The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for analysis and assessment of the cost of ownership and use of major cooking appliances. This involved an assessment of the monetary cost as well as the cost of human resources required to maintain and operate cooking systems. The goal was to provide information useful in making purchase decisions within a framework that can be used to organize information about cost beyond the initial purchase price. Five cooktops--conventional electric coil, induction, solid element with thermostatic control, solid element with thermal limiter, and gas--and a microwave oven were used to develop a decision-making matrix. Data were collected in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University College of Human Resources household equipment laboratory. In addition, data were compiled from previous studies which included the same variables.

One-way analysis of variance, Student-Newman-Keuls, and Tukey’s HDS techniques were used to analyze the data. Results were used to assign weights in the matrix used to develop a 10-point scale which represented the total cost of owning and using a cooking system in food preparation. The scale was then used to evaluate the appliances used in this study. Based on the matrix, the microwave oven received the highest score followed by gas, conventional electric coil, solid element with thermostatic control, solid element with thermal limiter, and induction cooktops.

The cost of owning and using any of these appliances is not markedly different in terms of life expectancy, maintenance, energy, or cooking time. However, such factors as user interaction with the appliance, speed of heat-up, heat recover rate, retained heat, evenness of heating, cleaning time, and initial purchase price do vary and are likely to influence satisfaction with a cooking system.