We bought our Caldera in May (hopefully it will be installed next week). We tried to contact them on several
occasions and never received a response. Something smells fishy.

Gonzoe,
Whatever the outcome from my query, I hope you like using your cooktop as much as we do. If you bought the 36" gas cooktop like we did, I hope you received the updated, better-engineered center grate so you aren't going through the hoops that I am, trying to get it replaced.

Hey Joyce,

Mine is still in the box still waiting to be installed. Can't wait til everything is finished. We tried and tried sending emails and phone calls. Left messages, no response. My husband had some questions regarding exhaust and other things (don't remember exactly now).
Did you try to contact the company you bought the cooktop from? Just curious.
Take care!

Perhaps contact the Stowe, Vermont Chamber of Commerce & see if they know anything about the status of the company?

Stowe Chamber of Commerce
51 S Main St
Stowe, VT 05672
(802) 253-7321

Found this (dated July 1, 2008):

I have a Caldera Cooktop 2000 Series that ceased to work over 2 months ago. i have had an impossible time dealing with Caldera. They will not supply the needed replacement parts, answer phone calls or emails.

It is four years old. I would think twice about buyng anything from this company.

Here is a link that might be useful: Behing the Curtains weblog

Why don't you call Eurochef, who is the distributor of the Caldera? Somewhere along the line, somebody told me that Caldera is now being made by DeLonghi. It is possible that Al sold the company to DeLonghi; the Caldera page on the Eurochef website is under construction, so something is changing.

When I had a problem with my Caldera (which, btw, turned out to be an installation problem - nothing wrong with the stove -- my contractor left out a part- grrr.) - I called the dealer from whom I bought it, dealt with Eurochef, and they sent a service company within a day.

Follow up with your retailer and with Eurochef. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Eurochef contact info

Gonzoe, ci lantro, raynag,

Thanks for your input. I called Stowe Chamber of Commerce yesterday and the people working there did not recognize the name Caldera Corp. They gave me the phone number of the town clerk's office to see if they might be informative. The town clerk did not recognize the Caldera name either but did find a number in the phone book and gave it to me (802) 253-7321 which is the number I have left the other messages at. So I called again and left another message. Since I sent the check to Caldera at their instructions, I have been focusing and putting all my effects into getting them to respond. But you have made some good alternative suggestions that I will follow through on and will get back to you with (hopefully) a positive report. ........Joyce

I just called a place in anacortes that sells Caldera and they indicated that yes, they've moved towards working with a distributor and Delonghi is another line with this distributor...nothing about selling the company.
I've got Caldera's old 800# and I"ll try it and see if I get a response.
This troubles me...I hope they are good to go because this is the cooktop I've been dreaming of since 2006!!

I am very curious of your outcome. It really bothers me that you have not received any responses from them as well. Good luck!!! Please let us know what happens.

Please keep this thread going! I am about a month from ordering all my appliances and the Caldera was the *one* thing I thought I was sure about! And I thought the fun would start with the demo dust!

Al used to answer his own phone and I remember having several conversations with him when I was considering the Caldera. I thought "what great customer service!" - and that is one of the reasons I bought the range. The old center grate was a known problem and they should have replaced it without cost, it seems to me. Definitely get in touch with Eurochef - and please let us know what happens.

I will say that it's a simple unit and once it's in, there is nothing that should go wrong. It's a gas cooktop, plain and simple: no electronics (except the igniter), no fancy parts, no gimmicks. If the gas goes out for any reason, the burner re-ignites itself. Really.

Caldera is the only one I could find (except for Verona, which is made by DeLonghi and is way more expensive) that has 5 burners in 30". I did not have room for a 36" and the amount of counter space I wanted, so that was it. The other thing is that the high burner is on the right front; I am left-handed, so this is the burner I use - and I did not want a simmer burner in the right front. I love my Caldera but I can understand the concern.

bump - is there a follow-up, Joyce?

I wanted to let you all know how my Caldera center grate issue was resolved. I bought a 36" Caldera in the spring for a song, knowing that it had the old center grate. I spoke with Tim at Eurochef before I bought the cooktop, and he assured me there would be no problem in getting a replacement grate.

The Caldera is sitting in a box in our basement awaiting our kitchen remodel. This thread sent me into a bit of a panic, so I called Eurochef again. Tim at Eurochef left me a message asking for my address so he could send a new grate. It was shipped on Friday and was delivered today (Monday). Now that's the kind of customer service I value.

I urge anyone with questions re: Caldera to call Eurochef. I, too, emailed Al in Vermont months ago, after I bought the Caldera, and his response seemed to indicate he would send me a new grate. However, I never got a grate nor did I receive any responses to my subsequent emails. I'm happy to know Eurochef is around to back up the product, at least for now.

I, too, found that Eurochef was responsive, as I said in my earlier post. Joyce!!! Get on the phone with Tim at Eurochef!

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You all are wonderful and so very helpful. I just called Tim at Eurochef and he said he would mail out the updated grate to me today! I am so relieved. Sorry I haven't been a good communicator. I have been without the internet for several days - a big storm did lots of damage here in Moline, Illinois so most of us have been without power this week. When I finally was able to start focusing on the grate again and could check this forum, you not only confirmed that Eurochef was place to contact but also who I would be talking to. Thank you all again for your input. Love this forum!! Joyce

Do you all still love your Caldera??
Would you buy it again?

bump for wally (and me)

We have been only using our Caldera gas cooktop for about 6 weeks and are very pleased with it. It is a very solid, quality unit. Seems like anything else is this price range looks wimpy in comparison. The stainless steel has a "brushed" look to it and it is so easy to clean and leaves no fingerprints. Powerful heat. Just a great basic unit. When we first got it, it looked massive to us. We were thinking that maybe we should have gone with the 30" one, but now we have no regrets. You can place a big pot or skillet in the center and still have room on the sides for 10" skillets if you ever need to use them at the same time. It's a well designed beauty.

By the way - if you don't get more responses, you may want to start another thread with a different subject posting to get more input from Caldera gas cooktop owners since some scanning the titles may think this is only about the grate problem that I was having but is now solved.

Thanks.
Interesting you say 10" pan. I have several 12" fry pans and my problem is placement on my current (simple stove) top. I had hopes of ease of placement.
Thanks again for your input.
I may have to find someplace that sells them to actually see them and bring my pans.

Trailrunner just posted an update on what she's cooking these days on her Caldera in the kitchen forum--looks like it's still well-loved.

I have the 30" (did I say that?) and I'd buy it again in a minute. Five burners in 30" and nothing interferes with anything else.

Joyce - so glad you got through to Tim - let us know when the grate replacement arrives. And yes, check out Trailrunner's recent posts.

My new grate came today. Thank you all for directing me to Eurochef.

Does anyone know how to get to Al of Caldera? Tim of Eurochef has been trying. My RMT is dead and in need of service-perhaps control board. First E1-tried circuit breaker trick to now avail-dial alive then dead , then just 8. illuminated above 0 in arc. Please help-built my kitchen around this beauty a few years ago and now I am left out in the cold. Thanks for any advice as to parts or service. Tim is great and keeps trying, but he needs literature and parts and information from Al.

I think Al ran off with Joyce's 40 bucks and high tailed it out of the country. Not really sure how far he got with it.
Wish you lots of luck parker!

I have no solutions for those that bought "hi tech" caldera.". The plain old gas stove has held up so far and best of all has no parts that can't be fixed in a jif by anyone that knows gas cooktops.

I sure am sorry for any and all travails of those that have the more hi tech cooktop. I hope a solution is found.

This appears to be a case of "too good to be true". c

Since I realized that I also have a faulty grate (Thanks trailrunner!), I contacted Tim with Eurochef and he will be sending a replacement within the next couple weeks. That was easy! I left a message for him and he returned my call within the same day. So happy that I found this forum as I would have never known until I had a problem. I still have
not had a chance to use my stove yet, but I've been drueling (sp?) over Trailrunner's dinners. Thanks again!

gonzoe glad I was able to help and that Eurochef has stepped into the gap...And it is drooling...:) but who cares...can hardly wait to see the pics of your Caldera in action !! c

We just purchased a 30" Caldera cooktop. I hadn't read this thread and I'm worried that I may have the wrong center grate. It isn't the same as the ones in the pictures already posted. Before I contact AJ Madison for a replacement could someone confirm it for me:

Thanks

My understanding is that only the older 36" Calderas have a problem with the center grate. So, you should be fine with your 30" unit.

I spoke to EuroChef - the cooktops with the bad grates have all been retooled with new grates. They no longer have problems with the grates. If you happen to have the old models and the grate cracks - call Tim at EuroChef.

I love my Caldera cooktop.

I have the old center grate, which just burst into three pieces -- really the first time I used it in earnest. I am pretty disappointed because Caldera did not offer to replace it, they said I could send them a check for $90 ($70 plus $20 shipping) and they would send me the working version of the grate.

Obviously this makes the cost of buying a functional caldera cooktop significantly higher, I expected a little more considering the glowing reviews I had heard here. I'll try calling the Eurostar person above.

I bought the 36 inch Caldera Electric cooktop. I started having problems with it (The touch controls) less than 6 months after I installed it. many Many calls to Al, then to place where I bought it, then distributor. Finally Al called and even thou was under warranty, I had to buy and install a new control board myself. It didn't fix it. Al told me they got outta the electric cooktop business.
Well , that piece of junk is gone now. Had to redo the granite as the Caldera was a 36 inch semi circle---no one else makes one that shape, so had to add a platform on top of the old granite and cut out a rectangle for my new Electrolux Icon Induction cooktop.
That was a HUGE mistake buying that Caldera----sure hope you folks have better luck than I did. The old one is in the TRASH!!!!!!

Gary

I have been using my 36" gas Caldera for 2 1/2 years. It is perfect. I am sorry that the electronic board gave you so much trouble and that Al was so little help. I am a simplistic person so the incredibly simple design of the gas Caldera is perfect for us. The grate was replaced free of charge by Al 2 months after our initial install. It has been perfect also . I sure hope that folks stick with the company and get the plain old simple gas cooktop. It is the best for the money in the cooktop offerings. c

Trailrunner, don't you think there is a good chance they will get out of the gas cooktop/stove market, just like they did the Electric ones? Try getting a hold of Al , or anybody in the Caldera Company---I suspect you will find it, "An exercize of Futility"

Gary

EuroChef (New York) might be able to help. Give them a call (866) 844-6566.

POR QUÉ MI CALDERA SE APAGA Y ENCIENDE CONTINUAMENTE?

https://www.ductless-mini-split-air-conditioner.org/

Tu caldera desarrolla una potencia que entrega a la instalación en función del sistema de regulación que incorpora y también, dependiendo del tipo de control de temperatura ambiental que tengas instalado en tu sistema de calefacción.

La potencia sin control en una caldera no sirve para nada, solo consumiremos gas y lo haremos con un bajo rendimiento.

Las calderas que se apagan y encienden continuamente lo hacen por que regulan la entrega de su potencia a la instalación mediante un sistema Todo/Nada también llamado On/Off .

El sistema de control de temperatura Todo/Nada consiste en apagar el quemador de la caldera cuando la instalación alcanza la temperatura consignada – temperatura de confort- y cuando la temperatura desciende por debajo, vuelve a ordenar a la caldera encender los quemadores y cuando estos se encienden lo hacen a una excesiva potencia para las necesidades del momento, debido a que la vivienda ya está caldeada, los radiadores calientes y bastaría con aportar solo una pequeña cantidad de potencia para mantener el confort.