Best Gas Range Tops

[Nick]

I just got an email from a friend asking about gas range tops

Bill and I are looking at the 36" drop-in gas range tops, that we plan on putting into a center island. I really want the high btu's and the low so we're looking at the following models. Have you heard much about these brands: Dacor, Wolf and DCS. I'm sorta leaning towards the DCS since I've read a lot more positive reviews about this range.

I know there have been previous threads related to this but I just did three different searches and couldn't come up with them. Most recently I know it was discussed in Varmints kitchen reno thread but it's really buried in there so I thought I'd start fresh. Any thoughts or links to the right threads? Thanks.

Edited January 26, 2004 by Nick (log)

[fyfas]

I looked at all of them and ended up choosing Wolf.

My concern like that of your friends was to get the highest BTU's possible as I am in a location where propane is the gas and altitude is a factor. Both reduce the "real" BTU's possible.

A thought/note for your friends... the manufacturers (Dacor/Wolf/Viking) all make 4/6/8 burner models that are "rangetops" that look like professional, restaurant kitchen cooking stations. These are the ones with the highest BTU's and all burners usually yield the maximum heat. These same manufacturers also make 6, 5 or 4 burner configurations that look less like restaurant equipment but more "designer"-ish. While attractive, these units I found to offer assorted levels of BTU's; i.e. one 16,000 BTU burner, two 11,500, one 8,000 and one 7,500 BTU. I would be wary of these unless their needs are not really for that much heat.

And, finally, be careful to find out what a "simmer" really is on the unit they like. Thermador has a method of turning the burner on then off repeatedly that drives many cooks nuts. First, the temperature never really stays constant and the sound of the igniter "clicking" on over and over again; well, you know what I mean.

While you did not mention ovens, note that Dacor is best known for their ovens which I chose. Thermador ovens seemed to have the largest interior with Viking the smallest inside; all measuring the same outside. Go figure. (A friend was shocked when she tried to put a large turkey roaster in her new Viking oven and could only get it in on the diagonal... with guests watching.)

These things are said only to illustrate that the details can be important.

All of the brands they've mentioned are first-rate. I'm very happy with my Wolf though it is a pain to keep really clean. I was very interested in DCS and only ruled it out because it was not easy to purchase in my location; something that is no longer an issue here.

[Toliver]

From a search using "range" in the post title:

Thread 1

Thread 2 (DCS Range)

And I think there was another one, perhaps in the "General" forum but I haven't been able to find it. I know both Fat Guy & Jason have posted extensively about ranges in the past.

Hope this helps.

[Dave the Cook]

I found this one:

Stove

and this one:

Cooktop and oven choices

[Nick]

Thanks guys. I'll email her a link to this thread. That way she can register and start narrowing stuff down with everyone - like should this be a range or just a cooktop.

[AlexP]

I am sorry if this information has been covered on any of the threats mentioned above, but David Rosengarten has a pretty useful article that might be quite helpful.

Cooktops

Hope this helps

Alex

[Susan in FL]

...the threats mentioned above,

I get a kick out of typos. That's a good one!

[Nick]

I am sorry if this information has been covered on any of the threats mentioned above, but David Rosengarten has a pretty useful article that might be quite helpful.

Cooktops

Hope this helps

Alex

Thanks for that link, Alex. Great and informative article. A couple of thoughts came to mind in reading it. First -

THE TURNING OF THE DIALS Make sure your prospective range doesn't have sticky dials. And make sure your dials turn down to low as easily as they do to high. Often, when attempting to find the lowest possible setting, you must turn the dial so far down that eventually the flame just disappears, forcing you to reignite. My advice: Test the low heat on your prospective cooktop and make sure you can find the lowest setting.

When I got my Amana (definitely not a high end range), I was pleasantly surprised when the people installing the propane line told me I could adjust the the lowest settings on all of the burners and showed me how. On this range it is done by removing the control knobs and adjusting a screw that is down inside the hollow shaft that holds the knob. It takes a very, very small straight slot screwdriver to do this. But, by doing it the lowest setting for any burner can be adjusted so the flame goes as low as possible without the flame going out. It's a great feature to have. (When doing this keep in mind whether there might be air currents caused by an open window or opening and closing door that might blow out the flame.)

Second thought -

Air flow can be affected by sealed or unsealed burners. Traditionally, all burners were left "unsealed." In other words, the flame was surrounded by an open groove through which food could drop. But then home cooks began objecting to that open groove because dropped-through food inevitably accumulated under the cooktop. Companies responded by offering a sealed burner, which contains the spillover to the cooktop—but reduces the heat efficiency of your BTUs. My advice: Skip the sealed burners.

I've been working with fire and combustion for a long time and what is said about the better combustion without the sealed burners is certainly true. But, I'll take sealed burners anytime. I have ocassional boiler-overs and sealed burners make things much easier to deal with - as do removable burner drip pans.

Thanks again for the link. There's a lot of info there and things to think about.

[AlexP]

Susan in FL Posted on Jan 26 2004, 10:54 AM

 

QUOTE 

...the threats mentioned above,

I get a kick out of typos. That's a good one! 

Well, if it brings a smile, I will not edit the post.

Nick, I am glad that you find the article useful. We've got a new stove a few weeks ago, it is working well, but it takes a while to know everything. Your tips are good.

Thanks

Alex