Dual Fuel 48" range - GE Monogram vs Wolf

I had a "professional" style range (it was a Viking) and couldn't wait to trade it in for a GE dual fuel. Mine is 30" wide, so there may be differences, but it's self-cleaning!!!! That's worth a lot, believe me. I like the electric oven, even though I learned to cook on a gas cooktop and a gas wall oven. I like that the grids allow me to move pots and pans all the way across the range top as if it were a flat top. It's also easy to clean. Be sure you get the type with the enameled surface around the sealed burners. I looked first at Sears, and all the GE dual fuel had a glass surface around the burners. When we went to a high-end store they were enameled- very much easier to clean! The drips don't weld themselves to the surface and can very easily worked off.

I personally tend to prefer the Wolf. I ended up getting this 36" commercial range from them and it is working out fantastically! Good luck with your dream kitchen!

I cook at home a lot on a Wolf dual fuel range with 6 burners and a griddle. I love everything about the range with two exceptions: (1) Using the in-oven probe is difficult. The probe is supposed to be plugged into an in-oven port, after the oven has preheated. Of course, a hotpad is necessary to do this. But the hotpad (or mitt) eliminates the degree of finger dexterity that is ideally desirable for the task. (2) Too much grease from the griddle ends up under, rather than in, the grease catcher bin. It's a clean up mess. The problem is caused by what I believe to be a design flaw. There is a notch under the lip of the front edge of the griddle plate. I believe the intent is that the grease will drop down into the catcher bin when it hits this notch. However, either the notch is placed too far back or the leading edge of the grease catcher bin slants too far to the front. The result is that the grease ends up under, rather than in, the bin. These are relatively small flaws. But you don't really expect flaws when you spend thousands of dollars.

Don't confuse the Wolf commercial line with the residential commercial-style line, and don't be influenced by Wolf commercial's wonderful reputation. They're built with different components, on different chassis, in different factories. The only commonality is the name and the logo. Even the ownerships are (or at least were) not exactly the same. Wolf residential is wholly owned by Sub-Zero. Very cool logo.

Residential commercial-style ranges are somewhat problematic -- but far less so than they used to be. They've reached the stage of reasonable reliability and reasonable design for home purposes -- including cleaning under the griddle and stove-top. Don't kid yourself -- as much as you cook like a pro, and as much as you want your kitchen to have that pro look a home and restaurant stove do things differently -- and should.

If I understand the market correctly the current "best bang for the buck" in dual fuel/convection 6-burners is American Range. I'll let elufler google around for the best deal.

Lots o' Luck,
BDL

We are having the same question, as we are sold on the 48 dual fuel range but are wondering whether Wolf is markedly (ie $4,000) less valuable than the GE equivalent.  Any feedback, based on what you finally went with?

I have the 60" DF with french cook top and griddle.  I agree that the probe is very difficult to use without burning yourself.   I now using my old Willaim Sonoma stove top to prevent burns.  I think all griddles are hard to clean.  I ordered the Wolf external fan stainless hood  (as I had on my old DCS years before) with heat lamps.  The heat lamps are on the very ends of the shelf...a strange place to put them. 

Well........6 years ago we purchased a 48" dual fuel range with 4 burners and double griddle.  Simply put, Wolf is not worth the money we paid.  I agree with tontibearboy comments, same issues here.  But the more important issue I have has is with the ovens.  Shortly after purchasing the range, the smaller oven started giving me problems.  I could not adjust the temp on the oven, it would turn on and not let me adjust the temp.  Now it does not turn on at all.  The larger oven is starting to do the same thing and I am afraid soon it will stop working altogether.  The repair man has come out to fix it numerous times.  Now he said he has no clue what is wrong.  Never will I buy Wolf again or purchase from the appliance store we dealt with.

srelienncge, what did you like best and least about the double griddle?  Would you do the double griddle again?  I am replacing a 17-year-old Viking with either the Wolf or GE.  The Viking has Grille / Griddle combo.  No more Grille for me, too messy, I have not used it for a number of years.  Funny fact: When I built the house the Viking was $7 a month in my new mortgage, it was worth it!

Hi - I have the 60" DF with 4 burners and the Double Griddle in the middle.  We've only had it for about 2 months but the Double Griddle is AMAZING!  It's just so easy to use.  We've done hibachi (fried rice, veggies, chicken, etc), all kinds of breakfast food, eggs, breakfast meats, toast the bread and rolls.  quesidillas (sp?), fish tacos, cheese steak heros...

 

I would recommend buying a diner style 16" metal spatula as well as a metal griddle scraper. You have to just get used to cleaning it every time.  We basically eat... and then go back... the griddle is still hot so it's still easy to clean... you scrap off what you can... then put some water on... scrap some more... empty the tray... and then when it cools... you've gotta get under the tray with a rubber spatula and finally paper towels (that's only for huge messes like bacon grease - less oily stuff like eggs are simple). 

 

NOTHING makes up for the ease of cooking on a giant hot plate!  it's like having a restaurant kitchen in your house!

Wolf srt 486g french range top does very well,mated w/Southbend 38 inch.French door gas oven..perform most excellent..along w/Southern Pride SPK 500 smoker,oven.Now are self cleaning..OH WELL.. up comming Sous Chefs train well in that area.

All soon to be conducting bus. Hawaiian style..on The Big Island..w/God's grace of course.

Blessing to ALL Chefs out there..

Stay within the 'box'..check mate your self..explore those hidden culinary gift Thee Lord gave you..and surprise one's self again and again..and that God in Jesus name for all His amazing blessing.

 

Wolf for the home is junk as are most of the other home type ones. If you want to spend that much $ spend a bt more and get a Vulcan, or Southbend. They will outlive you. The home ones are made to look like pro ones, but as BDL points out are made out of junk (aluminum foil). On a pro stove you can almost stand on the doors although not as heavy as years ago still good.

Chefedb:

 

I agree the high end residential ranges are not made as well as the commercial units. However, you don't want those commercial units in a residential application. Those commercial ranges put out a ton of BTU's requiring larger gas piping and very high CFM ventilation that’s also designed for large amounts of grease vapors. Most building codes require fire suppression systems above those commercial units also.

The building HVAC systems needs to be beefed up to handle all those BTU’s and the massive amount of air leaving the building with that large ventilation system. In short, putting those commercial ranges in a home is a recipe (sorry for the pun) for serious problems or a serious fire. It won’t pass code, it's dangerous and DON’T DO IT!

Well, I didn't say aluminum foil. 

 

Commercial look residential stoves are made out of "components."  Some components may be specific to a particular stove manufacturer, but by and large the manufacturers are making the frames and sourcing the components from a few OEM manufacturers. 

 

Most of the major components like burners, IRC elements, ignitors, and convection fans, are available in "regular," high-end residential stoves as well as the commercial look models.  The big advantages commercial look stoves provide over their high-end residential home brethren is space and looks.  Those are very important things, but let's not confuse them with "bottom-line" performance. 

 

High end residential stoves -- including the commercial-looks -- tend to have a fairly high failure rate; or at least they used to.  When you buy a stove, make sure there are good local sources for parts supply and that you can get it serviced at reasonable rates.

 

Burner output figures are easily misunderstood.  An extra one or two thousand BTU won't allow you to cook as you would on a restaurant stove.  An extra 10,000 BTUs?  That's a different story.  Home cooks aren't under the same time pressure, and have the luxury to preheat their pans.  There's very little you can't do on a home stove that you can on a true commercial.  You have to know what you're doing, but no stove -- as yet -- supplies the knowledge.

 

BDL