On 3 Mar 2006 18:21:30 +0100, Wayne Boatwright <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com>
wrote:

>Do you need a slide-in? Similar features are available in a free-standing
>model at significantly less cost.

The free-standing/slide-in cost differential is hard to understand.

We also considered some other pros and cons of the slide-in.

It's nice to not have to reach past hot burners and pots to adjust the controls.

While it's nice to have the controls up front, this also places them above the
oven, where they may get hot (especially if you're broiling with the door open
to the broil-stop).

Up front controls also move the cooktop back a few inches, which may be a
significant comfort factor depending on your height (I'm 6'3"+) and whether or
not you have any back problems.

And the slide-in may also have implications for your backsplash area, since the
it's much more exposed to heat.

In the end, we went with the free-standing, but it was not an easy decision. I'd
really have liked the slide-in look and the lack of gaps with our new granite
countertops.

BTW, in case anyone's considering a kitchen renovation through a jumbo store
like Lowe's or Home Depot, the blow-by-blow of our ongoing experience with Home
Depot (with pictures) is at http://www.xhost.org/kitchen. I'll be removing the
rest of the g&%$-*)#%*@ed wallpaper this weekend while my wife is off in
Colorado skiing... 8;(

-- Larry