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Cooktops, rangehoods, etc

post #1 of 17
7/14/08 at 1:57am
Thread Starter 
So, we just decided to completely renovate a whole floor of our house....3.5 baths, a living room, a dining room, a family room, 3 bedrooms, and the kitchen.

We have made all the decisions on everything except the appliances in the kitchen.

I cook alot, and enjoy power, not so much looks.
With that said, I wanted a Bluestar cooktop (we are not doing a range), but due to budget concerns, I am leaning towards a 36 inch Caldera.
Any opinions on Caldera?
Also, I am going to need a serious hood with either (caldera is 54,000 btu, bluestar is even more), with at least 600 cfm.

Can anyone lend an opinion if I am making a good choice?
Any alternatives I have not looked at?
Is having completely miss matched brands a bad idea? Everything is stainless and all the handles match somehow among the brands.

We are doing a very interesting refridgeration option, which is a full size freezer and a full size fridge mulled side to side (its like 60 inches wide), going with a Bosch dishwasher, double convection ovens, soapstone countertops, plain and fancy cabinets, huge center island with a single bowl sink. But am hung up on if I am going down the right road on the cook top and hood.
thanks!
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post #2 of 17
7/14/08 at 2:07am
Don't know if Wolf makes a cooktop but I really like to two stage hobs that their ranges have. I wouldn't worry about matching brands- in a kitchen especially it's "form follows function".

+1 on the soapstone counters.

Why'd you get a single bowl sink?
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post #3 of 17
7/14/08 at 9:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by yachtie View Post
Why'd you get a single bowl sink?

+1 Why?

Also, since you're putting a new sink in, my advice is to get one that is deep and wide. I have a normal sink and I have to be super-careful with my Riedel because they stand like a foot tall, which means it's very easy to knock the rims on the faucet. It also makes cleaning large stock pots (like a 40qt.) a real pain in the ass.
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post #4 of 17
7/14/08 at 1:05pm
Thread Starter 
The single bowl sink is just for that, super deep and super wide.
I believe the one we are putting in is 24 inches deep, so basically a kitchen tub.

I have looked at the Wolf cook tops, but they dont have the really high end BTU burners that BlueStar and Caldera have (18K, and 22K), which I need and use. But they do have cook tops, both in the range style and traditional drop in style.
Caldera and BlueStar are very industrial and simple in design, but the focus is on HEAT.

Countertops seem like a no brainer with the soapstone, and I think I will stay there.

For backsplash, should we just do soapstone? Subway tile?

Any opinions on under counter lights?
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post #5 of 17
7/14/08 at 1:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by antirabbit View Post
The single bowl sink is just for that, super deep and super wide.
I believe the one we are putting in is 24 inches deep, so basically a kitchen tub.

I have looked at the Wolf cook tops, but they dont have the really high end BTU burners that BlueStar and Caldera have (18K, and 22K), which I need and use. But they do have cook tops, both in the range style and traditional drop in style.
Caldera and BlueStar are very industrial and simple in design, but the focus is on HEAT.

Countertops seem like a no brainer with the soapstone, and I think I will stay there.

For backsplash, should we just do soapstone? Subway tile?

Any opinions on under counter lights?

Soapstone backsplashes are easiest to clean ( no grout lines to worry about). IMO, having two bowls allows for an easier workflow than a single sink regardless of size. YMMV.
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post #6 of 17
7/14/08 at 1:24pm
Caldera has the single ring hob that I've never liked. Blue Star's "star and ring" hob would be better IMO.

I have undercabinet fluorescents for area lighting and halogen spots for task lighting. The combo works better than either individually.
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post #7 of 17
7/14/08 at 1:38pm
One thing I can say with absolute conficence: GET OPEN BURNERS! I let the salesman (and spouse) talk me into sealed, for ease of cleanup. Frankly, they are not that easy to clean, and sealed are not that hard to clean. But they cook WAY better.
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post #8 of 17
7/14/08 at 2:12pm
We have a Miele cooktop and hood, but we haven't used it yet, so I can't really say much about it. We also prefer the large single, deep sink. I have had plenty of experience with both, and I'd rather do my own organization in the open space than be forced to split it out and lose the ability to hand wash large items in the sink (as opposed to over the sink).

Also, we went with a quartz composite which shares many properties of soapstone. We chose Zodiac in Cloud White. Looks great... there's pics of it here.. http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.p...4&postcount=63
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post #9 of 17
7/14/08 at 3:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manton View Post
One thing I can say with absolute conficence: GET OPEN BURNERS! I let the salesman (and spouse) talk me into sealed, for ease of cleanup. Frankly, they are not that easy to clean, and sealed are not that hard to clean. But they cook WAY better.

+1000
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post #10 of 17
7/14/08 at 5:19pm
I would suggest looking beyond the BTU number. Most of the high end models will have more than sufficient BTUs. I'd look to things like are all the burners full range (high-to-low) or not, how easy to clean, if using a grill which makes most sense for your intended use.

I also think it's essential to go to a store where you can actually look at them in person and hopefully play with them.

Some people make a distinction between a cooktop and a rangetop. Sounds like you'd be happier with a rangetop.
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post #11 of 17
7/14/08 at 6:14pm
If you use such high heat, you might need a bigger blower than you're considering. I run 1000CFM and there are times when it is not enough. ~ Huntsman
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post #12 of 17
7/14/08 at 7:44pm
Thread Starter 
So, I will go with the soapstone backsplash.

I am fairly committed to the caldera, but may swing last minute into to a bluestar last minute. I would for sure want the range front if I go that route.

For a fridge, they are a 25 cubic ft fridge, and a seperate 25 cubic foot freezer.

We just got our renderings back today, looks good.

Do yall feel 600 CFM is enough for vent?

What should I look at for vent?
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post #13 of 17
7/14/08 at 7:48pm
I have a Best by Broan hood. I would not get it again. Get a Vent-a-Hood.

Make sure that it is the same depth as the cooking surface (24 - 27"). Either that, or come to accept that the front burners are just for show or at least useless for cooking anything intensive.

And how much you need to vent depends more on how you cook than on the total power of your stove. You really only need super high CFM's if you grill indoors (not recommended) or tend to use a lot of burners at once. If you saute a lot in high smoke point oil (canola, etc.) at high heat, using fatty meats (duck), then get a jet engine. If your cooking is more gentle, don't worry about it.
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post #14 of 17
7/14/08 at 8:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manton View Post
I have a Best by Broan hood. I would not get it again. Get a Vent-a-Hood.

Make sure that it is the same depth as the cooking surface (24 - 27"). Either that, or come to accept that the front burners are just for show or at least useless for cooking anything intensive.

And how much you need to vent depends more on how you cook than on the total power of your stove. You really only need super high CFM's if you grill indoors (not recommended) or tend to use a lot of burners at once. If you saute a lot in high smoke point oil (canola, etc.) at high heat, using fatty meats (duck), then get a jet engine. If your cooking is more gentle, don't worry about it.
I agree. We have a Best by Broan, and while it works, it does not work all that well.
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post #15 of 17
7/29/08 at 1:34am
Thread Starter 
So we went with the Faber
Caldera Cooktop
Bosch dishwasher
Kitchenaid 30 inch double convection ovens
The crazy huge fridge and freezer combo that will be built in
Now my wife wants some crazy ass granite (Verde Fantastico) which is stunning, as black or browns wont work on the walnut stained floors.
The island is 5 ft wide and over 10 ft long....HUGE.
They are starting in on this project (along with 4 baths, 2 half baths, and pretty much every room, all doors, all trim, all hardware, all windows, adding 4 sets of french doors, moving the stairs...blah blah blah)
in 2 weeks.
Any advice?
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