My mom is an excellent baker even though she had an old beat up stove. The oven that she had used for years to feed me, my brothers and sisters finally broke down completely so I conspired with my dad, my sisters, and my friends from the The Home Depot to surprise her with a brand new, top of the line Kitchenaid stove. I didn’t know that much about stoves but after talking to a Home Depot associate I learned about the advantages of duel fuel stoves that have gas cooktops but precise electric ovens. My parents’ kitchen does not have a hood vent so I selected a stove that has downdraft system. I was a bit confused about the baking implications of a convection oven but once I learned that it is a feature that can be turned on or off I felt more comfortable selecting a unit that had one. Here is the stove I selected.

And here are the things I considered:

Slide-in vs. Freestanding
Slide-in ranges are usually a little more expensive than freestanding but are so because all the controls tend to be on the front so you don't have to reach over the burners to turn things on or off. They also don't have bulky controls at the back which makes for a cleaner aesthetic.

Electric vs. Duel Fuel
In general, electric is better for baking and gas is better for stove-top cooking. A duel fuel option gives you the best of both worlds; gas for the cooktop and electric for the oven.

Down Draft

Convection Oven
A convection oven option can be turned on when baking to circulate the air inside the oven and provide more uniform heat. My mom likes to use this option when she wants her oatmeal cookies to be a little crunchier or her pie crusts a little flakier.

Delivery and Installation
If you switch from gas to electric or duel fuel check to make sure you have the right plugs. If you switch to a unit with a different ventilation option make sure you have a place to run the exhaust vents. We had The Home Depot schedule the delivery and installation which made things easy!

Here is a conversation I had with a very helpful Home Depot associate.

Swedish Braided Bread Recipe

Makes on loaf

Mix well in large bowl:
2 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp. salt

Scald 3/4 cups of milk
Turn off heat and add 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
When butter melts, add to above mixture in same large bowl

In 1/4 cup of very warm water, dissolve 1 packet of fast-acting yeast along with 1/4 tsp of sugar.
When foamy, add to above mixture in same large bowl
Stir

Add 2 cups of all-purpose or bread flour and mix well until smooth
Add 1 more cup of flour until combined; dough will start to get stiff
Add 1 more cup of flour; mix and add flour as necessary and knead until dough is no longer sticky; until your arms get tired, at least 5 minutes

Place dough in butter-greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1.5 hours.
After doubled in size, divide the dough into three pieces and roll each third into a long piece for braiding. Pinch the ends of the three sections and braid; then, pinch the other ends and fold under. Place on butter-greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rise in a room temperature oven for 30 minutes or so until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350º. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and paint with melted butter.







































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