# Advice for new range



## strumke (Feb 5, 2017)

Looking to upgrade my range from a standard builder's quality GE to something awesome. Bluestar has some impressive looking stuff, and there's always Wolf. Anyone have experience with some of the higher end home ranges?

Definitely natural gas. I think I'm looking at a 48", but mainly for the options to have room for things like a griddle or infrared burner. I would be using an appropriately sized range hood too. In the Bluestar lineup, the 6 burner + heritage griddle looks pretty interesting, esp with the little broiler under the griddle. I've never used a frenchtop, but this is the last range I'll be buying for a very long time, so I'm open to ideas. $$ isn't the main driver.


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## DamageInc (Feb 5, 2017)

Considered La Cornue or Molteni or Rorgue?


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## panda (Feb 5, 2017)

http://www.vikingrange.com/consumer...ealed-burner-gas-range---vgr#product-overview


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## WildBoar (Feb 5, 2017)

You can come check out my Bluestar if you want. It's 7-8 years old so it doesn't have some of the minor improvements, but the burners are pretty much the same.


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## Anton (Feb 5, 2017)

I've tried 

Viking 
thermador 
GE Monogram - current 


Depending on the specs and look you want to go I think GE monogram is built a bit better than monogram. but the 48" thermador with a steam oven is the best out here I think. Viking not worth the price imo. 

I spent about 3 months researching - if you can try and visit one of the manufacturers showroom 

If money is absolutely no object Wolf or la Cornue custom


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## 9mmbhp (Feb 5, 2017)

I've had a Lacanche Cluny for about 5 years and have been very happy with it. Rock solid construction, reliable (low-tech) components, unique aesthetics, easy to clean, trouble-free since installation. 

I didn't get the french top ('traditional' layout) so it has grates over the large center burner. The grates on either set of side burners can be replaced with the included cast iron two-burner 'simmer plate' which serves as a mini-french top but I typically use copper diffuser plates over the open grates instead. Below the cooktop are 2 small side-by-side ovens, one gas, one electric. Electric side has a broiler. One minor complaint is that the ovens aren't self-cleaning.

The Cluny is 39" (1m) wide, other models go from 24" up to 87" so a lot of customizable space. Induction and convection are available so the cooktop and ovens can be configured in a variety of ways.


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## strumke (Feb 5, 2017)

I'm just starting my research, so my experience is limited to the internet and a wolf that I used at a colleagues place. There are some high end showrooms around me, so I'm going to start looking there. Thanks for the additional brand suggestions to check out as well.



WildBoar said:


> You can come check out my Bluestar if you want. It's 7-8 years old so it doesn't have some of the minor improvements, but the burners are pretty much the same.


Thanks! I may take you up on that. It would be good to get some feedback from someone that's not trying to sell me something (and that has gotten some real life usage). I'll send a PM once I'm at that point.


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## WildBoar (Feb 5, 2017)

strumke said:


> Thanks! I may take you up on that. It would be good to get some feedback from someone that's not trying to sell me something (and that has gotten some real life usage). I'll send a PM once I'm at that point.


No problem.

My sister and brother-in-law picked one up a couple of years after I got mine. Since they are in PA, my BIL went and picked it up from the factory. Their's replaced a Viking that gave them a lot of trouble.

Mine has been trouble-free except for needing to replace a couple of igniters due to liquid getting spilled onto them multiple times.  And replacement was a very simple DIY.

I bought mine through Eurostoves. They seemed to have stopped selling Bluestar a couple of years ago, but have started again. I found them an easy company to deal with.


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## nwdel (Feb 6, 2017)

I did a bunch of research and ended up getting a Capital Culinarian about 3 years ago. The cooktop is awesome, powerful, durable, easy to clean. The oven is good. I'm not a baker so I'm not a good judge and it's not as important to me. Eurostoves had a bunch of videos on them when I was in the market. I considered Lacanche and was a whisker away from getting a Bluestar.


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## Castalia (Feb 6, 2017)

We've had the 36 inch Wolf cook top with five burners for the past several years and been very happy. Gets used everyday. Natural gas is the way to go. We looked at the Bluestar and Viking, but decided the Wolf layout was better.


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## inzite (Feb 6, 2017)

bluestar! love my 48" platinum that came with the array of interchangeable tops.


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## erezj (Feb 6, 2017)

+1 for bluestar

got the cheapest 4 burner cooktop, packed it, carried it on the plane to Israel, 

love the open burners!

Leaving the specs and numbers out of it, every time I open the fire and see that blue burning star...I get happy.

+the sensitivity is amazing, full control all the way from simmer to max


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## DSChief (Feb 7, 2017)

+1 for a Wolf; have been running a 6 burner Challenger since 1990. It gets a service call about every 2 years
to calibrate the oven thermostat & thats it.


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## inzite (Feb 8, 2017)

and here is my bluestar setup with the 48" hampton hood.



DSC03483 by Ricky Cheong Photography, on Flickr


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## strumke (Feb 8, 2017)

So many choices! Lets see more photos of people's setups


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## WildBoar (Feb 8, 2017)

Not much to show for mine. just a 36 inch range below a vent hood, with counter on either side.


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## Seth (Feb 8, 2017)

I have a Viking and I can't say I would recommend. The fan in the oven crapped out after a week and igniters work when they feel like it even if cleaned. The only other comment; hope you vent to the outside....


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## Jovidah (Feb 9, 2017)

Seth said:


> I have a Viking and I can't say I would recommend. The fan in the oven crapped out after a week and igniters work when they feel like it even if cleaned. The only other comment; hope you vent to the outside....



As someone who lost the better part of a year due to chronic carbon monoxide poisoning due to a messed up ventilation system: YES! But that goes for all gas-cooking... Make sure the draft hood / ventilation actually does a proper job instead of just looking nice.


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## 9mmbhp (Feb 9, 2017)

WildBoar said:


> Not much to show for mine. just a 36 inch range below a vent hood, with counter on either side.



That pretty much covers it :biggrin:

Here's a work-still-in-progress snapshot of my Lacanche:


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## aboynamedsuita (Feb 9, 2017)

inzite said:


> and here is my bluestar setup with the 48" hampton hood.
> 
> 
> 
> DSC03483 by Ricky Cheong Photography, on Flickr



LOVE this pic! Is that the Yamada wok I recall you mentioned you picked up? If so, what size and thickness did you get?


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## inzite (Feb 10, 2017)

aboynamedsuita said:


> LOVE this pic! Is that the Yamada wok I recall you mentioned you picked up? If so, what size and thickness did you get?



bingo! according to my amazon order it was the 30cm 1.6mm. love it so far, according to my dad, food done on it has the "wok hei" (wok flavour) that us chinese love (said it reminds him of when back in the days they used eat on the street sides back home). It heats up extremely fast on those two 25k BTU burners located in the center front.


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## aboynamedsuita (Feb 10, 2017)

Cool, I ordered out of Japan and got the 36cm x 1.6mm, came with a few scratches and a couple small rust spots but nothing some very fine sand paper and steel wool couldn't handle. They also offer them in 1.2mm but since I don't have a super high btu wok burner (Iwatani 35FW FTW [emoji38]) I wanted the little bit of extra thickness for heat retention 1.6mm is still pretty thin. The 36cm is as big as I'd want in a home kitchen but you can order pretty much anything from 24-60cm with single or double handles, round/flat bottom, etc. 

Back to the range topic I "think" blue star offers the highest btu burners? That'd definitely be a consideration for me.


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## inzite (Feb 11, 2017)

aboynamedsuita said:


> Cool, I ordered out of Japan and got the 36cm x 1.6mm, came with a few scratches and a couple small rust spots but nothing some very fine sand paper and steel wool couldn't handle. They also offer them in 1.2mm but since I don't have a super high btu wok burner (Iwatani 35FW FTW [emoji38]) I wanted the little bit of extra thickness for heat retention 1.6mm is still pretty thin. The 36cm is as big as I'd want in a home kitchen but you can order pretty much anything from 24-60cm with single or double handles, round/flat bottom, etc.
> 
> Back to the range topic I "think" blue star offers the highest btu burners? That'd definitely be a consideration for me.



hehe the bluestar is great so far, i think you will love it! i would suggest getting the platinum series as it comes with interchangable grates (hot plate, grill plate, etc). I want to get a 36cm now haha, i weny with the 1.6 due to reviews leaning towards that instead of the 1.2. Another reason is big thin item in the kitchen means it will be dinged up by my wife faster hahaha. Just ordered a 10 inch debuyer the other night too. Spending way too much lately haha.


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## Duckfat (Feb 16, 2017)

I had a Viking for 15 years and it was an outstanding product. However the one we had was from the original company and the thing was built like a tank. Viking has gone through a number of buy outs so you are going to see a huge range of reviews depending on what incantation of Viking is being discussed. The new Viking is not something I would consider but I'd suggest seeing that in person if possible. I put in a Wolf DF 2 years ago. Mostly I bought it because my wife has poor vision and the Wolf DF has a big digital read out on the dial. I also prefer a SC oven which limits your choices in a commercial style range. I've nothing but good things to say about Wolf so far. 
If a manual clean oven is an option my first choice would be BS followed by Bertazzoni which frankly is a heckuva lot less $$$ and a nice product although IIR the oven is slightly smaller and the Burner BTU configuration is not as nice as BS or Wolf, then again the Bert is a lot less $$$. If you look at the Bert be sure to price the Master Vs Pro series.


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