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nellym_gw

bluestar rcs vs rnb

nellym
13 years ago

Since kissing my Capital dreams goodbye, I am now looking at BlueStar. I went to a local retailer (they are far and few in Vancouver, Canada) and only had the RCS on display. They kindly provided me with a list of the differences between the RCS and RNB. I do not understand all of the differences between the 2 models so I am asking the knowledgeable folks here to figure out if these features are worth it.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Below are features exclusive to the RNB:

1) 2 x 22,000 BTU direct heat burners

- RNB ranges and range tops are equipped with 22K high heat custom burner heads, backed with 10 year factory warranty

2) 33K BTU Brass Gas Controllers with Large Knobs and Bezels

- controllers are commercial grade, brass built controllers, added large bezels and knobs finished out of metal (additionally available in 190 colors with up charge)

3) V1 series glide out drip tray with stainless grease pan inserts

4) Upgraded Island Trim

- high quality finished edges with superior design

5) Upgraded Bullnose Design

- unique design bull nose finished in high grade stainless

6) Twice baked stippled interior oven finish

- custom high quality interior finish for ease of cleaning and long life

7) One glide out heavy duty oven rack plus 2 heavy racks

8) Upgrade to BS badge on oven door

9) Direct igniter system

- individual direct ignition system, allows for better service and use of the burners

10) Custom paint option with no charge

11) White glove service

- customer calls BlueStar after install, tech is dispatched and completes a check list and tune up and then customer gets extra 1 year warranty at no charge

There appears to be a marked difference in the fit and finish between the RCS and RNB but I am not sure if it makes that much of a difference. The trip tray, island trim, bullnose design, tray racks and badge do not bother me. I could live with the stainless steel finish as well. So this leaves me with:

a) burners - mojavean's hotrod post indicates that changing the burners to 22K is possible but would BlueStar sell the kit or the components? The retailer sells the upgrade kit to 18K but is not 100% sure of who actually performs the upgrade after delivery. I am not inclined to tinker around with the range myself but could an experienced person (say a technician) be able to do it? Personally, I would love to be able to do real wok cooking...is 18K sufficient for this?

b) gas controllers - aren't the RCS controllers commercial grade and made of brass? I can't imagine what else it could be made out of and why this is important? The knobs on the RCS seem sturdy enough.

c) interior oven finish - the RCS finish is plain black. I don't know what it is but it bothers me - as if something is missing. The twice baked stippled interior finish sounds like it is better in the long term and considering this is a manual clean. True?

d) direct igniter system - according to the retailer, the RCS' burners all share 1 igniter so every time I turn on one burner it will make the others click. True? or does this really make a difference? or why is this bad? I am thinking that if the igniter goes down then all the burners would be non-operational.

e) warranty (via white glove service) - the idea of getting another year's warranty sounds great but is it worth it? I am not sure what the service calls are required for this range...the Bluestar troubleshooting videos seem so uncomplicated.

RCS - $2900 CAD; RNB - $5500 CAD --> Price difference $2600 + 12% tax. Unlike in the US, prices in Canada are higher and not that flexible. There just isn't enough competition around here. I also cannot get the range from Costco.

PS: I confirmed that the RCS has convection and broiler as RNB.

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