Does anybody have an oil fired Stanley range?

Justamum

We've just moved house and there's a Stanley range in it, but I'm really struggling. I tried cooking pasta on it the first night using water boiled in a kettle, and it just sat on the stove top not bubbling at all. Eventually the pasta just warmed into a sort of softness. Today I wanted to par-boil potatoes for roasting, and the water just stayed warm. I burned the roast potatoes and pie (burned on the bottom). I tried cooking carrots, but the water didn't get beyond just warm. Luckily my mum gave me an electric steamer as a house-warming present so I did the vegetables in that.

Can anyone give me advice on the most economical way of using it and how the h*ll you boil things on the stove top. The booklet with it is very vague and mainly deals with meat, and we're vegetarian. I can see me having the damn thing removed and buying a real cooker and a combi boiler to replace it.

HEEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!!!!

Dark_Star

We have a gas one. It needs to be on a minimum of 30 minutes to get anywhere near hot....

Does fab cakes/roast etc. but not suitable for boiling an egg....

Get a standalone hob/electric ring as that will stop you going insane - suggest a plug in electric one to tide you over.

Like this..
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerms/ELECTRIC%2520RING.htm

Is there not a separate oven/hob at all ?

Seakay

on the 17th Lidl will be selling an induction hob

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/www_lidl_uk/hs.xsl/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=6729&ar=2

Bigjenny

If you try here, there may be the manual for your model http://www.waterfordstanley.com/stanley-care/technical-manuals.aspx

HTH

SkintGypsy

We had one when I was young, oil fired Stanley. When you open the viewing hatch, do you see the flame? Are the baffles both pointing straight down, or is one turned up? Lifting the baffles will direct the heat either straight up to the hot plate, right to the oven, or left to the heating/hot water. What do you see?

Justamum

SkintGypsy wrote: »

We had one when I was young, oil fired Stanley. When you open the viewing hatch, do you see the flame? Are the baffles both pointing straight down, or is one turned up? Lifting the baffles will direct the heat either straight up to the hot plate, right to the oven, or left to the heating/hot water. What do you see?

There isn't a viewing hatch. There are the two ovens on the right hand side, and on the left there are the temperature dials for either heating or cooking and the sliders to switch either of them on. I can't see any flames.

Justamum

Dark_Star wrote: »

We have a gas one. It needs to be on a minimum of 30 minutes to get anywhere near hot....

Does fab cakes/roast etc. but not suitable for boiling an egg....

Get a standalone hob/electric ring as that will stop you going insane - suggest a plug in electric one to tide you over.

Like this..
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerms/ELECTRIC%2520RING.htm

Is there not a separate oven/hob at all ?

It seems such a waste of fuel to get to temperature - I just visualise the oil tank draining dry! It's not much good to me if I can't cook on the hob properly - most of my cooking is done on the stove top rather than in the oven, apart from making bread a couple of times a week, and muffins for lunch boxes.

There isn't a separate hob and there's no space to put one. I think I'll have to just get rid of it (though I can't see it being very easy )

SkintGypsy

Ours had four doors. Top left was where you controlled the baffles and could see the fire. Top right was the main oven. Warming drawer bottom right and I think a weird hole bottom left. Wonder how old yours is?

Because they are supposed to heat the house and hot water, you aren't firing it up just to cook, you simply redirect the heat to the oven and hob when required. If it's heating up from cold just for cooking then I'm sure that will take longer.

Justamum

Seakay wrote: »

on the 17th Lidl will be selling an induction hob

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/www_lidl_uk/hs.xsl/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=6729&ar=2

That looks handy. Unfortunately we don't have a Lidl over here.

I'm very disappointed because I'd heard that range cookers were the bee's knees in cooking, but I really don't think it will fit my needs. It would probably be ok if we ate lots of casseroles

Justamum

SkintGypsy wrote: »

Ours had four doors. Top left was where you controlled the baffles and could see the fire. Top right was the main oven. Warming drawer bottom right and I think a weird hole bottom left. Wonder how old yours is?

This one has four doors, too, and the top left has the controls. This particular oven is about 10 years old.

SkintGypsy

I'm at a loss. If you don't see the flame and it's not hot enough to boil water I would question whether it works or whether you have enough oil? Does it heat the house/water, or is it just a cooker?