OT -- stove reviews?

[djg]

I've got a better than perfectly good gas range but I want to upgrade -- there are times when I really want more heat than the GE puts out & on more than one burner; overall I'd like more range and there are times it would be nice to have more than 4 burners.

So where does one go for informative and reliable reviews of gas ranges? There are numerous kitchen mags that seem mostly to be advertising venues (not that we can think of analogues in bike world) and there's consumer reports, which doesn't really get into much detail at all -- occasionally they'll mention a single Viking or Wolfe model, but there's no real exploration of the larger set of offerings or what really might justify spending much more than the stock appliance offerings demand. There seem to be scores of things that discuss kitchen equipment, but a dearth of things that do what many do for car enthusiasts, audio enthusiasts, etc., etc., and even bike enthusiasts.

Any suggestions?

[jghall]

You can find the typical cnet and consumer report reviews. Though there is always the question of the review. No flames please.

My friend has a sweet Viking stove and I only wish I had the dough. Did a bit of research and the site I liked the best I believe is called galtech.

Good luck.

[Louis]

There's only one type you really need:

http://www.chulavistaresort.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/howlers_pizza_oven.jpg

[97CSI]

Unfortunately, there is only so much you can do if you have the standard 30" space. We opted for a new GE ceramic top range with convection oven. Has 5 burners, 2 of which are dual element. Do wish we had gas available as these similar models with gas burners were very nice. Certainly nicer than they used to be.

[bking]

very good thing to spend a bit of time on before you committ. I've got a good size kitchen with an 11 x 4 foot island, all maple butcher block. When i built the house I installed Dacor, seemed to be the choice du jour then, bit European in style, and it was good stuff. We remodeled and I wanted a bit more of the commercial look, went with Viking's Professional line.
For me two things are top of list: BTU's, and space. We cook a fair amount, six kids, three married, grandkids etc. I like heat, boil pasta water fast, and i like to use big pots. The Viking does ok with the heat, 16k max btu which for a household top is good, but it does get a bit crowded when I start loading multiple large pans etc.
I also have commercial stuff, 28k btu on cooktop, just not in the house. next time i build i'm bringing it inside!
Go for heat, style and function always important, consider size and quantity of pans when cooking. I also like one that has grates that allow me to slide pots from one burner to the other--don't want to have to pick them up. Some are easier to clean then others, but this would not sway me from the one that answers the three above.

[Birddog]

I've been looking around for awhile for a new gas range. So far the leader is the GE Cafe model. I'm stuck with normal 30" space and the five burners offered on the Cafe look the best to me.

[stackie]

If you can afford professional, Wolf is the way to go. I've had Wolf and Viking and the Wolf is just a little nicer than the Viking. Lower low on the burners. Also, when it comes to customer service, Wolf/Subzero steps up to the plate. I seriously had both Viking range and SubZero fridge go out the week before Tgiving. Both sent guys out to diagnose. Both guys came back with parts. Both failed to solve problem. SubZero gave me $300 to take my friends out for Tgiving dinner or buy a small fridge for garage. Viking said "Sorry, nothing we can do." I have bought two more Wolf stoves and SubZero fridges since then. Sorry, Viking.

The DF304 is an awesome 30 inch gas range.

Look around for floor models or closeouts. I just got a new 36 inch glass door SubZero fridge for $5000 because it has discontinued handles. I'm having it shipped from Phoenix to California. Saving over $5k on that! I found this deal by searching Craigslist. Yes, I am buying from an authorized dealer. I know it's expensive, but I really do think my food lasts longer in a high end refrigerator.

Jon

[Louis]

I know it's expensive, but I really do think my food lasts longer in a high end refrigerator.

Does the beer taste any better? :beer:

[dave thompson]

Does the beer taste any better? :beer:
Only if you drink it! :beer:

[maxdog]

if you have the space and you want to go the commercial route, check out restaurant supply stores. i got my viking from one. it's sweet, it was used and only cost me $500 w/hood. that was 14 years ago, and it's as functional as the day we bought it. classifieds are also a great resource. got my traulsen frig from the pennysaver. it makes the sub zero look like a toy. moved the compressors to the basement to reduce the noise. good luck.

[Louis]

Only if you drink it! :beer:

Kind of like bike frames? ;)

On Election Day after I locked myself out of my car I gave away two 750 ml bottles, one of Chimay Blue Label and one of La Fin du Monde, to the security guard from the next subdivision over who drove me home and back. I hope he liked them.

Now I'm down to just one bottle of Trois Pistoles.

[97CSI]

$5000 for a frige or $3500 for a stove is a bit spendy in my book. Can't imagine it makes economic sense (saves more food, etc.) over the life of the appliance to pay for the difference. The stove we replaced for $1100 (new GE replaced an old GE) was 32 years old before one of controls gave up. As I wanted a convection oven and ceramic top (I'm a messy cook), decided to go new rather than repair. The $3500-1100=$2400 will pay for my Ottrott frame and build. :banana: And, got a 10% Veterans' Day discount at Home Depot.

[djg]

$5000 for a frige or $3500 for a stove is a bit spendy in my book. Can't imagine it makes economic sense (saves more food, etc.) over the life of the appliance to pay for the difference. The stove we replaced for $1100 (new GE replaced an old GE) was 32 years old before one of controls gave up. As I wanted a convection oven and ceramic top (I'm a messy cook), decided to go new rather than repair. The $3500-1100=$2400 will pay for my Ottrott frame and build. :banana: And, got a 10% Veterans' Day discount at Home Depot.

That's a very reasonable way to go for somebody -- you I reckon and it's sort of what we were thinking a bunch of years back -- but for me, the "economic sense" is in paying extra money to get something we really want. On the one hand, we're not so fabulously wealthy that we don't care about dropping 4 or 5 or 6 grand on this or that toy. On the other, I really do cook, and we have people over -- including one annual party of more than 50 guests and numerous smaller dinners -- and I've cooked on pro stoves and would appreciate (a) higher intensity than I have now, (b) more than one high-output burner, and (c) an extra burner or two -- probably in that order. I've got the bikes and the car I want and we'll be able to send the kids to college when they're of age, so it's not about saving money for an Ottrot.
Rather, it's trying to avoid dropping a bunch of money on a headache (makes me wonder whether anecdotes about Viking breakdown rates correspond to x or y) or spending 6k on something I'd like less than something that costs 4k because, really, I'd just as soon save the 2k for the future if not for some particular alternative consumption-thingie. The new GE is intriguing in that it seems to offer a couple of higher output burners than my 10 year-old version (GE profile) does, but I don't want to spring for the stove, the hood, venting to the outside, the labor, and whatever else we do to wind up with something that falls short. As my pal Bill says, the most expensive bike out there is the one that's not really the one you want.

[yngpunk]

if you have the space and you want to go the commercial route, check out restaurant supply stores. i got my viking from one. it's sweet, it was used and only cost me $500 w/hood. that was 14 years ago, and it's as functional as the day we bought it. classifieds are also a great resource. got my traulsen frig from the pennysaver. it makes the sub zero look like a toy. moved the compressors to the basement to reduce the noise. good luck.

+1 on maxdog suggestion of restaurant supply stores. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find some that are open to the public. If not, you can also check out KaTom at www.katom.com, which are based in Tennessee but do a good amount of web business and will ship appliances. Great source if your looking for restaurant grade (and size) cookware.

Another thing to check if your existing gas line can handle the increased BTU demand of a increased range.

[Ozz]

I'd love to get a Wolf or a Garland stove, but just can't justify the price. Like cycling (it's not the bike), with cooking, it's not the stove. Most stoves put out more heat than you really need...ability to control the heat is what is key.

I cook on a 25 year old Fridgidaire electric range...you know, with the electric coils? It sucks, but I know what it does and how to cook on it. I put my money into nice pans and knives.....

This is the stove my Mom has (only hers is 35 years old) six burners, two ovens, broiler and a griddle top big enough for 3 lbs of bacon(humdiggity)!:

[djg]

Just to close the circle . . . looked long and hard and ended up with a 36" six burner range from BlueStar -- a Pennsylvania company that used to manufacture the Garland restaurant ranges. All open burners. Been loving it. And the wife loves the big 1100 cfm hood we put in. Their marketing shtuff if here: http://www.bluestarcooking.com/ (we got the cobalt blue one)

[572cv]

but we've been pleased with these from Premier:

http://www.premierrange.com/hotitems.htm

This is a US made stove, good quality, accurate temperature in the oven and they are reasonably attractive, exp. in the stainless steel models. Also, good customer service. And finally, not so gussied up with electronics that you can't light a burner with a match in a power outage. That's a nice kind of back up in my neck of the woods.

I think it is a better value than most out there.

[zennmotion]

Just to close the circle . . . looked long and hard and ended up with a 36" six burner range from BlueStar -- a Pennsylvania company that used to manufacture the Garland restaurant ranges. All open burners. Been loving it. And the wife loves the big 1100 cfm hood we put in. Their marketing shtuff if here: http://www.bluestarcooking.com/ (we got the cobalt blue one)

We have a small kitchen so only space for a 30 inch. But it's a Blue Star chosen for the gazillion BTU burners that make all the difference with Asian and Wok cooking. Can't cook a decent stir fry with a standard stove.