Another BlueStar Review

14 years ago

Four years ago we fell in love with a light-filled, architect-designed, Mediterranean-style home whose only shortcoming, in our estimations, was a kitchen geared heavily toward appearances rather than serious functionespecially when it came to the range and the (horrors!) woefully inadequate OTR "recirculating" microwave. (More about that in a separate post.)

Yes, the gas, sealed-burner, glass cooktop by Creda was pretty, but we found its separate enameled grates and its limited BTU range frustrating. Hubbest loves to sear and simmer, and moving that heavy, spigoted stockpot from burner to burner was a pain. After the first month or so, I couldnÂt keep the grates clean, and I was perpetually coaxing gunk out of the edges of the burners. And because of the lack of exterior venting, the whole kitchen was rapidly taking on an unattractive layer of grease.

Finally enough was too much. With heavy-duty function as our top priority and easy upkeep a close second, we began the Great Cooktop and Hood Quest. Which began with this forum, which led us to BlueStar, our new kitchen tool of choice.

In a previous house weÂd had a Garland, so we knew of the joys of open burners and continuous cast-iron grates. What I had not appreciated (for in those days Hubbest did all the cookingÂexcept for Monday night football) was how those bowl-shaped cast-iron undergrates held the heat from the high-BTU star-shaped burners. What great pot and plate warmers those bowls make!

And clean-up is a snap, for since we already cook almost exclusively with cast iron, weÂre well used to the care of that congenial material. What other burner grates will take on a fine seasoning with minimal attention?

I like that our new BlueStar slide-in rangetop is principally cast iron, with a very minimal framework and only a front apron of stainless, for in my Great Cooktop Quest I learned that stainless all too often isnÂt. Give it a few weeks of serious cooking, and the base of that shiny stainless cooktop you admired in the showroom is going to be noticeably discolored. In fact, thatÂs one reason we opted for BlueStarÂs slide-in, which is all cast iron, rather than their drop-in, which relies upon a stainless base. (For some reason known only to BS management, they call both of them "cooktops".)

The two front 22k burners (we could only accommodate the 30" slide-in) put out such serious heat that until we got our hood installed, we could only let them idle alongÂyet that idle was as much as our previous, cute little Creda could handle at top bore. Heavy pots slide easily from grate to grate, while the center grate, more than just a space holder, functions nicely as a warming space.

It helped when our accountant said that since we are published cookbook authors (working on a sequel), we could write off most of the cost of this rangetop, which upgrade we needed because of the nature of our cooking.

So our guests will just have to enjoy the fruits of this fine new acquisition. If you canÂt stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen?

Or something like that.

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Comments (9)

guadalupe
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Let the pan searing and woking begin
carecooks
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
castironcook2,

I'm so glad to hear that you like your new 30" Bluestar slide-in cooktop. As you may have seen in a recent previous post of mine, I realized that I won't be able to accommodate the 36" and will have to go with the 30". Since it's obvious that you cook a lot, do you feel in any way constrained by having the smaller one?
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castironcook2
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
carecooks, as are your circumstances, space constraints dictated our choice of the 30" slide-in rangetop. We could have accommodated a 36" drop-in cooktop in the same cutout that once housed our 36" Creda, but I really didn't want a stainless base under those cast iron grates. And the deep bowls around the burners on the slide-in, as on the range, can directly accommodate a wok. So since the 36" slide-in would have intruded on surrounding cabinetry, we opted for the 30" as the best compromise.

Obviously, when you've a serious cook in the family, more burners seem attractive. But Hubbest has been able to do his stocks and reduction sauces on our four burners and still have space for a stir-fry. The generous size of the burners and the X-styled grates between right and left pairs give us adequate space and good mobility.

In addition, getting the 30" rangetop allowed us a better hood capture area, for we went with an 800 cfm 36-incher up top, and that little fella really sucks it up. (About that, more anon.)

Functionwise, we're happy campers. And since we both are cast iron cooks, the no-nonsense looks of the BlueStar suits us fine. (But I bet the lady who loved the Creda and her OTR "recirculating" would be horrified.) ;-)
amcook
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
castironcook2,
Glad to hear you are happy with your cooktop. We have the drop-in cooktop and I definitely would prefer the all cast iron top but, unlike a sealed burner dropin where stainless is up against the burner, I really don't have any problem with discoloration or staining. The stainless also doesn't get nearly as hot as with our old sealed burner viking so splatters don't bake in. Usually a damp sponge brings it back to new condition. I cook with a wok a lot so the grates on the range were very attractive to me but I'm happy after I got an extra grate and cut it up a bit to fit a wok. Where there's a will there's a way.

carecooks,
Just last night, I used 3 burners making dinner for just myself so it certainly is nice having more than 4. Is it necessary? Certainly not. You'll just have to plan cooking accordingly. I've found when making a big meal, I'll typically only have 3-4 burner in serious use. Others are simmering/stewing or keeping warm. One idea is to buy a separate portable induction hob (maybe a dual hob unit). Or even cheaper, get one of those butane burners. Then just move your pans that you want to simmer or keep warm there. When not in use, just put back in the box and store in the garage or cupboard.

Good luck and enjoy.
guadalupe
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The 30" range holds a 18x26 full size commercial tray, the only reason to go to the 36 is for more burners
carecooks
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks amcooks and castiron2. I hadn't thought of buying an induction hob. That could work. I almost always use 2-3 burners for dinner, many times 4. But I only need the 5th burner occasionally and it would be really rare that I would need 6 so the hob is a good idea. I'll have to check through the appliances forum to see if any of the portables are recommended. I know that they aren't as good as the built-ins, but if it's just for boiling water or simmering, it wouldn't be a big deal.
jakkom
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I remember running across a website a while back that comparison tested a bunch of the induction portables. They liked the Burton best, which was also one of the most reasonably priced. I plan to buy one as my Xmas present to myself, LOL, and hopefully will be able to post a review after the holidays.

castironcook2, nice to see your review of your Bluestar cooktop. Not too many people have them yet so every bit of information from users is nice to have.
sfjeff
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
"Not too many people have [BlueStar ranges] yet..."

Everyone is getting BlueStar now? We're going mainstream? Oh no! Say it ain't so!
castironcook2
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
LOL @ sfjeff. Well, I don't know whether we're iconoclastic or iconic. Listen to this and you tell me:

Realizing that nothing beats good local service, if you can get it, we went with a dealer who used to handle Garland but for whom BlueStar is a new item. As soon as we're all settled in (we've some tile work to finish), they want to schedule a photo op for an in-store promotional.

Iconic or iconoclastic?

Another BlueStar Review

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Another BlueStar Review

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guadalupe

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amcook

guadalupe

carecooks

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