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susandumond

Dual Fuel 30 inch Range: Wolf or GE Cafe?

susandumond
11 years ago

I'm finally replacing a 24 year old oven and I'm wondering if it's worth going for the Wolf or do I go middle range such as the GE Cafe? I definitely want dual fuel and I only have a 30 inch space to work with. I have heard some good things about the GE Cafe yet I have also heard bad things about GE products breaking alot and their service isn't good. If I want to stay in mid range, there is also the Jenn-Air and Kitchenaid. yet I have seen complaints on them as well. So if I do go for the Wolf? I also want to get a single wall oven. Again, do I go for the Wolf? Dacor? Thermador? Help! How do you sort this all out.

Comment (1)

  • wekick
    11 years ago

    I have a Wolf DF but have used a couple of the GE convection ovens, one for a week in a rental condo and my SIL has a Profile that I have used intermittently. Here are a few of the differences and questions that I would have about the GE. I would read the manuals to get an idea of what they are supposed to do.

    There are two types of convection ovens. There are ovens that move air with a fan only and there those that have a third element with the convection fan. This is helpful if you have your oven packed out or baking several racks of cookies. From what I can see the Cafe has a fan only. The Wolf actually has dual fans and convection elements. There is an all convection mode that uses just that heat. I haven't used the all convection mode on mine because it heats so evenly on just the conv bake and roast modes but it is probable that these elements come on during these modes to and contribute to that evenness in heat.

    The Wolf has roast and bake modes in conventional and convection. The roast mode brings heat more from the top to help in browning. The bake mode brings more heat from the bottom. The Cafe has bake and roast mode but the manual is not clear on how it works. The Wolf has dehydration and proof modes as well. There is a stone mode but I don't use that. It is possible that you can use the oven in the GE to dehydrate if the temperature goes low enough in the convection setting. The GE in the convection mode auto corrects the temperature that you put in which I found to be very irritating. I don't know if you have used convection before but it is a "rule of thumb" to decrease the temp given in a recipe by 25 degrees. This oven does that automatically. The problem is that is not always the way it works. Another thing I noticed on one of the GE ovens is that the convection fan only ran intermittently. I think my SIL's fan runs all the time.

    I also have a single wall oven --a wave touch Electrolux. It has a third element as well but not a dedicated convection mode. It heats very quickly(7 or so minutes to 350 degrees)and evenly. I use it the most. Most people that have them here like them. When I first bought it there was a problem with the enamel and they replaced the oven immediately. I had a Dacor oven and range before that for about 7 mos that never worked and they finally bought back. Wolf makes a great oven as well but for more $$.