Front serviceable ignition system for a cooking appliance

A cooking appliance comprising:

• a cooktop having arranged thereabout a plurality of igniter openings adjacent to a plurality of burner openings;
• a gas orifice holder arranged below the cooktop, said gas orifice holder including a gas delivery portion provided for directing a gas supply through one of the plurality of burner openings, and an igniter receiving aperture arranged adjacent to the gas delivery portion;
• a gas igniter assembly including an igniter member having a first terminal connecting portion;
• a lead wire having a second terminal connecting portion interconnected with the first terminal connecting portion of the igniter member, said first and second terminal connecting portions being sized to pass through the igniter receiving aperture;
• and
• a removable burner base member having a peripheral support surface covering a substantial portion of a respective one of the igniter openings, an igniter receiving opening receiving the igniter member, and a gas receiving portion aligned with the gas delivery portion of the gas orifice holder, wherein removing the burner base member from the gas orifice holder exposes the igniter receiving aperture to enable removal of the igniter assembly through the cooktop.

A method of replacing an igniter of a gas burner assembly of a cooking appliance including a cooktop comprising:

• removing a burner base member from upon the cooktop to expose an igniter attachment point located below the cooktop;
• disconnecting the igniter from the igniter attachment point, wherein disconnecting the igniter from the igniter attachment point constitutes removing a fastener holding a bracket, which is carried by the igniter, from a gas orifice holder arranged below the cooktop;
• withdrawing the igniter through the cooktop;
• attaching a new igniter to the igniter attachment point;
• and
• replacing the burner base member upon the cooktop with the burner base member extending over a substantial portion of the igniter attachment point.