get it on the blocks? We might have to do something like that as well.

    Our counters are raised by 2" compared to standard height. I was agonizing a lot about how to raise the range, until I finally called Bluestar. They said that they have extended range feet that they'd be happy to sell me. They also mentioned that for some reason these feet aren't listed in their regular catalog, so you have to know to ask about them.

  • 5 years ago

    white is my least favorite option in general; when our dishwasher went i replaced all my white aplliances with fingerprint resistant stainless steel, which I really like. that said, this cafe stove is beautiful. different shades of white would bother me thoug, so Id get the whole set. I like french door refrigerators personally; we also have a dee freezer in basement for overflow.

  • 5 years ago

    i see now that you made a selection... it looks great

  • 5 years ago

    Fabulous looking kitchen, and a great range.

  • 5 years ago

    M thank you! DH built our cabinets and they are slightly taller than normal. Between that and what we had to go through to level everything on our old floor the stove isn't tall enough. Extended legs would be great. I'll call GE.

  • 5 years ago

    @12358w- Have you used that beautiful induction range yet? Please report.

  • 5 years ago

    I did not plan the timing of this well. :). I only have 2 induction pans at the moment, I put more on my Christmas list.


    the first thing I made was a grilled cheese and I sufficiently burned that! I can’t believe how fast it is, I look forward to adjusting my cook times to the new speed.


    i did notice that the cooktop got warm, well beyond where the pan was. ive read others say they put paper towels between their pans and cooktops. I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that with how warm the burner got. Could my pan have been too big?


    I appreciate the suggestion to ask for different legs to raise it. My husband put two boards down the sides that basically acted as rails. If we end up keeping this, were going to run the shoe mounding under the range to hide the boards.


    thanksto everyone for the feedback!!!

  • 5 years ago

    @12358w - Yes, there is a learning curve with induction. Everything goes much faster, but you will adjust. I have used the paper towels on my daughters GE with no issues. In case you're looking ,as far as pans go, these are a great set (made in the USA - not China), at a good price. Very comfortable handles, and dishwasher safe. They work great on the induction. https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-FCT-13-Stainless-13-Piece-Cookware/dp/B009W28FUY