It finally arrived the time to start thinking seriously about the kitchen for the new house. I am a man, I prefer acting straight and simple. We're in 2023, we don't have a high budget, so the conclusion is quite simple: IKEA. But, as man, I don't have any decision-making power because I don't have a good aesthetic taste. Seems legit.

So, my girlfriend of course wants to complicate things. Watching some Escape To The Country episodes, she fell in love with the Rangemaster cookers. A solid, vintage, stand-alone piece which screams countryside from all the sides. Since our home will be cottage-style, I agree that they could fit perfectly (and so does our architect, of course).

After searching online some information, though, I figured out that things aren't so simple.

They cost a lot

There are quite few brands that sell these cookers, but they cost… as the rest of the kitchen! A Range cooker costs from €1000 to €4000, from what I found. Literally the whole kitchen furniture, with IKEA, costs about €3.000… with the most expensive finish. "Ok," I told her, "let's focus on the cheap ones". It's not that simple!

They're not shipped to Italy

First, Range cookers were built in England, then some were exported to France and northern European countries. Well, when we went to Dordogne last year, we asked a reseller if they could ship the cooker to Italy. Of course not.

For my girlfriend, that wouldn't be a problem: "We could come and pick it up in France!". It's not impossible, it's just… a bit too much effort for a kitchen, maybe. But then, when I think that it's for our dream house, I say to myself that a little sacrifice could make sense.

I also asked her: "Don't you like some alternatives available in Italy?". "No, too much modern."

🙄

They're incompatible with LPG

Two years ago, since a decent 10KW set of solar panel was too expensive, we decided to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)¹. When asking some resellers information about the cookers, it came out that the cheaper ones don't have adapters for LPG, so we can't use them.

If there are, they have to be specifically requested to the manufacturers… What a mess!

The Second-Hand Market

As last hope, we looked up for some used cookers on the internet. Of course, on French websites. And… there are lots of them! Of course, it would mean that we should go to France and pick them up, but it's always a possibility. I have an aversion for those, anyway, because I can't trust a used appliance for a new house. It's a weird juxtaposition. Other than the warranty would surely be expired, what to do if we need a replacement part?

There are so many complications that I can't find a "simple" solution… We should move for a month or two in France and go shopping… but that won't happen, following the worksite is already complicated like this.

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🎮 🫥

🎧 Some classic Sleep

📖 Almost finished Stories of Your Life

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1. We neither can attach to the metropolitan methane because the house is too isolated.↩