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maggiejune_gw

Bluestar RNB or Wolf Range?

maggiejune
10 years ago

Hi I am trying to choose a 36" Range. I know this topic is all over this forum but I wanted some updated opinions. I am in love with the Bluestar RNB range. The open burners are awesome. I am concerned about oven performance and quality control/service. There is one rep in my area. I also love the Wolf DF and AG. They are so well built, the customer service is to notch and I can hardly find complaints about the newer models. If they all cost the same which would you recommend? or if you have one of the three could you give me your opinion? I love to cook and bake but am a home cook not a pro. Thanks!

Comments (6)

  • nycbluedevil
    10 years ago

    I have had the 36" RNB for about a year and I love it . I think the oven is great. Everything I have ever used it for--cakes, cookies, roasts--have come out perfectly. I love the size too. I can put two large sheet pans in side by side and they fit. The convection fan is a bit loud. That is my only complaint. I don't think the Wolf is comparable in price. I am pretty sure it is at least 1k more expensive. But I would rather have the Blue Star. The burners on this thing make cooking so much more fun than it ever was before. I love heating a cast iron pan and searing tuna and salmon. The crust is amazing. The burners are beautiful to look at, IMO. And it is easy to clean. We have a grill and it still looks great.

  • gtadross_gw
    10 years ago

    I think there's a few threads directly on point that are worth checking out.

    I have cooked on a wolf DF, and it simply does not compare to the bluestar. The wolf, in my opinion, is just a more expensive version of the "mid-range" lines, like GE Momogram or Amana, that cost half as much. The wolfs burners are sealed, and do not have the same BTUs as the Bluestar. The wolfs sealed burners are also fairly large in size, so using smaller pots and pans results in a lot of wasted heat. For these reasons, Cooking on the wolf was hardly any different than cooking on my old sears range in my apartment.

    Cooking on the bluestar, however, is like cooking on a real restaurant range. You will love the high heat, the star-shaped open burners that'll be very efficient even for small pots and pans, and the ease of cleaning of the rangetop.

    As to the oven, I think the bluestar's is fine, as is the wolfs.

    In terms of reliability, I haven't had any issues at all with my bluestar that I bought two years ago. It is the V1 model that seems to have remedied many of the complaints that were discussed on this forum in the past, such as the hot doors, constant clicking, and broken igniters. As to the first, my oven door never gets hot to the point of burning, although it does get warm. As for clicking burners, the V1 model now uses individual modules for each burner whereas previous models used modules where multiple burners would click when only one was being engaged. Now, when you turn on a burner, only that burner clicks. Lastly, the V1 model seems to use more durable igniters than prior models. I've had mine two years and never had a problem. Even if they break, they're easy to replace (just using a basic screwdriver) and they're only about $25 a piece.

    Some people have gotten a lemon with all kinda of issues with the bluestar and I'm sure the same is true of the wolf. If you do, you'll figure it pretty early on (at least with the bluestar which has no fancy electronics that could cause problems down the line) and should still be under warranty that'll hopefully resolve the issue(s).

    All in all, I think you'd be very happy with the bluestar. I myself was going to get a Viking, but at the last minute changed my mind to the bluestar. Even if I had a perfectly working Viking, I'd have always regretted not getting the bluestar as it really is like cooking on a true restaurant range.

  • cookncarpenter
    10 years ago

    A little over a year ago, I was all set on ordering a Wolf AG, and then I saw a Bluestar!
    nycbluedevil just wrote everything I would, so I'll just say ditto.
    I have the griddle, and absolutely love it! and use it daily :)

  • justmakeit
    10 years ago

    I don't have experience with the Wolfs, but can say that I love my Bluestar 36". There is a learning curve, adapting to the high heat capability, but now that I've got some control over it, my cooking has gotten much better. Love the open burners -- so easy to clean! Love the cast iron burners. Love the even temperatures in the oven and the huge amount of space there. (The downside of all that space is how long it takes to preheat. If I'm just heating up dinner rolls, I'll use the toaster oven. Much quicker.) Stir frying in a round-bottomed carbon steel wok is a revelation! So yes, I guess this counts as a rave review for the Bluestar :-)

  • maggiejune
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you for the great reviews! I am going to go back to the dealer (for the 3rd time) to drool over it! I should just bite the bullet and buy but the rumors over lack of customer service on this forum and other forums make me nervous.

  • gtadross_gw
    10 years ago

    With a purchase like this, I was concerned too. But it put me at ease to know that any new range comes with a full one year warranty that covers everything. The way I figured it, the range is very simple and straight forward with no electronic parts that might burn out years down the line (when the warranty is no longer in effect). So my thinking went that if the range had any serious problems, it would show up during the one year warranty period. As long as I was diligent about contacting bluestar and the appliance store where I purchased it, set forth my problems in writing, and stayed on top of everything, I wasn't too worried even if I had a lemon. Luckily, the one I got was and still is problem free.