Obsolete Oven?
Thirteen years ago, we purchased a GE 27″ double oven. I was excited to replace the old 24″ oven, which was too small and narrow to handle food for a large crowd. Quickly, it became apparent the new oven had a few “quirks,” most of which weren’t major. Free GE customer service was available to help me if something wasn’t working correctly.
When the oven’s one-year warranty expired, we considered taking out a longer one. Not doing that has turned out to be a big mistake.
Repair One
About a year ago, I noticed the top oven, the one used most, was not heating correctly. It was underheating. For example, my brisket recipe calls for roasting the meat at 425° for 15 minutes and then turning down the temperature to 350°. When I reset the oven to 350° after the15 minutes, the digital readout said the actual temperature was 285°!!
Baking became impossible. Cakes, challah, mondel bread and cookies were either too dry or mushy. I couldn’t get an accurate temperature. One day I set the oven for 350° and then turned it off for two seconds. When I turned it back on to 350° (after the two seconds), the display read 334°. How could it lose 15° in two seconds?!
It was time to call GE service for help. However, the GE customer service telephone recording said the company no longer handles appliance repairs. It’s been replaced by a national appliance repair company called Bodewell. Instead of calling them, I contacted a local appliance repair company, hoping a local company would be cheaper. We set up an appointment.
Diagnostic testing on the ovens indicated that most of the parts seemed to be working correctly. However, the repairman wrote on his invoice, “Found that unit upper oven was struggling to maintain temperature. Unit likely has a broken bake element in upper section.” Replacing the “hidden bake element” set us back $366.
Repair Two
Six months later, March 2026, both the top and bottom ovens were overheating. Per the oven thermometer I bought at Amazon, both were approximately 50° hotter than the digital readout. In other words, 350° on the digital readout translated to 400° in the oven!
This time I called Bodewell for service. After all, they were certified by GE supposedly. The two young fellows that came did multiple diagnostic tests. Their conclusion was that the motherboard had to be replaced. This part is an electronic control board, which serves as the central computer that regulates temperatures, timers, displays and heating elements.
Replacing the motherboard set us back $370. I asked about a warranty for the part, and they said, “There’s no warranty.” That might not have been correct, but I didn’t question them. Another mistake.
Within six months, we spent $736 on a 13-year-old oven.
Repair Three
I usually start thinking about cooking and baking for the autumn Jewish holidays in the summer. This July, again, nothing cooked in the ovens was coming out right. Baked goods were dry; chicken was overcooked. As before, the oven thermometer indicated the ovens were 50° hotter than the digital readout. I did my best to adjust the ovens to the correct temperatures, but some dishes were either undercooked or overcooked.
I decided to try Bodewell again. The website has an option to schedule an appointment online. While doing that, I somehow ended up on a webpage called JustAnswer. The bot in its chat was very willing to help.
“Explain the problem,” it asked.
“The oven temperature is not calibrated. It’s 50° hotter than it should be,” I wrote.
“Let me summarize. Your oven is not calibrated correctly. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” (We went back and forth for five minutes, the bot repeating everything I typed into the chat.)
“Would you like me to connect you with a certified technician?” the bot asked. “If so, there will be a one-time fee of $5.”
“Yes, please do that,” I replied, thinking $5 wouldn’t break the bank.
“Fill out the information on your screen and I’ll find a qualified technician to help you with your oven.” In went my credit card information, address, phone numbers, etc.
Help is on the way?
Eventually, a certified technician named Brandon called. Given the oven model number, he was able to pull up the specs (whatever they are) and determined that perhaps the oven needs a new thermometer. He emailed me the GE part number, a link to a company that sells the part and a YouTube video on how to replace it. He even double-checked the part’s price on Amazon to see if it was cheaper than the parts store. (And he said there should be a one-year warranty on the motherboard installed six months ago.)
“This is a do-it-yourself project,” he added.
“That’s great!” I said. “My husband will be thrilled. He loves DYI projects!
After Brandon and I chatted, I checked my email. I received confirmation from JustAnswer about the $5 charge plus a $65 monthly subscription charge to contact their experts! Nowhere on the website was there mention of paying $65 for a subscription to JustAnswer!
Quickly, I found my “account” on the website and was able to cancel the next month’s recurring subscription charge. The $65 charge for the call with Brandon, plus $5, is on my credit card. A phone call with the bank – a human, believe it or not – assured me that she’ll investigate and most likely, the $65 will be credited back to me.
Back to the fix
The part, plus shipping (more than the part) was a little over $30. Good news! I ordered it on a Wednesday, and it came in the Saturday mail. Meanwhile, Ken watched the YouTube video a few times and was willing to tackle the job. That was yesterday but today is a different scenario.
We are at a standstill. The part gets inserted behind a back panel. First, the oven door must be removed, allowing easier access to the panel. Removing the oven door is supposed to be “easy.” What if it comes off but he can’t get it back on?
And there’s another problem. This morning Ken told me he doesn’t have the correct screwdriver bit to remove the screws. By noon he found a bit, but he’s thinking that fiddling with the oven a few days before a Jewish holiday is not a good idea (we’re having a lot of company).
There should always be a Plan B
A number of years ago, a birthday present to myself was a 36”, simple to operate electric range (Sears Kenmore Scratch & Dent) for Passover cooking. It’s in the basement. I usually start cooking for Passover down there about a month before the holiday.
And I’ve instituted Plan B. The Jewish fall holiday baking will be done in the Passover oven. Today I made two carrot kugels and a pan of brownies. It required a lot of up and down the stairs. My knees are feeling it. Meanwhile, upstairs in the “real” kitchen, the chicken might be a bit overcooked, and the vegetables not roasted to perfection, but my basement brownies came out perfectly.
To be continued…
Please leave your comments below.
Read more by Eileen Creeger.