48' Range...Viking or Wolf?

15 years ago

First off, I wanted to express our gratitude to everyone who has contributed such invaluable advice to this site. We are building a house, and have used the info we have learned here to shape many of our decisions so farÂ

In our kitchen, we plan on using a 48" range, six burners + a griddle.

We *think* we have narrowed down the options to the Viking or the Wolf. (Both gas only, not self cleaning Â trying to ÂeconomizeÂ wherever possible.)

While I have read so many negative reviews on the Viking products, we had good experiences with them in the past Â had a 4 burner range in an apartment, no problems to speak of.

My wife likes the Viking because of the color options. As the ÂcookÂ in our house, I like the Wolf.

We also looked at the Bluestar and American Range. We were persuaded out of both by our KD as well as from our local appliance dealers, who all favored either the Viking or WolfÂ

Any thoughts on which way to go? Or other options we should consider?

Many thanks in advance for the adviceÂ

Featured Answer

johnnytugs1

15 years ago

mercury53 although i don't care for the way wolf/subzero does business i did come very close to purchasing a viking. i went as far as contacting the comptroller of vikings wife to get reviews. i went to a appliance store in northern n.j.(reno's) where they had a boatload of appliances to chose from and i compared. if you look at the viking it looks great but when you compare it to some others it isn't so great. the feel of the viking is cheesy at best if you run your fingers under the top of the bullnose you can feel the wires. the doors are thin. i wound up buying a 48" american range and although i did have a few problems with it i would never get anyhing else. i have always had quick responses and generally feel that they care about their product not to mention you as a consumer. after reading numerous posts about AR in this forum i think i can say that for the most part folks are happy with their american range. you have the final say so don't let your KD or anyone else change your mind. from the four that you mentioned i would definitely go with the bluestar or american range. viking is a residential stove in a pro style body. american range is a commercial range modified for residential use. and from what i understand bluestar is built well also. best of luck in your search.
john
917-842-1809
check out the link below & see what other owners are saying.

Here is a link that might be useful: american range owners #2

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Comments (23)

chipshot
15 years ago
What don't you like about how Wolf/Subzero does business, Johnny?
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teresa_b
15 years ago
This will not help with your decision; however, I have a 48 inch BlueStar and love it, love it, love it. I was on this forum often until we moved into our new home in March and have not been back in awhile. I also wanted a color (I went with red), and everyone is very complimentary on my range. It is a focal point in my kitchen.

I feel the Bluestar will last forever as it has no electronics. After a small mishap where I boiled milk over and clogged the element, DH was able to easily disassemble it so I could clean the element. He is a little bit mechanical but not a lot mechanical. The grates are easy to pop into the dishwasher and the burners heat very evenly--no cool spots in the skillet or pan. Oven works great as well and I cannot believe how much oven space I have.

I also liked the price of the Bluestar, which was less than the Viking by over a thousand. With so many complaints about Viking's customer service, I felt that to pay so much more and suffer through a possible lemon, was not worth it.

Do NOT let your KD convince you on which brand to purchase. You will be doing all the cooking and living with your range for a long time. Your KD will not be cooking on it 2-3 times a day.

Good luck with your decision and I think it is great you are going with a color. What color are you considering?

Teresa
tyguy
15 years ago
hmmm.....where did my post go? I thought I sent it....oh well, I will post again and hope that both don't show up somehow.

Anyway. I totally agree with teresa. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Bluestar. I had a 30" Viking before my 48" Bluestar, and although I did like my Viking a lot, the Bluestar and it's 22k open star burner is in a league of its own. Also love the large oven capacity. Again, I agree with tersa, about even heating. No cold spots or hot spots. Even heating on the ENTIRE bottom of the cooking vessel. The Viking had hot spots around the perimeter of the vessel, as would any round burner design with a burner cap. Woking on a Bluestar? Awesome!!!

But if you are simply looking for a tally of reports for Viking or Wolf, chalk mine up as a positive Viking experience. But if you are willing to consider a BS, then I would say go for it.
guadalupe
15 years ago
The American 48 has bake broil and convection in both ovens and both ovens have more capacity than the wolf or viking you KD can't get invited to a cocktail party for american only for wolf and viking
teachmkt
15 years ago
When looking at ranges 4 years ago, I cooked on AG Wolf and Viking at their respective test kitchens in my market. I was mainly interested in the grills and chose the Wolf because of the hotter grill, what seemed (to me anyway) to be better fit and finish on the Wolf, and the Wolf's burners (unsealed and the dual rings). I have two friends with Vikings, both are excellent cooks and both like their Vikings.

Were I looking today I'd look at Wolf again, as well as probably Bluestar and the Capital with the 30K BTU wok burner. All three have their cheerleaders and their critics, so it probably boils down to which you are most comfortable with.
johnnytugs1
15 years ago
hi chipshot after i had started looking into wolf (because my wife liked the red knobs)and i liked the way it was built
my sister developed a problem with hers i got involved and didn't receive a call back for 18 days after calling & emailing often. it wasn't until i lost it on the poor receptionist that i got a call back and finally repaired close to a month later. so in total it took close to 2 months to get a problem which was a disconnected wire resolved. i wasn't even looking for a service call just an idea what to look for.
john
golden_west
15 years ago
I sell BlueStar and own a BlueStar. There is NOT a better range built in the residential business today! Have you ever broiled a ribeye under a broiler? The BlueStar broiler is ABSOLUTELY incredible! And there is no mess!!! The burners......second to No One!!!! Open Burners are the way to go! Do not be fooled into Sealed Burners...Trust me...you will find out why. Lastly......if you choose a BlueStar....go buy a couple 18" x 26" Commercial baking sheets....they will make your baking a LOT faster!!!
Good Luck!!!
gfiliberto
15 years ago
I have my 48" AG Wolf range for 4 years. I love it.
Great performance, great looks, and very solid construction.
Oh yes...and red knobs!
bungalowbees
15 years ago
If your wife wants color, she could have an infinite palette (no pun intended) with Bluestar, or at least 190 colors. You're lucky to be nitpicking among great ranges! As for the KD, I'd listen to her for design rather than appliance info if you love to cook. Your wife will still be with you in that kitchen in 5 years, not the KD, so maybe listen to her!

I wasn't impressed with the Viking as a machine when I was shopping around -- and I did want more btus on top. The other ranges are great.

I went with Bluestar for more heat (top + broiler) and that open star burner. I've been cooking on it years almost 3 years now and I love, love, love it. As others have mentioned, cleanup is nothing to worry about -- though I did worry during renovation. I broil constantly yet have little to clean up before cranking the oven to 500 to roast the next day. The fact that the burners come apart both to receive a wok sunk in the fire and to ease in cleaning is a huge plus in my day to day kitchen life as I'm a messy cook.

My local dealer gave me a decent price on the BS so I actually saved money over the better marketed Wolf/Viking ranges while increasing the range of my range. YMMV

If you don't particularly need extra heat there's nothing wrong with choosing a color, look, or feel as you get down to the wire. You're the one cooking in that kitchen -- and footing the bill.

Good luck!
pjpenguin
15 years ago
I bought a Viking 6 burner, double range with griddle and char grill (basically the biggest one they make) since I was in the restaurant business for 22 years and just had to have a BIG range. I have used it for almost 3 years with one problem (igniter went bad, easy fix/DIY) I love the range....however there seems to be a bunch of complaints about Viking on various sites on the internet. The only other complaint I have is the way the oven windows/doors are made such that the INSIDE surface of the glass can get dirty and the only way I see to clean it is to take the door apart!!
All things considered it's been good to me so far.
rhome410
15 years ago
I've always heard wonderful things about Wolf's quick and excellent service. Mine wasn't a big problem, but I needed the grates replaced, because mine had the old rubber feet...They sent new grates and new underpans, because they weren't positive the new grates would fit the same. They did, so now I have 2 sets of the underpans...They didn't make me wait to see. The woman I talked to was gracious, polite, and very helpful, and the parts came very quickly.
johnnytugs1
15 years ago
golden_west what is wrong with sealed burners? i have cooked with both but i don't see what is wrong with the sealed burners? thanks.
john
golden_west
15 years ago
johnnytugs1........every time you spill something, you have to clean it or look at it until you do. And most times it is so hot you have to wait until is cools down. And.......once it cools down, in most cases, it takes elbow grease to get it off. An open burner allows you to clean when you want, push whatever you like down onto the drip tray and not have to look at it every time you spill.
johnnytugs1
15 years ago
oh ok, i guess i'm just not as messy as i thought! thanks for the reply.
john
ILoveRed
15 years ago
Love my 48" Wolf range. It has 6 burners and griddle. Can't attest to customer service since thankfully I have had no issues after 3 yrs (this month) of use. I did have two issues with my SZ fridge and their customer service was helpful and polite, maybe I just had an extraordinary employee on the phone. They gave me the names of two local companies to call and both times I had terrific service.

I couldn't be happier with my Wolf or my SZ.

My only regret is that I do not use my griddle as much as I thought I would.

Here is a link that might be useful:
gfiliberto
15 years ago
rhome- What was the matter with the rubber feet on your grates?
johnnytugs1
15 years ago
red_lover that really looks nice! why don't you use the griddle much? i don't either but thats because my wife won't let me. : )
john
divamuffinzappa
15 years ago
if you want the most bang, and i mean BANG!! for the buck you must choose the bluestar. many more color options, the new two year warranty, and burners second to none!
footflash
15 years ago
If you are really in to COOKING, BlueStar is the only way to go, and it is available in a wide range of colors as others have mentioned.

I've heard nothing but bad things in that last 6 mos. about Viking, and just hearing these horror stories makes me not want to consider one.

Good luck!
time2go
15 years ago
We have a 48" Wolf AG range with griddle. We originally bought the range one year ago. We have had the range replaced twice. Our third range has the same problems. From the feedback on this website, I get the sense that the newer(year or two) Wolf ranges have had many problems. I'm guessing it has something to do with the redesign of the oven doors. Wolf doesn't seem to have a clue what the problem is.
jejvtr
15 years ago
We purchased a Viking 36" 6 burners (open) AG 2.5yrs ago - After much research, and visits to appliance stores & to Vikings distributor - which was the biggest help - seeing Viking perform side by side w/the competition.
Love my range!

Lot's of Viking bashing - which for the most part I found was 2nd, 3rd, 4th hand type news

Good luck
chipshot
15 years ago
Brand bashing will probably always be with us. If you like what you have, my advice is to ignore it.

48' Range...Viking or Wolf?

johnnytugs1

Comments (23)

chipshot

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