Dacor 30' DF Discovery, Wolf 30' AG or GE Monogram 30' DF
I was asking about ranges a few days ago and after all the wonderful advice I finally went to see the ranges. Well, I was almost sure that I'm going to end up with BlueStar, however, after seeing it in person I realized that is really not a range for me. It's too industrial and I did not like it in person at all.
I went to two stores and a salesperson at one of the stores really pushed towards Dacor (3919 CAD$). I liked the overall look and I liked that PureConvection technology that the range has. I also like that it's Dual Fuel.
The other store had two ranges on sale: GE Monogram 30" Dual Fuel for 3950 CAD$ (down from 6999 CAD$) and Wolf r304 for 3999 CAD$ which is all gas.
I've read some bad reviews about Dacor, however I really liked the look and description of that range and currently leaning towards it.
Any advice?
Comments (11)
- 13 years ago
I have a Wolf Dual Fuel and have had nothing but problems and repair bills. It's only 4 yrs old and I am looking to replace it. Replaced both fans, temp probe, heating element, bezel, you name it... the oven will not properly hold temperature. And the Wolf has a longer preheat time than the other manufacturers. I'm still deciding between the Dacor and Bluestar. One feature of the Dacor I like is the oven door design, supposedly you can't get spills and gunk between the glass like you can on the Miele, Viking, Wolf, etc. Hoping to decide by this weekend.
0 - 13 years ago
Well,there is something you don't see everyday; a slam on Wolf quality.Bluestar being out....
1) Capital Culinarian
2) Capital Culinarian
3) Capital Culinarian
4) Wolf AG
5) Wolf AG
6) GE Monogram DFGiven you did not like the industrianl look and feel of the BS the Capital is probably the right fit for you.
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I have cooked more than once on both the Culinarian, Monogram and Wolf. You can argue how much better the Culinarian cooktop is but I don't think anyone can serioiusly argue that the Wolf/Monogram is as good or better.On the ovens,the Wolf is 0.3 cut ft bigger but I don't see how you can fit any more standard size pans. Neither fit a full-size commericial baking sheet nor two half sheets.Both are equal in terms of evenness.Capital has the cooler temperature door.
The GE Monogram cooktop uses the same 18K and 15k btu burners as the GE Profile and AG GE Cafe. Not horrible but not great. The oven is large but gains most of its size advantage with height. I don't think it is so even it can bake three racks well.The Culinarian will fit my turkey roaster that comfortably fits a 24 lbs turkey and a 32 quart stock pot I use to make birria.
You can find long threads regarding arguments about electric vs gas ovens elsewhere. If you really want a GE dual-fuel I would get the GE Cafe Dual-Fuel. Better range of burners,same oven,plus a warming oven underneath near the ground and save some cash too. The only advantage to Monogram is the heavy pro-style grates.Not enough IMO.
All range manufactures produce lemons. Wolf has won the JD Powers Award for overall customer satisfaction and reliablity for ranges,cooktops,and wall ovens.Yet,here in this thread you have an example of a lemon. However,I have read one too many times of problems with Dacor electric ovens. Problems at the begining and many people have repair bills so large around the 10th-11th year that they choose to replace rather than repair.
*JD Power rankings does not get enough repsonses from owners of small niche brands like Bluestar,Dacor and Capital to get included in their rankings.
0 - 13 years ago
I could go on and on about everything wrong with Dacor and have on this forum, but my experience was three years ago and maybe they are better now. I had the Discovery wall oven and the ER36D range. I would also be aware that sales incentives can color the opinion of some sales people. Before you buy, check out the reputation of the store where you would buy your appliances. Check online reviews and BBB.
Anyway after we got rid of our Dacor appliances(they bought them back), we thought maybe BS and drove 250 miles to look at them but my husband did not like the fit and finish and they were having problems with the doors and ignitors at the time. We decided to go with the Wolf DF with a sealed burner. I thought we were settling at the time because I wouldn't have the 22K burner. When I got the range, I loved it. It has plenty of heat for the type of cooking I do -searing steaks and the occasional stir fry. The simmer can keep a pot of mashed potatoes on all burners indefinitely. It is often said the flame on the sealed burner spreads but I have not problem making caramel in a 7 inch pan. The semi sealed burner on Wolf AG is different and I haven't cooked on it. If I did a lot of stir fry and high heat cooking where I wanted a more central high heat and that were the most important consideration, I would think about the culinarian and if the simmer wasn't low enough use a simmer plate. I still like the BS shape of the burner for even heating. I don't think there is only one good range but each has features that might suit your style of cooking. The oven in the Wolf DF is great because you can manipulate the heat from the top or bottom depending on what you are baking/roasting and you can use the convection only mode if the oven is really filled up. I've never had to though as it bakes very evenly on the conv bake cycle. I also like the cool doors, with the grands running around plus I don't want to stand in front of a hot oven and the self clean. The AG ranges have the infrared broilers but we grill outside 95% of the time so this was not a feature that was important to me. I know you didn't ask about Wolf DF but since you were considering Dacor DF, I thought I would mention it. Good luck with your decision.deeageaux-
"You can argue how much better the Culinarian cooktop is but I don't think anyone can serioiusly argue that the Wolf/Monogram is as good or better"Yes, you can. They are very different and not everyone has the same priorities when choosing a cooktop or range.
0 - 13 years ago
Dear goldensrule,
We are sorry to hear that you have had those problems with your Wolf Dual Fuel range. That is not the experience we expect for our customers. We would be happy to assist. Please feel free to contact our Customer Care department Mon-Fri. 8:00-5:00 CST at 800-222-7820. We can also be reached via email at CustomerService@SubZero.com.
Thank you,
Customer Care Team
Sub-Zero/Wolf Appliances0 Julia_K
Original Author13 years agoThank you, everyone, for your comments!
I really loved Dacor range, especially the oven. I liked how it looked, how you could put a baking sheet in without a rack etc. However, after reading a lot of unhappy reviews, sadly I decided against it.
In the end, I chose Wolf for the name. I'm not sure if I made the right choice. I wanted an electric oven and GE Monogram fit that criteria, but one range was GE and the other one was Wolf. I chose Wolf for the name. I hope I won't regret it.
Now, I only need to have my kitchen remodeled and then the range delivered :)
0- 13 years ago
I think you made the right choice Julia.
If you ever have a problem with the range (not that you will),
just come back to Garden Web and Holler "Wolf"!!!!!I must admit I'm impressed by their post on this site.
Please review it for us after the installation. We see a lotta reviews on The Capital and Blue Star, but not so many with Wolf.
Gary0 - 13 years ago
Wolf & Sub-Zero FTW!!!!
Goldensrule...If you're not a Dacor representative please let us know if you contacted Sub-Zero and what transpired when you did. I'm curious about your repair bills ... I know they have a 2 year parts & labor warranty AND a 3-5 parts warranty. Hopefully you were not the victim of a dishonest service company.
Deeageaux... I believe you are incorrect about the Monogram and Cafe Dual Fuel Ranges sharing the same oven. The Monogram has 3 glide racks sitting on removable runners with a recessed bake element and 2 light towers each containing 3 halogen lights. The Cafe has "ribbed" walls instead of removable runners, standard racks [although they recently may have added a single glide rack], exposed heating element and a single 40 watt bulb. The Monogram Range is also about 2 inches deeper. GE has just updated the Cafe in the last month or two so I could be wrong about the new configuration but the previous generation was just a glorified Profile free Standing range. Just FYI buddy. ;)Here is a link that might be useful: Monogram Oven Interior
0 - 13 years ago
I have both a GE Cafe (2 years old) and a dacor (25 years old - the first one made). The GE cafe oven does not cook evenly. To cook evenly you must use convection mode. One front burner goes out when put on 3 or less. Impossible to simmer on it. The Dacor oven was nothing but problems from day one. I had over 10 major repairs in the first 5 years. Now the oven doesn't work and can't be fixed. I need to replace it. However, it is a downdraft and there are no downdrafts that are reliable. It is a slide in range. Because it is installed in a peninsula with no cabinets overhead, I have nowhere to place ventilation. I have cathedral ceilings and cannot hang a hood from above.
Does anyone have suggestions about what I can install? I am wondering about an Aga and have just started to explore Blue Star. Thanks.0


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