Today we move onward in our quest for the right range, with a tantalizing morsel. We were tickled to find mention of a lesser-known brand in the comments of yesterday's post, and take a closer look today.
Blue Star ranges are made by Prizer-Painter. We picked the Blue Star Range RCS-30-4B 30" Range to review, since we don't mind not having a window in the door (this is the stripped down model - no window, no convection.) The prices seem much lower than the commonly-known brands like Viking, Wolf, and Thermador. We haven't cooked on this one yet, but it looks pretty tempting.
Blue Star makes range in sizes from 30" - 60", with or without windows and convection, so let your imagination start heating up, just don't let it boil over.
For more consumer reviews, check out That Home Site - it has a seemingly endless number of threads about the Blue Star ranges.
Burners: 4 @ 15,000 BTU/hour, can simmer as low as 130
Oven Capacity: 26.25"W x 20"D x 15"H (4.5 cubic feet)
Rack Positions: 4
Number of Racks: 3
Dimensions: ~36.75"h, 30"w, 27.25"d
Price: $2495, $125 for delivery (Krup's Kitchen and Bath, 11 W. 18th Street, 212.243.5787), $? (Select Appliance). At Krup's, the model with a door window and convection is $3200.
While I'll forever be happy with my 75 year old stove, deciding which professional range to purchase sure looks intimidating. Wondering if you have any hands on stores in the city where you can try/cook on a variety of choices before making the plunge. Found one today in a local magazine, if you're ever in the area.
This stove looks cool. Good to know there are alternatives to Wolf and Viking.
Speaking of stoves, have a new Kenmore Elite electric range, very similar to this one: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=APPL&pid=02246613000
I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with Kenmore Elite?
I don't love it. My building requires electric stoves and I grew up with a decent electric stove at my parents house, so I was ok with it. I got the ceramic glass top becasue I thought it would be easier to clean and look cooler than the old-fashioned coil burners. I was wrong -- the flat top glass always looks dirty and requires a lot of work to shine up right.
I love the warming drawer, but I don't use it that often, since I also use it to store extra pans and I don't want the hassle of moving them all out.
I didn't think the burners got that hot, but then I switched to new All Clad pots and things are bubbling away now. It's also slightly easier to keep the glass surface clean where the pots are new and totally clean.
I've had a Kenmore Elite for 7 years and am about to replace it.
It's impossible to clean the enamel grates and they were replaced twice while under warranty.
The electric oven is currently not working. To repair it would cost $500!!! This happened once before but again it was under warranty.
If I hadn't purchased the extended warranty, I would have replaced it after the 2nd year.
We have this blue star but ours has a window and oven light. It is an absolutely fab stove. We have had 4 stoves in our 23 years of marriage and were fed up unto death with their shoddy workmanship and poor lifespan. This stove is quite expensive, but it is a joy to use. It is also easy to clean, with easily removable parts. We previously had a tough time cleaning the enamel burners of our junk GE stove, but this Blue Star has cast iron burners. If they are coated with crud because you haven't cleaned them in a dog's age, just pull them out, and wire brush (or even wire wheel them). Everything just pulls out of this stove. You can easily clean all the way down from the burners, or you can go in from below and work your way up. Parts slide out, lift up. The cooking surface is larger than the old stove. The top is flat and huge pans (20 qt pots etc) sit easily on the stovetop. Whereas the pans used to be crowded, the large pans play nicely with their neighbors on this stove top. The burner grates are nice and big. The top is flat so you can have a pan that goes all the way to the edge of the stove. You can just pull that center metal piece right off the stove, and drop it in the sink for scrubbing. A well thought out stove. Do you remember when your mom got her stove and it took 3 men to carry it in the house? Do you compare that to your present crap stove that your husband can pick up by himself? This one weighs a few hundred pounds, and you need 3 guys to get it in the house. Also, the burners have a lot of BTU power and can really cook up fast, if necessary.
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