Help Buy a New Gas Range

[bobkeenan]

I have had a 1950's O'Keefe and Merritt for 20 years. I think the range is beautiful but some of the grating is damaged. The broiler does not work. We are afraid to use the griddle because it then needs to be rechromed, the valves get stuck.... and on and on.

I just came into some money and would like a new range. The current range is a free standing 38" with 4 burners, a griddle, separate broiler, stove, and broiler.

So I think I want a 36" range, at least 4 burners, a griddle or room for a griddle across grates, a broiler, an oven ( I think convection??).

I want it to look good and be very reliable. I am not sure what other features to look for. I the top end of my budget is $6000.

Most of our meals will be for the two of us. I do and plan to do more of a lot of complicated cooking. We bake bread a fair amount. We have parties for 6-8 about every 3 weeks.

I have always liked the way Wolf's and Vikings look but have some some bad reviews.

So any and all recommendations are welcome.

Thanks.

 

[cjs]

We purchased a Dacor, six-burner stove top that we just loved and I would do it again (and probably will in our new house), but some folks have had trouble with Dacor, so I hesitate to give it a plug - even tho, we never had a bit of trouble.....

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I am not an expert in gas ranges. I have a Crowley 4 burner with a gas oven. It works well for me. But if I had to do it all over again, or had the money to get a great setup, I think I'd go with a good Sears, or Jenair, with the features I'd pick out at the store. The money I saved buying this instead of a high-end professional gas range would be used to purchace an induction cooktop. It gives all the advantages of gas, but with no carbon monoxide or other noxious by products that come from burning natural gas in the house. And since no heat is lost as all of the energy goes directly into the pan, it's more effecient than gas. It's also much safer. There is no hot flame, or hot elements to worry about.

That would give me six cooktop burnes. I think I'd use the gas primarily for grilling. Of course that would require either a built in downdraft or a substantial hood fan that could move substantial air.

I also like the idea of and induction stove as electricity in my area is relatively inexpensive. And given my spin on things, one day I'd like to build a truly energy efficient home with either a wind generator or photovoltaic setup to suplement, or even replace the grid.

Whether I ever have that opportunity remains to be seen.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[auntdot]

We purchased our house with a Viking and would never buy one.

To simmer I have to push the pan half onto another area.

Have dealt with many stoves in the many moves we have made and have adjusted to them all (even the one with the oven that only cooked at 500 degrees. Learned a lot about cooking from that puppy).

But cannot recommend the Viking.

 

[SizzlininIN]

Can't add much but if color is a choice I'd advice to stay away from black....its one of the things I totally regret purchasing for our new kitchen as every speck of dust shows up.