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majorweeder

help in choice of 36" range

majorweeder
11 years ago

We are doing a major home remodel and we need to purchase all new appliances. My husband would like to obtain a 36 inch commercial type gas range for residential use. We are looking into the possibility of ordering sight unseen the 36 inch American Range Performer; there is adequate service support for this company in our area, just not a showroom for the residential product.
We are able to look at Wolf, Viking and Thermador products in the same category. (There are no Blue Star distributors in our area.)
Lastly, to muddy the waters, I am attracted to the KitchenAid dual fuel model KDRU763USS as it would be easier to clean the oven in this case.
I would appreciate any advice regarding what might be the best option. Thanks!

Comments (5)

  • deeageaux
    11 years ago

    1)Capital Culinarian. There is a self-clean oven model with motrized rotisserie.

    2)Bluestar RNB

    3)American Range Performer Series.

    As far as dual fuel goes there are advantages/disadvantages to electric range ovens plus a price premium. Not worth it IMO once you include the price premium but if you must......

    Wolf or Thermador. I like the Wolf oven better but prefer the Thermador rangetop.

  • wekick
    11 years ago

    I would ask a few questions-
    What kind of cooking do you do? How do you use your oven?
    Have you considered a rangetop + wall ovens? You can get the best of each component. Many restaurant kitchens are going to induction these days. Have you looked at that? You have the highest and lowest heat available. What appeals to you about a "prostyle" range? Do you have a budget? There is not a "best" range yet in that it is all things to all people, but we can give you a better idea if we know what is important to you. I would search all the brands you named on this forum and there are many discussions about the pros and cons of each .

  • majorweeder
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you deeageaux and wekick for your help.
    Regarding type of cooking, my husband does most of the cooking and I do most of the baking. We are eclectic in "menu" items, with soups, stews, stir fry dishes, broiled/baked meats and fish, pasta dishes comprising the majority of our night-time choices. I grow most of my vegetables and what we do not eat or give away fresh, we freeze, dry or can... so vegies are a big part of our diet. Baked items include bread (yeast or sweet) and occasional cookies, bars, etc.
    The floor plan for the kitchen calls for a free-standing range. I think we would have to jump through a lot of hoops to change to the range top + wall ovens set-up.
    We like the idea of a gas stove because it can be used with power outages which occur with some regularity where we live.
    My husband likes the idea of a "prostyle range" given its ability to provide high heat and as far as I can tell adequate low heat. He is a really good cook, we rarely eat out as I think we eat more interesting, fresh and tasty food at home. I have asked him if he thinks spending a moderate amount of money on a higher end stove is worth it... that is, would it improve his cooking that much more, especially since we struggled for years with an old, decrepit electric Whirlpool stove/oven! He simply stated he thought it was key to have a "prostyle" range in our "new" home! End of conversation!
    We do not have a budget engraved in stone...but do not have unlimited funds.
    So far, I have read a great deal about most of the 36 inch ranges discussed in this Forum and we have just about decided on the American Range Performer. I think it would provide the correct vehicle for our style of cooking and is not outrageously expensive with respect to other choices. Some ranges simply are not available in our area and service would be an issue (e.g., Blue Star, Capital Culinarian). We would have to order the American Range through a kitchen supply company, but they would be able to provide good service support.
    Please let me know if you think we have made a good choice for "us." Thanks!

  • redoingit
    11 years ago

    When I was in your shoes several years ago, I found varying feedback for ranges. I opted for the Wolf 36", six burner DF range. I cook and use the range top every day. I agree that gas is great when the power goes out! I love the oven when I use it, which is infrequently because we have a Gaggenau Combi oven which gets most of the jobs when I cook.

    I left a pot of chili on the stove all day, and it does not burn on the lowest simmer of the small burner. The other burners are plenty hot for any other searing or frying we do.

    With all the use this range gets, I have not had a single issue with it in over 6 years. The inside is pristine bright blue, in spite of the many spills it has seen. Admittedly, I am not a fan of the pizza stone...I have never had a crispy bottom on a crust.

    I love the racks, and I like that the convection allows for baking multiple large trays of cookies at the holidays. The convection roast is great for every meat I have cooked in it, including nice golden turkeys.

    I am into a traditional look, and I prefer sealed burners. I think based on your response, this would be a great range for you. I would buy one again.

  • whit461
    11 years ago

    We looked at all those and were going the route of gas cooktop and double oven. Thermador cooktop. But a local dealer had such a deal on a GE Monogram Dual Fuel that we simply could not pass up. We will be ordering the Advantium 240V in a couple of weeks as a wall oven to supplement. So many people in these forums hate on GE, but we like what we have and frankly it compares very well with the Wolf and Thermador. That's why there are flavors, right?