If you can't vent outside, it will really limit your choices. Some of the recent reviews of the D3 have not been good. Then again, no one on GW likes GE Monogram ovens, either, but that's what we got for our 30" space.

Thank you for your comment Whit461 ... are you happy with it. I also looked at the Monogram, but also got scared away by the GE name as I have had bad experiences with them before

Thank you for your comment Whit461 ... are you happy with it. I also looked at the Monogram, but also got scared away by the GE name as I have had bad experiences with them before

teddieross and ctbert:

So, you each want to put in a dual fuel stove with five burners and maybe no way to vent to the outside?

Well, one of the stock responses around here to questions like these is to suggest you look at induction ranges, instead. A lot more efficient than coil and smoothtop-radiants, induction has all the power and control of gas (and maybe more) without throwing combustion by-products and waste heat into the room. Induction does not eliminate the need for venting because you will still be generating steam and maybe smoke and spatters, depending on what and how you cook.

I've posted a link below to a recent thread which may point you to other threads on induction. (I cite this one because ctbert mentions going to LP and that was the specific question in that thread.) But if you've actually read through every thread here, maybe you've already seen these discussions and have decided against induction?

As for the VIking D3 line, there have been a four or five rather short threads here on D3 stoves in which, as Whit461 says, some folks have the impression the D3 is a pretty stove but not really better than major-brand units costing hundreds less. Several folks have reported being happy with D3 appliances, though. For searching for these threads, try using the search box at the bottom of the page or go out to google.

Personally, I would be leery of the D3 right now simply because Viking was just acquired by Middleby Corp., several hundred employees have left the company, and future product lines and support have not yet been sorted out. The suspicion is that the D3 line might be dropped if it starts eating into sales of the more expensive VIking product lines.

If dual fuel is absolutely in the cards, for a $3K budgets, I might be more inclined to look at GE Cafe and Electrolux/Frigidaire dual fuel stoves.

Here is a link that might be useful: propane or induction?

I wold not touch it with al the differnetburner sizes.

You also need to look very hard at what chages they made in the controls.

The older Viking dual fuels used a decent pile of mechanical relays, but luckily they are 'commodity' parts available from many sources.

The oven control knob is about the only really 'custom' thing on the schematic.

I just replaced an dual fuel relay on a Viking with the identical part (right down to the part number on the part form Omron) for less than $10 when Viking wanted over $85 for the same relay.

Viking was very adept at making the part picture fuzzy enough to require the part number it to be taken off the original part.

It would appear they took a lesson from GE on replacement parts.
It was cheaper to replace a GE microwave (and not with a GE) than purchase just the table rotor motor.

This post was edited by brickeyee on Sat, Mar 30, 13 at 12:04

Sorry for the late post. Yes, we really like the range. Though we have honestly been using our Advantium more than the range oven. Both are new for us, and the only GE items we bought for our remodel.

That said, we made an early Easter dinner for our family today; Osso Buco in our Dutch oven. Can't wait for DW to do her famous short ribs same way. Range oven worked fine, seemed to heat very evenly and stayed where we set it. We do use a small inner thermometer in the oven as an old habit. Racks slid in and out fine, door closed fine, I drank most of the Sav Blanc. Rolls were done in the Advantium.

I'd listen to JW, who has been very helpful in other threads, as well as brick eye. And several friends have the Cafe and it works great for them.

Whit: thanks for the complementary comment.

Teddieross:
The monogram is a very nice stove but GE has been bumping its prices upward lately. AFAIK, the 30" monogram DF is currently running about $5k+ so it may be out of your budget range.

I looked pretty hard at the current model of the GE Cafe DF when I was shopping. I found a lot to like, but the price increases took it beyond my budget. The Cafe line had some design problems when they first came out four or five years ago, but those issues seem to have been resolved with the current models. As Whit says, there are numbers of threads here discussing them. (There's even a longish post by me on the Cafe but its probably off point for you as I was comparing it to the all-gas NXR. While I think the NXR is very good value for the money ($2k), it does have 15k-btu-hr burners and a pretty strong gas oven, so I would recommend against it for a kitchen without an externally venting range hood.)