Electric Stove Lifespan: How Long Do They Last and When to Replace

When you buy an electric stove, a kitchen appliance that uses electric heating elements to cook food, commonly found in homes without gas lines. Also known as an electric range, it’s built to last, but like any appliance, it doesn’t last forever. Most electric stoves last between 10 and 15 years, depending on how often you use them and how well they’re maintained. If yours is hitting that 10-year mark and starting to act up, you’re not imagining things—it’s probably time to pay attention.

The heating elements, the coils or smooth-top surfaces that get hot to cook food are the first to wear out. You’ll notice it when one burner takes forever to heat up, or doesn’t get hot at all. The control board, the brain of the stove that manages temperature and settings can also fail, causing buttons to stop working or the oven to turn off randomly. And if you’re seeing sparks, strange smells, or the oven doesn’t heat evenly, those aren’t just annoyances—they’re red flags. These aren’t minor glitches; they’re signs the core parts are done.

Replacing a single element might cost $50 to $150, but if you’re fixing multiple things—say, the control board, the thermostat, and a broken door seal—you’re close to the price of a new unit. And newer models are more energy-efficient, which means lower bills over time. If your stove is older than 12 years and needs more than one repair, it’s usually smarter to replace it. A new electric hob, a standalone cooking surface, often part of a range or built into a countertop can last another 15 years with proper care, and modern ones come with safety features older models don’t have.

You’ll find posts below that walk you through how to test if your oven element or thermostat is broken, what to do when your electric oven suddenly stops working, and when it actually makes sense to replace it instead of fixing it. We’ll also cover what happens when the control board fails and how to tell if your cooker’s reached its end. No fluff, no guesswork—just real signs, real costs, and real advice from people who’ve seen hundreds of these units come through the door.