caldera 30 inch cooktop: any unresolved issues?

15 years ago

Hi, I am almost ready to buy the 30in cooktop until I saw some recent postings that people are having difficulties getting parts or contacting the manufacturer. Can someone please post whether you still have unresolved issues with Caldera or Eurochef? I am planning to buy mine from AJ Madison if I don't hear any concerns from others. Should I get additional warranty? I didn't think I need to. The cooktop seems pretty standard.

Thanks

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Comments (13)

User
15 years ago
I have used mine for 2 years now. I know that one other poster , Raynag , has had no problem either. The workings of a gas cooktop in general and this one specifically are extremely simple. There are so few parts that essentially there is nothing to repair and certainly nothing that a reg. appliance service person couldn't do. If it works when installed it will cont to work pretty much forever. GOOD LUCK....c
rgillman
15 years ago
Soccermom - Trailrunner is right; I haven't had any problems (except the little rubber feet falling off the grates - but I am sure that if I ever get around to calling Eurochef, they'll send me some extras). I love this cooktop: it is sooo easy to keep clean and as Caroline says, there are no complicated electronic gizmos and parts. And I LOVE the five burners in 30". Plenty of room - it's great. Go for it.
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The web site is still up and running and I see that AJ Madison as well as others have it. The cooktop is so fantastic that you will never regret getting one. The bottom line is that there is nothing really that can go wrong with the cooktop since there are no fancy electronics. If a problem with the cooktop came up it is well within the scope of any gas repair person to fix it. As you note the price tag is so low...but that is not a reflection of the quality. The grates are simply amazing as far as weight and quality. The only concern was the design of the center grate. You do have to make sure and get the updated one.The updated one is the one on the website currently. Good luck and if you have other questions there are several of us with the Caldera and as far as I know everyone loves the way it cooks. c
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Just a few points. You don't need a window over the sink. Keep you corner windows and then do something like this for cabinets over the sink area. You're making this more complicated than it needs to be. cpartist and I both drew our fridges a few inches from the wall. I was anticipating that it would be understood that a cabinet would need to go there to allow the fridge door to swing fully open. I'm sure cpartist was, too. It's just hard to judge without good measurements and different fridges have different requirements for this. Having the door hinges on the left so the door swings toward sink/DW would not be recommended. Access would be clumsy. The difference between our suggestions is the wall oven. I wouldn't do it. The functional aspects of a wall oven would outweigh the decrease in your kitchen's aesthetics. It will create a big, bulky cabinet at the end of that run which will make your kitchen feel smaller and be darker due to blocking the light from the windows (doors?) to the left of the wall oven as well as blocking the corner windows. It ruins your long sight lines. Of course, your priorities might be different. I love the way light plays in a room and light makes me happy. It would be a worthy trade-off to me. May I suggest that if you must do a waist-height wall oven, that you don't take the cabinet to the ceiling. Maybe something similar to this shorter cabinet? It won't block all the light and won't be such a bulky hulk. See how the light still flows past the oven and creates an open visual line? So much nicer than a cabinet to the ceiling, imho.
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organic_soccermom
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the support. I will go ahead and purchase one.
User
15 years ago
HEY Rayna,,,I am glad you chimed in. By all means soccermom get a Caldera. You will love it.

Rayna hope to see you next week. I will be in NYC 10/21-11/05. I will e-mail everybody. Hope you are well. c
vadefeo
15 years ago
Close to two months ago, I contacted Tim at Eurochef and requested that he send me a replacement for the faulty grate for my 36" cooktop. He assured me that we should receive it in a couple of weeks. Well, after several phone calls to Tim (only receive voicemail) and I also sent an email, I still have not received a phone call back or a return email. Still have not received grate replacement. I'm really getting disgusted with Eurochef
and feel like telling him to come and get his cooktop
and stuff it. I only feel this way because he is not returning my phone calls. Starting to get the same runaround when I was trying to contact Caldera (Al) direct.
I love the cooktop, but customer service stinks. That's putting it nicely.
It sounds like everyone else has had good luck with Eurochef, just wanted to give you another side to it.
Va
ci_lantro
15 years ago
Gonzoe--Here is some additional contact info that I've gleaned from the web:

Christa Shute, resides in Shelburne VT. Christa is the President and co-Founder of Caldera Corporation, a company specializing in electronically controlled cooking appliances. She is also the Managing Director and President of CompuValve LLC, a company holding patented and patent pending technology surrounding an electronically controlled valve. Christa believes that InventVermont is an important resource to Vermont's innovative community, providing networking, support, information and resources. Her interest is in promoting, supporting and growing such an organization.

Christa Shute
31 Trillium Lane
Hinesburg VT 05461
p: 802.793.7077
cshute@calderacorp.com
User
15 years ago
ci_lantro that is Al's wife...there is some question as to whether she will answer e-mails either...I guess Gonzoe can try . c
ci_lantro
15 years ago
Yes, I know that she's his wife. I'd skip the e-mail & use the phone. Or post a letter to the Trillium Lane address. When I ran the addy thru Google maps, it looked like a residential area.
User
15 years ago
good idea...I sure hope the issue of the grate as well as the whole company and whether it even exists anymore, is resolved. c
vadefeo
15 years ago
Hi,

Just wanted to thank you all for contact info. This morning, I asked my husband if he would call Eurostar since
they are not returning my calls. Wouldn't you know, they called him right back saying that they just got the shipment of new grates in and he just wanted to verify our address. First we've heard from him since August 14th when
he said he would ship them out in two weeks. I'm really glad we heard something, but they are still on my sh** list. If we don't receive them by the end of next week, I'll try Christa. Thanks again everyone!
Oh and by the way, ours broke after the first time we used it. Sounded like a bomb going off. lol
User
15 years ago
Yep Gonzoe...pretty much what happened with ours too. But the good news is once it breaks then it is AOK :). It moved a heavy stock pot to the side...very scary.

I hope it works out. I wish the Caldera folks would put us all to rest as to what they are doing. I called the Chamber of Commerce months ago up there and they wouldn't go over to the address and they also said that the business wasn't a member. So maybe someone will post what the deal is. GOOD LUCK c
vadefeo
15 years ago
Just wanted to let you know that we finally received our
new grate! yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Problem resolved.
Va
User
15 years ago
WWWWHHOOOOOOOOOOO...yeah ! I was gonna save the old one ...go figure...tossed it . You are good to GO ! c

caldera 30 inch cooktop: any unresolved issues?

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