Stoves/Ranges - Page 7

I'm just trying to appear moderate. In reality, I'm a fan of proscription lists.

Bumping a very old, and very interesting thread because I am in the market for a high-end range. I am going with 48" because I really want double ovens but don't have the space for them on the wall. It's easier to give up 12" of counter space than make the full place for wall ovens. I am relatively new to all this, but was somewhat surprised not to see the Dacor name appear once in this lengthy discussion, and though the thread is old, I don't think Dacor is some brand-new firm. I have been looking at the top-of-the-line Dacor Epicure range, which is dual-fuel. It has just six burners and no griddle or grill, but I sort of like the idea of the roomier, wider-spaced layout. Those other ranges with 6 burners AND a grill or griddle just look crowded to me, and I don't use a griddle much - though if I wanted to, there is a griddle attachment for the Dacor that looks like it would be more than serviceable. Aesthetically, it just looks better to my eye than any of the competing Wolfs or Vikings; it just looks much sturdier and better built, from the grates to the knobs, etc. But I may be biased in that I have fingered the Dacor (my folks have one) but not the others. The major drawbacks are price ($10K!), which seems a bit higher than other similar ranges - I think I can get into a dual-fuel 48" DCS for about 30% less. The other is that the max burner output is just 18,000 BTU (on two burners). I want to do chinese, and better deep frying if possible, and I gather that 22,000 BTU is a significant upgrade for those applications. But I don't see even 18,000 BTU on the 48" Wolf equivalent (15K max) or the Viking 48" counterpart (also just 15K max). The Viking does seem to have a simmer plate, which, though I'm not much of a saucier, sounds like it might be a good tool to open my horizons. Viking also is nice for aesthetic reasons, as I do like the color option. Anyone have experience with Dacor, or thoughts on the 18,000 vs. 22,000 BTU (vs. 15,000) issue?

Recently redid the kitchen and went with a 48 inch Capital, dual ovens, 6 burners and grill. I think it gets up to 19,000 BTU, maybe 20,000 per burner. It's about half price of the Dacor and looks better in my opinion.

http://www.capital-cooking.com/in_ps_nsc_48.html

You can do a dedicated Wok configuration if you like (30,000 BTU). We boil water in about 1 minute and if you get too close you could singe your eyebrows off.

Wow, nice suggestion. That does look really nice. Will check into it.

I am also checking out the BlueStar line. Ugly as sin, but damn, the functionality! Check this bitch out: 6 burners (2 @ 22,000 BTU), IR broiler, integrated salamander with 600 degree capability. It is teh awesome. About equivalent to the Dacor in price, with a quick browse on price.

That's like having an old school Hummer, the military version. Do you really want to have that in your kitchen and what are the electrical requirements for that thing?

Electrical requirements are not bad - less than the Capital you have. Yes, it's ugly, but for a salamander and all that juice, I might consider ugly.

From what I see, the Capital is only about 25-30% less than the Dacor - did you find a better deal somewhere? I'm just using NextTag for my pricing estimates - probably less than perfect, but I am not at pulling the trigger stage just yet - may not be for 6 more months. Interested in hearing how you go about buying these puppies, too.

I went to my local high end appliance guy, they had capital on display, along with wolf, thermador, viking. Looks wise, we were drawn to the Thermador and the Capital. After looking at the specs on both and the prices, went with the Capital. I think cost was $5500 or maybe $5000, they had a $500 off promotion. This was in NY state. You are also going to need a serious hood for whatever you go with. We went with the top model in the VentaHood line and I can tell you after doing some smoky, smelly stuff, the VentaHood was worth its weight in gold.

Not to be a debbie downer, and if you're a pro chef and/or have 15 kids forgive me, but what the hell do you need 6 burners, 2 ovens and a salamander for?

Are you regularly cooking dinners for 20+ people?

Do any of you ever use 6 burners at a time? I have used 3 at a time maybe 2 or 3 times in my life.

Not all that interested in the answer really but I think Im about to get banned for my Gay = Clubfoot post and thought Id get in a few posts in the meantime before the hammer comes down.


Edit: Weird.

BTW, the one you linked is not self-cleaning. Have you found that to be a pain in the ass?

I pretty regularly cook for "crowds" of 4-10, sometimes more. I've had all 4 burners on my existing range going at once before and wished for more. Part of it is just real estate though - a typical 30" range is just too crowded - if you have a large saute pan and a dutch oven going, you have to place them diagonally and there's really no room for anything else. Also, if you're prepping for a big meal (e.g. simmering some stock) while making dinner for tonight, it's easy to run out of space and/or burners.

Double ovens are very necessary if you cook for parties. If you've got the Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham in the oven, you can't do a casserole at the same time without a second oven.

http://www.bluestarcooking.com/

I love these.

no. You don't really make that much of a mess in the oven and it's nothing a damp towel can't wipe off. They make a self cleaning version, but I truly don't see the point in paying up for it.

I've used 4 and wished for more, and as Douglas said, it's also real estate. I tend to cook as many things at the same time as possible in the name of time efficiency. A big stock pot takes up more than a single burner's real-estate on a regular stove. And most regular stoves also don't have more than 2 big burners.