Recommend a range without cancelling my man card

[David Meiland]

We're just about to tear out and remodel our kitchen. We have been using a 30" Kenmore range for a number of years, but want to switch to something with 5-6 burners and more BTUs. I've been researching the 36" stainless commercial-style ranges and have found it looks like a motley assortment, until you spend $5000 and up. Surprisingly, the Wolf-type stuff that high end buyers seem to want is not well-rated by CR and other sources of reviews, in spite of the prices.

I don't care much about the brand although would like a U.S. made product if there is one. I do care about fit and finish, quality of materials, etc. I want at least one burner that will make the pressure cooker go in a few minutes, instead of 15, and the same with the oven and broiler.

So here's my question. Can I spend a couple thousand on something like this and get a good product? What do you have, and/or what have you installed that you like?

[tjbnwi]

What is your fuel source????Would you consider dual fuel?

I have installed GE Profile and LG products with no issues.

Tom

[David Meiland]

It's LPG at the moment, but I could add some wire...

[Dancing Dan]

My clients on our big job got an induction, which they are raving about.

[always-learning]

Personal Experiences here.... as well as client's experiences.


I have a Viking 30" 4 burner gas oven. I paid $4500 for it new as I was discounted for purchasing an entire kitchen of expensive goodies, such as Monogram fridge and Monogram DW.

From day one, the stovetop never worked right. Imagine for 2 years, the supplier contacted Viking and had them replace part after part after part after part after part... Get the picture ?

I spent the first 3 years lighting my stovetop with a butane longnose lighter that you would usually light candles with. Truly sucked dealing with those bozos, and after numerous calls, multiple emails, and b!itchfest after B1tchfest, I got NOWHERE. They eventually refused to do anything for me, so I stopped calling.

I found a local repair guy who serviced all makes, and had him come out. Within 5 minutes, he fixed the ignition issue, as simple as checking the spark plug gap in your car. That's all it was. After the J-o's replaced all the burners, ignitors, computer, valves and anything else that I just didn't see them change, it turns out to be a spark gap issue. Go figure.

Since then, the self clean mechanism hasn't worked properly, and now, doesn't work at all. I'm going to have to call the local guy back to get the unit to be able to run a clean cycle. For now, I just crank up the heat, and it does a decent job, but at some point, I'll have to have it fixed again.....


My Monogram fridge.... What a joke.

I have the 36" bottom freezer drawer type. The inside of the freezer unit has had so many repairs, as the parts keep just rotting out, that my wife can't get herself to forgive me for buying it. The interior parts (defroster panels, glides, racks, etc are a mismosh of non galvanized painted white steel, brass, and stainless. The stainless & brass rots out the galvanized parts, and I've sunk about $600 in parts alone into it over the last year. The rotted parts flake the paint off of them and clog the defrost drain, causing it to form an ice skating rink in the bottom of the freezer, eventually compromising the function. I just finished replacing all the parts again, and I'm hoping to get at least a couple years out of it, but I guess only time will tell.

The upper food area door mechanism which controls the operation of pressure to stop the door from swinging out too fast has broken at least 6 times over the last 5 years. I'm due for a complete replacement of the door opening mechanism again.

You would think spending $4k on a fridge would have got you a quality unit... NOPE.


I have a client whom I have done lots of work for. She has a viking bottom freezer 36" unit as well. The bottom freezer glide mechanisms have broken so many times that they're finally recalling them under some kind of warranty. The drawer glides blast themselves into bits

Viking wants her to pay them $4100, and they're going to replace the entire unit.... otherwise, if she refuses to pay, they're going to just fix the freezer units with new parts...giving her a 1 year warranty, and if if fails again, which they say it will, she's out of luck... and will have to pay to have it fixed again. None of the replacement parts have been redesigned from an engineering standpoint, so failure is inevitable.

She's a 70 year old lady that lives by herself, and mainly eats takeout. Can't imagine what it would be if she had kids in and out of the freezer all of the time.

I can't tell you whom to buy from, but II wish you luck whatever you do.

[steve demetrick]

Dave,
I'd suggest looking into the induction models as well. Heats up very fast, very efficient, don't have to worry about combustion gases. GE and Fridgidaire make induction ranges with 5 burners. You have to make sure your pans are compatible.

-Steve

[bobkni]

Last 3 kitchens were GE Profile, customers love them. Most all new ranges/cooktops have 1 "super" burner which speeds things up, I believe LP has a slightly lower output than NG.

The profile series is cross branded with others, Kitchenaid may be the same thing as Profile. I have installed Viking, Wolf, Dacor, Sub Zero, Fisher Paykel etc, most of them had lots of problems especially Viking gas ranges. In 5 years you will spend several thousand $ to fix a Viking (ignitors, door springs, gas valves etc.). I don't think cost = value for the most part in those brands, most who bought them would not have bought them if there was not a name plastered on the front.
Fisher Paykel parts are almost non existent, everything has to ship from New Zealand

Induction ranges are great when they work and if you have the right cookware, the touch controls are really sensitive and hard to use if you have cold fingers. Also easy to turn on without realizing it.

[Total-Home]

We have a 36" Dacor duel fuel range, a Dacor 30" wall oven and 48" sub-zero refrig.

All were installed when we moved in 8-9 years ago,

The refrig had a problem about 1-2 years ago, i forget what, and the parts were covered by a warranty, we paid labor. I did not recall the warranty but the tech mentioned it. Apparently it is 5 years parts and labor, 10 years parts.

No problems with the range or oven.

All are used frequently and heavily. I would recommend both brands.

At the same time we also installed a kitchen aid dishwasher. It made it 6 -7 years before splitting the tub and needing to be replaced. Not sure what i was thinking by buying another kitchen aid, but hopefully this one lasts longer. If not we wil probably go with a bosch. We have installed lots for clients and they seem to like them and they seem to be lasting.

[Keith Mathewson]

David,
I would suggest that you get a commercial range, the cost is much lower and the quality much higher. The only drawbacks are that you need to have a combustable setback and there are pilot lights.

Several years ago when my family members built their houses one put in a Wolf stove- repair problems. One put in a Viking stove- repair problems. I put in a Dacor stove- repair problems and my mother put in a Wolf commercial- not one problem. I have a commercial kitchen with a 10 burner stove used hard every day and the only problems have been broken handles. I should have known better.

[philthegreek]

David,
How about going full commercial. The appliances are less money and don't go down for the count. www.abestkitchen.com has very good pricing and will ship anywhere in the contiguous U.S.
I have had a pair of True ( T-19 and T-19F) for fridge and freezer. Bare bones stuff but sturdy as all get out. No water in the door or blow-molded plastic. Stainless and Aluminum inside. I had a 4 burner Garland range set up for LP. I gave it to my inlaws and they have been using it for 7 years with absolutely no problems. 4 38000Btu burners.

I had a client that wanted a SubZero fridge. 3 days after it was installed, the freon was gone. it was a 36" wide up/down, ice maker but no door water. $6000!!!!

In my kitchen I have an electric cooktop (halogen ribbon) 36" wide. 2 of the burners are dual sized so it is very versatile. Induction seems to be the way things are heading for electric. Burners stay cool to touch, only the pans get hot (ferrous metal only).

Phil

[philthegreek]

David,
I would suggest that you get a commercial range, the cost is much lower and the quality much higher. The only drawbacks are that you need to have a combustable setback and there are pilot lights.

Several years ago when my family members built their houses one put in a Wolf stove- repair problems. One put in a Viking stove- repair problems. I put in a Dacor stove- repair problems and my mother put in a Wolf commercial- not one problem. I have a commercial kitchen with a 10 burner stove used hard every day and the only problems have been broken handles. I should have known better.

Keith, I believe pilots are no longer available on the commercial units and you can use 1/2 mineral wool insulation to buffer cabinets. In back just use cementicious backer board and ceramic tile to the floor.

Phil

[Ted S.]

We have a Wolf/Sub-Zero kitchen which my wife picked out. It cost me a crap load of cash, but I told her it was her new kitchen, and her 20 year remodel all in one.

I feared it would be overpriced crap, but every thing is very good and there has been no issues in the 5-6 years we have had it. The Wolf microwave by the way looks just like one made by Sharp...

I have boiled over several times submerging the burners on the range, there are no issues. The range top is 4 burner, with a 24" wide griddle in-bewteen. I can cook an entire Sunday breakfast on it at one time.

Just remember this David, the wives with the nicest kitchens, cook the least.

[David Meiland]

Wow. Many of you guys have lost your man-cards in this thread, with your hoity-toity appliances and your admissions of pre-meditated cooking!

Seriously, I appreciate the recommendations. I do want to stick with gas for the cooktop, I guess, otherwise I'll have to get rid of the 250g propane tank in the yard, where it looks so splendid and attractive, on its very own concrete slab. What ever would I do with that empty space? And the last thing I want to do is turn my wife loose with a stack of cookware catalogs and tell her she has to get all new induction-ready stuff.

I've considered a restaurant range, but the few I've installed needed a lot of clearance to cabinets, and turned out to be a pain in the ass unless you are installing a complete restaurant kitchen in someone's house, including stainless tables and everything. I know the ranges are bomb-proof and I could probably pick one up used at a restaurant supply.

[tjbnwi]

Go with the GE Profile line. Best bet without paying to much for a name.

By the way, I do all the cooking when we have a gathering and at least 4 times a week. Just remember, we are all pretty good at reading and following instructions. Cooking is nothing more than chemistry and prestintation. bet we are all pretty good at prestintation also.

Tom

[philthegreek]

My wife has cooked maybe 10 times in 21 years of marriage. All the top chefs in the world are men, so how exactly does cooking make you lose your man card?

They also make commercial gas cooktops. Most of the clearance issues are regarding the oven operation. Do a commercial cooktop and an electric double wall oven. You can set it at a comfortable height. Set 1" thick untreated santilla tiles in the lower oven for baking breads and pizzas and such.

Phil