Leisure Gourmet 60 Gas Review

Overall Rating

Looks good, providing you don't use it much!

Cheap components, never holds temperature, has rusted and 'brass' coatings have peeled off in 3 years.

I bought this, unseen on the web, because it was the only traditional, 600mm cooker I could find that would suit our victorian kitchen. Having never cooked on gas before, the first couple of months, with the ovens producing uncooked food, I put down to my lack of experience.

The ovens just did not seem to heat up properly. I bought a thermometer which confirmed my findings and got on to Leisure. What a performance!

Their most bizarre, and downright annoying method was for me to describe the fault, them diagnose it over the phone and post me the replacement parts ready for the engineer to fit. Two problems. (1), they could never seem to understand the fact that I was not at home to sign for the parcels, repeatedly ignored my requests to send to my work address, resulting in the parcels being returned to the post office. A seemingly small niggle, except for the fact, every time, without fail, the engineer was booked to arrive at 8am, I would take a day off work, but no parts as the post office would be closed. (2) Again, with my holiday allowance eaten in to, when the parts had finally turned up, the engineer would say they were not suitable and the whole cycle started again. In fact, I wasted 3 days holiday before an engineer finally managed to replace one thermostat!

Each time they assured me it was fixed. It never was. The oven (using my 2 thermometers), just about reaches temperature, providing you set it to at least 2 gas marks above the required temperature. Then as soon as the door is opened, the temperature drops right down and never recovers. Eg, I was trying to cook a joint at gas 6 (180degrees). Dial is turned to gas 9 (240degrees), the actual thermometer never made it over 150degrees once I'd put the meat in.

Looks wise, it can't be faulted and I do love the styling. However, 3 years down the line it is apparent how cheap and flimsy the components are. I do not use abrasive chemicals when cleaning yet the temperature markings are now hardly visible on the dial. The brass knobs are in fact plastic coated, most of the brass coloured plastic has peeled off and looks terrible. Some of the black enamel has rusted. The oven handles are simply clicked together and forever falling apart.

Now, with the grill refusing to light without a match, I am looking for a new cooker. Unfortunately I can't find the same styling but I'd rather have a cooker I can use.