So I bought a stove. Actually the industry term is a range. Have you ever heard of a biscuit container with instuctions that state "preheat the range to 400"? Should Stove Top really be called a Range Top? At least in the UK they use the term "cooker" which actually describes what the damn thing does. I believe that the technical definition of a range is an oven combined with a cooktop. Like a transformer triple changer, your appliance now has three forms : a cooktop, an oven, and the uber conglomeration of both.
So not only did I buy a range, but I bought an Italian made stainless steel commercial stove. Looks like a monster and puts out enough BTUs to be the furnace off my fledgling brewery. And yet I am a little sick with myself with such a purchase. I believe that it is a distinctly American trait to place such importance on the appearance/price of ones appliances. Do Ukrainians care if their neighbor has a stainless steel fridge? Actually they probably would as a stainless steel fridge in the Ukraine is about as rare as a Delorian in Paterson NJ. However you get my point. As much as I bought the range for pragmatic purposes (we currently have a horrifying electric range that looks like it was used as a background prop in Sanford and Sons, and I need a commercial stove to brew 10 plus gallons of beer), I still feel a twinge of ego at how damn shiny and expensive the damn thing looks.
Can class systems be defined by appliance price/finish? Are we in a new gilded age that can be renamed the stainless steel age? Judging by the kitchens of the wealthy it would appear that this moniker would be appropriate. Why would I feel pride that my appliances where made of stainless rather than powder coated steel? Is powder coating for the commoners, the mere peasants? Adulthood is a strange place. I find myself largely uncomfortable with it. I don't think a 21 year old Paul would care about stainless steel. 21 year old Paul was stupid about many things, but wasted no time on thinking about appliances..... I think in this way that 21 year old Paul was much wiser than 35 year old Paul.
