I've owned a bunch of ranges in my life so far. Rangetop (80s jennair)/regular old gas range (kenmore cheapy) and now my two pro-style ranges.

I absolutely see a difference in the performance of my pro-style ranges. I have a Wolf, and I have a Bertazzoni. I prefer to cook on the Wolf because the function is a bit more fine tuned compared to the Bert but I do really like the Bert too.

Sure any range/rangtop will cook. It's a pretty simple function. Heat stuff up. Doesn't sound too hard right? But the quality of the burners, the clean burn, and more function makes it worth it to me. The Wolf I have has 2 functions, high to low, and a simmer function high to low which is GREAT for things a fancier cook would undertake. I make eggs benedict a lot (I'm a sucker for hollandaise) and the ability to simmer makes it perfect without overcooking it or burning it.

The quality of these higher end ranges is also a major step above most. I have a friend who just installed a mid price GE range, he likes it a bit, but it just feels kind of cheap, everything is pretty light weight, it doesn't have a lot of functions. It works great for him because he really only cooks things that come from cans or from frozen.

If you're serious about cooking, and especially cooking things which require professional setting types (super high or super low heat) you are going to enjoy a high end range very much. Fortunately there are a lot of options out there these days. I will say if I were to buy another pro-style range I would absolutely buy another Wolf.

Good luck!

I vote no-pro unless you just want the look, and it sounds as if you don't care. (I don't.) Instead, I'd go induction next time you need a new range. With induction you will get the fast, high heat you need with easy, minimal clean-up. Prices are dropping as people realize its extraordinary capabilities. The only downside I could see would be if you're still using gas and are a pot-slammer when you start moving fast in the kitchen. I've heard some chefs find that a hard habit to break. Good luck!

Can I come to your house for dinner?

Seriously, I second the suggestion of buying induction AND putting the difference in cost into a dinner out fund. (At least so e of the induction ranges are quite affordable--you can spend more if you want to though.) I love, love, love my induction and hope to never go back to gas. And other people doing the dishes always sounds like an excellent plan to me.

Sounds like you are one of the few who have extensive knowledge and experience with both before making your purchase. You are at least as qualified as any to answer the posted question. Seems like you do not think it's worth it, and many would say the majority of pro-style purchases are about keeping up with the latest look.

Whatever you decide, I'll bet your range will turn out plenty of mouth watering meals!

I'd go for function over fashion.

Have you had the opportunity to cook on induction, at a friend's house or at a showroom?

For me, induction was the best function because of the faster boil, the instant control up and down, and the low constant simmer.

But I have to say that "pot slamming" comment will probably give me nightmares tonight.

If you are really moving fast, and you need to slam pots, then the function of the strong surface of the gas range would be important. If that's the case make sure your kitchen layout is such that nobody is crossing into your cooking zone to get to the fridge or something, and you can move freely without worrying about burning someone.

This post was edited by strayer on Fri, May 30, 14 at 23:10

Cstr, you might talk with your insurance company and building department first. I doubt they would be too happy about you installing true commercial cooking appliances in your home. Expect a long list of required improvements.

You should know more than anyone that they are huge, hot, poorly insulated beasts that require huge amounts of venting and lots of non-combustible space around them, at least that is what friends who are high-end builders have told me about commercial appliances in homes. They all strongly discourage it. Stick with your outdoor grill when you want really hot.

rmtdoug: I think you're thinking about actual restaurant ranges in comparison to the "pro-style" residential units. Actual restaurant ranges are a different beast. I've been toying with the idea of installing a proper professional kitchen in my basement for catering and stuff. Those aren't rated for home kitchen use in general because they lack the proper insulation for cabinetry and if your kid goes on the loose and touches the front of the oven. Professional ranges aren't something to take lightly, they are hardcore cooking machines.

Professional ranges/ovens/friers are not generally recommended for home usage because they aren't as safe in a regular home setting. They are also much harder to get service for unless you've got the proper paperwork and sign offs. Think things like fire control systems, heavy ventilation, and the like. In my situation they would be in a sectioned off specific room where none of the 'casual' users of the house would be using them regularly.

Pro-style ranges offer the same look and some of the same functionality of the professional ranges but have the safety features for home use. Obviously they are not true professional ranges, but they can perform somewhat similar to them.

I like the idea of induction for the OP in some respects, for a modern home with the right cookware it can be great. But I'm a huge gas cooking fan. Disclaimer: I've only used one induction range before. But for me cooking with gas is the end all be all in proper cooking. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I just really enjoy gas cooktops compared to anything else. No matter how quickly they can boil a pot of water.

Sorry for the long post, just seemed like I wanted to voice my opinion on this.

I am from Louisiana where the best cooks when I was coming up, plied their trade on pretty gnarly gas stoves without venting. Of course we didn't have much of a building code back then, nor fire alarms in our houses.
I tend to agree that unless you are searing things twice or more weekly, stick to an outdoor appliance for the higher heats. It sounds as though you know your way around a kitchen, and you may be disappointed if you can't get enough BTUs out of your range to produce the effect you want.

I'm often taken aback when I see the kitchens of what I consider really great cooks. They rarely have all the latest and greatest.

So, no, I don't think you need a pro-style range. But the real question is do you want one. I have relatives who own Harleys they keep in their garages that only get brought out a few times a year for riding. But going out to polish the chrome gives them joy and satisfaction. Is it worth the cost to you to experience cooking on one of those hefty pro-style ranges? Will you get a thrill walking into your kitchen each morning just seeing it there?

Cooking has always been a creative outlet for me and I enjoy it more than just about anything else. When we bought our current home the owner offered us the opportunity to purchase the nearly new pro-style range she'd installed. It was a lot of money for us at the time, over & above all the other costs of relocating plus having 2 kids in college.

I got the range and loved it! Got it for me with no thoughts of showing it off to anyone. Then it began having problems that required a special brand technician to service it and costly replacement parts (not warrantied) to repair it. I finally cried "uncle" when I was told I needed a whole new electronic board to keep it going. I've been using an induction burner & countertop oven to tide me over until I get my far less impressive and far less pricey slide-in induction range with my remodel.

So my take is that I'm happy I scratched the itch of owning a big boss gas range. Some people love cars or designer shoes, jewelry, etc. for me, the big range was "my thing." But I realize I'm turning out just as good meals with my makeshift appliances and I'm over it. If you'd like to try cooking on one of those ranges or just enjoy having it in your home, I say go for it!

IMO, absolutely. I went with a Wolf 36'' open burner (no longer available) 4 burner/ central griddle rangetop and I am extremely happy with it. I needed the larger burners/ more rangetop real estate as I could fit only two large pots on the only Kenmore/ GE. That was a constant source of frustration--and not just during canning season. I cook lots of rangetop meals in large saute pans/ chicken fryers.

The Wolf has 15K burners which is sufficient for everything except a proper stir-fry. For that you need a wok burner (90-125K and I'd be afraid to use that inside my house!) BTW, you can get a great sear on meat w/ the 15K burners using a thin carbon steel wok.

The only fault w/ the Wolf is that the knobs are pretty stiff to turn making it a bit difficult to adjust the flame. Maybe they'll loosen up a bit after it's been in service for a decade or two. On the upside, if you have toddlers, I doubt they would be able to twist the burner on.

I would say yes and no...
I've never owned anything but open burner gas stoves, but I have cooked some darn good meals on basic vacation rental stoves, along with camp stoves, or even an open fire pit... However, cooking on my Bluestar with griddle is such a joy and enables me to go all out with my cooking skills and creativity.

So do you NEED one? ...probably not.
Would you enjoy one, and maybe even find yourself cooking with more enthusiasm? ....I'd bet most likely :)

If it helps, my appliance repair guy who is THE guy all those $$$$ send out to fix there stuff. Will not purchase the $$$$ and says the internals (talking range top not oven), unless you are actually buying restaurant supply, are the same. Just cost a whole lot more.

No. They are not necessary. Yes, you are missing out on something, but is it worth it for you to spend more money? No one but you can decide that based on your cooking needs, desires, home/real estate issues and finances. My guess would be probably not from what you are saying.

I did the upgrade in this kitchen and I have no regrets, and three kitchens ago I was happy with what were more like upper end consumer line appliances. What happened in between? Well, three kitchens ago I upgraded the cooktop to a Dacor gas cooktop and loved it. When we moved, I got a kitchen that had module burners -- one module was a grill that didn't get hot enough to cook vegetables, much less meat and the other had two wonky coil burners. If there had been another module with the other two burners, a previous owner had packed them up in their move and they were long gone. I managed to cook meals for a family of four and an extended family of 16-20 in that kitchen and we ate well. Didn't love having two burners, but I figured out how to make do.

Then we moved again, This kitchen had modules too - but with solid disc burners. I did have four burners this time, but they took forever to heat, longer to cool down, some of them didn't work at certain temp ranges and the sides of the burners were starting to rust out. Kind of looked like burned on discoloration until we saw holes. The door of one oven would not close once opened and tthe other had cracked glass. We bought the house with plans to wait 6 mos to a yr before replacing appliances and counters so we could make sure we were okay with everything else. It took a few more years, but we would up replacing the cabinets and shifting things around a bit. I knew I wanted better than average appliances from the start. but by the time I'd been dealing with the more dysfunctional than functional appliances that I didn't want to compromise. I went with Wolf. No regrets.

You can make do -- with failing appliances, basic appliances, even the camp stove and micro while the kitchen is torn up. If you know how to cook well, you can adapt. It is just easier and you have more control when the appliances aren't fighting you. If you want the easiest and most control, you may want to upgrade to at least top of the standard consumer line or consider pro style.

Kippy, there are some dressed up consumer grade appliances. They have that fancier more pro style look, but they are good looking consumer grade appliances. That's a different critter than what I think the OP is asking about.

No, a pro-range is not "a need", even for the most serious home cook. It's a look, a style -- not really an improvement on the function.

For about a decade I operated a small baking business out of my home with a range that you could've chosen from the floor at Sears for under $1000. I turned down business for lack of time and finally quit because it interfered with more important parts of my life.

Do investigate electric vs. gas vs. induction.
Do investigate convection vs. standard ovens.

So I bought a range for my kitchen remodel -- a gas GE cafe with baking drawer. What sold me was the following: the 2 high-powered burners, 17k and 20k btu, the oval center burner for deglazing roasting pans, the removable griddle for pancakes and such, and the baking drawer for the extra pans of side dishes for parties. I was able to get a very nice price from a local appliance distributor who works with my contractor. The Wolfs/Vikings/Thermidors would have cost 2k or so more. I decided I didn't need 4 high powered burners, since I rarely sear or sauté more than 2 pans at once.

I am not thrilled about the electronic panel on the appliance, but was willing to deal with it in order to get the baking drawer (I am opting for a 30" utility cabinet rather than double ovens in my kitchen). I know the baking drawer is really a glorified toaster oven, but I think it will come in handy. I am hoping that this range will give me the utility I want, and it looks pretty good,too. I will report back with a KAW post when it is all finished.

I just sold my GE cafe. I now have a Lacanche. I think the main burner I used on the GE was very good. It went way hot and way low. I didntnlike any other burner. I also hated not being able to fit dutch oven, pasta pot, and large frypan on top. My Volnay handles all three with room. And even though I think my BTUs may actually be a little less than they were on the big burner on the GE, I swear my pans get way hotter for searing, no comparison. There must be more to it than BTUs. Love the simplicity of the Lacanche, no chicken nugget buttons thank God! I do find it tough to get a low simmer, have to use a simmer plate even on smallest burner. I should use the french top more for that I think. Still getting to know it. And bonus, its gorgeous.

I could definitely have put a lot into an eat out fund...but when I got done eating through the fund I wouldnt have my lovely range to show for it.

I'll come over to your house for dinner, OOTM :-) ! I try to be efficient and minimize the number of pans I need to use at once. I like to make a game out of it, because I hate seeing a giant pile of cookware needing to be scrubbed at the end of the night! My contractor was trying to convince me that I needed a 36" stove, but I have never felt that my usual 30 inchers made me feel cramped. I agree that the Lacanches are gorgeous! Enjoy it!

Our 30" RNB Bluestar was not crazy expensive - about CAN$3000. It is a wonderful upgrade from standard gas ranges that I've used before. It has completely changed how we cook and I love how simple it is with minimal plastic and no electronics. I would not be willing to pay more than that, but I am really happy that we spent a bit more. We cook a lot so that makes it worth it to us. I was happy to cheap out on the fridge to make this possible for our budget.

Cstr, come on over! Currently prepping lamb chops, lots of garlic and just cut thyme and rosemary from backyard pots, corn on the cobb (cause I forgot I had it and we need to eat it), and scalloped potatoes- my second time with them, they were a big hit the first time.

DH is with you, says I dirty way to many pots and pans at once. With my warming oven, I feel I have more flexibility. I like my food hot! So cleanup would just have to wait if my timing required me to be cooking instead of cleaning to make sure everything is done at the same time. I feel less pressure that way with the warming oven, although some items are still best straight from the pan and not out of an oven. But some things can hold just fine, letting me clean a little as I go. Enjoy you Cafe, I liked its oven with probe a lot, and that one stacked burner!

OOTM_Mom: I'm coming over too. My Volnay doesn't arrive until mid-August and lamb chops sound delicious. I just pulled a boule out of the oven that I'll contribute (I love Ken Forkish's bread book). But mainly can I oogle your Volnay? :) Happy Cooking!

Progress continues and things change. High end restaurants are equipped with induction. And a top chef like Heston Blumenthal has a Gagg hob in his island end. No gas. Powerful, faster and easier to control than gas. No one needs to pump all those btus into their kitchen either.
See it at 35 seconds in.

Here is a link that might be useful: How To Cook Like Heston

Not a "great cook" here but I cook a lot. Have a Blue Star RNB that I bought for very specific reasons that do not all have to do with cooking.

I liked the looks, it fit in my old-house kitchen, loved the "Garland" burners. I admit it -- I liked the vibe of the stove. I liked its old fashioned no frills aesthetic, and I was also smitten by the idea of having a color.

I do love having the power when I need it, and I do love the control. When you are making dinner for people and they are all standing around in the kitchen, it is nice to be able to get the pasta water up to a boil quickly. The simmer burner is excellent. I like flames. In a new house kitchen I would have chosen induction. But in this house the Blue Star is a perfect fit.

One of the reasons I chose the Blue Star is that it is easy to completely dismantle the entire stove top and clean. That has continued to be a very appreciated feature because if you cook a lot, you clean a lot.

I also found Iove being able to put full size trays in the oven because we make biscotti and granola on a regular basis.

So my answer is -- buy a range that meets your very particular needs, both aesthetic and culinary, whether it is a professional range or not.

I know cstr purchased the "a gas GE cafe with baking drawer".
But in case I can help influence others to switch to induction, then you can thank me later :)

I was exactly where cstr was 4 years ago when I started down my renovation path. I grew up in a Chinese restaurant where it was BTU BTU BTU: tons of open flame.
But in the restaurant, you get to scrub it down and hose it all down.
I am so glad that I went 36" Miele induction because I get BOTH: the great response of the high heat AND the easy clean-up.
I have several friends w/ Wolfs and Vikings open/closed burners and they all b*tch about cleaning it. Some will only cook the day before their house cleaners come.

I can't remember which GW members persuaded me to look into induction, but to you: I say THANK YOU!

Amanda

i like to cook a lot. and i like to bake a lot, too. pizza, breads with commercial yeast and sourdough, sweets....i've always had gas ranges with inadequate ventilation. the range and vent were our splurge. dh wanted to be able to sear the hell out of a steak. without setting off the fire alarm. i wanted to stop being a burner jockey and have a some extra burners and a larger oven for the entertaining i do. luxuries to be sure as what we had before was totally adequate and led to minor inconvenience on occasion. searing outside on the grill in january in boston is unpleasant. we did do it on occasion, though. i guess my point is that you answered your own question....not necessary. but in the few short weeks that i've used my new 6 burner pro style high btu range with the vortex hood, i can't tell you much more pleasant the whole experience is. for me, it's worth it. and the longer i have it, the more it will have been worth it.

In my previous home, I had a commercial Wolf range (not the Sub zero/Wolf) with six burners rated @ 26,000 BTU each and a commercial TEC infrared char-broiler. To evacuate all this heat and smoke, I had a custom designed commercial hood with built-in make-up air. My insurance company had no problem as long at it was installed to code, which it was. I used this configuration for fourteen years.

We moved this past January to a completely remodeled MCM house of my dreams. I went with induction and it was one of the best decisions I've made. Boils water faster than the Wolf. Simmers lower than the Wolf. And it's easy to clean. I admit I was just sick and tired of trying to keep a commercial range clean. I got a lot less maintenance, more control than gas and I'm not pumping all those BTU's in my face while I'm cooking.
Sounds like a win-win to me.

Pro style ranges are by no means a gimmick. They are more powerful and definitely more fun to cook on than a regular gas or electric range. But do you NEED one as a serious cook - NO! I know many more serious cooks with coil top electric ranges than prostyle gas ranges.

As for me, well I'm more of an induction guy. Several reasons, including technology and functionality, but one of them is looks. I don't want a giant hulking range as a showpiece in my kitchen. As a matter of fact, I don't get the whole "prostyle" craze at all. I don't have a commercial kitchen, why should I make it look like I do? But that's just my opinion and I'm not at all trying to knock those who do like that style.

Whether it's worth the extra $$$? Only you can decide.