After years of vacillation we finally bought a new range to replace the ageing Caloric that came with the apartment. The oven door was lacking one hinge and needed to opened with a knee against the left side. The burners heated unevenly, especially on low. The thing was setting off the carbon monoxide detector almost every day.
So we got an NXR, a semi-pro 30" gas range that I don't think has been discussed on eGullet before. It's comparable to the big names in performance and repair record, with a nice finish (though not quite as nice as a Wolf or a Blue Star or a Viking), has minimal electronics and well-made parts from Germany and America, assembled in China. The repair record appears to be good, from what I've read on Chowhound, Gardenweb and the other usual sources.
We've only had it since Thursday and used it to make Zuni chicken with rice and green beans, plus boiling water for coffee and tea. It will be put through its paces in the coming weeks! But I have to say we're delighted with the 15K burners (all four identical, all four capable of excellent simmer mode), the beautiful blue enamel oven, the sleek look and feel (it slid exactly into the space, despite not technnically being a slide-in range), and of course the performance. Oven calibration at 475 for the Zuni measured pretty much perfect with my oven thermometer. The door is heavy and solid and lets no heat out. The knobs feel pretty great and the click and ignition for each of the burners is a joy. The oven is not self-cleaning, but has a convection feature as well as an excellent internal light. It was a revelation actually to be able to read the oven thermometer through the glass door while the chicken was cooking.
Here are some photos. We're very happy!
(note: there is a center grate for it which is on back order.)
