And what to buy: a new stove or a built-in set?

Can one do without a stove?? Many manufacturers of “white equipment” assert more and more confidently: it is possible to. Indeed, a number of brands, mostly foreign, don’t deal with stoves at all, though they do work with both cooktops and ovens. A new trend has appeared on the part of the consumer: there is less interest in stoves. Major appliance stores report up to 60 percent increase in built-in sales! We decided to find out what’s going on and to find out what the future holds for the stove market.

The native stove or the overseas built-ins?

Our housewives probably didn’t know that the stove, a native helper for many years, could split into two, or even more, independent appliances. Now we’re commonly offered built-in appliances like cooktops or dominoes and ovens that can be bought and installed separately.

Of course, this option makes us freer – you can choose appliances from different manufacturers and place them in the kitchen the way you want. The stove looks more modest in this respect, because its oven is still at the bottom and you have to bend over to it every time, both when working and when cleaning.

On the other hand, many customers, especially experienced housewives, can’t refuse a familiar appliance – the unknown is frightening and they choose stoves again.

While the stove stands in place, the in-built unit flies ahead

The difference between the plates and built-in is not only limited to the peculiarities of installation on the project site. What’s more important is the functionality of the appliance. And here we have a lot to think about.

It must be said that manufacturers of built-in appliances are putting more and more effort and technical thought into their products.

Here are the most advanced achievements: a wide range of operating modes, automation, new ways of heating, maintenance, etc.d.

It’s a sector that is expanding rapidly, the supply is growing, and it’s becoming more diverse and tempting.

Stoves on this racy background in its majority are clearly losing, because not all companies are in a hurry to implement the best technologies and developments.

Repair, breakdown – store

The decision to purchase a new appliance arises in two cases.

First, when the old stove fails. It is easiest to pick up a model of the same size, and quickly replace it with a new one. In this situation, the choice in favor of built-ins is often unrealistic: in fact, it means creating a lot of problems: replacing the countertop, buying a cabinet under the oven. It’s also important that the built-in appliance simply can’t be accommodated in the framework of the given set.

Let’s say you had a 50-centimeter wide stove, and the rest of the kitchen is taken up with cabinets and appliances. The standard size of the built-in oven is always at least 60 centimeters in width, so the space freed up can only be “covered” by the stove. As we can see, the question of choosing a built-in or stove is not only an alternative between the established stereotypes or the newness of the.

The second option – a renovation or a new apartment. After tidying up the walls, ceiling and floor, new furniture is purchased or partially replaced . As part of this global transformation, it’s much easier and more logical to decide to buy an unfamiliar appliance.

We’re all faced with a choice

The transformation of the buyer’s mindset is also interesting. Now people began to realize that the market of modern equipment offers hitherto unseen opportunities, which means that you can try to pick up the most suitable unit at a minimum price. Many salespeople say that the public has become more demanding, curious and knowledgeable we hope that our humble role in this .

And, therefore, purchases are more often made deliberately, not impulsively, with an attempt to analyze. Numerous competing home appliance stores and online stores are a great help when making your choice.

Everywhere are ready to give advice although not always exhaustive, we checked , to explain the intricacies and direct interest in certain functions. It remains to find a consensus between demands and possibilities.

Let’s not part with the stove…

European countries have already recorded a slowdown in interest in the stove, and it has reached us, but many experts say that it is too early to say goodbye to the stoves.

Even against the backdrop of increased sales of built-ins, the number of sold stoves is not particularly falling. Here is Alexander Dyachenko’s opinion,

Bosch product manager

Many people fundamentally do not want to buy a built-in model, because of the difference in the durability of kitchen furniture and kitchen appliances.

Domestic kitchen furniture often loses its look after a few years of use, high-quality imported furniture is not everyone can afford, and appliances last at least 10 years. The solo stove does not bind the consumer to replace furniture and a complete renovation of the kitchen.

In America, many people are not ready to spend a significant amount of money to repair the kitchen, new furniture and appliances, but are perfectly capable of buying a high quality and fairly expensive stove.

Here are the numbers provided by Electrolux: 20 percent of sales are built-in hobs and ovens and as much as 80 percent are solo stoves.

According to Elizaveta Totunova,

PR-director of one of the network companies

, “The stove market is generally quite stable – kitchen stoves are not changed that often. In recent years, however, there has been a clear trend towards an increased demand for built-in appliances. Solos are sold mostly in small sizes – when buying larger stoves, customers prefer built-in models.

The real competition on an equal footing with the built-in is only in the high price range, which is now available not for everyone.

In the mid-range and mass-market, buying a stove is still more advantageous in terms of price, since for the same money you can only buy a very simple set of built-in appliances in a basic version for example, with a hob equipped with cast-iron “pancakes” .

Many buyers traditionally prefer to buy stoves because of their habit, conservatism and low cost bar for appliances, choosing models with low cost. Thus, in the most popular price groups the stoves will have a good chance to hold their own for a long time.

This is confirmed by the manufacturers, who do not cut their work, but are constantly updating the model ranges, increasingly adapting to the demands of our market.

The price of a suitable niche

Anyone who has chosen a new model of stove for themselves, probably had time to notice that the proposal is highly structured by price, we have tried to distinguish several groups. We have five price niches.

The lowest category: 4-6 thousand Dollars.

As a rule, in the low price segment are appliances of domestic manufacturers and basic models of foreign companies. Among them there are well-known and respected brands for example, the ones that make their stoves in America , as well as unfamiliar newcomers from China, South America and other countries.

These stoves are characterized by the simplest solution, minimal features. In this segment many buyers prefer American brands they have known for many years, and they are the clear leaders.

Low price attracts the elderly. Often they value the functionality of the stove much less, besides, many of them are so used to their old appliances that they are not ready to learn the tricks of the new ones. They do not even consider the possibility of buying a built-in.

The manufacturer clearly represents this category of buyer, as can be judged at least by the appearance of the plates. Design is close to classical, color is white or brown. Stoves look a little sentimental due to the various inventions – curved or smooth handles, large controls, oval “windows” on the doors.

Stoves of this class have sold, and will continue to be in demand, as they are not in the competitive environment with the built-in, and above all for the price.

Mass-market: 7-15 thousand Dollars

Most buyers are interested in products in this price niche. Here are devices with features that enhance the quality of cooking: automatic electric ignition and gas-control system for gas models, programmer, all possible types of electric stoves heating, glass ceramics in electric stoves and even catalysis though, rarely .

Such stoves are more convenient to use and often do not differ much in functionality from economy class built-in.

This segment is one of the most developing, most foreign companies prefer to create new models in this very framework. Many American companies also are trying to conquer this market by improving their products, guided by Western experience. But there is a significant difference.

For a domestic manufacturer, these are expensive appliances. And from the point of view of our customers, the goods produced within the former USSR must prove their competitive advantages, as soon as the price of the product is compared with a foreign product i.e. in the minds of common people, domestic products are worse, but they should be cheaper . It is easier for foreign brands, they can use all their resources to create an adequate not very expensive, but quite “tricked out” product, plus our traditional trust in imports. So in this segment the conditions are not equal.

Preference is often given to familiar brands from abroad. The buyer of these boards is no longer homogeneous. These are people of different ages, tastes and abilities. That’s why the models differ so much in design, there are proposals in the classical style, country, techno. Here appear the surfaces of stainless steel such stoves are usually more expensive than enamelled .

Middle category: 16-20 thousand Dollars

Stoves are more expensive, but also more interesting. Many experts note that every year there are more such devices – there are new products that sell well. This is a kind of leaders from the mass-market environment. In this segment the situation with the potential of devices is quite uneven.

At first sight, the most functional models should be represented here. However, this is not always the case. The reason for this is the emergence of new players, not typical of the previous two categories. These are companies that produce only very high quality, and therefore expensive equipment.

They use more weight in terms of price, materials, technology and elements, while comparing appliances only by technical data, we will see a set characteristic of cheaper stoves.

The high category: 21-45 thousand Dollars

Counted on those who want to have exactly a stove. Since the amount spent on the purchase is quite adequate to buy a set of inexpensive or even expensive built-ins – this is a real field of competition between the two types of equipment.

Models costing more than 30 thousand Dollars – the functional elite. In the appliances we will see the presence of elements characteristic of medium and sometimes high class built-ins such as automation, pyrolytic cleaning, induction, touch controls, large displays, recessed controls. The very appearance of these units is eloquent confirmation that the stoves have a future. Otherwise this segment would not have had such momentum in the development.

The circle of manufacturers is noticeably narrowed, because not everyone dares to make such equipment. And the doubts are justified: to sell expensive stoves, you need to gain the trust of the buyer who is willing to spend that amount of money on the stove. That’s why only serious, well-known companies with solid credibility, which have already proven their technical capabilities, work in this niche.

Now for the customer. This is a conservative, otherwise the problem of choice at these amounts would be solved in favor of the built-in. But a conservative with high demands, he needs everything modern, comfortable and attractive.

Judging by the design of appliances, these are people of all ages and tastes, mostly with a taste for tradition or high-tech. By the way, in this sector there are real designer models, the “appearance” of which was developed in the best studios of the world…

In this category, there is a class of equipment that is completely unfamiliar to many average people – appliances for cottages, and the cheapest models. These stoves are designed for large families, and therefore have much more substantial dimensions compared to full-sized 60x60x85 cm stoves .

They are taller about 90 cm and wider 90-100 cm . On the hob there are not four burners, as usual, but five or six. There’s not just one, but two ovens. The first basic one is for cooking all meals, the second is for heating and baking in small molds. Most often, the devices are as “equipped” as possible. Not many companies work with these products, but there are domestic manufacturers among them.

The premium class

Combines the most expensive and representative models, the cost of which can be comparable to the price of a car. These are not just stoves, these are specialized units for the cottages. We have already met them in the previous price range.

However, there is a difference in equipment and technical equipment. Often these stoves, like sets of dominoes, are formed from constituent elements. The hob can be equipped with several hearths of different power here the preference is gas , grill, tepan, deep fryer, oval burner.

Ovens again have two ovens, one of which can be gas. When fully equipped, the stove is capable of reaching a width of one and a half meters. It’s almost a professional unit, with everything done in such a way that no chef would notice the difference.

A very important component of such stoves is design, it can be technological, rustic and classic.

It has to be said that, for all their attractiveness, not many such appliances are sold, only a few models a year by each brand – too exotic and not practical.

These appliances are manufactured by companies that stand apart from the rest. In our country they are known mainly only to kitchen salon workers and specialists.