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swimman

Bluestar Rangetop or other model?

Marc Miller
11 years ago

I'm currently shopping for a new rangetop for a house that is about to start construction. I'm leaning more towards Bluestar from the research I have done - either the 30" four burner or 36" four burner/griddle. I am also considering Fivestar, Electrolux or DCS (but keep coming back to BS). Are there any other comparable rangetops like the Bluestar that owners can recommend?

Regarding the 36" with griddle, is the unit easy to clean (griddle area)? Any issues with function?

Thanks in advnace.

Comments (6)

  • PeterH2
    11 years ago

    The only rangetop that is comparable to the BlueStar is the Capital Culinarian. If you search these forums, you will find lively debate about the pros and cons of the two relative to each other, but both are fine appliances that will serve you very well. Just remember this is like comparing Ferrari and Lamborghini when all the other choices are Fords.

    PS: Ignore comments about simmer burners on the Capital - they now ship with a dedicated "small pan burner".

    PPS: If you decide to buy a Capital Culinarian, and want to purchase online, buy it from Trevor at Eurostoves (Google for it).

  • brianmeek
    11 years ago

    I opted for the Bluestar 36" rangetop with 6 burners. I love it. I considered the griddle option, but felt I would be better off with a large stand-alone griddle that can straddle two burners.

    I don't regret the decision at all - much more griddle real estate and more room / options for burner usage (the griddle sits on the rangetop probably half of the time - ready for use).

    BTW, finding the right griddle can be a challenge - often they're sold for camping rather than in-home usage on a pro-style rangetop. A link to what I found is below.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Chef King 7 Gauge Steel Griddle, 14x23

  • Marc Miller
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the info. I went to the dealer today and check our the BS and CC models. I'm still leaning toward the BS and think the 36" 6-burner like brianmeek has will fit the bill. We currently have a separate griddle that we use on the cooktop which should work well on the BS. Still have time to decide as we plan to close in early Sept and construction should start in two weeks or so. Overall, I really like the build quality of the BS as well as ease of cleaning. The ignitors are easily replaced/swapped. Now I need to start thinking about hoods!

  • brianmeek
    11 years ago

    I've heard great things about the CC option, but I've never seen one outside of pictures on this forum. Your points on the Bluestar cleaning and maintenance are spot on - going on 3 years of heavy use now and I've not had to replace any ignitors yet (so I still have the spares that came with unit ready to go).

    I have friends over who own sealed-burner Wolf or Viking ranges and when they see the Bluestar's open burners in action, the cleaning process, the slide-out drip-catching tray, etc. they go away seriously considering an upgrade :-).

    I went with the 42x24" vent-a-hood (600 CFM), no complaints there either. I bump my head on it once and awhile, so I guess I'm glad I didn't opt for the 27" depth. Picture attached from when both items were newly installed :-).

  • Marc Miller
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Brian - great looking setup. I think I made the right choice!

  • brianmeek
    11 years ago

    since swimman mentioned the easy igniter replacement of the Bluestar, I thought I would relay this experience.

    While doing some range maintenance last weekend, I found that after reassembly, one of the igniters was making the characteristic clicking sound without the all-important spark. The same burner had been intermittently finicky like this in the recent past...

    I found that oil had worked its way between the cast-iron burner and the stainless support frame, then sort of varnished in place... I brushed that all clean, figuring the oil layer might be blocking the path to ground - that didn't fix it. But I found the same "varnished oil" deposit fouling the connection between the base plate of the igniter and where it screws into the bottom of the burner. Cleaning all that too brought the spark back. No need to replace the igniter itself.