I have had my American Range since March of this year. It is my understanding from a Technician that you should always bake on convection. Based on his recommendation that is what I use, and it is wonderful. It does bake quicker, I let my ham over bake just a little.

Enjoy, it is a great range.

i have mine for almost 9 months and it really is a great range. i'm no pro but i like the way it works and wifey loves it more! congratulations to you.
ck out this post.

Here is a link that might be useful: american range owners

Thanks for the encouragement mis2hijos and johnnytugs! I'll check out the link.

I am trying to find out about the bread baking characteristics. When you overbake your ham is it a characteristic of the convection system? How about you Johnny? Have you baked any bread, muffins, etc.?

I purchased mine from Dvorson's in No. Cal, the salesperson's name was Josh. Great deal on the stove. But no joy on testimonial concerning baking with the stove!

Josh provided details on the capacity of the range (full sheet pans) and its innovection system. The oven has two fans yes?

I am here in So. Cal and have spoken to Chris Thompson at AR about visiting the factory. Seems like the customer service is very high quality, if the availability of the company's V.P. is any indication. Very easy to talk to and accomodating.

Maybe they have a consultant or something. How about the cooktop? How hot do the burners get?

Psient

psient,

My boys like me to bake biscuits for them. They have turned out terrific with the convection. They are done quicker and I feel that the biscuits are not overcooked and dry. The ham was overbaked because I left it in too long. With convection, you do cut the time on baking.

The burners get very hot, it seems like I am always cooking
near the simmer mode, because the burners are powerful.

I hope I was helpful. I think you will be very pleased. Enjoy.

Mis3hijos:

Thanks. I'll post my first experience. Do you ever smell gas when you first begin to bake? I think the early ovens had a issue with the venting. The posts I've seen about this are at least a couple of years ago so I am anticipating that the factory engineers have resolved this.

Once again thanks for the feedback.

Psient

Psient,

Yes, the gas smell was very strong. I did the initial burn off for 4 hours and then did it again for another 6 hours.
I still would encounter a strong gas smell when I wanted to bake.
That is when Chris Thompson, VP for AR offered help and had a technician contact me in the Seattle, WA area. The technician came out and installed air baffles (?), I think that is what he called them. He installed them in the oven.

Everything has worked out great. It is my understanding that cooking with a gas oven you get a smell of gas initially and then will will dissipate.

This is my first gas range in my 40 years. I've always had electric ranges. I really like the AR and look forward to using my cooking skills to other level.

I would like to know what you think when your range arrives.

Ana
eafoy@msn.com

mis3hijos,

I am in the Seattle area and think I am about to buy an American Range. Where did you buy yours? As far as I know, there is only one dealer in the area who carries it so am wondering how much I can shop the price around. Thanks much for the response!

Katmandu,

I bought my range online using selectappliance.com
I must say that I was nervous about buying such a big purchase online but the savings was enough that I spoke
with selectappliance customer service and they ensured me
that they send them out all the time.

I think Albert Lee is the only one who sells them and they had them for about 3400 and I was able to get my 30" range for under 3,000 and also save on taxes. Plus it was free shipping as well.

If you do decide to purchase from selectappliance ask for Ming or you can tell Albert Lee you found it somewhere cheaper and see if they will price match.

Good luck and let me know what you decide.

Ana

psient sorry i've been a little pre-occupied. i've baked cookies, cakes, turkey, pizza. it preheats fast and i'm still trying to get the convection thing down. wifey's bakes alot and she has no problems. she doesn't use the convection much. she will on the other hand throw in a sheet cake dual layers on 2 racks and a rack of cupcakes all at once. the kids @ school love'm. bread hasn't been baked yet @ our house.
on the other hand, we get a short gas smell & it disappears after 30 seconds or so. keep in mind i don't have my rangehood installed yet.
please let us know whow it works & how you like it.

Johnnytugs:

Sounds like your family has no hassles with the oven. I know the oven is the largest in the industry for a 30" and will take a full baking sheet. This makes my work much easier as I make my Ciabatta and pain levain 2 at a time. I typically start out with conventional bake because the convection dissipates the steam needed to geletanize the gluten in the crust. After about 15 minutes I switch to convection and finish the bake in this mode.

Katmandu:

Check out Dvorson's ask for Josh. I spoke with the owner of selectappliance and Dvorson's both. Either are reputable and honest as well as very competitive.

Mine was also WELL under 3000.

Something that no one seeems to realize . . . 2 IFs and they're both a necessity, IF you buy in California I think you will qualify for a rebate IF you also need and purchase a hood along with the oven. The rebate is offered by the California Distributor. Josh at Dvorson's can advise you about the particulars. I think you earn 300.00 on the range and 100.00 on the 30" hood but I'm not sure. The brand of hood is stipulated as well. However, my research found the brand reliable and trouble free.

I'll be taking delivery of my oven next week. I'll know the installation will be straight forward. Should be pretty easy. Hopefully I'll be burning it in and cooking next week.

psient

psient
What hood are they offering and how much is it?is it only if you buy them together.i bought from josh and the dealer was sierra i believe. i stil don't have a hood yet.i may prefab my old one or get a new one not really sure yet. i am mastering the possibilities.
cabinets are in, going to do the countertops today.
john

Johnnytugs:

The hood must be purchased with the range as it is a dual promotion. I scoped out the web for two months before deciding to purchase the AR. Never heard anything about this promotion. Found it because I drove out to the Capital distributor and this motivated me to seek out the AR distributor = Sierra.

On their website I found the promotion. Google their link, if you can't find it let me know.

Psient

thanks psient, i'll check it out.
john

Thanks for the dealer tips. I'll check them out. About to finalize cabinets, etc. and starting to second guess all the appliance decisions I already came to - like AR among others. Ahhh. I have read all the AR threads with great interest and it seems like such a good value for a great range. I'll let you all know what I decide!

Katmandu:

Make sure and check out Dvorson's and give Josh a shot at the price. Select appliance seemed very good as well (Josh carried the hood brand so he won the bid). If I could sugget--consider purchasing the hood and stove at the same time as you will save a substantial amount of dough (no pun intended : ) with the rebate from Sierra Select.

I just moved my existing range out and prepped the old area for the AR tomorrow morning.

I'll post the results of the delivery, installation, and burn-in.

Psient

Psient

Just installed the Range and am currently burning in. So far very straight-forward with no unanticipated issues.

Design features are understated and utilitarian. For instance, the galvanized back plate covers the entire back and has a protective shielding over the regulator, side panels appear the same gage stainless as revealed surfaces, racks are balanced and substantial.

The oven is very large. IMHO this seems the outstanding value-feature for a baker like myself!! Recognition is due to the AR team for their ingenious use of the existing space while still adhering to conventional 30" residential specs.

I will bake with the INNOVECTION system tomorrow and see how the results compare with other ovens I've used.

Good news here!!

Psient

Yes I am talking with my self at this point.

I have now had a modest amount of time to consider the earliest performance of the range. Although the contents are my opinion (just like you I have one)! I suggest a modicum of qualifications appropriate to append as vitae.

I have a general contractor's license, have built for years, and bake as a serious hobbyist (my dad was a chef and I have owned a bakery as the baker). Below are my observations with minor editorializing revealing and what restraint I can manage:

After checking for connection leaks with soap and water the initial hook up and gas pressurization is accompanied by a noticeable hissing sound. I assume this is a purging function and not the result of shoddy manufacturing (a gas leak).

Burn in is NOT OPTIONAL. This is an annoyance not found with either my old Maytag or Kitchenaid Architect that came ready-to-use. I assume that as pro chefs possess staff that have to deal with the burn in on commercial ovens, a manufacturer of restaurant ovens will not consider the start-up procedure as 'uncivilized' although such a necessity clearly is NOT civilian.

The capacity of the burners is more than sufficient. This is an important point. Dealers of and those who possess, BLUE STAR ranges will tout an open burner system as uncompromised perfection. 'Sealed burners are not accurate in their BTU-to-actual-heat on the stove top translation' is a popular notion when persuading which brand to purchase. It is a fallacy for the hobbyist and purely a matter of preference rather than objective standards--an academic issue. I heated 2qts of water to a rolling boil in less than 7 minutes on the LOWEST burner. My $2k Kitchenaid took significantly more time than that on the HIGHEST burner. As I routinely use copper cookware, I anticipate being very careful when I saute!

Design features worth accenting here: The convection system is VERY QUIET with perceived CFM/circulating output of the fans being noticeably forceful. The oven lights are very bright permitting accurate inspection of the cavity and its contents. The grates are easy to set to one side without actually moving them off of the cooktop. This helps in cleaning. The deck has an open seam at the sides; IMO a bead between side and deck would be better than a machined fit when engineering against intrusion of fluid.

Last night I awoke to a very strong GAS ODOR emanating from the oven. This may be an issue or maybe not. I am continuing to burn in over the next 12 hours. I will contact Chris Thompson at AR and ask his consul on this.

I am baking Ciabatta and Sourdough today. I might try a Brioche as well.

Psient

The oven Bakes extremely well and on this point I am delighted. I will post my experiences next week . . . . .

FOR NOW:

The GAS ODOR still persists. I contacted service and talked to Bert at AR about this yesterday. I will follow up this morning a half-hour from now and see what action results. I wonder what happened to oven? I realize this problem is relative to the total number of end users but I can't help wondering--within this population why are so many folks having issues with GAS emanating from this brand of freestanding range?

As a consumer test case, my opinion of American Range can only be described as mixed.

On the one hand the range works.

On the other hand NOT AS ADVERTISED.

The history of this company in restaurant equipment is used as a marketing point when persuading consumer opinion on reliability and quality.

I ask you, how could inexpensive brands such as Maytag and Kitchenaid out performe American Range in terms of initial reliability? It is not a complicated matter to design a residential oven NOT TO LEAK GAS is it? I wonder. You'd think that the owner of the Factory's commercial experience would result in hiring an iron clad engineering team for the line's execution. Maybe they just party too much in Pacoima!

I hope reasonable consideration is payed to resolve this as a design issue for the factory; the net number of preoccupied hours this kind of problem creates for the PAYING end-user seems an unfair deal as part of a purchase. It also causes problems for the spouse who inevitably gets sucked into the dilemma as well.

Psient

Wow, psient, you are not talking to yourself. I am inching closer to ordering the AR every day so I am reading your posts with great interest. I don't have a contractor's license : ) and am not a baker but love to cook. Two things of obviously great concern from your posts. First, I still don't totally understand the burn in. This goes on for days? I thought maybe this meant you turn the oven on for a few hours when you first install it. No? Why does it take so long? How do you know when you are done??? Do the other pro style ranges require this burn in? What the heck is its purpose?

Second, the gas smell to me is alarming. I have read the other lengthy American Range posts, and it seems this is consistent, as you point out. Have any AR owners NOT had this experience of a gas smell? For those of you who did, has it been COMPLETELY resolved and did it require additional service? Did you have to pay for that service? Even if "free", what a pain!

I just called the local distributor (right before reading your posts) about seeing the AR "live" - left msg to make appointment. If I do indeed do this, I will ask them these questions as well, but I must say that for now, I am bummed! Thank you so much for the detailed information!

Katmandu:

Thanks for the support I appreciate this!

Please do not be alarmed, I am not. The posts report my experience and point of view as a consumer. There is a learning curve with this caliber of appliance and I gladly accept that. I wholeheartedly endorse the manufacturer! I understand that every range of this genre needs a burn in. My take on the reasons for this are listed at the end of this post.

However, before I share what thoughts I have allow me to say this please:

As to the gas issue:

American Range has responded instantly to my requirements and they are sending someone out here as I type this. The tech will be here no later than this afternoon. In this regard the gas odor is very likely to be resolved today! This is very good service in my opinion.

My opinion is they're dedicated to a customer service orientation and very professional. Furthermore, their Vice Prez will personally interact with end users on issues pertaining to the residential line. This is an outstanding plus in my opinion as you can talk to the boss!

I should note I'm not the only one who is positive about AR.

Others have mirrored this sentiment, e.g., Johnnytugs, Ms3hijos, plumorchard and many others are very pleased with their ranges and staunch proponents of AR. I know I will be too because of the way it performs where it really matters as I am sure you'll agree-- cooking is really a joy with this appliance.

On the positive I have noted

The burners are excellent, it is very easily cleaned, the metal work is of the highest standard, the oven is HUGE!!, the top grates form an even plane so moving cookware across the entire surface without lifting is easy, the convection system works like a champ and is very very quiet.

The negatives seem to be related to the pedigree of the oven; that is to say, the inherited durable nature of professional equipment precludes certain application scenarios. In a restaurant/food service setting, the kitchen is an intense test-bed of sorts for the manufacturer . . . with ovens running non-stop for 10 hours amid organized chaos. When issues do crop up, a restaurant will have a cook-staff to take follow through on them. As these staff are paid, it is part and parcel to the trade.

AR has to rely upon this kind of experience in their design of ovens, commercial or residential. This means their engineers will lean heavily on what has already been learned in the above setting.

IT seems reasonable to suggest that AR should have limited experience with the householder as the cook, staff, restaurant owner, etc. The equipment is not conceived with these typicalities in mind. It is a real challenge for American Range to hybridize the food service environment into a urban/suburban home setting. Such a task means an accommodation on levels of installation, leveling, initial performance assessment etc. So in my humble opinion it's just one of those things. Nothing that has happened in my home has changed my opinion that this range is far superior to Blue Star, Wolf, Capital, or Five Star.

To be frank, I think AR will place whatever effort is needed to improve their residential line and I wholly support this effort.

The burn in comes as a result of quality manufacturing where machining of parts, sheet metal, and frame are done in-house by dedicated workers rather than on a wholly sanitized and impersonal mass assembly line. It takes about 5 hours of using the oven to eliminate odors released initially by sealants, oils, dust, porcelainized components, etc. It is a minor issue IMHO.

Anyway, I'll let everyone know what happens this afternoon.

Bummer about Ohio.

See ya,

Psient

I meant IOWA my bad.

Psient

More inertia:

The manufacturer sent someone out on time as promised and fixed the problems. I am currently ready to bake all day today. The oven no longer has any odors. What baking/cooking I've already done took care of any residue that needed to be eliminated through usage so I'm off.

There's more positives to be said about American Range and the product but I'm withholding at this point. I'll comment in greater detail tomorrow or the next day.

Psient

I have this to say about yesterday's experience.

Leveling the range was more difficult than repairing the gas leak if you can believe that.

So I'd thought I'd share my thoughts on this with everyone here.

The rear casters are sufficient to dial in a level at the back and they lock down with a hex set-screw which is great. They are ball bearing and really major duty.

Thus I find these are very functional and aside from the hassle of lifting the entire oven off the ground to adjust them they are a viable solution for me as a serious home baker/chef. Furthermore, moving the oven in and out of its recess is a breeze because of them.

HOWEVER . . .

The front legs seem cosmetic only and are very difficult to adjust. In my judgment they are just too flimsy and funky. These things can't take the weight of the machine while performing an adjustment with the oven in-place. I struggled to somehow remove the weight off the front end while simultaneously turning the molded nut end of the front leg and just couldn't get a decent leveling adjustment. All I ended up doing was forcing loose the internals so they didn't work at all.

Unless you like your the super hot contents of your cooking pans sloshed to one side you gotta level the oven. There really isn't any alternative if you want to take advantage of the ranges' cooking potential. Since that's the real strength of this brand, it seems a crappy deal for the consumer to shim the thing with cardboard! That's what I ended up doing. I think I'll get the front casters to replace the stock legs.

Anyway, I see this as constructive feedback aimed at improving anyone else's experience. This is NOT a major issue with the overall quality and cooking performance of the range.

Psient

Hi All:

And thanks for looking in on my baking with my new AR.

Just finished two 1.5 lb (740g) boles of sourdough pain fermente naturale.

Oven calibration is spot-on.

Preheated to 500 F. in less than 10 minutes (10 minutes down from my previous oven). Held at 500 for a total of 30 minutes to preheat oven stone. A 13" cast iron skillet is used as a steam generator to gelatinize the gluten of the crust.

As an initial observation, the oven has a twin fan design when using convection (their innovection system). This seems to be a superior baking feature. I get faster cooking (I anticipate a better crumb) and in this test case, the crust is very evenly browned.

There is a very efficient dissipation of exhaust air with a minimum of kitchen area temperature increase. Kudos to AR as they accomplished this while still providing the largest oven in a 30" residential range!!

This is a real boon to me as it gets over 115 F in the summer here. My old 2K Kitchenaid Architect series was a monstrosity when it came to exhausting residual heat forcing me to time my baking activities for the morning in order to avoid overworking the air conditioning when I baked in the afternoon on very hot days. I suspect that isn't the case with my New 30" American Range!!!!

The technique of shifting from Bake to Convection in order to accommodate the steam needed for a true French-Bread crust is totally painless and smooth.

Total cook time was 30 min (down 10 from my previous convection oven). Both boles achieving an oven-spring of 2 inches. They must cool for several hours before I can inspect the crumb but I have no doubt that I'll have a better quality than ever before.

This is great folks!!!

Psient

Fun to read about your adventures in bread-making, psient. I made an appointment to "test drive" the AR late next week. I'm going to time and test some things in my current oven/stove and try to compare. I'm still on board so far, but maybe more prepared for what to expect (gas smell, leveling, long burn off).

Do you find the fan to be very loud when operating? I have heard a Thermador range fan and it's somewhat loud IMO. Thanks.

Katmandu:

Thanks.

The fans are almost imperceptible. American Range's innovection system uses 2 fans achieving what appears to be, given my baking experience yesterday, ultra uniform circulation . My old Kitchenaid was a convection and its single fan was very audible from over 15 feet away!
This circulating function is whisper-quiet. Yesterday I had to get right next to the range in order to hear anything at all!

My old oven would also radiate tons of heat. The AR seems to be the antithesis of the Kitchenaid on this count!

IF you don't mind, what kinda range do you have presently? What size range are you considering? What kind of cooking (genre of cuisine) to you enjoy? Do you bake?

Psient

Psient, funny I posted a second message yesterday along these lines but it wouldn't take it because I had already posted?? Still new enough here at GW that I don't understand it all.

Anyway, I am planning on a 36" six burner. I have been wondering lately if that is too much though. The oven in particular, will be huge and I wonder if it will take forever to pre-heat, or if it will generally be a "waste" of space, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas, which I generally host. Expect to find out more on pre-heat times next week at distributor. I went to appliance showroom yet again today to look at it, among other products. The guy I am working there said he has sold lots since it came out and virtually no complaints. He currently owns a Viking and said if he could switch, he'd go AR. And considers himself a foodie. I mentioned the gas smell issue, he said he knows of two (out of many) who have needed to have that addressed, and it has been addressed to their satisfaction. He also said that with a gas oven, there is often some gas smell for 5-10 minutes during pre-heat - said there is with his Viking as well. So I felt good again about AR.

I currently have a (bear with me) 36" wide four gas burner on glass GE Profile cooktop that I now have to light manually, and double Whirlpool wall ovens, both electric and only one self cleaning. All came with the house (I am not original owner) built in '95. I have struggled with "giving up" the double ovens, more for resale than for myself, because I rarely use both at once. So I think I was thinking 36" because initially I was thinking cooktop and double ovens and my current cooktop space is 36" (even though just four horrible burners - pots tilt off the five prongs, non-continguous grates, poor flame control, etc.). Then I ended up rearranging EVERYTHING and am going with a range. Still had 36" in my head, and thinking big oven helps make up for complete loss of one, but not sure it does, since everything has to be at the same temp. I am still doing this general plan, just wondering (in last two days) if 36" is overkill and if 30" would suffice. (In truth, I briefly considered 48" just to get two ovens, and neither so huge, but that's just way too much range, space and $$ for me.)

My current ovens don't radiate that much heat, and I have been cooking almost exclusively on the bottom one for months to make sure "bending over" for the low oven with a range wouldn't bother me. Don't think it will.

I consider cooking a hobby, always trying new things and attempting to expand my repertoire of methods as well. That said, I am more of a stove top cook than oven, though wanting to branch out to even more roasting, etc, but, sadly, am really not a baker. I check out cookbooks from the library to educate myself on different methods and enjoy "learning" by doing/trying new things, not just recipes but honing the methods as well. Favorite tv (rarely watched) is Top Chef, some food network. : ) You are without a doubt way ahead of me in terms of knowlege and skill. Still, I want to love my choice and in the back of my head have culinary school someday (for career no. 2) so not just going for the "look."

Glad to hear the fan's not too loud.

Do you still own the bakery? Who on earth eats all that bread? : ) I'll post after my distributor visit late next week if I don't hear from you in the meantime.

Oh, and my current ovens never run true - 1 lb. fish fillet can take 40 minutes, 2 or 3 boneless chicken breasts 55. So a little frustrating, constantly checking things and putting them back in. I set ovens high to comepensate but it's a crap shoot.

I'd say my next goal is to master a few classic, french methods. Could be fun.

And I figured out how to follow up my own post - change the subject line!

Katmandu:

I was a baker some decades ago when I had a lot more hustle. The bakery was a wholesale only biz and distributed certified organic bread (7 varieties I think the details are pretty foggy) from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo.

This is way way way way before 'organic' was popular as pseudo commentary. That is to say touted as valid information but really maintaining total ignorance. Commentary that can only survive WITHOUT scientific (not medical mind you) qualifications required to accurately assess cause and effect.

Damn blabbing media types where ORGANIC is important in the Warholian sense. Talking about ONLY those issues that facilitate the long busy stretching of personal ego and fame way beyond the 15 minutes they might, maybe, deserve AND possessing the cretinous qualification of being nauseatingly pretentious enough to think anyone asked them for their opinion. Hell CNN wasn't even conceived although I think what's his name . . . Turner, was in college at that time.

Me and my partners sold it. I worked as a bakery consultant for a little while then went into construction.

The AR:

I was going with a 48" cause of the two ovens and abandoning my 2X wall Oven (it is a 24" and an ancillary kitchen piece as yours seems to be). This would correspond with a kitchen overhaul I'd do myself.

Then contemplated a 36". I discovered the oven is overkill. Returned to original drawings with existing kitchen and decided to invest in other stuff (rather than demo what's there and redo to accommodate new, larger oven). I do all of the cooking and subsequent cleaning for my household and decided that the present kitchen lay-out works for a one person crew.

4 burners is my preference as it forces efficient planning. I need the self-discipline or I'll get lazy . . . at least that's what I'm told ;).

and I don't need a grill (in So Cal you cook outside 12 mo).

If I could make a Suggestion . . . Go to Selectappliance.com and read their stuff on open vs sealed burners under their Blue Star link. That'll make what follows much more accessible.

IMHO sealed burners make a big difference on clean up. This is an important issue for me when considering using the rangetop for meal prep. The tradeoff will be between convenience and BTUs.

From what I've read, open burners are not a clean up problem if you don't mind accessing the spillage through the catch-drawer that you line w tinfoil. Just toss the tinfoil once a week.

However, some sales folk (who can't help but be biased towards saying whatever they think you want to hear) comment that open burners consistently are clogged as the orifices are upward facing and prone to catching debris from any serious cook. This is logical but not enough of an issue to suade me against open burners if the BTU aspect is critical.

Here's what I discovered:

The AR's engineering provides a HUGE amount of BTU power to the rangetop cooking elements. I accept that the amount of heat delivered to the actual cooking utensil will be lower than the burner-rated amount but as I previously stated above it's a moot and academic point for me.

So it turns out for me that 4 sealed burners are adequate so long as those burners provide the quanta of energy I need to saute or on rare (no pun intended) occasions, sear. Sauteing I've already accomplished with my new 30"; made mushroom ravioli on the rangetop and sauteing/deglazing was textbook precise. Searing will wait until I decide to prepare a relevant dish. When I do I'll post the results.

I conclude for this thread that American Range's staff of engineers, corporate culture, and service mission statement combine to provide an overwhelming value for my buck. I have a serious range with serious service support and serious engineering for 3K and I got a rebate of $300 on the range and $100 on a hood I woulda purchased anyway from the California distributor in conjunction with AR as a promotion.

Anyway, today from where I sit . . . I don't see any dissatisfaction. The issue with the gas odor, burn in, and leveling legs are commentary that is meant as narrative and therefore only constructive in application. I tried to make the case that any commercial manufacture who forays into the residential market will necessarily underestimate the hassle of installation. That's really my only intent.

Holy Mackerel !!!!! For someone who is critical about others blabbing, seems I'm throwing stones with this posting. Maybe I should shut up for a while?

Anyway, Cheers to all,

Psient

I really appreciate the sharing of your experience. I have a 48" AR on the way. I bought Thermador everything else, but decided against the range based on the info on this forum. You are making me feel very comfortable with my AR choice. Thanks.

psient,

I've enjoyed reading your post and wish I could be there when you pull out one of your wonderful breads.
I have a question for you regarding the leveling of the range. Currently our AR range is level, but not level to the countertops. The range is 3/4 of an inch lower than the countertop. Can I raise the range eventhough it has the casters in the back? Any help you can provide is appreciated.

Gracias

mis3 - you should be able to raise the range to the counter top level. You will also have to be sure it is level again. It may not be too easy but you should be able to do it.

psient - glad to hear you are enjoying the range! You sure are putting it to the test! That is great. Keep it coming -
Take care,

Hi Mis3hijos:

Yes the maximum adjustable height to the top of the range is 36" I believe, maybe 36 & 1/4" . . . can't remember. However, the rear casters will in fact, adjust up. Just for the information value -- get the weight off the casters and elevate the oven so you can access them; one at a time probably.

There is a set-screw (an allan wrench will be needed) that, once backed off will permit the casters to be adjusted.

Best call AR and ask for Bert. He'll give you an excellent and simple explanation if your into DYI. If not, your plumber or handi-person or your honey-doer, or your posse of mijas and you can probably get it done ; ).

Thanks for the encouragement. I am preparing Ciabatta as I type this post and later on, will create a Brioche dough for caramel sticky-buns. The Brioche'll sit in the reefer overnight and I'll make the rolls tomorrow morning early so my family will wake up to them cooling-out atop my new AR 30".

This'll be a good test of the convection system.

This recipe is basically an upside-down roll. Therefore, the heat must transfer through the baking tray/sheetpan material (aluminum in my case) to the underside of its sheetpan contents. The oven heat must stay constant and be sufficient to caramelize the mixed ingredients (various sugars, corn syrup, etc) on the bottom of the pan. As the rolls are sitting on top of this mixture with their base facing upwards baking the dough must synchronize with the melting and caramelization.

Too funky an oven and the dough will either 1) always have a tendency to dry and-or over cook/burn, or 2) end up cooked without caramelization taking place evenly. An efficient oven will easily dial-in exact setting where I can caramelize the bottom right at the time the dough is finishing.

Let's see how difficult this is to achieve with the AR!

Anyway I'll let ya'll know.

Cheers and Happy Father's Day everyone!!

Psient

Hi Psient,

Your posts have been very informative. Thank you. I must admit that I've lost a couple of hours of sleep worrying about the potential gas smell/leak once my range is "hooked up". I am hoping that the plumber will be able to do his thing at weeks end.

I have a question for you. In one of your posts, you mention "Oven calibration is spot-on". What does this mean? How do you calibrate the AR oven?

Regards,
DonnaY

Hi Donna:

I mean that when checking the temp, the thermometer confirms the setting on the dial.

If you dial-in 350 a thermometer registers 350. Don't worry about the odor as it is an observable variable not a problem.

My buns are rising as I type.

Hope this helps,

Psient

I have just finished my second batch of sticky buns.

The oven is so efficient that I need to dial in a slightly lower temp. That is to say, this dough needs about 30min at temp in the oven to completely rise and bake. However I found out that using the specified recipe temp of 350/innovection I developed a nice deep dark brown on the exposed side of the buns. I can probably control for a rich and perfected golden brown as I sense the oven has the necessary level of refinement in its controls.

Next time I'll dial to 335 and go the required 30 min. Should get the development and a robust lighter brown. I use a solid copper/tinned roasting pan atop a 3/4" baking stone for this preparation and the conductivity of the metal works very well to complete the cooking of the topping that is layered underneath with pecans and dried cherries.

I'll most likely develop a formula for baking with my new AR 30" that takes into account the great efficiency of its convection design. For instance, my sourdough usually goes in at 450 for 10 minutes on conventional bake. I then back down to 400 on convection for the remaining bake-time. I think today I'll try 450 but step down to 390 going the same time.

I might also try a Neapolitan Pizza Margherita tonight. Depends on whether I feel like making the sauce.

I just received some dehydrated wild mushroom sections that I want to play around with (morels, shitakes, lobster and oyster, porcini, etc.) I might use them in a light tomato based sauce for the pizza.

Not that it's anyone's biz but if you mentally speculate how I have the time . . . its regular 16 to 8 week work cycles. I scheduled the oven delivery and initiation during a quasi 4 week break between a shut-down and start-up period. I'll probably abandon this thread when I take off for the next production epoch.

Not that there is anything wrong with it but, hey just out of curiosity, . . . is this a blog?

I thought it was a discussion thread on an appliance forum with rules and oversight by administrators?

Isn't a blog just opined and interminable blabbing on and on with no concern over the source being qualified or anything else. Seems the only requisite for blogging is a penchant for stream-of-consciousness rambling (kind of like the news broadcasting I see every time I tune into that stuff).

I hope my observations and efforts are reliable and clear enough to be of use. I also strive to make these postings independently verifiable by anyone who owns an AR.

Anyway . . . not that there's anything wrong with it.

Cheers!

Psient

I've been using the rangetop and can now confidently say that the heat output of the burners provides more than satisfactory results.

In the first place I can boil 2 gallons of water in significantly less than 10 minutes no matter what material the stock pot is manufactured from.

In the second place the adjustment of heat is very precise with the gradients actually indexed by the analog graphic on the knobs. That is to say, medium really is half way-round in results rather than an artifact of calibrated BTU. If I need medium low in terms of the results I desire in the recipe, half way between mid rotation and completely counterclockwise will produce that amount of cooking. That makes estimating the point for ingredient introduction based upon heat reliable and so . . . perdictable.

Very satisfied with these factors.

Seems as though the grates could have been designed to stably stand on edge when rotated 90 degrees on their length-axis. They almost do but there's a slant and that makes them too likely to tip. It'd be a boon to simply stand them on edge to clean the deck. You'd just go sequentially across the surface tipping the grates, cleaning and laying them down.

Hmmm maybe they'll engineer something like this and I'll be able to replace my existing ones.

Psient

I have just finished baking Pizza made with Coputo flour from Italy.

The oven was able to create an authentic crust due to it's ability to rapidly reach and sustain 500F. It is essential that the temperature be at least this high for a successful bake.

I did notice one minor issue with the mode knob, the letters "CONV" are wearing off. I'll call AR tomorrow and ask about this.

Psient

I've received word from AR after providing them dimensions concerning the leveling of the front legs. They will gladly replace the legs with new ones. I'll try again and see if leveling proceedes with less aggravation.

I have also installed my Faber hood. The hood is great but installation required the precise location of 3/16 holes without a manufacturer's template. Locating these attachment points within the upper cabinet was difficult and tedious. slight variations and irregularities in the wall threw off my centerline measurements. Lifting it in place, suspending it, and simultaneously finding the bolt-holes was a righteous pain. I am sure the installation was meant to be done by two fellas. I did this alone so I accept the difficulty in part.

However, that's over with and the hood vents wonderfully. The noise level (sones? whatever that means) is low and when running on the second setting does not interfere with conversation.

I baked a pizza last night and when sliding it off the peel, had the sucker hang-up. As a result the pizza became an amorphous mass on my baking stone and seethed all over the door and oven-bottom.

This morning I removed the burnt-on remains of last night's disaster from the oven. The oven's porcelainized interior was very responsive to a cotton rag saturated with a soap and water solution. The interior and the window came clean after a minimum of work. I find that (and my Kitchenaid was self-cleaning) regular cleaning, notwithstanding cooking errors like the above, is at most a trimonthly chore. It is nice to know that I need not rely upon an expensive catalytic coating and electric heat to remove baked on cheese, sauce, crust, and vegetables!

I am extremely glad I decided to purchase this little gem.

Psient

Psient, i've been following you story and loving it. sorry i couldn't post as i was experiencing operating difficulties
i did a little video clip of my AR, The link is posted on the american range owners #2 thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: american range owners #2

At the risk of over-posting this question, how hot does the stainless steel near the knobs and at the top front edge of the range get? During my demo at a distributor, I noticed it was quite hot to the touch, but that was after we had used the broiler, which was after we had done both stove top and regular (non-broiler) oven cooking. (Distributor said that was just because of the broiler being in use.) Wondering if it will be too hot to the touch as the norm. Thanks.

Hello All:

Whoa, I created the best sticky buns I've ever had. My cohorts in crime over here (those friends who will act as testers for what I bake providing critical feedback) are now bugging me no end with comments designed to make the batch again so they can 'test' them. Of course they want me to make enough so that each may have 12 buns.

Making sourdough and ciabatta today. The Caputo flour makes the best pizza crust ever so tomorrow I think I'll make Pizza again. I bought some tomatoes to put on the pizza. I will have to immerse them in boiling water for 5 minutes to peel them. The Faber hood works great!!!

JT,

I'll take a look at the link.

Kat,

The only time I notice this is if I bake bread @ 450F or greater for an hour: the knobs get hot. This of course is not the norm when cooking at other degree settings. When I cook pizza or ciabatta or anything that doesn't require an inordinate amount of time but requires intense heat, there's no appreciable feel difference to the knobs.

Even when the knobs get hot, I don't really notice this as it goes with my expectations for the industrial lineage of the stove. Hands-down . . . I'd rather have this stove with the performance characteristics I've experienced so far, for right at 3K, than a comparable BS for 5K.

One new thing I have to say is the reflective quality of the SS deck enhances the cooking efficiency of the burners. Furthermore it cleans up soooo easily.

The boys at AR can work to improve the stove but only in areas of minor end user detail IMHO.

This brand of stove has a great deal of value for dollar spent.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Psient

Just wanted to say that I'm enjoying your 'blog'. Also, if you need to post twice in quick succession, just modify the "Subject of Posting:" like I did above..

My neighbor has an American and it has seen tons of use and she's very happy.

Thanks Psient. Good to know. If all goes according to plan, I should be able to report on actual use in my home in late August (maybe early September).

Hiall:

I just got off the phone with Bert at AR. The conversation was in connection with the inadequacy of the front legs for leveling when the weight of the stove is upon them.

It seems that the company DOES NOT offer casters for the front of their residential stove. This means that any web site or retailer suggesting it is possible will have to recant.

AR will stand behind their product should you have the same problem(s) I did. However, I feel confident that in the future they will ensure that these leveling adjustments can be carried out with the stove in place while not creating an extreme stress on the levelers.

So far the stove top/burner function of the range has really exceeded my expectations. I made a wild mushroom ravioli in a sherry cream sauce from scratch. As the timing of the prep and cooking is crucial to optimize the flavor, synchronizing the reaching of a rolling boil for the ravioli and the finish on the sauce becomes critical.

I overestimated the time it would take the range to boil approx 6 - 8 quarts of water. This did not affect my dish just meant that I was getting the pot on sooner than I actually had to. The full-on burners did a very quick study on getting that stuff to a fully animated and rolling boil.

Yes it was delicious.

Kat:

That's great!!!.

alexr:

Thanks for the heads up . . . and the support.

Cheers,

Psient

Here is the information related to this product at the current moment

5/17/2014 some 6 years later.

The stove top still performs well. I now think an open burner model is the way to go if you are serious about your meals as home-cooked. This oven's power is above average but not hot enough for me. Cleaning is pretty easy however you are gonna scratch the metal when you do so. The burner elements need the holes cleaned out from time to time but the igniters have never had a problem.

The knobs are now denuded of markings. After replacing them once I scratched in the temp settings on the oven temp selector. I did this because I mistakenly chose 300 instead of 500 once; this was because the lettering had disappeared. I ruined 4 hours of work as the preheating wasn't the level required.

The oven is the biggest disappointment.

1) the broiler stopped working and was not repairable by the serviceman sent out at AR's suggestion. I have not had a working broiler for over 5 years.
2) oven temperatures affect the knob temperature with the knobs so hot you cannot touch them.
3) the oven door has never opened well
a. the door slams to the floor and will hurt your foot if it lands on it
b. the door gets really really hot and if you mistakenly grab the door rather than the handle you will burn yourself.
4) the grates are very hard to slide and will not come towards you unless you pull really hard.
5) the window is so obscure you cannot see inside
6) and this is the worst; the oven has slowly gone downhill. I currently cannot heat above 300 degrees
a. the flame sputters
b. uneven heating even with the convection oven loaves must be manually turned
c. poor venting with combusted air remaining in the oven zone. Thus if you open the door you cannot breath.

So after 6 years my 4500 dollar oven is 'toast'. I will try to repair the oven burner so I can bake. Needless to say I will not own another American Range.

Psient, Sorry to hear that all is not well with your oven. A neighbor of mine also has the sputter and some of your other problems. The sliding oven grates can be fixed by cleaning with Bar Keeper's friend-it's just baked on . This is the 'Heritage' sealed burner model.

If I get some time I said I would look at her oven and try to figure it out- why it sputters...

Psient, Did you ever get you oven fixed? I'm trying to help my neighbor with the same low oven temp. and sputter. Her broiler and cooktop burners are fine. I'm guessing the servo that opens the gas flow is malfunctioning to the oven. Be good to hear if you got yours fixed....

I managed to fix my friend's American Range Heritage range (Sealed Burners). Anyway it needed a new oven igniter ($80) that I ordered from American Range. It took me about 2 hours total to replace.

In case anyone's interested I took the back large cover off, unscrewed the lower gas brass connector that holds the orifice. and then removed two smaller plates and unplugged the igniter wires to get those last plates out. ... The oven igniter is attached to the last plate (well it's not exactly flat, it has some flanges and sits tucked inside a bit.
It wasn't exactly difficult but there was a bit of fiddle faddle trying to figure it out. It's all working great now. (remember to unplug the range)

I managed to fix my friend's American Range Heritage range (Sealed Burners). Anyway it needed a new oven igniter ($80) that I ordered from American Range. It took me about 2 hours total to replace.

In case anyone's interested I took the back large cover off, unscrewed the lower gas brass connector that holds the orifice. and then removed two smaller plates and unplugged the igniter wires to get those last plates out. ... The oven igniter is attached to the last plate (well it's not exactly flat, it has some flanges and sits tucked inside a bit.
It wasn't exactly difficult but there was a bit of fiddle faddle trying to figure it out. It's all working great now. (remember to unplug the range)