Fourth Time's the Charm
Submitted by SibeLover -
3/22/2019
I've had this special order range for about three weeks. To date, it's performed adequately. However, anything would have been an improvement over the GE gas range it replaced, given it was about 25 years old!
The salesman mentioned that getting it set up with my home's Wi-Fi would be a challenge - even frustrating. He was right. I followed the instructions in the manual and in the app several times exactly as written and as the onscreen prompts directed, to no avail. I have meshed Wi-Fi with a booster about five feet from the range (for my other smart appliances) so signal strength wasn't an issue.
I finally gave in and called Whirlpool tech support. I had to turn off the breaker for 60 seconds (that wasn't mentioned anywhere in the instruction manual) and then followed the tech guy's instructions that were VERY different from the instructions that came with the range and app. I have nothing but nice things to say about the tech that helped me. BTW, I'm pretty tech savvy.
In terms of design, I think it would make more sense to have one of the smaller burners in the front - both larger burners are in the front with the small and medium burners in the back. That being said, I can see leaving a pot of sauce simmering in the back while working two large pots in the front. You just need to use short pots in the front, or be tall enough to reach the smaller pots in the back over larger pots in the front without burning your arms.
The oven is large for a slide-in - one of the reasons I selected it. That comes with a trade-off of a very short "broiler" underneath the oven. It's great for storing cookie sheets and pie pans, but nothing too deep/high, and nothing flammable. Still, with three racks, I can overcome the challenge of multiple items in the oven at once when entertaining or cooking up a storm.
Once connected to Wi-Fi, I was able to use the smart functions. It's fun to scan the bar code on a food package and have the oven automatically turn on to the right temperature and set the timer automatically. You need to know if the item requires preheating or if you can place the item in the oven as it heats - there's a list in the manual. Not every package works but I'd guess about 80% that I've tried do. Because of this functionality, there are no "knobs" to control the oven; it's all done by a touchscreen. It works well with Google/Nest and you can control the oven (not the range) via your phone with the Whirlpool app. I haven't tried it yet, but you can put an item in the turned-off oven, leave home and tell the oven to turn on to a specific temperature and then set it to keep warm. Food safety is noted in the manual and I can't think of many instances this procedure would be needed. Still, it's a neat feature.
The touchscreen menu and other touchscreen controls are very intuitive. Not much more to say on that except ... if the circuit board goes out, you have no oven. That's a bit problematic but part of having a "smart" appliance.
The range is very attractive and has great eye appeal. I haven't tried the low temperature oven cleaning since I haven't baked anything messy yet. It sounds like it's similar to how you can use water to steam clean your microwave. If so, that's an energy saver and reduces the risk of overheating and starting a fire. A definite plus - if it works. As a side note, the manual says you void the warranty if you use harsh cleaners.
As to the title of my review, my initial order for this range was placed on December 10, 2018. The first three (yes, three!) ranges arrived with various types of damage sufficient that I rejected them - this is an expensive range! My range was finally installed March 4, 2019. Three months of reorders and excuses from the retailer and Whirlpool. Yes, I am a patient person.
Besides the above paragraph, I would recommend this appliance, remembering that it's only been moderately used for about three weeks. A 75% damage rate kept me from awarding five stars.
Originally posted on Whirlpool.com
Yes, I recommend this product
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