Well I just wanted to say thank you for posting because I'm one of those people still sitting on the fence. Hope to hear from others.

The whole point to having a built in grill is consistent temperature.

The whole thing sounds like a load of hooey to me. I would buy a thermometer anyway just to check the oven yourself. In general, I found when one nonsensical answer is given to a concern you have, that many more will follow.

Yes, the hooey was indeed flying. Which is why I decided to sit down and map the temperatures out rather than get in an argument. ;-)

Given the price of and promotional statements about these products, I think maybe I wouldn't mind an argument. I hope you let the vendor know what you think of their "white-glove" service. Sounds to me like got a semi-polite version of "take it or leave it".

I suspect you might have the wrong range. The Bluestar is probably not the sort of beast for a person with a thermometer and a stopwatch (unless they are making videos of contests ;-) ) It is a big pile of fire that you cook on. If you are worried about perfect uniformity on a griddle you probably have the wrong range. (griddles do have a hot and a cool side, usually; it allows simultaneous crisping or browning on one side while preparing more delicate items on the cool side. It also allows foods that have adequately browned to be moved to the cooler side to finish up or be kept warm while a side dish is prepared.

The Bluestar is analogue in every respect. It doesn't have digital temperature controls and though it can be calibrated, the temperature in the oven is going to wander around the setpoint with the usual hysteresis seen in any big gas oven.

Basically, if the flames do not inspire you to grab a pan and cook something, you should send it back and get something with electronics in it.

Hoping for more responses to your post. I am also wondering if anyone has had adequate white-glove service in the Central New Jersey area? Good Luck with your new range.

Mojavean posted

"I suspect you might have the wrong range. The Bluestar is probably not the sort of beast for a person with a thermometer and a stopwatch (unless they are making videos of contests ;-) )"

Yes but I would expect it to fall with in a 25 degree swing on each side of the temperature setting. The very least expensive ovens do this. The least they could do was offer to calibrate it.

"It is a big pile of fire that you cook on. If you are worried about perfect uniformity on a griddle you probably have the wrong range. (griddles do have a hot and a cool side, usually; it allows simultaneous crisping or browning on one side while preparing more delicate items on the cool side. It also allows foods that have adequately browned to be moved to the cooler side to finish up or be kept warm while a side dish is prepared."

The flame goes up the middle not to one side. . The whole point to having a built in griddle is uniform temp. If you had an griddle you lay over your burners then you might have warmer and cooler areas .

"The Bluestar is analogue in every respect. It doesn't have digital temperature controls and though it can be calibrated, the temperature in the oven is going to wander around the setpoint with the usual hysteresis seen in any big gas oven.
Basically, if the flames do not inspire you to grab a pan and cook something, you should send it back and get something with electronics in it."

So if you need conventional tolerances, in your oven Bluestar doesn�t provide that? I'm sure Bluestar doesn't tell you that when you buy it and you can't really send it back unless they are willing to buy it back. If I paid that much for a range I would expect all components to meet the conventional standards.

Mojavean: Can you shed any light on your statement about the oven calibration:

"The Bluestar is analogue in every respect. It doesn't have digital temperature controls and though it can be calibrated, the temperature in the oven is going to wander around the setpoint with the usual hysteresis seen in any big gas oven."

My oven is running hot. Tech came out on Friday and said there was NO calibration of this oven possible: ie no adjustments/tweaking of the thermostat. He agreed it runs a bit hot but said the only option would be to replace the thermostat. Since it is only about a half notch off he said I would likely be better off just making do. Apparently he confirmed with Chris at Bluestar that morning that no calibration is possible.

I am confused!! Previously Eric at Bluestar talked about calibration of the oven and the calibration visit on Friday was arranged by Mandy.

Does anyone know the truth of whether the oven temp. can be calibrated? I mean I know I can just dial up a lower temperature and mentally correct, however I am talking about a true recalibration of the settings.

Thank you!

Tina

I have no idea what the "tolerance" of the Bluestar is. I know the oven on my 36" is cavernous and the hysteresis will be noticeable.

I do know that I can cook fine with it.

As far as the griddle goes, there is no such thing as a griddle with a uniform temp all the way across. Just like a pan, they are hotter directly over the flame or element and cooler away from the fire. Large griddles with multiple thermostats are typically run at different temps across the griddle in order to allow moving the food around or for picking certain regions for certain items. Only MacDonalds and the like want perfect uniformity. And GW Posters.

I have no problem with how steady my oven is once it is at temp (30" oven), which indeed does take a fair while, though it is faster now I know where I need to set the dial. But, once equilibrated it is rock stable which I really like. My only question is whether or not there is some adjustment of the thermostat that can be made: mine is definitely consitently ca. 20 F too high, not a big deal true, but I am getting mixed messages about whether or not the t-stat can be adjusted to correct for that (beyond me just dialing up a temp lower than what I require). Thanks!

Tina, I had not seen your post when I replied last. I was addressing an earlier poster.

Okay, here's the deal. The Bluestar uses an Invensys KK series electric thermostat to control the oven and broiler. I pulled the knob off to inspect MINE and it DOES have a calibration screw (it is an extremely small setscrew that may be viewed by pulling the knob off and then looking straight down the shaft into the thermostat. On mine, they had used a little dab of silicone caulk for potting to block off the access hole. Pulled that out and voila, there is a setscrew. This setscrew is normally turned counterclockwise by eighth-turns to lower the oven temp and clockwise to raise the temp. You must HOLD the outer shaft securely while adjusting the little setscrew.

The only way to get at it is with a fairly long barreled screwdriver of incredibly small diameter. Something like an opticians eyeglass set.

Now, I have never tried to adjust mine, I never will adjust mine, I learn how the oven bakes and set the knob in the rough area and watch the food until I am comfortable with how it bakes. After I know how it bakes, I never have to worry about it unless the oven breaks. I will never be caught dead fooling around calibrating a gas oven. I am not recommending that you try to do yours. It may be that with all the turnover at Bluestar that there is nobody there who knows how to do it anymore. It may be that they know and don't want any of their white glove morons monkeying around with delicate controls, OR, it could be that that isn't an adjustment screw at all, but is in fact the key to another universe of intense pain and sorrowful consequences.

In any case, my guess is that if you get a good gas appliance tech in there, somebody who does not need gloves, she can probably get your range dialed in a bit closer for you. But keep in mind that gas ovens always wander around the setpoint. The CANNOT stay the same temp. There is a buffer area around the setpoint that consists of the error over and below the actual setpoint. The oven heats up to where it thinks it needs to be, the burner goes off, the light goes out, the oven slowly begins to cool. When it cools to somewhere BELOW the setpoint, the burner reignites and energy is added again, usually taking the interior of the oven to a point higher than the setpoint before the burner is extinguished. The cycle repeats. The best you can do is catch an average. The only way to have a truly steady oven temperature would be to have a burner adding energy at the exact same rate as it was radiating and convecting away from the interior of the oven. I do not know of any gas range than can do such a thing. I sure as heck DO know that the Bluestar cannot.

So I hope I answered your question. I don't think you will get much help out of Bluestar, but if you want to hire a pro I think one might be able to dial you in a little closer.

I think the service manual says something to the effect of what mojavejean has stated with regards to averaging the readings over multiple burner on/off cycles to see if it's calibrated or not.

mojavean: Thanks so much for all your information - I had just been getting conflicting answers about whether or not there is actually some kind of adjustment screw. Yes, I saw that daub of silicone too - I will not be removing it! I understand fully about the overshoot, the cool down & the fluctation and I am taking all that into account. The average - and it is a VERY steady average once settled down - is 20 F too hot - confirmed by tech. I fully agree with you that since Bluestar is apparently not giving specifics about adjusting the set screw - or even if it exists - that it is probably best now to just offset the dial when I set the temperature. I was just having a devil of a time over the summer when I set the oven because it would be too hot and then I would have to let it cool down and requilibrate and it would be forever before I had it steady. Granted for most items it is not a big deal - but when doing cakes and baked goods you need it to be right.

thull: Thank you - my point was that after all that averaging it is too hot. However, I am happy with the knowledge now that I need to set the dial a bit lower. It does seem like it would be more trouble than it is worth to push the idea of adjustment of the t-stat any further!

BTW, I have NO complaints about the stability of the oven temperature once it has gone through its initial cycles and equilibration. It is excellent and appears to give a very even heat - at least a judged by my cakes which I think come out better than in my old electric oven.

You're welcome, Tina. It was kind of fun, actually. Had the front off of my range for the first time. It was tempting to stick a little screwdriver in there and fiddle around with it on a heller, but we have the will to resist!

hey everyone. had our white glove service here in brooklyn, ny (the companty was elkay service corp.) they were old pros and the guy kvelled over the stove. they replaced the two odd knobs (bluestar sent them the 2 knobs) and tested the oven - it went right to the correct temperature but the crappy (tho not advertised as such) after-market thermometer read 50 degrees low!!! (his was digital and hooked to the grill and i trust that one.) he said that most of the after-market thermometers aren't any good ...the only one he recommends is expensive - a taylor mercury thermometer that he thinks is sold thru williams-sonoma.
he checked every burner for gas leaks (none) and then adjusted the air intake (??) air regulator? because we were getting whiffs of gas after we turned off the burner. tested the broiler.
pronounced it perfect and ready to use
onward!
Oh...since we were chatting i mentioned that someone on the web mentioned that the sides of their rnb was getting super hot and he said that that wasn't right and should be looked at asap.

hello ebean, that would be me with the super hot exterior sides of my BS RNB30. last night i purchased an infrared thermometer and it read that the sides were from 145 degrees all the way to 240 degrees farenheit. we removed the cupboard next to the range so that we could get an accurate reading on the side of the oven. i'm concerned about the custom painted drawerfronts being damaged from the high heat. searching for answers on what to do. my granite was supposed to be cut today, i called them to hold off on it just in case i have to move things a bit with a filler. i really don't want to do that because the cabinets above will not be in line with the base cabinets then. not too happy about this.

I'm sure everyone who bought a Bluestar expects more than a pile of fire to cook on or they could have used a BBQ pit. If they all they wanted was a big burner, they could get a wok burner. They bought ranges and have the right to expect all components to work in a reasonable way. For Bluestar service to be so dismissive of customers concerns is unconscionable.
With a gas oven you have every right to expect certain things. It may not have as narrow a range of temperature as an electric oven, but even the least expensive non convection oven should keep within 25 degrees of the setting. The heating and cooling cycles are controlled by the thermostat. The actual swing is determined by the tolerances of the thermostat. This is a known number by the manufacturer. It is not a mystery. Some may tolerate a 10 degree swing and others 25 degrees. If you have too much of a swing, anything with high sugar content will burn. The narrower the tolerance, the more often the burner/element will cycle. It should be calibratable. Yes you can easily figure out that your oven runs a little hot and off set the thermometer but why should you, especially with what you paid? If it has a calibration screw, it is there for a reason. Calibrating an oven is not rocket science and should be able to be done with someone with fairly basic skills. If what you normally bake/roast is not coming out right, you can buy an inexpensive thermometer and get an idea of what is going on in your oven. I bought two at a restaurant supply for $3.50 and they work well unless dropped or mistreated. In my job,I work daily with thermometers, and even if you have a more expensive digital thermometer, it is only good if calibrated correctly. I would avoid a mercury thermometer because if it breaks then you have mercury spill in your oven.
I would also expect a griddle to keep a fairly even temp. It is not a large griddle with multiple burners and thermostats. It is not a french top. It has a long narrow burner designed to provide even heat over the entire griddle area. This makes two columns of heat across 11-12 inches. This should also be enhanced by using a material for the surface that is heat conductive. Once it has been on awhile,it should be pretty even. Concerns about it should at least be addressed by the service person and it should be looked at. There may be something plugged making the flame uneven. Bluestar's regular burner is star shaped with the idea of providing even heat. Even with cheap pans, will cook evenly, surely they have designed the griddle to cook evenly too.
I do think GW people have higher expectations. They read and have tried to make educated choices. If something doesn't seem right with your appliances-get to the bottom of it. It may be it's just a little different from your last appliance but it may have something wrong that is easily fixed/adjusted, if you can get the right service. I have probably cooked on 9-10 ranges(each one for years) over my lifetime and each did as they were supposed to do. I never gave them a second thought. When we remodeled our kitchen a few years ago, we bought a very expensive range and wall oven. Neither oven worked. In my case after coming to the set temp, the oven temp drifted down by 200 degrees from the set temp. Nothing would cook. They first tried to tell me that was the way it was supposed to be "so your food won't burn". Burn? It won't even cook! The manufacturer could not fix either oven, after many "fixes" and they bought them back. If you are happy with the way your appliance cooks/bakes-great, buy if you're not happy, don't just put up with it.

So wekick, what kind of range do you have?

Wolf.