Should you buy a used stove?
Often, yes. Ranges are one of the best used appliance buys because you can see one run. Choose a simple gas or electric model under about 8–10 years old, test every burner and the oven, and check the model for recalls.
Consumer Reports says used appliances can cost half or less than new, prefers repair shops and used-appliance stores for their guarantees, and advises skipping any unit without a model and serial sticker.
Bring an oven thermometer (250°F should read within 20 degrees), confirm natural gas vs propane setup, and get the anti-tip bracket. Avoid used induction or heavily electronic models unless the price reflects a possible $200–$600 control-board repair.
Confidence: multi-source · Based on 5 cited sources.
Sources
- How Much Does It Cost to Repair an Oven? · Fixr
- Consumer Reports: What you need to know before buying a used appliance · ABC7 / Consumer Reports
- Inspection Checklist for Electric and Gas Range, Cooktop, and Oven · InterNACHI
- CPSC urges parents to secure TVs, furniture and appliances · U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- This Is How Long Each of Your Major Appliances Should Last · Bob Vila
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Best Stove for the Money: Gas, Electric or Induction, and How Much to SpendBy Purchasd Research. We compared gas, radiant electric, induction and dual-fuel ranges, and ranges against cooktop-and-wall-oven setups, using one retailer's published first-year service data (Yale Appliance, 2025 data, updated October 2026) for gas, electric and induction ranges; Consumer Reports' 2025 brand scores and its 2026 induction pick through secondary reporting; ENERGY STAR efficiency figures; a Stanford indoor-air study; national cost guides for prices, installation and repairs; a nine-company repair-technician panel; CPSC recall and safety notices; a home-inspector checklist for used units; and fourteen Reddit threads (about 300 comments) plus owner forums and secondary roundups. Owner evidence was used to find recurring complaints, never to estimate failure rates. No range was tested by Purchasd. Purchasd received no manufacturer payment, review units or affiliate consideration for this research. Several sources sell appliances, repairs or related products, and each is labeled by bias. One Consumer Reports summary was read from a reprint hosted by LG, whose brand scored first.