Annual performance review

We've had the GE gas range for almost a year so it's had a good workout with a full round of holiday meals. Sometimes I still miss my old muscle car, the commercial Viking, although for my home cooking it was like driving a Ferrari to the store for a carton of milk. Overkill and over-powered for our little kitchen.

Once I got used to it, the GE performed fine, especially when it comes to baking, not my specialty, except for Manhattan-style cheesecake, which John said was the best I ever made this Christmas.  The GE has a timer and sensitive oven controls, and the Viking was just a blast furnace.

But the mighty Viking had the edge with stir-fries, cast iron skillet steaks and of course the thrilling, searing hot, infrared restaurant broiler that charred meat beautifully. I loved that broiler, even though it almost burned the kitchen down last year.  But the GE broiler is fine for easy things like garlic toast, and I'll wait until summer and do my flaming steak outside.

The GE convection oven also bakes a pretty good pizza pie.