Say It Isn’t So: How I Spent A Week Without A Stove

Let’s first discuss why this was even a thing. My husband has been hinting around for the better part of a year that we need a new stove. I have never once disagreed with him, but I also didn’t push the subject. I figured it would happen when the time was right. 

Well that time finally came on Mother’s Day this year. The hubster had asked what my requests would be if I could pick out a new stove. My top two requests as I love to cook and do it quite often was a double oven and 5 burner cooktop. I was not holding my breath on getting both, but a girl can dream right?

 The order was placed and the delivery day was looming. As any person might think, we decided we wanted to do a thorough cleaning under and behind where the old stove was since it had been there for quite some time. So we had the old stove removed on a Monday, 8 days before the new one could be installed. 

The thought of going a week without a stove gave me serious anxiety, but I reminded myself people in tiny houses do it all the time. And yes, I have a love for tiny house shows, although I don’t know that I could live in one myself if I tried. But that’s a post for a different day.  This is my experience of going a week without a stove. 

Appliances I Was Thankful to Have

I will be the first to admit that I have a more than well stocked kitchen when it comes to cooking appliances. I guess you could say that is the joy of having a deep love for cooking and an amazing husband willing to indulge his wife’s hobby. That same wonderful husband had our back porch closed in 5 years ago to make a 180 square foot butler’s pantry for me. Admittedly, it is probably my favorite room in the house. Within that pantry sits some of my favorite purchases. 

The appliances that I used during my “no stove” week were:

• The Oster Extra Large Countertop Oven did absolutely everything that a regular oven would do. This was a purchase a few years ago that probably hasn’t been used as much as I had hoped it would. But with a renewed love for it, I will be making a point to use it more often. 
• My Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe was perfect for making breakfast and also a quick panini. 

• My philosophy is that every home truly needs a crock pot. And my own home is no exception. I have faithfully used my Crock Pot 6 QT Smart-Pot for 2 years now. Not only is it programmable, but it also has a locking lid so you can take it to potlucks or family functions. 
• The Instant Pot Ultra is still relatively new to my kitchen. But it is an item that I have quickly fallen in love with. What’s not to love about keeping your mess to one pot?
• The air fryer I purchased a few years ago seems to be discontinued, but I still love my Tristar Power Airfryer XL. If you are in the market for a good air fryer, Amazon has a wide variety to choose from. 
• My husband has a pretty awesome Weber Genesis II S-435 Gas Grill. My favorite feature is that it has a single gas burner attached to the side. This made it easy to boil water for pasta among other things. 
• And the last appliance that played an integral part in the cooking process this week is my 3.5 QT Programmable Casserole Crock by Crock-Pot.

A Few of the Recipes I Made

1. Crock Pot Pork Chops & Stuffing –  This dish from Recipes That Crock  was as simple as dumping 4 ingredients in a crock pot and walking away. It was unbelievably easy and so yummy. 

2. Chicken Parmesan meal kit from Chick-Fil-A – if you are a fan of meal prep companies such as Hello Fresh or Blue Apron, then this meal is for you. Everything comes measured and packaged separately. It also has a handy recipe card with easy to follow instructions.  For this recipe I baked the chicken in my countertop oven and made the rest of the dish on the gas burner on my husband’s grill. 

3. Eggs in a Nest – I grew up eating this so it truly is comfort food to me. I introduced it to my husband a few years ago and it is definitely his favorite breakfast item that I make. It is incredibly simple to make. If you want to try your hand at it, an easy to follow recipe can be found on Deep South Dish.

4. Crock Pot Corn Pudding – Another wonderful and simple dish from Recipes That Crock, this pudding eats more like a casserole. If you are a fan of corn, then this one is a must try. 

5. Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce – I was pleasantly surprised with how this dish turned out. So If you have an instant pot and you love spaghetti, check out The Salty Marshmallow.

My New Stove

I absolutely love the stove my husband picked out for me. And the best part, I didn’t get just one of my wish list items. I got them both. He selected the KitchenAid 5 Burner Double Oven Convection Gas Range. It is a beauty and I know just how blessed I am. I look forward to many holiday meals, as well as, daily home cooked meals on this range. 

What I Learned

The biggest thing that I have to say is that “not having a stove” is a FIRST WORLD PROBLEM. I knew that going into this experience, so I tried to keep my complaining down to a minimum. That’s not to say it didn’t happen from time to time. It reminded me of how lucky I am to have the extra cooking appliances that I do as well as a roof over my head and electricity to power my appliances. 

I also learned that I can survive without a stove, although I don’t think I want to do it again for quite some time. 

This experience also provided me with a newfound appreciation for those individuals that make the conscious effort to go tiny and cut out the oven/cooktop altogether. 

Another lesson I learned, BE CREATIVE. That isn’t to say that there will always be an alternate way to cook a favorite dish. But more times than not, there is if you are willing to think outside the box.

Have you ever had to go several days or a week without one of your favorite cooking appliances? Which one was it? Did you learn anything new during the process? Drop your thoughts and questions in the comments section down below.