How long do stoves last?

We bought a house in Western NC and we are doing some renovations. There is a Viking 48” stove now that I would estimate is at least 15 and closer to 20 years old. It is a nice setup but has been heavily used and is a little beat up. Trying to decide if I just replace with a new one (not cheap!!) or get some kind of professional, heavy duty cleaning and service for it. Are these the kind of things that are supposed to last like 40 years if you treat it right? Or is his nearing the end of its useful life anyway? We would not subject this to heavy use.... maybe 3 months a ywar

Some stoves last forever. I would have kept my Dacor dual-fuel, which I really liked, except the model I owned had a resin-cast fascia and oven handle. Heat and age developed cracks and worst, so I tossed it for another range I'm not crazy about.

If your Viking works to your satisfaction, I'd certainly refurbish it instead of buying another. Cheaper, for one.

I am no expert on stove longevity but for my money and cooking in the setting you describe I would be all about convenience and ease of maintenance especially if the NC place is a "get away" or vacation spot. I longed for a high powered gas stove for years and I simply detest the maintenance for the heavy, cast iron grates. Induction was just becoming available at the same time and we put in a second cooktop on an island. I do everything possible to avoid the 6 burner, 22000 BTU gas stove and use the 2 hob induction 90% of the time. If you're trying to save $ and don't mind the upkeep stick with it till it crumps for good. FWIW I assume that the gas lines and hook ups are up to code. Worth an inspection as that was an issue recently in a 70 year old dwelling

I am no expert on stove longevity but for my money and cooking in the setting you describe I would be all about convenience and ease of maintenance especially if the NC place is a "get away" or vacation spot. I longed for a high powered gas stove for years and I simply detest the maintenance for the heavy, cast iron grates. Induction was just becoming available at the same time and we put in a second cooktop on an island. I do everything possible to avoid the 6 burner, 22000 BTU gas stove and use the 2 hob induction 90% of the time. If you're trying to save $ and don't mind the upkeep stick with it till it crumps for good. FWIW I assume that the gas lines and hook ups are up to code. Worth an inspection as that was an issue recently in a 70 year old dwelling

What maintenance are you talking about regarding cast-iron grates?

[Jenise]

John, I have opinions!

1) I bought a six burner+grill Viking about 12 years ago for about $12,000. It gets heavy use and has had issues (read on). About the same time another friend bought a Thermidor. No problems, still loves it. And the burner fits are tight, no dripping to a tray below like Viking. Super easy to clean.

2) A friend here in the neighborhood (Laura) has one she's not happy with, and another (Donna) just junked her 30" Viking and replaced it with a $5K Thermidor that she loves rather than fund the $1200 repair required again. The Thermidor sale included a free Themidor DW, so all around it was a fine deal. I've had three $800+ repair bills in 12 years, so I really feel Donna's pain and think she made a smart move.

3) The only-game-in-town major appliance dealer all of us bought all our appliances from has dropped the Viking line. Three reasons: part cost have gone up (a pre-Pandemic problem not related to the worldwide supply chain issues) 2-3x, supply is slow when it occurs, and vendor support is very poor though supposedly there's a Viking rep in Seattle. On the issue of vendor support, per the service department we're stuck with Wolf is the cream of the crop followed by Dacor and GE.

I honestly don't know a single soul who has a Viking that they're happy with. My advice? Live with it. But when it goes wonky on you, don't repair it, replace it.

Larry, what I mean by maintenance is really just keeping it clean. The totally flat induction cooktop with touch control, no knobs to collect schmutz is what I go for. A simple wipe or two with a wet dishcloth and it looks like it did when it was installed.The cast iron has to be lifted, the nooks and crannies debrided of schmutz, the burn and grease layers build up no matter how fastidious I am in cooking. Forget about the one who has never lifted a grate in their lifetime, no matter how schmutzy. The debris could stay on forever as far as they are concerned! There are 12 separate cast iron parts that get only partially clean in the dishwasher and particles of food fall into the spaces all around the parts. I really want to spend more of my time cooking and less in clean up.
In terms of actual cooking, the induction hob has it all over the gas in terms of simmer. High heat cooking is a wash. They perform equally well. So, for me a swipe with a wet dishcloth wins out.

[Jenise]

So what did you decide, John?

Jenise

In the end I went with a new unit. I got a Wolf dual fuel with six burners and a griddle. I was ultimately persuaded by Christina’s thought that this is a “getaway” place and there is a premium on reliability and convenience. The vision of assembling the whole family there for Thanksgiving only to have the stove crap out and need a week for repairs was all to easy for me to imagine.

[Jenise]

Good job, you got the best. You'll love that griddle too.