I purchased this range in November. I read a report or two about how easily it turns on. The huge knobs are great. But, let me set the stage for how I know a bad design job from a great one. My father was part of a 2 man team who, in the 1950's, designed the 'Spin Free' knob at Patten Button Co in Knoxville, TN. They manufactured all sorts of plastic products and, yes, buttons, too. Their knob was the brain child of a co-worker who was playing with poker chips and put one atop the other and tried to rotate the top one. The little groves kept him from doing it. He took the idea to my Dad who designed the machine to make injection molds for their Spin Free knob.
This simple knob kept kids from turning on a stove. They could spin the knob and nothing happened until Mom pushed in with a little force and turned it to the desired setting.
My new Samsung is a flat glass surface. It's easily scratched so I purchased a black 'drying mat' just in case casseroles were placed on it in preperation of using the oven. I wanted to keep the surface new looking for as I could.
Imagine my surprise when last week my teen granddaughter yelled something was on fire. She had put together some Christmas treats. None required the use of the surface range. But, sure enough, the left rear burner was bright red. The black pad had melted and stuck to the stove. I was sick. All that money and all that care and here was this mess.
I tried to recreate what happened and how it happened and it was very simple. I bumped the knobs on the left with my mid section and slid my body ever so slightly to the right. Sure as the sun rises tomorrow, that left back burner became flaming red. It was on 'high'.
These are the poorest designed knobs I have ever seen. The concept is good but the force needed to activate them is woefully lacking.
I was able to let the remnants of the black drying mat cool and used a single edge razor blade to gently lift off the black gunk stuck to it.
Shame on Samsung for not checking the this out since there have been prior valid complaints.
Thank you mpcolorado! I will be purchasing those grommets ASAP! I have had 4 bags burned (thankfully I was nearby and caught them before they caught fire!) and more occasions that it accidentally has turned on. Sometimes just by bumping and sometimes when my one-year-old turns it on. I try to keep the knobs off at all times, but sometimes when I'm cooking, I forget to take them back off, and these accidents happen. I really hope that Samsung will see how serious of an issue this is and get a fix for this range. I've lost respect for this company through this situation (I also called customer service and they played dumb about the situation, and the customer service rep did not seem knowledgeable enough to be handling these calls anyway.) I will not be giving Samsung anymore business.
The control lock does have an affect on the "warming center" located on my cooktop.
You must purchase the grommets I mentioned in previous posts in order to make the stove knobs much more secure. Samsung will not do anything - they say that the stovetop is "working according to their specifications" so no action is necessary. :(
Samsung is supposed to have a tech call me and I'm guessing set up an appointment. From the posts I have read, I expect no help from them. It appears they aren't even good with follow ups and acknowledging complaints. One contributor says after several calls, there is 'no record' of her complaint. These knobs are a design flaw they refuse to address. I am of a mind to send a registered letter sent to them, a copy to my lawyer, and to my children that this problem exists. If my house burns down with me in it, I'll have proof they got my request for help and then I want my family to sue the H*ll out of Samsung. Make this complaint count for something.
An much safer range knob called "RangeSafe Knob" will be availalbe in about 3-4 months that will fit the Samsung and other ranges, totally preventing accidentally turning on any burner.
