Doing a hot business in old stoves

Business is heating up for Jack Santoro, owner of a company specializing in antique stoves.

With the economy teetering toward a recovery, many consumers are more likely to salvage their old stoves and other appliances rather than shop for replacements.

Others just treasure their old stoves, touting the superior quality to modern ovens. They're "built like a tank" and designed to last a lifetime, said one industry expert.

But when they do break down, finding replacement parts for the kitchen dinosaurs can be aggravating and time-consuming.

Santoro, owner of Ventura, Calif.-based JES Enterprises, has simplified the process by establishing the Old Appliance Club. It is an antique-stove and -appliance clearinghouse for obsolete stove parts, service and free information. The club has grown to more than 6,000 members since it was formed in 1995, connecting stove enthusiasts from around the world.

The idea is to minimize downtime and help consumers find parts they need by sending out one e-mail, instead of making tons of calls.

Before starting a free search, Santoro asks people to e-mail pictures of the stove and parts needed as well as the part's measurements and model number. He then circulates the picture to warehouses across the country that stock, repair and sell antique stoves.

If the part cannot be found, a replacement sometimes can be fabricated. Although manufacturing a part can be costly, it might be the only way to save a stove.

That was the solution for Jacqueline Shedden, a private chef in New Jersey. She "fell in love" with a Chambers Stove, so much that she designed her kitchen cabinets around it. After the stove was installed, an inspector told her it did not meet code and that she couldn't use it until it was equipped with a safety valve. This is a common problem among older ranges that are match-ignited in the oven section, Santoro said.

Shedden thought she was out of business. But then she found Santoro, who crafted a safety valve for her for $400. He got it back to her in less than two weeks.

"It was amazing," she said.

Shedden said she will never buy a new range again, only antique stoves. At work, she uses Viking equipment.

"I'd like to take it and throw it in the garbage," she said. "I don't find it big enough, it doesn't heat right. It's like working with a Teflon pan compared to a black iron skillet that has been taken care of and has been used for many years."