| Cooking Equipment Reviews Find out what equipment best suits your needs. Share your experiences with various kitchen equipment products, gadgets, and more. |
 | | 
01-27-2008, 03:40 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1
| |  GE Cafe Reviews
There's an extensive discussion about the GE Cafe on The Garden Web appliances forum. Search for "GE Cafe appliance opinions?". Sorry, this forum isn't allowing me to post URLs.
|
03-07-2008, 08:22 AM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1
| |
Hi all,
Some really good information here. Thanks.
I'm heading out this weekend to look at ranges for our new build. I'm an avid amatur cook and right now have it narrowed down (I think) to either the Blue Star 30" RNB or Capital Precision (30") with the center wok burner.
I would love feedback on either of these ranges. Capital seems like it might offer the best of all worlds--powerful burners with some (but not too much) domestic refinement, plus a few wiz bang features. Blue Star looks like it "does what it says on the tin" i.e. cook well.
Thanks,
Trip |
04-09-2008, 01:20 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 16
| |
I manage a restaurant supply store. We often get individuals in looking at our commercial ranges for their homes. While the price appears to be huge savings, it is quite misleading.
You must have more clearance as you mentioned, but even with the clearance, you should have stainless steel facing the unit on your cabinets and back wall. You will also need a much heavier duty vent hood than standard residential units.
Beyone those aspects, there's the factor of higher insurance premiums (or risking voiding insurance). As someone else mentioned, they are not insulated like residential units and are very hot to the touch (very bad idea with kids or pets).
I'd recommend going with residential quality units made for residential applications. There are several companies out there who make both the commercial and residential units. |
10-19-2009, 09:40 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 24
| |
anyone know how much the double bluestar ranges go for? the 48" thermadors are like 12k. Not sure that's worth it.
i'm hoping to find a pseudo commercial range option that's home safe but not dramatically more expensive than a vulcan 60" restaurant range, which is about 3K. |
10-20-2009, 12:44 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 24
| |
well apparently bluestars are like 11k too. |
10-20-2009, 12:54 PM
|  | ChefTalk Moderator | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: SLC UT
Posts: 3,918
| |
The homestyle commercial look ranges are way overpriced for the actual performance they offer.
You'll get more performance out of a real commercial range, but they're actually pretty ugly. They usually require some extra pipe rigging for the proper gas flow plus some expensive fire code construction for the walls, a fire supppresion system (more plumbing) and a high volume exterior venting hood.
Which all puts the price back up there with the commercial looking home ranges.
Member Boar_d_laze here often recommends buying two standard home ranges which gives you more actual burners at the same output and depending on design, more ovens. He makes a good point and you'll probably save money.
__________________
The Cake is a Lie!
Last edited by phatch; 10-20-2009 at 12:56 PM.
|
10-20-2009, 12:57 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 24
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by phatch  The homestyle commercial look ranges are way overpriced for the actual performance they offer.
You'll get more performance out of a real commercial range, but they're actually pretty ugly. They usually require some extra pipe rigging for the proper gas flow plus some expensive fire code construction for the walls, a fire supppresion system (more plumbing) and a high volume exterior venting hood.
Which all puts the price back up there with the commercial looking home ranges. | yeah, i looked into commercial ranges, which are very attractive for their 3k price range. but in the end, i decided i didn't want to worry about all that other crap, especially since i anticipate kids wandering in from time to time and those ovens get pretty hot.
I almost wonder if it's not more economical to just buy two separate 30" ranges. |
10-20-2009, 01:07 PM
| | ChefTalk Moderator | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: SLC UT
Posts: 3,918
| |
I must have been editing my reply to add that comment about two ranges as your were typing. Because it can be a better option.
__________________
The Cake is a Lie! |
10-20-2009, 01:15 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 24
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by phatch I must have been editing my reply to add that comment about two ranges as your were typing. Because it can be a better option. | yeah, i may be leaning in that direction now. while the vikings and wolves look great, i'm not sure i can justify that much money for it. I especially like the idea of buying one range up front and leaving a space and wiring/gas lines for a second one that i buy several months down the road. |
10-21-2009, 07:06 AM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Can't Boil Water | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: AZ, PA, WA
Posts: 19
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by damian yeah, i looked into commercial ranges, which are very attractive for their 3k price range. but in the end, i decided i didn't want to worry about all that other crap, | JUST FYI about “real commercial ranges in homes, It is illegal to put them into most US homes: 2006 IRC 2447.2 (623.2) Prohibited location. Cooking appliances designed, tested, listed and labeled for use in commercial occupancies shall not be installed within dwelling units or within any area where domestic cooking operations occur.” The same statement is also found in the International Fuel and Gas Code section 623.2 http://www2.rigov.org/pdf/inspections... This is not a new code addition but has been on the books for many years. The IRC is The International Residential Code (IRC) is a comprehensive, stand-alone residential code that creates minimum regulations for one- and two-family dwellings of three stories or less. It brings together all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for one- and two-family residences. It is up to each state to adopt these codes but almost all do, so you would have to check the state that you live in.  |
10-21-2009, 08:30 AM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Can't Boil Water | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: AZ, PA, WA
Posts: 19
| |
Damian,
I read some comments about ranges by other posters on other forums here and I would have to disagree with them on quite a number of issues. However, let us all keep in mind:
"In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane." Oscar Wilde
Two 30” stoves is economical, but visually not very appealing.
Also what stove are you going to buy, most high-end home models have some serious drawbacks. Only 1 burner is high and only 1 burner is a simmer burner, etc.
Here are my takes on things
The nonsense about not needing high heat to sauté properly is silly. The extra heat is designed to keep the pan HOT after you place in the product, if you don’t keep it hot you will begin to steam rather than sauté. I would want all of my burners to be able to produce 15K BTU minimum and all of them to be able to simmer.
Dual fuel is a waste of money and a marketing gimmick, the only people who might want it are precision bakers who need very low humidity ovens.
Sealed burners and self-cleaning ovens - more gimmicks.
For reliability issues I must disagree again – 4 years ago when I purchased my second commercial style residential stove I spent many hours researching, even to the point of taking a wolf and Viking apart in a show room. I also spoke to quite a few service managers and service technicians from two very high volume Los Angeles area stores and the highest volume dealer in Seattle.
Remember things change – this was 4 years ago and this is how they rated the appliances
Wolf – unanimously they all picked this as number 1 for reliability – am very surprised to have read otherwise here (I have owned 2 for a grand total of 15 years with ZERO problems. My current 48” wolf gets a major workout weekly.)
American Range – 2nd
Imperial and Viking - 3rd, but all mentioned a higher than normal repair rate, would not recommend and Imperial as mentioned before is weird looking.
Dacor, DCS, 4 star – all bad
Currently it appears to me that SubZero, who bought Wolf (residential) have begun to tweak them, they did have some recall issues a year or two ago so this may be the decline of them.
BlueStar the other name you hear being tossed about a lot was relatively unknown on the West coast but they are a company to look into.
I choose the wolf for several reasons, reliability of my first one and the unanimous praise that service managers and technicians still had for it. Beefier construction internally than the Viking, plus I noticed that SubZero was still using the same parts on the 2004/5 stove as it did on my Wolf manufactured one. And probably the best feature of it was the infrared ceramic Char-grill was top notch. It is nothing like the Viking or BlueStar marking grill that simply has a gas tube pouring out heat, this is a true high end ceramic unit that can truly sear a steak, not just mark it. With the addition of a smoker box and some wood chips and you have 24/7 wood fired grill that 99.9% of the people will swear I cooked the steaks outside over the real wood grill by my pool. Of course you will need a hood, to do this.
Now that I’ve muddled the pot here are some suggestions for you, in today’s current turbulent marketplace, buy used.
A 3 year old 60” Viking was sold in an estate sale by me for a little over 3K. Ebay has some values, check craigslist, ($4100 for a 48” wolf with charbroiler in Phoenix) and call your local appliance stores, many of them buy back these stoves on estate sales for customers who want them. |
10-21-2009, 08:53 AM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Professional Chef | | Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: USA
Posts: 348
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by damian anyone know how much the double bluestar ranges go for? |
It really depends on how you set them up and the options you choose. Typically BS is more expensive than either Viking or Wolf. In the past they were less but for the most part those days are long gone in regards to ranges.
I agree with the comment made upthread about commercial style ranges not being the best option for many. However my Viking has served me well and I've also owned a BS.
I have zero experience with them but every one I have spoken to that has a GE cafe is thrilled with it. BS has the same electronics as all the other commercial brands. The primary culprit with all of them is the ignition module. BS has had more than their share of problems with that. If you are interested in that brand I suggest you spend some time on the appliance forums over at Garden Web. Several members over there have had some luck modifying their BS ranges to use Thermadore ignition modules.
If you can install a true commercial range Garland is a far better choice than BS. You can get a 36" Garland for 2k.
I would not want two 30" ranges for a number of reasons. Two decent ranges will still set you back 5-6K and you will not have the high BTU burners which in most cases is the primary reason for wanting a commercial style range. The only exception I can think of here would be some one that actually needs 8 burners and is on a limited budget.
I don't know why people get wrapped up in this but there are only a few companies that still make true commercial ranges and commercial style products for the Home. Both Wolf and Garland sold off their home range division. Neither of those products are what they used to be. The company that used to make Wolf commercial is now producing Challanger equipment. Garland sold to BS several years ago and is not affiliated in any way with that product. In fact Garland is now owned by Manitowoc.
Viking just started a commercial line this year.
There are a few others but they are not nearly as popular if that matters.
As always before you invest in a product like this make sure there is factory authorized service near you.
It all depends on what you want in the end. I would not want DF or sealed burners.
OTOH a self cleaning oven is a must have at home for me.
Once you narrow down your list of wants and decide on a price range you can make a much better list of comparable products.
__________________
A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart, who looks at her watch.
James Beard
Last edited by DuckFat; 10-21-2009 at 09:01 AM.
|
10-21-2009, 09:06 AM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 24
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hotchpotch JUST FYI about “real commercial ranges in homes, It is illegal to put them into most US homes: 2006 IRC 2447.2 (623.2) Prohibited location. Cooking appliances designed, tested, listed and labeled for use in commercial occupancies shall not be installed within dwelling units or within any area where domestic cooking operations occur.” The same statement is also found in the International Fuel and Gas Code section 623.2 http://www2.rigov.org/pdf/inspections... This is not a new code addition but has been on the books for many years. The IRC is The International Residential Code (IRC) is a comprehensive, stand-alone residential code that creates minimum regulations for one- and two-family dwellings of three stories or less. It brings together all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for one- and two-family residences. It is up to each state to adopt these codes but almost all do, so you would have to check the state that you live in. | thanks. i looked into my city's code but couldn't find anything specific, but decided against a pure commercial oven because of all the potential headaches. |
10-21-2009, 03:44 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 24
| |
|
10-21-2009, 03:58 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Professional Chef | | Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: USA
Posts: 348
| |
They are pretty nice. Rick Bayless is their front man. IIR one of thir main distributors went bankrupt so they may be hard to find out side of Chicago. They are not in the same league as Wolf, Viking or BS etc. but they are a step up from a standard home owner range. I have never heard of any repair issues with them but they suffer from the same problem as BS in their small dealer/service network. You may want to consider them if you are looking for the middle ground. IIR they are all sealed burners. I wouldn't buy a used range off eBay unless you can inspect it and see it function before you buy.
__________________
A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart, who looks at her watch.
James Beard
Last edited by DuckFat; 10-22-2009 at 07:43 AM.
| | |
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
| | |
|
