help choosing 48" stainless range ($15K) for new house

9 years ago

Hi everyone, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the many threads here on this topic - so I decided to follow the advice of some posters and ask you all for advise based on the specific ways we cook. So here goes - thank you so much in advance for any help you can provide.

We are building a new house in the Seattle area, and we are looking for a 48" range because we like the look and want 2 ovens. Our gas is propane. We use both the cooktop and oven equal amounts. Our budget is $15K, though savings would be great so that we can splurge in other areas of the house. As for cookware, we currently use stainless pots, a non-stick griddle pan, a Lodge cast iron pan, a pizza stone, non-stick cookie sheets, etc.

Common cooktop uses: fried eggs, pancakes, pasta, rice, quinoa, beans, fajitas, bacon, stir fry, phad thai, peanut sauce, canning (huge pressure cooker), soup

Common oven uses: bread, burgers (broiled), baked french fries, homemade pizza, fish, roasted chicken, cookies, casseroles

I've read a lot of threads about sealed vs open burners, so I understand the general differences. It seems to me that the performance advantage of open burners is neutralized by sealed burner models that have dual burners (like the Wolf). But besides performance of the cooktop, we also care a lot about how hard it is to keep it looking nice. We've cooked a lot on a Dacor sealed burner cooktop that has what seems to be a very common black ceramic surface under the burners, and it's a nightmare to keep clean (because it's black and because it smudges after cleaning). Lastly, we want the range to be stainless. And obviously reliability is something we care about.

Okay I think I've covered the most important things, but feel free to ask if I forgot anything. Thank you!!

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Comments (7)

ChristyMcK
9 years ago
There are many fans of induction here on the forum and they always cite how easy it is to keep their cooktops clean. I'm not sure there are 48" induction ranges but if you could do a cooktop with separate ovens, you might consider induction. Induction has a very different feel and experience that gas so making the decision to go with induction or gas could be a first step.

In terms of gas stainless steel ranges, there are many fans of blue star which have open burners so I'd take a look at that as well. Most open burner ranges have cast irons tops I believe, which may or may not live up to your easy-to-clean expectations.

Lacanche is a french made stove that has lots of fans (we recently bought one) that is gas. Their US office is based in Woodinville which is convenient for us who live in the Seattle area. These IMHO are gorgeous ranges with great functionality and you can confgure them to your liking. www.frenchranges.com

Gas ranges typically have a propane option.

Good luck narrowing it down!
Lauraeds
9 years ago
I've just installed a 48" dual fuel GE monogram range. I love it - am super happy. I wrote a little more on the thread below (as did some other people). Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: 48
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hvtech42
9 years ago
You'd need a biiiiiiiiiiig breaker for a 48" induction range.
friedajune
9 years ago
You mentioned your budget. Does it include the cost of a hood and the hood's ductwork for the 48" range? Your hood will need to be 48" or 54" wide, and you will need the ductwork sized properly for that hood, at least 8" diameter duct, preferably 10" diameter. Also, does your kitchen plan include the loss of upper cabinetry due to the hood?

You may have already planned for these things in your budget and your kitchen design, but I thought I'd mention them in case you hadn't.

If you do not want such a large hood, but still want two ovens, you could always go the route of double wall ovens plus a rangetop of 36", so that your hood would only need to be 36" or 42" wide.
mbishop22
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you all for the comments. To answer some of your questions...our budget is for the range only, and our kitchen design does accommodate the large hood/duct. We like the look of a range rather than a separate cooktop. After doing more research, we are leaning toward an open burner like Blue Star and CC. Lacanche is too fancy looking for us - we are going for a contemporary look that is more industrial.

If anyone could point me to good threads comparing BS and CC, that would be great.
hvtech42
9 years ago
Here you go.

Here is a link that might be useful: BS vs CC

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Sun, Aug 10, 14 at 13:44
tinyhomebuilder
9 years ago
mbishop writes:

But besides performance of the cooktop, we also care a lot about how hard it is to keep it looking nice. We've cooked a lot on a Dacor sealed burner cooktop that has what seems to be a very common black ceramic surface under the burners, and it's a nightmare to keep clean (because it's black and because it smudges after cleaning). Lastly, we want the range to be stainless. And obviously reliability is something we care about.

_________________________________________________________

I also came from exactly that same sealed/burner ceramic coated surface nightmare. It was one of the major reasons we chose BlueStar.

The whole top of the stove is just one big black seasoned cast iron frying pan.

It's a snap to keep clean and looking nice!