befuddled by new ranges - fancy schmancy or plain jane?

Hi all,

We are considering two extremes - either a nice Samsung/LG/comparable 30" stove under $2k OR a more commercial type oven (i.e. Blue Star Model RNB304BSS) on the lower end of the high end. The current drop in is 30" but we could actually go up to 36". My husband does a lot of stovetop meals with stir fries and such while I tend to occasionally use the oven for baking.

In addition to the higher cost of the "fancy" oven, we are learning we'd then also need a hood. In turn, we'd need to find a new home for our microwave, which is currently over the oven. In concept, the fancy oven would make my husband happy, but I wonder if it's worth the extra cost and work to reconfigure for the hood and microwave and if he'll actually get greater utility out of the fancy oven given that the "standard" models are decent in both function and looks.

Thoughts on "taking the plunge" with fancy or "keeping it safe" with plain jane? I think the fancy oven could be a great showpiece, but I also hate spending money on something that becomes another project and doesn't function significantly better than the standard version.

Any input on models, buying experience, user experience, etc. is welcome.

I have a Bluestar rangetop (i.e. just the stovetop, not the oven) and love it. But rather than think about fancy vs plain jane, think about the features that you care about. Do you care more about ease of clean up, ability to get higher heat for stir frying, looks, etc? For most people, the quality of the stovetop and oven will have very little effect, if any, on the quality of food.

One advantage of some higher-end brands, such as Bluestar, is that you can get open burners. These allow for a slightly higher BTU (which is good for boiling water faster and stir frying over very high heat). Most people, though, have closed burners and aren't any worse off. I also find open burners easier to clean. If something boils over, the liquid just falls through the stove onto a drip tray.

Another issue is the distribution of BTU across the burners. For example, my stove has two very high heat burners in the front and a medium and low heat burner in the back. This is pretty typical, but if you do a lot of stir frying (or boiling water) you probably want to avoid stoves that have a more even distribution of BTU across the burners. Similarly, if you make a lot of delicate sauces or rice, you may want a really good low-heat burner.

One thing that I love about the Bluestar is that the entire top is cast iron and comes apart really easily. This makes it really easy to clean. It also looks great and doesn't show any grime. It's also really versatile. You can turn burner grate upside down to increase the distance between the flame and the pot (which is good when you want really low heat). You can also remove a grate, which allows a fully rounded wok to sit right on top of the flame. The Bluestar website has some videos, if I recall, that demonstrate all of this.

Similarly, think about features for the oven. Do you want convection? Do you want low heat (for proofing bread dough, heating plates, or keeping food warm)? Etc.

Don't think of the hood as necessary with the Bluestar but not with the plain jane. The hood is useful for both. The Bluestar may have slightly higher BTU than the plain jane stove, but as a practical matter you'll be putting out the same amount of heat, smoke, smells, and oils with both units. The hood is there to trap and remove that. Yes, buying and installing a decent hood can be expensive. It might be worth getting some price quotes for installation services. What's the kitchen like when you stir fry? If you buy a hood, make sure it is 6" wider than the stovetop. i.e. if you buy a 30" stovetop, get a 36" hood so that the whole stove is covered by the vent.

I bought my stovetop at Abt. They have great prices and great customer service. The only issue is that they don't (or didn't when I bought) stock Bluestars in the showroom.

kithat wrote:Hi all,

We are considering two extremes - either a …...stove under $2k OR a more commercial type oven….on the lower end of the high end.

I've been in the market for a new stove but don't have the budget for anything near 2000 bucks.

I've been eyeballing scratch and dent units for six months at Sears outlet in Melrose, my budget is 700 and under, and when there I also walk the "upper end" residential stoves just to see how the other half lives.

What I see once you hit 1500 bucks is a ton of "features" that could make cooking more diverse and also more pleasurable. I'd assume lower end new commercial stoves puts you back to the same features I'm looking at on residential stoves in the 700 dollar price but with way way more BTU's.

I'd love the ability to have 30000BTU in my kitchen but know I might also burn the place down too much easier.

Darren72 wrote:I bought my stovetop at Abt. They have great prices and great customer service. The only issue is that they don't (or didn't when I bought) stock Bluestars in the showroom.

Interesting. So did you get to see the unit in person? Or did you order sight unseen?

rtb178 wrote:

Darren72 wrote:I bought my stovetop at Abt. They have great prices and great customer service. The only issue is that they don't (or didn't when I bought) stock Bluestars in the showroom.

Interesting. So did you get to see the unit in person? Or did you order sight unseen?

Another store had a range in their showroom. So the unit that I was interested in was similar to that, but without the oven. So I got to see it before I bought, but even then it isn't the same thing as actually using it.

I rent an apartment, so I don't own (or have a choice in) my stove. I will chime in for those of us who are in the "plain Jane" end of the spectrum.

About 3 years ago, my landlord replaced the stove with a Whirlpool model XFG361LV7 gas range. The current comparable model can be seen here, and sells for about $500 - $600 at Sears or appliance stores. For a "plain Jane" range, I have been happy with it. It has one 13,500 BTU burner, two 9500 BTU burners and one 5000 BTU simmer burner. For my needs, that is generally enough. I especially like the simmer burner, the reasonably sturdy burner grates, and the "warm" feature for the oven. I periodically check the oven temperature with an oven thermometer and so far it has been very accurate. I certainly like it much better than its predecessor which was a GE gas range.

About 20 years ago we put in a 4 burner Viking with convection.
Simple, 4 -15KBTU burners, simple to take apart, oven walls included, a veritable tank of a range.
It did require a two fan Viking hood ducted to the exterior tht cost as much as a conventional range but it is there to not only vent odors but heat to the exterior. I would not have one of the newer units that just vent to the interior.
Combine 15K burners with Falk copper pots and pans and you have extremely fast heating and changes in pan temps. The convection oven is akin to the Bessemer steel process.
The fact that is doesn't have digital control or other fancy features is not missed at all.
What it does have is heat, easy to clean and longevity.-Dick

While I very much like my Thermador gas cooktop and separate double GE electric oven (I've never seen convec with gas), there are some pains: Thermador only uses a nonstick griddle for their griddle plate, I'd much prefer a plain steel surface (I've replaced it once at a $300 cost because the non-stick flakes off), and the only configurations with a massive wok-style burner take up 4 regular burners (I don't wok frequently enough to justify... but 18k btus isn't quite enough for wok hay).

Upgrading the exhaust may be pricey -- especially if it's on an island. Island hoods are outrageously priced.

One other thing: I found my previous sealed burner gas-on-glass GE much easier to keep clean than the Thermador. The star-shaped burners are gunk magnets. They distribute heat better, but scrubbing in between the arms is difficult compared to a traditional round burner.

Hi,

There are two Samsung slide in ranges with True-Convection, Warming Drawer and Five Burners that more than fit your needs. Either can be easily purchased for under $2,000. (I bought the first one for $1,900.) Consumer Reports gave these their top ratings and my experience bears out their recommendations. Great cooktop control and excellent oven performance.

NX58H9950WS Slide-in Gas Chef Collection Range with True Convection

NX58H9500WS Slide-In Gas Range with True Convection

Tim

Fancy-schmancy and plain-jane are not necessarily price points. Some of the higher-end models are very simple but basic, others are pointlessly elaborate. I have a Dacor cooktop that's basically on-off-simmer. Real workhorse and very little that can fail. I also have a Thermador double-oven that's a bomb waiting to go off. It's all electronically controlled and a single glitch can (and has) rendered both ovens unusable simultaneously. Fortunately I have a third (commercial) oven which is a solid workhorse. My advice is to stick with less electronic crap.

JoelF wrote:While I very much like my Thermador gas cooktop and separate double GE electric oven (I've never seen convec with gas

Convection with gas is very common. Just about any manufacturer who makes convection ovens (all of them, I'd guess) makes gas versions.

Curious. Perhaps not doubles?

JoelF wrote:Curious. Perhaps not doubles?

Nope. My Thermador double ovens are both gas/convection.

Well, it was ten years ago that I shopped for mine... Possibly it was budget.