Stoves/Ranges

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by eg1

I think the idea is that they are not hot to the touch, and require a particular kind of pot/pan to generate any heat.

Hm, no, you are confusing this with induction heating elements.

 

[kwilkinson]

They can be gas or electric, but are most commonly gas. They got hot much quicker than regular broilers, heating up to operating temp in less than 2 minutes usually, and they are capable of getting hotter. Supposedly their energy is somehow built to heat the food and not the surrounding air (can't back this claim up, but also can't refute it).

 

[eg1]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Hm, no, you are confusing this with induction heating elements.

D'oh! The infrared thing is what's inside some high-end bbq's.

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

They can be gas or electric, but are most commonly gas. They got hot much quicker than regular broilers, heating up to operating temp in less than 2 minutes usually, and they are capable of getting hotter. Supposedly their energy is somehow built to heat the food and not the surrounding air (can't back this claim up, but also can't refute it).

Well, do they work better? I guess is the question.

From what I think I'm seeing on further research, they're not available in dual-fuel (e.g. electric oven) ranges. They appear to only be available in gas ovens (not sure why you can't still have a gas IR broiler with an electric bottom coil in a dual-fuel range, but that's another question) that I've seen.

Ultimately, I'm trying to parse a number of different preferences (# of burners, available BTUs, self-cleaning vs. not, dual-fuel (and thereby theoretically better baking) vs. gas (and therefore IR broiler capability), griddle or not, burner configuration, real estate, styling, open vs. sealed) and come out with an affordable compromise. It is a ***** of a selection.

I guess the question is - how important is this IR broiler? It seems they get hot enough to really do a steak the way a steak ought to be done, and good broiling opens up a whole new world of cooking possibilities I don't currently enjoy - but is it worth the trade-off inherent in losing the electric oven?

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by eg1

D'oh! The infrared thing is what's inside some high-end bbq's.

Ha, no worries. You were quite clear in your OP that you were not certain.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by Douglas

I guess the question is - how important is this IR broiler? It seems they get hot enough to really do a steak the way a steak ought to be done, and good broiling opens up a whole new world of cooking possibilities I don't currently enjoy - but is it worth the trade-off inherent in losing the electric oven?

I used the infrared broiler yesterday, I really don't see the big deal. I may use it a few times a year at most. I wouldn't make a purchasing decision around it based on my type of cooking. Keep in mind that I charcoal grill food outside pretty much 12 months a year.

 

[Mr. Checks]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Well, do they work better? I guess is the question.

From what I think I'm seeing on further research, they're not available in dual-fuel (e.g. electric oven) ranges. They appear to only be available in gas ovens (not sure why you can't still have a gas IR broiler with an electric bottom coil in a dual-fuel range, but that's another question) that I've seen.

Ultimately, I'm trying to parse a number of different preferences (# of burners, available BTUs, self-cleaning vs. not, dual-fuel (and thereby theoretically better baking) vs. gas (and therefore IR broiler capability), griddle or not, burner configuration, real estate, styling, open vs. sealed) and come out with an affordable compromise. It is a ***** of a selection.

I guess the question is - how important is this IR broiler? It seems they get hot enough to really do a steak the way a steak ought to be done, and good broiling opens up a whole new world of cooking possibilities I don't currently enjoy - but is it worth the trade-off inherent in losing the electric oven?

Love my IR broiler on my Viking. Can't cook outside much, so it's great for steaks, sear, whatever, but it does take a while to get hot

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Douglas

I guess the question is - how important is this IR broiler? It seems they get hot enough to really do a steak the way a steak ought to be done, and good broiling opens up a whole new world of cooking possibilities I don't currently enjoy - but is it worth the trade-off inherent in losing the electric oven?

Depends on your style of cooking I guess. Personally I wouldn't do a steak under the broiler, I'd grill it. You should be able to grill more months of the year than not where you are. I wouldn't spring for the broiler. Then again, I'm starting to do more and more baking, and rarely if ever use a broiler, so of course I'd go for the better oven. It just depends on which you'd use more, but if you can't decide, I'd default with no IR broiler and a better oven.

 

[tiecollector]

Would you guys recommend:

1) separate double wall oven with gas cooktop

2) 36" range with one oven

3) >36" range with two ovens

Originally, I was going to go on the cheap and just go with #2, but am re-thinking this now that I have to buy.

I plan on doing a lot of cooking... and my budget is small-timer.

 

[Manton]

I would love to have two ovens, but my kitchen, while large, is just not laid out for it.

 

[tiecollector]

For wall ovens, since I put in a LOT of windows in my kitchen, the only place there would be space would be in a corner (to the side of the sink and diagonal from the cooktop) , would putting them in the corner hinder anything?

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

Would you guys recommend:

1) separate double wall oven with gas cooktop

2) 36" range with one oven

3) >36" range with two ovens

Originally, I was going to go on the cheap and just go with #2, but am re-thinking this now that I have to buy.

I plan on doing a lot of cooking... and my budget is small-timer.

Although I'm not totally rolling with things just yet, I have decided to go witth a 36" range with a single oven, and then I am putting in a second oven in an under-counter installation. I was working within the confines of a difficult space and this was the only way, short of a 48" range with double ovens, to make it all fit. Here's what I sort of learned along the way, if it's any help:

I would have loved to have a gas cooktop and double wall ovens, but I did not have any available wall space for a double oven, so that was a no-go for me from the start. In a perfect world, I would have really liked that, except for the fact that I was torn between a gas oven (with its, as I understand it, superior broiling capabilities) and electric (supposedly a better oven, and a higher likelihood of self-cleaning). Anyways, that was a no-go.

I then figured I had to go with a 48" gas range with double ovens. The second oven in these arrangements is pretty small, but it's certainly more than adequate for most side dishes that you'd be doing in there anyways. For me, this would have worked well. However, for starters, the cost of these big boys is pretty astronomical. I think Ed said he found one for like $6 grand, but I could not find anything in that range where I am; everything I saw was more like $10K, especially if you wanted dual-fuel, and especially if you wanted self-cleaning. Add in a massive range hood, and you are in big-timer land.

The other complaint I had with the 48" ranges is that I didn't really want or need a grill or griddle, and 8 burners was overkill. I had originally wanted to go with Dacor, who sell a 48" range with 6 burners, but their cost was very high.

I then migrated to a solution that, in the end, I think suits my own needs best. I am going with a 36" Blue Star gas range with built-in 36" oven. The oven will be massive, and has the IR broiler I was coveting. Its cost is half of the 48" ranges I was considering. Unfortunately, it is not self-cleaning. However, I found space elsewhere in the kitchen for a standard 30" undercounter electric oven with convection cooking, and self-cleaning. These are pretty cheap, and even after adding a range hood, my total cost is less than a 48" range/oven combo would have been. Plus, I get both an electric and a gas oven, one of them huge for giant roasts, and the electric will likely be the "everyday" choice since it self-cleans.

Anyways, that's how I am skinning the cat. We'll be starting renovations in the next 3-4 months, so sometime in late summer I'll have photos.

 

[edmorel]

I cannot stress it enough, do not skimp on the hood.

 

[Artisan Fan]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I cannot stress it enough, do not skimp on the hood.
That's what I told her.

 

[tiecollector]

Douglas, thanks, I was thinking of putting an under counter oven to the side of the range. Do you have any good under counter models picked out? The normal size seems an inch or two too big for under counter.

I know Ikea has some under counter ones, but I don't know about going that route.