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30' American Range or 30' Blue Star Ranges

15 years ago

Unfortunatly, unable to locate a local vendor to see either one.

In the convection mode - Fan Noise?

Trouble resolution - Problems solved in timely manner?

Most basic functions - Miss the auto timers and Temp Displays of Higher end units?

Cost much less then some other commercail models due to Basic design vs. Temp Probe, Digital Display, Self Clean, Dual Fuel.

For the people who do own one or the other, would you buy again?

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Comments (10)

tetrazzini
15 years ago
Two other differences are the sealed vs. open burners, and the flame pattern. The one on the Blue Star seems like it'd be more efficient, but I haven't heard feedback on it.

I'll be interested to see the responses too.
alexrander
15 years ago
Both of these ranges are All Gas, and don't have many bells and whistles. I have a Bluestar and use a cheap CDN digital thermometer with a probe and timer ($20). Seems to work fine for me, and I'm glad it's not built in.

I don't think there are any better gas ranges than these. You can add Wolf and Capital and that's about it. Capital has the most features (no digital timers etc, but is available with self clean option and rotisserie).

My neighbor has an American Residential range, and I have a Bluestar. I think they're both very well made. The Bluestar has big,8-pointed, Star shaped, open burners- and these are the best there are.

The American has a couple extra indicator lights, a broiler that shuts off if you open the door, and 2 fans for convection. The biggest difference is that the top is sealed and stainless with iron grates. (The entire top of a Bluestar is removable Cast Iron.)

If I had to do it again, I'd get the Bluestar (again). For no other reason than the top burners.

BTW, both of these have large, powerful gas ovens with commercial quality infra-red broilers. They take a while to pre-heat, but it's no fault of the oven burner (30,000 BTU's)

What I can't tell you is if one is better insulated than another. Someday I'll get a chance to bake with the American, then I'll know more.
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I'm not into tearing up perfectly good kitchens, so all of these ideas about accommodating a 30" range with alternative cooking assists sound fine to me. Let me play devil's advocate. What about the oven? I have a friend with a 36" ordinary household range, which she loves. Nowhere near the power of a BlueStar, but the size serves her well. The oven capacity makes it possible for her to cook whole meals for a dozen or more people, including heating appetizers and breads while the mains are cooking, and starting pies as the first sides come out. Are you gaining any storage if you have to devote it to extra hotplates and warming devices? OTOH, will one 36" range be enough for your 5-6 dozen people meals? Will you need the extra devices anyway? And why are you getting a BlueStar? Because you're happy with the way you're cooking now? Yes, you're managing. I managed to cook and bake with an underpowered cooktop and an oven with no temperature control. I managed to cook and bake with two gas rings and a wonder pot. But how do you want to cook? Will having a larger range just plain make your life easier? Will it help cut down on the logistical planning of what your kitchen can do, rather than what you want to do? Or will you feel restricted with anything short of a hotel sized kitchen? Yes, cutting down the cabinets to accommodate a larger range and hood is a big mess, and once you start cutting up existing cabinets/counters you open yourself to potential problems. But is it worth giving up your desire for a larger range because of lack of will to go for it? A lot of people talk about putting in their interim best and never actually get the kitchens they really want. It's not worth ransoming your future for, but if you have the disposable income, is it worth forgoing a vacation trip for? I knew I had to redo my kitchen when the house was bought, but put it off for a few years to grow the money, and then a few more because of other life stuff. Looking back, though I'm thrilled with my new kitchen, I realize that I gave up an awful lot of stuff settling for the old one and being practical. I really did have the money before (just not so much liquidity, which could have been fixed), but didn't have the will to be less practical. Can't get back the lost opportunities and meals not cooked. Sigh.
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Well, "any" is potentially a very small amount, and I'm sure that there is some slight amount. My attic, however, is vented all around the periphery, at the ridge, and also with an attic fan housing. Ice dams at the roof edges tend to occur when the outside air warms up during the day and heats the snow bottom up through the vents instead of top down. In my present half-completed configuration, the ~ 2 x 2 ft heat exchanger sits above a Cooley and Hart 3 x 3 diffuser in a hall ceiling. There is a furnace filter taped down on top of the heat exchanger. This style of filter (Honeywell Filtrete) needs significant pressure drop to move much air through it, and I was pleased to observe that warm air doesn't seem to rise through it in the winter, or hot attic air settle through it in the summer. The sides of the heat exchanger and its plumbing are buried in insulation. When kitchen fans are running and the house is closed up, air is pulled through and the thermostats, the larger-than-typical-size Taco pump, and the furnace controls do their thing to heat the air. (The circuit is capable of well over 100k BTU/hr depending on furnace and air temperature.) The problem, as I have pointed out a few times here, is that pulling air through a filter and heat exchanger requires a pressure drop -- a drop too large for combustion appliance safety. My only combustion appliance is an oil furnace, and it now uses its own MUA system to avoid back-drafting. Nevertheless, if I were to run both kitchen fans at once at full power expecting all flow to be made up through the heat exchanger without fan boost (possibly 1400 actual cfm with restricted MUA), the pressure drop in the house causes some furnace exhaust to be pulled into the house via tiny cracks not normally relevant when there is a positive draft, so I don't do dat without an opened window. My intention is to duct the heat exchanger to a mushroom air intake already installed on my roof via an axial in-line fan and a four-inch pleated filter caddy so that at the maximum possible flow rate (possibly 2000 cfm, say) the house pressure can be balanced and all the MUA comes from outside without mingling with the attic air. A damper may be needed, although as noted, the Filtrete coating will be pretty resistant to air passage without some deliberate pressure drop from the in-line fan. kas
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footing
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the input.
In the convection mode with the fans running, do they appear to be anoying to you and just a slight sound in the kitchen?

Maybe you could ask your neighbor on the American Range that has two fans instead of one like the Blue Star uses.

Please continue to provide input,

thanks
plumorchard
15 years ago
We saw the American at the distributor's location. The fans were not overly loud to me. They were fans, but I didn't hear a lot of rattling and clanking.

Have not seen the Blue Star live - just sitting in a show room so can't compare the noise level.

By the way, we are ordering the American today - I hope!
mccall
15 years ago
Nothing on the market beats the Blue star burners period.
The fan is not a problem for me anyway. The open burners on the Bluestar make it incredibly easy to clean,Bowls and grates can go in DW or just invert on another burner and burn off anything on it. aluminum foil on the drip catcher under the top is easy to change if and when necessary.
ynsmom
15 years ago
Plum, which American Range are you ordering? Let me know how long it takes for you to get.
Fori
15 years ago
Bluestar does come in colors...it may not be a functional difference, but it's certainly a difference.
plumorchard
15 years ago
American comes in colors too. The standard 11 on the spec sheet - see web site - and you can custom order any color. And, the panels (color) are replaceable - if you ever wanted to go back to ss or change out colors you can.

I know the BS burner is awesome. But I gotta tell you - I can't wait to have that ss top with sealed burners after cleaning this black porcelain top of the Wolf for the past 10 months!

ynsmom-we are limited to the 30" to fill our current space. We are getting the standard range, not the step up. I am told it is available now from the factory and should have it in GA in 2-3 weeks. Would love for that to be sooner! We are picking a color panel tonight! When do you expect your arrival?
ynsmom
15 years ago
I originally wanted a Jade but then decided against it (thanks to everyone here) I looked at the Bluestar because I wanted an open burner but I didn't like that the ignitor was exposed and easily damaged. I realized there wasn't really any other open burner out there that I like. I started looking at the sealed burners and really liked the American Range. I was very impressed with it. Its a serious work range! American entered the residential market after being in the commercial market - a big plus!

plum - I was just informed that our range will be in on December 26th! We ordered a 48" with grill. The warehouse has a 48" with griddle but DH wants the grill.
johnnytugs1
15 years ago
hi footing,
i have the 48" american range w/ griddle fans are not noisey at all. had a problem with a burner but due to my home schedule i'm kinda hard to get to. american is very cust. satisfaction oriented and it's a good sturdy unit. i'd do it again. best price was from dvorson food service equipt. that i could find, real stand-up guy.best of luck to ya.
john
jackson,n.j.
917-842-1809

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