Gas Ranges

[Nick]

A couple of days ago I started a thread looking for a good 24" gas range . As it turns out there isn't a good 24" range so now I'm looking at 30" ranges of which there's a large selection. I just went through the thread on Buying a Stove and there's a lot of good info there, but it tends toward the high end ranges.

I can afford to spend $1000-1200 on a range and I'd like to get the best I can for the money. What are your suggestions? What are you looking at, or what do you have in this price range that's worked for you?

Right now I'm looking at the Amana ACS3350A (click on the pic for a larger one). It has most of the features I'm looking for - continuous grates (including in the middle), two high heat burners, one regular, and one simmer, sealed burners, and, I think, removeable drip-pans. It also has an infrared broiler. Does anyone have any experience with Amana's? From what I've heard they're supposed to be a good range for the price. I can get this one for $1000 and change.

I've looked at GE Profile's and Maytag's, but so far the Amana seems to be the best deal overall.

Any ideas?

[Fat Guy]

Nick, since you're somewhat off the grid, have you considered a real restaurant-stove? They're not electricity-dependent, as far as I know. You could get a DCS (in the 24" size, no less) for about $1300.

http://dcsappliances.com/media/specs/DCS%20Range24.pdf

http://www.selectappliance.com/exec/ce-pro...oduct/dc_24-4-1

And that's on the expensive side. You could probably get below $1000 with another brand.

[Dave the Cook]

That's a pretty good deal on the Amana. I can't vouch for their quality one way or another, but list price is about $300 higher.

If FG's exotic notion doesn't do anything for you, I have an alternative. Again, I can't vouch for quality, but it seems to have a lot of what you want, plus an electric convection oven, and a little more power on the top. (I didn't compare the broilers.) It's one of the least expensive dual-fuel oven I've seen. I admit that I'm not crazy about the grates.

Kenmore Elite Dual-Fuel Range

[Fat Guy]

I think Nick wants all gas. Nick?

[ballast_regime]

Go magnetic induction! Splurge, Nick!

IML

b/r

[jackal10]

Buy second-hand.

There is not much to go wrong in a gas stove (unlike an electric stove, where the elements wear out), and the older ones were more solidly built. Mostly all they need is a good clean, and they are a fraction of the price.

For example on e-bay there is

Like New!! 1999 Amana ARG7800 Self-Cleaning Gas Range for $71.

[Dave the Cook]

I think Nick wants all gas. Nick?

Infrared broilers run on gas?

[Fat Guy]

They run on whatever they run on. It's not an issue of fuel source. Most steakhouses, for example, use upright infrared broilers fueled by gas. Likewise, my DCS range is gas and is equipped with an infrared broiler.

explanation

[Fat Guy]

the older ones were more solidly built

This is certainly true of middle-market residential ranges. If you look at an old range like the one my mother has -- just a basic apartment range from the 1950s -- it's hard to imagine anything in the current Amana product line that could stand up to it in a demolition derby. But the high-end professional-style ranges being made today are superior to anything they were selling in days of yore: just as solid, more powerful, and better engineered for serious cooking (especially the ovens; old ovens suck).

[Dave the Cook]

They run on whatever they run on. It's not an issue of fuel source. Most steakhouses, for example, use upright infrared broilers fueled by gas. Likewise, my DCS range is gas and is equipped with an infrared broiler.

explanation

Got it. Thanks.

[Nick]

I think Nick wants all gas. Nick?

Yep. I thought about dual fuel (electric oven) but any doubts I'd had were dispelled when I talked with the second guy that was selling Amana's and I asked about the infrared gas broiler. They way he described steak done under an infrared convinced me that it was the way to go.

Thanks for the suggestion of the commercial DCS but, as has been noted above, residential ranges have come a long way from only a few years ago, plus I need a slide-in for an island. The advances in residential gas ranges over only the last five years have been amazing. Probably Viking got things rolling, but now I think they're going to be left in the dust when people get over their snob appeal. At the second Amana place I mentioned above they also have Viking, Thermador, and Dacor and if I had the money to spend, I'd be looking at the Thermador or the Dacor.

I mentioned that I'd heard about Viking having had some problems and the fellow I was talking with readily admitted to that. He added that Viking has assured the dealers that the problems have been solved; but he remains skeptical. He mentioned that one of the problems Viking had had was failure to immediately ignite when turning on the oven, so the gas would build up in the oven and then ignite - blowing open the oven door.

The Thermador they had on display was an eye-catcher. Star burners and about a 3" analog dial oven temp gauge in the center of the control panel. Beautiful old blue and white speckled enamal on the inside of the oven and, as Susie noticed, no holes or crevasses for grease to hide in.

Anyhow, back to my price range. Dave - the guy at the second place I went to was great. He could see I was into gas ranges and cooking. The first price he gave me on the Amana was $1120. We got to talking and I told him about how I was rapidly running out of money what with just having laid a bunch of money for oak flooring, plus what I was going to have to put into cabinets. Turns out he's going through the same thing with his home and knocked another hundred off the price knowing what I'm dealing with.

Cabinets.... Maybe I should next start a thread on cabinets. The way things are I'm not going to have the money to buy ready-made. But, I've got a bunch of pine we cut off the family land in NH back in '51 and after keeping it for all these years maybe I ought to put it to use. A lot of it is anywhere from 12"-16" wide so they'd be a little different from all the stuff that's on the market today. All I've got to do is figure out how to make cabinets, drawers, etc. And, of course it took me three and a half years to start finishing off the sheetrock, get the walls and ceilings painted (just finished today), and get a finish floor down - next week. At this rate I might get to the cabinets in a couple of years

Back to ranges - it looks like I'll go for the Amana at this point if no one pops up and says they're no good. Thanks and keep the posts coming on gas ranges. I'm sure there are lots of other folks out there that would like info too.

Nick

[MatthewB]

Nick,

Not sure but this thread may be helpful.

My conclusion--for that particular set of needs--was either KitchenAid, Thermador, or GE Monogram.

[Busboy]

My conclusion--for that particular set of needs--was either KitchenAid, Thermador, or GE Monogram.

We bought a KitchenAid and have not been pleased with it, though it's largely our fault we have learned two things to watch out for.

1) Beware anything electric. We have a electric touch pad on ours which, as far as we know will allow us to access the Internet and download recipes directly into the overn and which we occasionally use to turn the oven off if we're braising something and want to do something else as it cooks. Mostly, though, what happens is that we'll spill water on the range top or something will boil over and the thing will go into error mode and shut itself down, and nothing bakes or roasts until the liquid in the works evaporates. Sometimes merely wiping the range to with a wet cloth will trigger this.

2) Maximize cookspace. On ours, the knobs and display are horizontal, that is facing the ceiling on the last few inches of cookspace. This makes them easy to see (the error messages are plainly visible), but takes up critical room needed when trying to use three or four burners at once. That last couple of inches is sorely missed on many an occasion.

We were seduced by the BTUs of the main burner, after moving into a house with a covered element electric that took forever just to boil water. If I had to do it again, I'd just look for the most stripped-down models I could find. FG's recommendations looked pretty tasty to me.

[MatthewB]

FG's recommendations looked pretty tasty to me.

Yup. And I learned from FG & JP that the Monogram line is OEMed by DCS.

FWIW.

[Mottmott]

Don't consider the GE Profile where the burner designer built in hot spots! I needed a slide in, too. Please report back on the Amana if you get it, I can easily give away my GE (sucky, sucky, sucky).

[Nick]

Nick,

Not sure but this thread may be helpful.

My conclusion--for that particular set of needs--was either KitchenAid, Thermador, or GE Monogram.

Thanks for that link Matthew. Fifi's post was great!

Busboy, after your post on the KitchenAid water/control panel thing I did a search on Kitchenaid's and found this . I guess you're not alone. Scroll down through the posts as there are some interesting ones.

FG, I think it might be that KitchenAid makes good dishwashers and fridges..... but not ranges.

Mott, I will report back after I get the Amana. It better be good. I'm foregoing decent cabinets for now because I don't have money left to do both. But, as Chad said at the appliance place, you can't cook on cabinets.

I'm doing all this cash, no financing. Between interior finishing, painting, nice oak flooring (putting that down tomorrow), I'm stretched pretty tight. I paid off the mortgage on my place last year and I'll be damned if I'll get back in debt.

More later.

[abbeynormal]

Cabinets.... Maybe I should next start a thread on cabinets. The way things are I'm not going to have the money to buy ready-made. But, I've got a bunch of pine we cut off the family land in NH back in '51 and after keeping it for all these years maybe I ought to put it to use.

You should see if someone wants to buy the lumber instead of using it yourself. There's quite a demand for old wood (you can write your own joke).

[Nick]

You should see if someone wants to buy the lumber instead of using it yourself. There's quite a demand for old wood (you can write your own joke).

I've thought about doing that. It's really beautiful pine and I could probably get a pretty good dollar for it. But, it's got sentimental value to it too. I was ten years old when we cut it and it was the first time I was trusted with a single-bit axe to limb out the tops. Plus, it was old family land. We'd been in that NH town since 1801. But, if I'm not going to use it all, I might as well sell some - but then maybe my kids would like some when they finally get around to building something. Who knows what to do?

I'm really good a making lightening quick decisions when called for - got a fire, a serious car crash, somebody firing shots in your direction? I've got it pretty well under control. Give me time to dither around weighing the options and I'm hopeless.

I hope no one posts that the Amana is a POS or I'll be back to square one.

[fifi]

Quit dithering about the old wood. Keep it. Don't sell it. And yes... Your kids may want some of it some day. Several years ago a similar thing was lost in a barn fire on my parents country place. I still mourn the loss of those stupid boards.

[snowangel]

The stove at our cabin is an old (like at least 30-year old) Kenmore gas range. It runs on LP gas. Is it my imagination or does it run hotter on LP than regular natural gas?

[Nick]

Angel, according to the Amana catalog, the two burners that put out 12,500 btu's on natural gas, put out 10,000 btu on LP. The simmer burner at full speed puts out 5,000 btu on NG and 4,000 on LP. Us folks living in the country just naturally got to move a little slower.

Fifi, Thanks for that. It's my natural inclination.