GE JBS55DM Review
Best Electric Range
With its smooth cook-top and extra-large manual-clean oven, this budget range is feature rich. Users say it cooks and bakes evenly, and they appreciate the light indicating when a burner is still hot, even when turned off.
For a low-cost electric range, the GE JBS55DM delivers a lot. Chief among the notable features is the smooth cooktop. According to GE JBS55DM reviews, most home cooks wouldn't have it any other way. Several GE JBS55DM reviews posted at Lowe's mention the ease of cleaning and others commend the aesthetics, saying the ceramic glass surface looks far more attractive than the traditional (and some would argue, unsightly) electric coils. One user notes in a GE JBS55DM review at Home Depot that it's easy to forget this budget range is an appliance and to treat it like a countertop. (Note to consumers: This is not a good idea.) The cooking chops of the GE JBS55DM also earn a fair bit of praise, with many reviewers reporting that the controls are responsive (both boiling and simmering are easily achieved) and the oven browns and bakes evenly.
Some GE JBS55DM reviews, however, are somewhat muted. Detractors say the cooktop scratches easily and food takes a long time to cook, ostensibly because the heating elements don't get hot enough. A few GE JBS55DM reviews at Consumer Reports say the oven is slow to preheat and others assert it doesn't come up to the desired temperature. Grousing about the need for flat-bottomed pans and special cleaning solution occasionally pops up in GE JBS55DM reviews.
In addition to the flat cooktop, the GE JBS55DM boasts several appealing features. The oven is a large 5.3 cubic feet and sports a broiling element at the top that can be set to variable temperatures, a large window in the door, and a Sabbath mode setting, which keeps the oven going beyond the usual 12-hour safety shut-down. (The oven is not self-cleaning, a deficiency that slightly disappoints some users.) There are two 6-inch elements (1,500 watts each) and two 8-inch elements (2,000 watts each) and a hot-surface indicator light. The GE JBS55DM also features a digital temperature display and clock. It's available in white, black, stainless steel, and "clean steel" finishes and comes with the standard one-year warranty.
You won't find many bells and whistles on this electric range, but consumers are impressed with the overall quality and usability. For the price, it's hard to beat.
