Please help! Need advice on picking a range

18 years ago

Hi everyone,

I decided to enlist your help in picking a range for our new kitchen. I've spent quite some time reading posts on this forum, which ultimately made me even more confused :)

A little bit of background: we moved into a new house last summer and we're now finally ready to undertake a kitchen remodel. We wanted to live in the old kitchen for a little while to get a feel for how things flowed so we'd have a better idea of what we'd like to do. We pretty much have a final design in place, but we're having a really hard time picking a range. We originally planned on getting something in the $2K range, but spending all that time in showrooms and seeing what was available got to us. I saw a 30" Thermador Pro Harmony that I fell in love with, but after doing my due dilligence on the internet I quickly realized how much trouble people seem to have with that brand. Ditto for Viking. Now I'm terrified of plunking down that kind of money and getting a lemon in return. So, kind GW people, please offer your sage advice on what I should look at.

Here is what we're looking for:

* 30" width

* able to use propane yet still retain decent burner output

* we're not going with wall ovens (not enough space)

* not sure about dual fuel oven vs. all gas; what's the difference other than price?

* I think I'd prefer sealed burners (easier cleanup??? I'm not a terribly messy cook)

* range would mostly get used for the top burners plus roasting

* we bake every now and then but nothing too fancy

* I've never had a self cleaning oven before now, but I hate my current stove and I refuse to clean it since I'll be chucking it in a few months. Do I need this feature?

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated, as I'm currently paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong, and costly, decision.

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

User
18 years ago
The best all gas range is Bluestar- and this is because of their star shaped burners. However, it is not a 'sealed' cooktop, but rather has a removable drip tray that slides out from the front.

Capital, Wolf, American, DCS all make good gas ranges. Dual fuel means an electric oven, and that's a drier heat, better for some light baked goods, not as good for Roasts, bread, or for broiling. Dual Fuel requires 220 volt outlet.
straw_bale_ln
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks, I've been leaning towards the Bluestar lately from all that I've read but I'm apprehensive about buying something sight-unseen. I think the closest dealer according to their website is an hour away. Can you tell me a bit more about the removable drip trays? I haven't been able to figure out how it works from the photos on their website. Also, would I need to go with a 36" hood? I think their website recommends 3" clearance on each side for the upper cabinets. We may have an issue with the max duct size for our venting so it's something I'll need to keep in mind.
Related Professionals
Enid Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Fort Worth Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · San Diego Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Bismarck Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Ontario Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Richmond Bathroom Remodelers · DeRidder Bathroom Remodelers · Frisco Bathroom Remodelers · San Marcos Bathroom Remodelers · Petersburg Bathroom Remodelers · Waterloo Bathroom Remodelers · Savannah Kitchen Remodelers · Tyler Kitchen Remodelers · Palm Desert Kitchen Remodelers · Seattle Kitchen Remodelers
PRO
Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)
18 years ago
Straw Bale Ln
you can see the drip tray on the link below. Hit Slide show Stainless Steel PDF

http://www.eurostoves.com/cgi-bin/store/bluestar_gallery.htm

I tend to favor over sizing in the depth of the hood. In our cooking school we see more smoke and grease escaping from the front of the hood than the sides, when cooking you generally create more smoke and grease from the front burners, of course the problem then is you have more chance of hitting your head. In the end any oversizing is an advantage, oversizing to the front and sides is a dream installation. The main thing to remember with any hood is "capture area is king"
straw_bale_ln
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for that link, trevorlawson. It really helped. I went to Great Indoors earlier today to check out the competition and I looked at the Viking drip tray just to get an idea. However, looking at the DCS ranges I was struck by how tiny the oven cavity height is on the DCS, as well as the rest of them. Only the Thermador had a decent size oven. If this is going to be my only oven I need it to be able to handle a turkey at Thanksgiving. Can someone who owns a Bluestar please tell me what the height of the oven is as measured from the lowest rack position, and/or have you been able to roast a turkey? LOL
User
18 years ago
It has the largest oven available. On my little 24" Bluestar, it's approx 12inches from top of lower tray to roof of oven. And about 15 inches total from floor to roof of oven.
User
18 years ago
BTW, if you need more height, it's possible by removing the oven trays and sliding out the tray guides and setting them (the guides)on the oven floor. This give you a rack with approx. 14" of space above.
straw_bale_ln
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks! I managed to get some time yesterday to drive out to the only open dealer in the area (an hour away) to take a look at the 36" range they had on display. We measured the oven and we're now convinced that it'll have plenty of room for us. I think my husband and I were having a hard time with the oven size until we got all the measurements because we're mentally comparing it to the Kenmore oven we have at the moment that's sized like a commercial washing machine tub. LOL

Thanks for all your help everyone, you helped us make a decision. Both my husband and I are convinced that the Bluestar is the way to go. Now we just can't wait to get our hands on one.