I believe a lot of people buy the higher priced ranges for the high BTU's, open burners, all burners being the same BTU's and in my case the DCS has a superior simmer on all burners. Also in the higher priced ones you usually get an infrared broiler.

Let me put it this way. When you serve dinner I don't think anyone is going to know what it was cooked on. A cook or any good trades person can use the tools at hand and perform quite well. After all, a good cook must comprimise and work within certain boundries all the time. Take whatever you have and make it work. The cook is the most important variable in the equation.

Buy what you want with your needs considered. We overbought but are real happy with what we have, a Wolf 36" df with grill.

Of course there are some exceptions depending on cooking style but for the most part the above is true imo.

For a 30 inch probably not much gained by going for the high end, but if you want 36" and higher you have to go for the higher end.

Not true about 30" range. As eandhl said, with a higher end range you can get all high BTU burners all with a low simmer, a really good oven and broiler. You certainly can live without those features but that's some of what people are paying for.

You should pay more so those Appliance CEO's don't have to fly to D.C. on their Gulfstreams and ask for some bailout money.

You'll end up paying for it anyway and won't have a spiffy new appliance to show for it.

Thanks to all, who replied. So, I gather, the higher-end range gets one a wider range of heat: from very low simmer to high-heat âÂ" on every burner.

One also gets an infra-red cooking, but I can't figure out, what's so great about it... Is that the same as cooking over charcoal (not open fire, but infrared)?

Thanks!
doofus

The infrared broiler is heat from above the food. Infrared from the charcoal is from below the food and considered grilling.

The infrared broiler is heat from above the food. Infrared from the charcoal is from below the food and considered grilling.

Does it matter to the end result?

I'm with doofus. My wife and I are completely renovating our kitchen and I was excited to buy an upscale range and fridge. Why? Because I thought they would work better and come with superior warranties and customer service. Thanks to this site and its contributors, I realize that I've been blessed using less expensive appliances, that believe it or not, have NEVER required a service call!

Now I've crossed out Viking, Sub-Zero, Blue Star, and other "pro" brands. Guess I'm stuck with Consumer Reports best buys again...

I still don't understand what is so special about an infrared broiler. As I understand, the element is located above the food. I had a 30 year old electric oven and it had the broiler element placed on the oven top. If there is more to it, I'd appreciate if kind person here could explain. If not, why is it mentioned as a selling point?
Thanks.

The infrared has a screen or glass with holes and spreads the heat much more evenly. Though I will say on my last electric Thermador I had an 8 or 9 pass and it was far superior to the normal 4.

I've seen a so called toaster oven cook small roasts and fowl. It did the job. Costing less than $100, it did far more than toast bread.

Julia Childs cooked on basic heat and did it well because of her brain, not her physical heat delivery device.

When you show a trowel you own to a pro and ask them to look at the spatula end to tell you if it's a good trowel, they say it depends on the other end. They make you realize it's all in the handle end, not the spatula. Meaning: it depends on the person holding the trowel whether it will do the job well or not. Same rules apply, for transferring-heat-to-food which has been going on since before writing was invented.

Hope this is not taken as derogatory to the preceding post mentioning the fine grain detail about an infrared feature.

One post above says you will pay more later or more up front. That's 100% false.

Heat is heat. If I owned a range manufacturing company I would find little features to add, and to describe, to drive buyers to want them. If you want to spend multiples more to get something beyond a basic transport vehicle, you certainly can. Seeing what people spend on car features, and on extra square footage that they will never walk into or use, it's perfectly appropriate to buy features that add a little something to your device, and make you feel pride in having something more than basic heat.

HTH
-david

>>>Julia Childs cooked on basic heat and did it well because of her brain, not her physical heat delivery device.

Actually, Julia had a commerical Garland range in her kitchen which is now on display at the Smithsonian.

Here is a link that might be useful: Julia's kitchen at the Smithsonian

I recently ordered a 30" American Range for just over $3,000. Until recently American made only commercial ranges, which must be why their residential line has a definitively pro-style feel. Only two of the burners go up to 17,000 btus (which is pretty high), and one is a dedicated simmer burner that goes quite low. I'm used to moving pots around for different stages of cooking (that's why continuous grates were very important to me), so the feature of all burners having same power capacity didn't register in my case. The oven has an infrared broiler. I don't know much about the infrared part, but I want something powerful and EVEN and wide-spread, unlike the single line of flames that I have now. It also has duel convection fans -- another restaurant range innovation of Americans -- and it is larger than some 36" ovens, I'm told. It sounds like I'm trying to sell it -- I'm not, I only heard about it a few months ago, on this forum -- but I thought I'd mention it in that it is kind of an in-between choice between GE-type ranges and high ends ones like Wolf, Viking, etc.

Why was I willing to pay the extra grand? Besides the oven quality and the BTU's, it was mostly for aesthetics (the AR comes in colors, and has simpler, more appealing lines), and for simplicity -- no electronics. The more I read on this site, the more I realized I wanted a well-built no frills machine. I even decided to forgo duel-fuel for that reason, figuring that a gas oven with great convection wouldn't leave me wanting in the "even-ness" department (although I confess I am not much of a baker).

Last of all, I like going off the beat path. Even if it requires more research and leg work.

Hope this helps.

I've been cooking a certain chocolate sauce recipe for 25-30 years, from my parents' Consumer Reports-recommended cooktop, through a series of crummy dorm and apt cooktops, to a vintage O'Keeffe & Merritt circa 1955, to a builder-grade cooktop, to my new Thermador 36" Pro Harmony dual fuel range. The recipe tastes substantially better on the Thermador than it ever has before. I'm not a food chemist, but I believe the two reasons are: (a) extra-low simmer, which melts the chocolate without a double boiler or microwave and without scorching, and (b) the star shaped burners, which diffuse heat over the bottom of the pan more evenly than circular burners. My chocolate chip cookies also cook more evenly than in any other oven I've ever used.

My Thermador has been virtually trouble-free (it's coming up on the end of its one year warranty). It looks better than a GE Profile -- call me shallow, but I admit that I wanted one upscale attention grabbing range with bling and blue knobs. I bought it on Ebay for half price. My close friend, who's a Consumer Reports devotee, is equally delighted with her GE Profile.

Blue

davidro: you missed the point of what antss was saying in referring to "pay me now or pay me later."

He's saying, with tongue at least a bit in cheek, that if you don't buy an expensive range, the manufacturers will go belly up and troop off to DC begging for a bailout. That, in turn will be funded by your tax dollars (and your childrens', and grandchildrens' ....).

But, davidro's car analogy is right on target. Many folks think it's nuts to spend $50K on an Audi S5, when a Kia Spectra can be had for $13K. Heat is heat, speed is speed, and both vehicles will haul several people around at a velocity high enough to get a speeding ticket.

On the other hand, some folks would gladly pay to drive the S5 for the pleasure in the superior technology, workmanship, materials, and performance of the S5.

And yes, it is true that just as a Ayrton Senna in the Kia might have been able to outdrive me in the Audi (on a very tight course), a gifted chef can cook on anything better than I can on the Lacanche. But...I cook better on the LC than I would on a 4-coil electric range from Brandsmart. And, it's more fun to do so. There's no "right" answer.

I wanted one of the higher end 30" ranges, but it wasn't in my budget after paying up for a really good pro-style hood. I took a chance on a 1/3 off scratch and dent GE Cafe AG and am overall very happy with it. I went with the Cafe over the Profile because the front burner grates will accommodate larger pans better. It has a good amount of power/BTUs, continous grates, a good simmer (not as good as bluekitobsessed's though), convection and a second lower oven. It's getting the job done nicely for me.

The one thing it doesn't have that I want is the infrared broiler with intense even but adjustable heat from above. What is that good for? Holy cow!
1. Melting and browning cheese for sandwiches & french onion soup, pizza's and gratins. Currently I use a blowtorch - works fast, but harder to get even browning and really easy to burn stuff.
2. Get that final perfect even browning on roasted meats and vegetables. Let's say you've roasted your Thanksgiving turkey and it's approaching doneness but doesn't have quite the desired browning on top - an infrared broiler on lower intensity will finish it off nicely and quickly without overcooking the inside meat. Or lets say you are roasting potatoes or root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, shallots, beets...) and they have browned perfectly on the bottom but just need a kiss of heat on top for perfection, the infrared broiler is divine. Currently I end up taking a pair of tongs and turning each one over - more time consuming and the other side is more likely to over-brown.
3. Great for glazes. Your mouthwatering ribs have finished smoking and you want to glaze them with a sweet/sour ketchup based or Asian hoisin barbecue sauce. The infrared broiler will get it browned and bubbling without drying out the meat.
4. Great for baking. Want that extra carmelization on your onion focaccia? Need that final browning on your raspberry rhubarb crisp or apple brown betty? Serving up some baked Alaska or lemon meringue pie? The infrared broiler will give you superior results.

If you're not going to use it for these kind of things, then it's not worth paying up for. I'm still getting great cooking results without it, but it sure would be nice to have.

"Want that extra carmelization on your onion focaccia? Need that final browning on your raspberry rhubarb crisp or apple brown betty?"

What I want is for you to cook for me!

"and make you feel pride in having something more than basic heat. "
I take great pride from saving money or finding a bargain. but if someone wants all of the bells and whistles, has the money and space - great for them.

I have no idea about most of the things chefkev posted - but I agree I want him to come cook for me! lol!

as someone who seldom cooks anymore a cheaper 4 (or 2) burner kenmore or GE is fine for me (if it doesn't breakdown). I cooked fine over the yrs (raising a family) with one of those also (and at times even much less than that).

For the last hour or so I've been trying to think of one thing that I own where there wasn't the option to buy one version that would get the job done just fine, or another version that might have additional benefits, whether aesthetic or functional. From my house itself to the toilet paper that hanges in the bathrooms, nothing in particular comes to mind.

I'm probably (sadly) not alone in saying that the majority of my waking hours are not spent doing something I feel particularly passionate about. Cooking is one of the things I really enjoy. While I can pretty much cut through anything with a cheap knife that has a worn edge, a sharp, comfortable knife makes the task both easier and more enjoyable. The same can be said for cookware. The same can be said for cooking appliances. Others might not feel the same way. For me a built in fridge looks marginally nicer than a nicely placed free standing. $5000+ nicer? Not for me; as long as the beer is sufficiently cold I'm happy. But obviously there are plenty of people out there who feel differently. More power to them!

I think if you're saying to yourself, "This works well for me and I'm perfectly happy with it" then there's no reason to spend more money on something else.

i think it really depends on the kind of cooking you do. i require high heat settings and i can tell you there is in fact a very big difference between a good, high BTU put out and a standard, yet dependable model. and although i haven't actually used my new range yet (new house not finished) we definitely appreciate the rotisserie feature. i used to use the rotisserie on our bbq but only in the warmer months.
if we're talking refrigerators, i can't really argue for a more expensive built-in aside from looks. a good dishwasher is worth it's weight in gold (the whirlpool i have in our temporary house is garbage) and an assortment of good quality stainless, copper and heavy original calphalon is essential (for me). as with cookware, the range i selected must be up to the tasks i routinely perform. the high point cook top in our temp house is definitely not on the same level as the thermador cooktop in our old home yet that same thermador doesn't compare to our new capital.
that said, the capabilities of my new range would be lost on my (much loved) mother in law who, does little more than fry up a couple of eggs and throw in a roast every now and again. good luck with your new range. i wish the two of you many happy years together, whatever brand she may be!

My wife and I recently re-built our kitchen by adding on to the house. A year of research went into the appliance selection and the range came down to a five star and a blue star, both 48 inches. In the end my wife chose the blue star because the oven is 'slightly' larger and she favored an open burner. I could live with either. She watched the videos on both sites and flipflopped several times. No regrets and for us it was a matter of preference. We could have spent the same amount of money at sears. We could have spent a lot less. I think you have established the NEED; now get what YOU WANT with the features that appeal to you. Bells and whistles don't cook so keep that in mind along side your budget. Good luck. dcrb

Clinresga - said it absolutely, positively right, and provided the perfect analogy. The A5 would provide infinitely more satifaction to me than a Kia, even if the servicing were more expensive or reliability was worse.

Doofus, for my part I admit that every day I walk into the kitchen I admire the non-wavy well finished machined heavy- gauge stainless steel of my Viking range and fridge and am so glad I spent the extra money vs KitchenAid. Not everyone cares about appearance; I do. I feel if defines the kitchen. If you don't mind the appearance of typical appliances, then it would be wrong to spend extra; they all cook food. Some arguably better, but maybe even not, depending upon the cook's skills.

OK, my 2 cents - My DH and I will be re-building our house due to damage suffered by Hurricane Ike. Now, I get to build my "Dream" kitchen (within reason of course). The first thing I began researching were professional style ranges. I have looked at Wolf, Viking, DCS, Bluestar, Five Star and the professional versions of the GE, Jenn Air and Kitchen Aid. After much time researching, pricing and talking to owners of such brands, I have made my decision and it is the 48" Bluestar (not sure the configuration I want just yet). I wanted the 60", but our designer convinced me that my space really can't support the extra 12". SO, I reluctantly accept that I will not have 2 full size ovens. (I didn't want to have to have a wall oven, because I wanted the added cabinet space.)

Anyway, to make a long story short - Initially my DH told me I could get *whatever* I wanted, so I never mentioned price, until one of our friends was looking at the house plans and pointed out the 48" range noted in the plans. He made the comment that you could almost buy a car for the price of some of those ranges... DH then looks at me and asks, just how much are they? I told him between 8K and 25K, depending on brand, size and configuration. I thought he was gonna faint!

Later that evening he asked me why I hadn't told him how much they were. I *had* told him that they were ALOT more than our previous Jenn-Air Pro cooktop and wall oven. I wasn't hiding anything from him, he had said I could have *whatever* I wanted. I work hard, I travel alot, and when I am home we entertain quite a bit and he has seen me struggle with my 5 burner cooktop and single oven, for years now! He tried to convince me that there really is no difference between the GE that is 3K as opposed to the Bluestar @ 11-15K. I was shocked and upset that he would do this to me. I thought before I spoke and then I said very calmly, "Which would you rather have an 18Â john-boat or an 18Â Robalo?". Being the avid fisherman he is, he smiled and said, "Say No More!".

I hope to be ordering my range some time in May or June.*SMILE*

When we built our house 9 years ago, we went with the top-of-the-line Kitchenaid convection range with flat top. (We couldn't do gas in our area, so our situation is a little different than yours.) I spent $1600 on it at the time which was a big chunk of our kitchen budget. I've never been happy with the stupid thing. The repair people never knew what they were doing, I was told that I cooked "too much" for the range and that it was really designed for show. Now, the convection fan doesn't work, the sleek touch sensor settings don't work, the light in the oven blew out ($200 to replace the cover). I have two ranges in my kitchen. the other was the "cheap" range--a fairly basic, flat-top GE. It works fine and I use it all the time. Hope that helps. I'd never buy Kitchenaid again, that's for sure.

It's certainly true that heat is heat. There's no magic range or cooktop that'll make anyone a better cook. Over the years, I've cooked on everything ranging from a 4 burner electric coil to an outdoor "turkey fryer" burner (w/ a wok) and restaurant ranges and wok "jets". In the end, all they do is delver heat. For most household use, I've had good experiences with low-end consumer open gas ranges that were 20 yrs old and bad experiences with brand new Viking sealed cooktops. It all depends on what and how you cook and how much you want to enjoy it. Sure, any good cook can work with a electric coil but would they want to day in and day out? Most likely not. If you cook a lot or entertain often or even just enjoy cooking, then upgraded appliances can make a big difference.

First off I will say that I avoid consumer reports "best buys" or "top rated" products like the plague. Everyone of them that I have purchased have been absolute CRAP.

That being said look for what works for your needs. We were remodeling the kitchen and while I am far from a pro chef 4 burners are not enough. I have run out of burners more than once. Additionally we needed two ovens but did not want to give up the wall space and the resulting change in configuration for installing 2 wall ovens. Although there are one or two I would love to have.

In the end we selected a 48" American Range. It gives us 2 ovens, 6 burners, and a grill. We should have plenty of room and came out cheaper than purchasing a cook top and wall ovens.

We had an infrared broiler in our early 1990's Viking. It got so hot (16,500 btu's) that the broiler tray had to be handled with fireplace gloves. Eventually, the supplied anodized aluminum tray warped. Broiling performance was impressive, but short lived. The whole broiler had to be replaced after warrenty at very considerable cost.The new broiler only lasted a few years and failed again. It has been dead for at least ten years. I wonder if the current infrared broilers are more reliable. Was this just a problem with Vikings? I am very wary of buying a new range that has one.