BlueStar is a great range, but an original Chambers -WOW. It is an open burner and will do just fine with wok cooking again WOW

Rococogurl,

Thanks for the input. Did you or your mom have to adjust recipe cooking times because of the "cooks with the gas off" feature on the oven? Kind of like everyone adjusting recipes to convection today.

Guadalupe,

So you think the 9,000 btus on the Chambers' daisy burners will be enough for stir frying? For aesthetics I'd prefer to just stick with the Chambers but don't want to kick myself everytime I stirfry.

Thanks!

Ok where are the pictures!!!

I adore old ranges (have a 1955 O'keefe and Merritt) and fridges (don't have one--alas).

A while back, when I was researching which old range to get, I found a group of chambers owners/fanatics. Gosh--where was that group? You probably already know the one I mean, but I can try to find it again if you aren't already a member over there. They could definitely answer your stir-fry questions.

Francy

Don't you dare dump that thing! There are some old stove forums around, so Google 'em and see if you can get some info on stirfrying with the Chambers.

Another possibility is an induction hob next to the Chambers. I hate my induction for stirfrying (wrong wok) but I *think* some people think it's fine. Do find a place you can test it! The advantage of induction is that it won't be highly visible next to the Chambers so you can get a slightly better overall look for the kitchen.

Before my renovation, I had an O'Keefe & Merrit, not an old vintage one - it came new in my house in 1981 - it had four normal burners (I suspect they were 9K but in those days I didn't really know anything about BTUs) and for 20 years I stir-fried a lot just fine - you have to make sure and get the wok very hot, then put in the oil and get it hot, and then put in the food trying not to cook too large a batch. Now that I have a 17.5K burner on my DCS, I can see the difference but actually I have to be a lot more careful on the DCS because things cook a lot faster and you have more risk of burning things. The purists may tell you that you need 20K or more to stir fry adequately but to be honest unless you're cooking huge amounts, I'm not convinced.

On the other hand, I have a friend with a 10 year old Jenn-Aire dual fuel and the cooktop is abysmal. Initially you couldn't get the oil hot enough to stir-fry at all. She had a serviceman come out and told her the burners were to spec. She finally got a handyman to adjust one of the burners so it's a little hotter and now it's just barely adequate for stir fying. Again, I don't know how many BTU's but I know it wasn't enough.

Do you have the option of installing the Chambers and then deciding if you need to add a wok burner later?

Found it: www.chamberstoves.net
They have a discussion forum.

Depending on where you live (house or condo) and what your particular climate is like year-round, you might be a good candidate for an outdoor wok setup. [NB: That link is a great place to start your research, but I wouldn't necessarily buy from that guy -- he's got an astounding mark-up over what you could find at your local restaurant supply store or proper Asian grocery store!]

By going that route, you wouldn't have to worry about aesthetics or sufficient ventilation, and you'd get a burner that would BLOW THE DOORS OFF of that Thermador...

Bayareafrancy,

Great idea! Duh, should have thought of that. Waiting for registration to kick in and will see what the folks there say. Love this forum though as there as so many people with different experiences. Not much info when I google the topic Fori.

My Chambers is currently being stored in the root cellar on a dolley while I swing back and forth on my decision. Swing - Chambers alone, swing - Chambers and firebreathing wok burner, swing - 30 inch Bluestar. Ugh.

Can't get enough distance to get a decent shot.I have inserted a link for a photo of one http://www.antiquestoves.com/gas%20stoves/images/red90c/DSCF0004. Mine looks just like that.
Weissman, installing the wok burner later is probably not very practical for me. But it can become the last line of defense if I just go with the Chambers and it is a stirfrying disappointment. Thank you.

Ohhhhh, definitely keep the Chambers and add a wok burner. And this is speaking as someone who almost exclusively cooks with a wok! I once lived in an apt with an old O'Keefe & Merritt and it was just the most darling thing, with such cunning workmanship. If I had a kitchen (and a budget) large enough to do what you're doing I would totally hunt down a vintage stove and add a wok burner.

We have an old Welbuilt from the 50's that just cranks. (plus it has 2 warming drawers) I don't know that just throwing out a huge BTU number means all that much, except maybe for bragging rights. Our stove boils a kettle of water in 3 minutes, a pasta pot in 7. Easily gets a wok hot enough to stir fry. Yet I'll bet it's way under 10k BTU. Just my opinion, I'd keep the old classic and make space for a wok ring. If you hate that set up you can sell the Chambers and buy a BS or something similar if you like.

I know that the Chambers is heavy, but my goodness, you actually have it there. Move it into place, hook it up, try it out, and then you have all the answers you need.

Thanks everyone. Really do appreciate your time and input. Please keep it coming.

Solarpowered, obviously a logical thought to just try it out, but I don't yet have gas in this house and won't have it until after I need a decision for the renovation. Hence, the experience of the good people of this forum is invaluable.

Don't know much about Chambers ranges, but 9,000 BTU is pretty whimpy. You can get portable burners that run around 12 K off butane cartridges. For stir fry's, the more heat, the better. It makes a real difference.

Does the Chambers have pilot lights or electronic ignition? Pilot lights use more energy that you will by cooking, meaning more money.

I have a 36" Bluestar with grill and a 3500 Watt Cooktek induction (flat-non-wok) burner under a 54" 1200 CFM VAH hood and the hood works fine.

CookTak makes wok burners that can drop into a countertop just like mine. 3500 Watts roughly equals 30,000 BTU's, and I can attest that it is very hot. Available for good prices on-line, and made in the USA.

By the way, you do realize that your ancient fridge is going to cost you hundreds of dollars a year for electricity? Current fridges many times the size of the one you have consume less than 1/3 the electricity of that unit. And top-line fridges keep vegetables fresh for a long, long time. And even if they go bad a little faster, you are still wasting money, because of the amount of electricity used compared to the cost of a head of lettuce. Please consider the pollution caused by that ancient fridge and get a new one.

Chambers have no electronic ignition in the burners. It's why one poster couldn't get code approval for her kitchen.

It's also what makes them great burners, though admittedly, the pilot lights are not energy efficient.

As I recall the burners each have 5 circular jets, not one circle of flame. So the heat is more even over all. The simmer is extremely sensitive and, whatever the BTUs might be, when you turn those babies up you get sufficient power to saute anything beautifully. The adjustability of the burners is terrific.

The reason Chambers ranges are so prized, are rebuilt and are still in use today is because they perform. Wish there was a range today that gave the same performance combo of gas, oven and broiler -- though the Lacanchers feel theirs do.

Also the ovens were a bit smaller than the big ones today on the pro ranges so they heat up well and quickly. But there was no recipe adjustment the way we do for convection -- not at all. The oven just keeps the heat very steady.

Check the side of the burners and see if there's a little steel hinge. That the adjuster -- it can be moved slightly to give you a higher flame.

I taught cooking for 9 years on the Chambers cooktops and we did do some stir-frying. It was OK but nowhere near the high output wok burners in the Chinese restaurant where I later worked, but those were built into a bench and required sprinklers overhead, a potfiller and drain.

Chambers + wok burners is best of both worlds.

Also, have you looked at the new Capitol ranges, which are just coming out and have output that exceeds the Blue Star and have higher styling?

Agree with pcovey on the fridge. The newer ones really are better than the old ones IMO for many reasons.

Absolutely keep the Chambers! I still regret not buying the double oven 6-burner O'Keefe & Merritt range I was offered for $125, way back when. A single induction hob or separate wok burner is all that is needed. I love cooking and spend more time simmering and braising than wok cooking - and my DH and I are both Asian!

I had an idea for you...how about an AGA companion? It would look very much at home next to your Chambers, and it comes with a wok burner option.

It is possible that money doesn't grow on your local trees, though...but it's worth a mention just in case!

Here is a link that might be useful: Aga Companion Module

From the Aga link above: "Integral 12,000 BTU wok burner"

Bwahaha!

An option to consider is Cooktek's drop-in induction wok burners. They have versions up to 3500 watts, which is equal to around a 31,000 BTU gas wok burner. Since they heat the wok directly, you don't have anywhere near the amount of heat to get rid of as you do with a gas wok burner that big.

I've linked to the Cooktek site. Also, Cooktek cooktops can be purchased online at SelectAppliance.com.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooktek wok burners

From the Aga link above: "Integral 12,000 BTU wok burner"

Bwahaha!

I know...but it's better than the 9K on the Chambers, and the look might make it worthwhile.

Rococogurl,

Thank you for that info. Really appreciated.

Evaperconti, love the way the Aga looks. Could definitely do it, but with my inbuilt yankee thriftiness gene I'd probably be eyeballing it all the time expecting some other greater feat than searing. But I do really love the look.

Solarpowered, I like the drop in induction because it would be lower profile, but my significant other just doesn't like the concept of induction. Would have to get him to convert. Still trying. I can get the Thermador for around $1,300 for a floor model (there's that gene again) so that may be preferred, but I am definitely listening to all the great thoughts here.

And I'm just going to have to defend my poor little old early 1950s Hotpoint refrigerator. Just like Cpovey says I had always heard they were inefficient. Then I read an alternate view that said because they don't have defrost, water, ice, etc. they are actually more efficient. Again, this goes for the pre-defrost machines. The 1960s ones are supposedly higher energy consumption machines. My experienced appliance repairman confirmed this.

But this was not good enough for me. Oh no. I did a test of sorts. The house I am renovating was vacant in June and July. In June I used the energy star refrigerator that I had. In July I plugged in the "new" Hotpoint instead. Because the house was vacant and I was not using power tools at the time, heat or AC I had a pretty good control environment. I was also not opening one fridge more than the other. The only factor was the higher heat in July which is what the Hotpoint was up against. The result - my electricity bill dropped by several dollars a month using the Hotpoint. So there you go, lower electricity consumption and I have a butter warmer. Now if you really want an efficient fridge you might find this interesting.
http://www.sunfrost.com/refrigerator_features.html Then again, you all probably know about it all ready.

Thanks again everyone. This is all very helpful and insightful. If there are any other ideas I would really appreciate it. Getting close to a decision. Surprised no one came out in favor of the Bluestar.

Hey, I would adore the chance to pop a Bluestar into my kitchen anyday, but I think the trend is definitely towards vintage and colored appliances. There are some great advantages to the old ranges, and the look can't be beat. Why else are people spending a fortune on Aga/Lacanche/et.al.?

I actually went out of my way to go look at a Heartland Legacy, and have to admit it's built like the proverbial tank. But I still lust after that long-gone O'Keefe & Merritt...........

I have also heard that the old fridges are more energy efficient. And you can always replace the insulation on the inside if you want to.