[vondy]

Ideally I would buy myself a 30 inch BlueStar gas range. But I don't have the $3,000 -$4,000 to do that at this moment so I have started to think about a more Domestic style range.

I'm looking to spend around $1,500. 4 burner is fine. My main concerns are quality and a good flame. I would also like a commercial feel, stainless and a more flat grate look.

I really don't know where to start. There are several GE models out there. I kind of like the looks of the KitchenAid, Kennmore Elite, Bosch and Jenn-Air.

Any thoughts on these?

Thanks!

[Chef Mike]

BTU's is where it's at. I go into multi-million $ homes all the time, and have seen some real nice stuff, but BTU rating and control is irrefutable. The kind which have the grates all separate, but are placed so that they are continous so you can drag big pots around, or straddle two burners, is a good thing to have.
I looked and looked, and got a real nice sealed burner Kenmore unit from Sears early this year for under $400. 5 burners- lots of BTU's, nice, simple.
Stainless finish will always run about $100 more.
Check Sears.com, and you can see so many models it will blow your mind.

[Nicko]

I purchased a Jenn-Air and have been very happy with it. It is a 5 burner stove, the oven is a very large capacity and it also has convection cooking. In addition it also has some really nice features such as a proof cycle and a drying cycle.
The burners are all 9,000 btus except one which is a 16,000 which is great for really getting your pan hot.

Here is the link: http://www.jennair.com/ja/products/p...seBVCookie=Yes

I paid about $1,200

Here are the specs from Jenn-Air

# Convertible to LP gas.
# Available in black or white floating glass and in stainless steel with black accents.

Control Panel
# Electronic oven controls with keypad entry activate with just a light touch.
# Customization options include control lockout and 72-hour Sabbath Mode.
# Delay-start cooking and cleaning puts your oven to work while you're doing other things.
# Electronic clock with timer provides a sleek look and easy operation.
# Favorite Setting makes it easy to program and save the oven settings for a favorite family recipe.
# Cook & Hold setting keeps food warm in the oven for up to one hour after the preset cook time has expired.
# Keep Warm™ option keeps food warm while you're waiting for guests to arrive or finishing up the meal.
# Bread Proofing protects bread dough from room temperature changes or drafts during proofing.
# Auto Convection Conversion takes the guesswork out of convection cooking for consistent results.

Cooktop
# Ultra high performance 16,000 BTU burner offers quick heat-up for boiling.
# Ultra low output simmer burner reduces to 600 BTUs for heating delicate sauces.
# Porcelain-on-cast iron burner grates are durable and stylish.
# Infinite surface control settings provide pinpoint temperature control for gourmet cooks.
# SureFlame™ ignition protection prevents flame from being accidentally extinguished by drafts.
# Electronic pilotless ignition lights the flame reliably every time and eliminates a standing pilot.
# Five sealed gas burners with lift-off burner caps provide easy cleanup and greater cooking flexibility.

[MikeLM]

Nicko-

"Customization options include control lockout and 72-hour Sabbath Mode."

What in the world is a Sabbath Mode and why does it last 72 hours?

Does that make it a Kosher Cooker, or a Halal Cooker, or one suited for Seventh Day Adventists? Mormons, maybe? Wiccans?

Oh, I bet it's a special mode for Scientologists!

Seriously - sort of - I would be interested in your definition.

Thanks,

Mike
Me, I believe in evolution, as long as I can keep worshipping holly trees.

[phatch]

I'll be making some guesses.

I know that when my sister was traveling in Israel, the Sabbath included no power on the kibutz she stayed at. No electric light. No fresh cooking

The Sabbath mode seems to be a loophole for some strict kosher observances. The oven and controls don't light up in Sabbath mode for example.

Ovens have a standard 12 hour safety shutoff. The Sabbath mode overrides that for up to 72 hours. Are there three day sabbath grade holidays? I assume that's why.

Anyway, in sabbath mode, the oven heats automatically when food is placed in the oven. Some may just stay hot the whole time. I suppose this gets around a kosher restriction on lighting a fire?

Anyway, that's what I could piece together off the 'net.

Phil

[phatch]

http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-cooking-SM.htm

and more here

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.11/kosher.html

wow. Never would have thought about defrost as an issue in kosher living. Very interesting.

Phil

[topchef]

Originally Posted by vondy

Ideally I would buy myself a 30 inch BlueStar gas range. But I don't have the $3,000 -$4,000 to do that at this moment so I have started to think about a more Domestic style range.

Any thoughts on these?

Thanks!

As a professional chef who did a home kitchen remodel job 4 years ago, I did a lot of research on ranges and settled on Wolf. Mine's a 48" double oven, 4 burner with two (yup - count'em 2) charbroilers. I would suggest you look into and price a 30" Wolf gas range. The burners are rated at 16,000 btu with 2 simmer settings. The convection oven features a 15K btu infrared broiler.

After 4 years I have no regrets...my home range is as well built as anything I've owned at my restaurant. If you can afford to spend the "extra mile" you'll have a range that will last you forever.

One word of caution, whatever you decide on, ventilate it well.

Good luck,
topchef