Gas Ranges

[N80]

Whenever I have questions about anything I usually start here at TBN because there are lots of smart people here with a wide range of interests. But this time I may be stretching it a bit.

In any case, it looks like I might have the opportunity to move into my grandmother's house. It was built in the late 20's by my grandfather and my father was born there. It has never had any remodeling and will need a new kitchen.

I've gotten into cooking lately and have experienced the limitations of the very typical 30" electric cook top I have now. So I'm looking at getting a nice gas range. But I don't know much about them except that they are expensive. (I do know about the cooking benefits of gas in general, etc). Outrageous really. However, this will be the last house I ever live in. So I'm willing to get a good unit but don't want to spend more than I have to.

So does anyone here know anything about these things? I'm looking at a 48" model with double ovens. The brands that come to mind are Viking, Thermador, and Wolf. I've heard a few bad things about Jenn-Air. Otherwise I don't know which brands offer the best quality and/or bang-for-the-buck. I don't mind paying for quality but don't want to pay just for a name.

Thanks guys.

 

[dooleysm]

We have a gas range/oven in our house, but it sounds like you're talking about a bigger commercial type deal? We had a 4 burner model, with 2 ovens and a 36ish inch flat top in our fraternity house. I can't really comment on it because I didn't do much cooking then or have much other experience with it.

I do a decent amount of cooking now and love our gas range. My wife does lots of baking though and hates the gas oven. Possibly it's our particular oven, but I think it's moreso gas ovens in general. I don't think they provide as even and steady heat as an electric oven. They had a gas cooktop/electric oven combo when we were shopping. It was a bit more money. If we had known the cons of the gas oven we gladly would have spent the money on the electric oven.

I would love to have that flat top griddle we had in college in my house. That would be very nice for many things. I think a big breakfast is the perfect thing for that...hash browns, eggs, bacon, pancakes. I better stop, I'm starting to drool.

 

[Egon]

Aga Store: 44" Dual Fuel Range

Another brand to consider.

 

[dmccarty]

To back up Shawn, I have heard that electric OVENS are better than gas due to the more even temperature. Don't know if its true for all models/brands but I sure would verify if it is true for the brand you are going to buy.

I wonder if a restaurant supply company would have good prices on these ranges compared to Home Depot? Or buy one used from a restaurant that has closed.

Later,
Dan

 

[srs]

N80, for what it's worth I would stay away from Maytag products. The names you mention are top of the line products but we have had absolutely terrible issues with our Maytags, starting with BOTH computer boards going up in our washer and dryer. They were repaired under warranty. The freezer fan went up in the refrigerator TWICE, out of pocket expense. Door handle broke on dishwasher, out of pocket expense. Gas stove, nightmare, minor LP gas leak, had to finally write a nasty letter to Maytag, they agreed to pay labor and material for fix after I told them they would be responsible if an explosion occurred. Center burner electronic igniter stopped working months ago. The only non Maytag appliance that I have is an Amana microwave which has worked perfect from day one. All items were purchased new approximately 5 years ago. MAYTAG NEVER AGAIN!

 

[kenstrac]

I have worked on all the ones you mentioned and IMO they are way over priced
last summer my wife wanted a new kitchen,it took 3 mos to find the right stove she looks for style and convenience while I look for quality and serviceability we bought a GE cafe series gas top elect oven with a bottom draw elect.oven. the controls are very easy to use the control panel is glass not that plastic crap push button stuff, IT is a very well built stove and it cooks excellent( wish I have never bought it now put on 20 LBS and cholesterol is way up)the burners are easy to clean the oven is both reg & convection with reversing fan and is well insulated we paid about $2200 at Lowe's for it it comes with NAT orifices and reg setting at 6 inwc and the propane orifice and changeover reg is included 10 inwc .

BUY ONE YOU WILL LOVE IT!
Disclaimer not responsible for weight gain.

 

[Scooby074]

George: You named 3 great brands. Any of them would be a lifetime range.


You might also want to look at Miele or Dacor. They make great products as well. These "Gourmet" ranges are pricey though. Id sooner have a Garland commercial, minus the gadgets. But garland wont sell or guarantee their ranges in a residential setting.

 

[turbo36]

Have you considered a cook-top with separate wall ovens? With an "all in one" stove things can get very hot and crowded if you have the ovens going while you are using the cook top . We put the cook-top in an island with drawers below it to store the pots and pans - very convenient. Also, we have warming drawers under the the wall mounted ovens.

We have GE Monogram. GE Monogram Collection: Home Page

 

[polo1665]

I would also have to go along with the gas cook top and seperate wall ovens. The advantage to gas cooking on the stove top in my opinion is the ability to quickly regulate the heat. You have greater control. We have a Kitchen Aid six burner cooktop and dual wall mounted electric convection ovens (also Kitchen Aid). They have been very good to us so far. Love the convection ovens. They have a setting that proofs dough for bread baking
I am sure that the brands you mentioned would be good as well, but I have no experience with them.

Mark

 

[Bird]

It's been about 28 years or so since I was project manager on a new building that included a kitchen and the Wolf 4-burner range with griddle sure was a dandy, in my opinion, but I've no experience with any of the other commercial units.

 

[N80]

Thanks guys.

Shawn, I have also heard that the gas ovens aren't that great. All of these major brands have "dual fuel" models which have gas stoves and electric ovens, which sounds perfect. But for some reason which I cannot fathom, the dual fuel models are 10-20% more expensive. That just seems insane.

Stanley, I've heard that same thing about Maytag and everything they make. That's a shame, they used to be considered the very best, even by Consumer Reports.

kenstrac, I agree. These things do seem overpriced to me. With the big names like Viking, the quality is supposed to be there, but I think several things drive the price up. First, these things are fashionable in high end kitchens. I know people who don't cook at all who put these monsters in their 'show' kitchens. Second, there's a lot of gee-whiz features on these things that I can't imagine wanting or needing, especially on the stoves. Third, I'd guess these are low volume sales with high margins.

As for a cook top with wall ovens, I agree that that would be the ideal set up. Unfortunately, even though this kitchen is decent sized, it has 4 doors and two windows which severely limits cabinet and counter space. And the old existing electric range is right about 48" wide and already has hood venting over it. So a freestanding range is about the only option if we elect not to start knocking out walls and changing floor plans which I don't want to do and can't afford to do. There is not sufficient room for an island of any size.

Jason, you seem to have experience here. What do you have? And I agree, it would be ideal if I could find a no frills commercial model. I have no desire to spend money on trendy names and flashy appliances. And I'll admit, that in the past I've scoffed at people buying these things and I think many times it is for show. But I know now, that if you cook seriously, a 30" 4 burner electric stove is a MAJOR limitation. And, I'm willing to admit that no matter how this plays out the 'new toy' aspect of the purchase is there.

But, here's the thing. I love this kitchen. It is on the back left corner of the house behind a single swinging door. In other words, it is the opposite of the popular "open floor plan" that people rage about. I hate open floor plans. I live in one now and at this very moment I'm sitting in the den and can hardly hear myself think over the running dishwasher in the kitchen. The reason that I'm saying this is that we are not going to remodel this kitchen like a show room. We want it to be plain and functional and thats it. If it looks like a commercial kitchen, that's fine....of course I think that is a popular 'look' now too. Bottom line is, the looks don't matter and the brand doesn't matter as long as its good quality and user friendly.

The things I want are, two ovens, 6 burners that are all flush (continuous level grid), griddle, good quality. That's about it.

 

[kenstrac]

George
I worked for a restaurant equip repair co when I was down south for awhile the rest. units have larger burners and put out a lot of heat and CO the oven sections of the ranges are poorly insulated thus more heat and CO in living area, then you need a bigger vent system bigger vent system= more make up air so you put in a return duct or you start pulling air from every crack in the house, second your cheaper model rest.style stoves still have standing pilots and 0n a 6 burner 3 pilots, on rest.ovens the swing is up to 40 deg each way
on temp.swing, my elect is about 5deg on oven.restaurant kitchens are built with non combustible material for the heat these appliances put out.

 

[N80]

Excellent info. Thanks.

 

[Scooby074]

George: I used to be a cook (before i got wise) Parents ran a motel. So i spent way too much time in a commercial kitchen. Hence the Garland love

I have a Kitchenaid "superba". Hate it. It has one of those stupid touch screens (think touch lamp) to control the oven... Guess where they put it? In font of the burners so when you brush up against the stove cooking, your forever turning it on. And when you actually want to use the oven, the buttons arent sensitive enough, especially if theres a little film of grease in that area. Also the enamel is chipping off and exposing rust underneath. Needless to say ... unimpressed.

About the only good thing (that i wouldnt change) is the convection oven. VERY even heat. Smooth top stove isnt that bad, but id rather nice cast iron burners. Smooth top radiant scratches easily. Also gas is instant on and off, for more percise control.

Ive drooled over the Dacor and Miele in showrooms. The other brands ive researched online.

If i was ever considering upgrading, id look for a used Garland commercial in good shape. Preferably one of the new ones that have Spark ignition instead of pilot light. They might officially not support them, but im sure parts could be found, considering the sheer numbers out there. On top of that, theyre pretty much bulletproof anyways. Id also have to be sure that the building inspector and insurance were onboard though.

 

[N80]

Thanks Jason. Good info.

 

[kenstrac]

BTW have you tried the induction stove yet they work like gas as far as heat control goes and only heats the pan.

 

[Scooby074]

Induction is quite good so i hear. It was just coming on as i was getting out. Used alot in buffet service (much safer around the public). You have to use pans that are compatible with Induction though (most but not all pans are).

FYI: Electrolux makes a home model induction range .

 

[jdbower]

After having used them I do like the idea of separate wall ovens, they're also nice in that you don't have to bend over to access them - very useful when you get old (or just feel old!). And good feedback on gas vs. electric ovens, I have electric everything now and was planning on converting to gas, but maybe I'll leave the ovens electric and just convert the cooktop.

Something else to consider is a dedicated wok burner. These tend to be large, high BTU burners that have a grate shaped to handle a round-bottom woks. I've found woks to be extremely versatile and a nice, large carbon steel wok or two can replace a lot of standard cookware. Often these burners have grates that can be flipped for large flat-bottomed things like stock pots as well. Most of my good cooking is done outdoors (my "oven" is usually a charcoal fueled ceramic cooker) so I've got a standalone propane burner from Eastman Outdoors, but when I redo my kitchen I'm thinking of a 6+1 burner setup with a dedicated wok spot. While I haven't done much research on brands yet, here's an example wok cooktop that can be placed next to a traditional stove.

 

[Bird]

I have a Kitchenaid "superba". Hate it. It has one of those stupid touch screens (think touch lamp) to control the oven... Guess where they put it? In font of the burners

That's the same stove we have and love it. Great idea to have the controls in front of the burners so you don't have to reach over hot pans on the stove to get to the controls.

It was here when we bought the house in 2005 but I learned from the serial number, it was made in 1999 but looked new and unused. Unfortunately, 3 weeks ago I fumbled a Pyrex measuring cup, dropped it on the stove, and broke the ceramic glass cooktop. I called KitchenAid and they made an appointment for A&E Factory Service to fix it. You know ignorance is expensive, and I learned a lot. First, I didn't know that A&E is owned by, in fact is a part of, Sears. So the guy who showed up only ordered the part to be shipped directly here, then he came back later to do the job. When he came to actually do the job, the appointment was for 8 a.m. to noon, confirmed twice, and he finally showed up at 4 p.m.

Now I have no complaint with his personality or work. I think he did a good job, but as I said, ignorance is expensive and I let them fix it because I didn't know what was involved. Now that I've seen it done, there's nothing to it. I could have done it myself and saved a lot of money.

 

[Scooby074]

That's the same stove we have and love it. Great idea to have the controls in front of the burners so you don't have to reach over hot pans on the stove to get to the controls.

To each his own on that one. THats the same thought process i used. BUT in practice its far too annoying. You cant even wipe that area with a cloth without turning on the oven. The burner controls are OK though.

Your experience was similar to mine. Something fell out of the microwave (stove top model) and it landed on the control panel for the stove. Sears replaced that under warranty (which was good of them). They used the same process . Part shipped direct, then the guy came.

Our experience with scratching and breaking, and your post remind me why ill never have another glass cooktop in my kitchen. Its just to delicate for me.