Concern #1: Lifespan

This one is pretty obvious- we are about to shell out hundreds of dollars, and design our cabinet layout around the dimensions of, a 70-year-old appliance. Intuitively, this seems like a bad idea. However, we learned that stoves now are built to be thrown out and replaced with alarming frequency, while stoves built in the mid-1900s are essentially never truly irreparable. They were built to be repaired, and still today you can find the parts needed to fix problems as they arise. We even found a local guy who specializes in fixing up old stoves- I was surprised to learn there is enough demand to employ him full-time. I knew I wasn't the only crazy stove person.

Concern #2: Use

Another basic concern was whether these stoves are practical to use. This seems to really boil down to personal preference and how you use your stove. Because I don't cook, this was not a concern at all for me; Noah did the bulk of the research here.

If, for example, you cook on huge trays, you might need a newer stove. The stove cavity, while perfectly adequate to accomodate standard pans (and yes, even a turkey), is significantly smaller than today's stoves. If you need 6 burners, you may find yourself limited on selection (though I think some do exist). Ours only has 3 burners plus a griddle and deep well pot. If you like having lots of modern options (timers, auto shut-off, whatever else stoves can do- idk tbh), then this won't fit the bill. But if, like us, you roast veggies or bake chicken about 3 times a week and just need something that gets hot and... cooks... normal things... an old stove can do that. Do we have to light the burners and stove with a lighter each time we want to cook? Yes. Does it beep when it's pre-heated? No. Did we have to buy a separate timer? Yes. But these are things that we see as added charm. If you see them as annyoing, vintage stoves aren't for you.

On the plus side, the built in griddle and deep well pot are features that many of today's stoves don't offer. Full disclosure: we haven't used the pot, but apparently, you can heat up the stove, TURN IT OFF, and it is so well insulated hat it will stay hot and keep something like oatmeal cooking all night. Again, not a cook, but I think it's akin to a crock pot. These puppies are also super energy efficient; in fact, the tag line for Chambers was 'cook with the gas off.'