Buying a Stove

[hathor]

The time has come to bite the bullet. I have to buy a new stove. I have a 5 burner, with only 3 burners working, and they work at two levels: scorch and off. To light the stove, I have to uncover all the bottom panels, stick my head deep inside the oven with a lit match and pray a lot. Fortunately it's summertime, so I don't need the oven all that much.

So, I'm looking for a little guidance. At the home chef level, I've found Lofra and ILVE brands. I've been told that ILVE is the 'superiore' brand. Anyone have any experience with either of these?

And what's the correlation between WATTS and BTU's? I know how to think in BTU's, but gas WATTS??

I just want my Bluestar that I have back in NY!!

[Ore]

Hi Hathor!

It's been forever and I can't offer any guidance on a stove...I just wanted to say hi!

Ask Mancini or Giussepina!!!

[hathor]

ACCCKK! All they know about is Zanussi Professional stuff....

[weinoo]

I don't know, Judith - those ILVE ranges look awesome!!

[SWISS_CHEF]

Hi Judith,

I just bought a Lofra stove from Unieuro. It was 30% off because Unieuro isn't going to carry that brand anymore. I paid 800 Euros for mine. I can't give you a report yet because we don't have it hooked up but it is a heck of a lot of stove for the money. Has a glass covered radiant grill, convection oven, rotisserie, 5 burners with one super burner.

There is more info here: http://www.lofra.it

Here is a pic of my stove:

Edited June 25, 2007 by SWISS_CHEF (log)

[hathor]

Hi Judith,

I just bought a Lofra stove from Unieuro. It was 30% off because Unieuro isn't going to carry that brand anymore. I paid 800 Euros for mine. I can't give you a report yet because we don't have it hooked up but it is a heck of a lot of stove for the money. Has a glass covered radiant grill, convection oven, rotisserie, 5 burners with one super burner.

There is more info here:  http://www.lofra.it

Here is a pic of my stove:

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Hey Swiss Chef! You've been on my mind....I've been wondering how you were doing and how the project was coming along!

I know, the Lofra's look good. I have a thing about knobs, or let's say I've developed a thing about knobs since I've had my Bluestar, and the Lofra knobs feel good...and they are cheaper than the ILVE stoves. We're gonna have to bite the bullet soon and make a decision......

I wish there was a showroom that had the stoves actually hooked up to a gas line and you could play with them. Wouldn't that be nice?

By the way....good price on that stove!

Ciao!

Judith

[SWISS_CHEF]

Ciao Judith,

I should have it up and running in the next few days. Why don't you drop by and take it for a test drive. I'm sure I at least have an old bag of half used spaghetti and some bottled sauce!

[slkinsey]

And what's the correlation between WATTS and BTU's? I know how to think in BTU's, but gas WATTS??

Have a look here for a page where you can convert BTUs to kilowatt hours and watt hours, etc. For example, a 30,000 BTU stove burner is also a 8,792 watt hour stove burner (not to mention a 31650000 joule, 7560 kilocalorie or 6.863 pounds of TNT stove burner).

[hathor]

And what's the correlation between WATTS and BTU's? I know how to think in BTU's, but gas WATTS??

Have a look here for a page where you can convert BTUs to kilowatt hours and watt hours, etc. For example, a 30,000 BTU stove burner is also a 8,792 watt hour stove burner (not to mention a 31650000 joule, 7560 kilocalorie or 6.863 pounds of TNT stove burner).

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Thanks! That's just what I needed. TNT? Maybe I need to use some of that to get rid of the old stove. They were very concrete happy when they did the rehab on my kitchen....which I inherited.

[tjaehnigen]

We split our purchases by getting a Thermador 5 burner cooktop and a double wall oven by Miele. Could not be happier!

[hathor]

The ILVE has arrived! Woo-hoo!!!!

It's beautiful, the oven actually works, and the burners actually light....but, we are still in the getting to know each other stage.

One strange design flaw is that the oven vents directly onto the knobs, so after some long baking, those knobs are damn hot.

I can't say that I'm totally head over heels in love, like I was with my Bluestar, but I think the ILVE will last me a long time and prove to be a reliable friend.

[MarkIsCooking]

Do you folks mind saying what you paid for these stoves? Both look awesome and I'm suitably jealous.

Mark

[hathor]

Do you folks mind saying what you paid for these stoves?  Both look awesome and I'm suitably jealous.

Mark

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I paid around 1700 euros..which is a hell of a lot of money!! But, they came, delivered it, installed it, drove into the next town to get a longer gas line, didn't charge me for it, and carried out the old beast, so I'm not really complaining.

[SWISS_CHEF]

Wow, very nice! Weird about the hot knobs.

Up date on mine...

- Oven takes a long time to pre-heat and really sucks the Kilowats (If I run the dishwasher at the same time it blows the breaker (not that rare in Italy). In fairness it is a huge oven.

- Once hot it works great and I like the convection option and the grill behind a glass plate feature.

- The gas ignition is a drag because you have to hold down the knob until the sensor heats up, takes about 5-7 seconds. I may be able to hotwire this though.

- Burners are great and the huge center burner boils the water in my big pasta pot very quickly.

[hathor]

Ah-ha! Maybe you've solved one of my problems...the sensor heating up/ignition thing. I kept thinking it was me not doing something right....but maybe I just need to wait. Grrr... I don't want to wait. If the hot wire thing works, let me know.

[Boris_A]

If the hot wire thing works, let me know.

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I had the same problem with mine, but I was able to move the sensor (or sensor construction, that is) 2-3 milimeters closer to the flame. Shut down threshold came down to an acceptable 2-3 seconds, and I have still all the safety of the "no flame, no gas" thermocoupled valves.

[hathor]

If the hot wire thing works, let me know.

←

I had the same problem with mine, but I was able to move the sensor (or sensor construction, that is) 2-3 milimeters closer to the flame. Shut down threshold came down to an acceptable 2-3 seconds, and I have still all the safety of the "no flame, no gas" thermocoupled valves.

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I'll have to give that a try. Thanks!

[SWISS_CHEF]

If the hot wire thing works, let me know.

←

I had the same problem with mine, but I was able to move the sensor (or sensor construction, that is) 2-3 milimeters closer to the flame. Shut down threshold came down to an acceptable 2-3 seconds, and I have still all the safety of the "no flame, no gas" thermocoupled valves.

←

I didn't get anywhere with this. I can unscrew the sensors but I can't get them closer unless I redrill the hole.. Is that what you did Boris?

[Boris_A]

If the hot wire thing works, let me know.

←

I had the same problem with mine, but I was able to move the sensor (or sensor construction, that is) 2-3 milimeters closer to the flame. Shut down threshold came down to an acceptable 2-3 seconds, and I have still all the safety of the "no flame, no gas" thermocoupled valves.

←

I didn't get anywhere with this. I can unscrew the sensors but I can't get them closer unless I redrill the hole.. Is that what you did Boris?

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I see, I see.

Mine has a kind of a socket for the sensor, and the socket can be adjusted a bit. Yours is a pin coming out of the stainless coverage, right? An adjustment is impossible, obviously.

Well then - how about installing a small "reflecting shield" behind the sensor in order to concentrate the heat?? Maybe you can experiment with a piece of alu foil.

Of course, if the ("intelligent", engineers say, haha) sensor has a certain time dealy, all this is in vain.

Anyway, looking forward to a cold, foggy december day in Zanco when we both are supposed to do some really clever things with your sensor.

[SWISS_CHEF]

I see, I see.

Mine has a kind of a socket for the sensor, and the socket can be adjusted a bit. Yours is a pin coming out of the stainless coverage, right? An adjustment is impossible, obviously.

Well then - how about installing a small "reflecting shield" behind the sensor in order to concentrate the heat?? Maybe you can experiment with a piece of alu foil.

Of course, if the ("intelligent", engineers say, haha) sensor has a certain time dealy, all this is in vain.

Anyway, looking forward to a cold, foggy december day in Zanco when we both are supposed to do some really clever things with your sensor.

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Thanks Boris, I will keep experimenting with the sensor. We are looking forward to December too! Dec 8-13th is the Fiera del Bue Grasso di Moncalvo, a festival dating back 369 years!

[hathor]

So you guys are going to be in Italy in Dec? hmmmmm....... Wonder if we can sneak away for a few days.....