I wouldn't say it is all marketing hype, but I find that I do not use the extreme high heat that often. I like having it available, but I use it mainly when I am using a wok or boiling a large pot of water. There is certainly little (if any) need for more than one high power burner. BTW, what do you consider a high power burner? My highest one is 14,000 BTU, and I have found that to be adequate for my needs. I have two at 9500 (which I use the most) and one at 5000, which I like to use for simmering. Placement is important also. My high heat burner is in the front and the low one is in the back - the opposite of my previous range.

I do most of my cooking on the 9500 burners at medium heat. I feel no need for higher heat than what I have. I more impressed by the results of cooking rather than the equipment used to make it. I recently got a new stove, and I chose the least expensive one that met my minimum requirements, and those requirements included color, which was just for show but still important for me. If I had money to burn, I would have gotten the fanciest one I felt comfortable with.

Was that the question?

Lars

I have a DCS 5 burner. There is a simmer on all burners, and I have melted chocolate on it--walked away & came back 20 minutes later. Melted & not burned. Same with butter. I bought mine because it gave me the capabilities I wanted (5 burner being one) which would fit into 30".

Category 3 is defined only by BTUs, which is very important but only one aspect of a professional range. Ease of moving cooking vessels about, controllability, durability of parts and materials and convenient clean-up are some others.

I have used a professional range and would like to have one, or one with similar capability.

Jim

I cook on a 30" five burner gas range/oven by Maytag. I've had it for about 4 years and I love it..but I came from glass electric cook top and oven.

I use my biggest burner all the time, but only on medium at the most. It's easy to clean, but there is no way you can use all 5 burners at one time..not enough room for all the pots and pans..but I do use the center simmer burner sometimes for things. I also don't have a problem with using the four main burners at the same time.

Here is a link that might be useful: This is what I have

I cook (sometimes) on my ancient 21 inch wide, 4 burner Spanish propane gas stove which must be about 40 years old. I believe it was put in when the house was built. Have no idea of the BTUs but each burner is a different size, so the smallest two are best for simmering. It works fine and has a fan driven oven which runs continuously when the oven is turned on. I've never used a professional stove, otherwise I guess I wouldn't be so content with what I have LOL. My only complaint is the narrow width which means that some pans or cookie sheets that I bring from Canada won't even fit in the oven. From time to time I buy new burner heads.

SharonCb

P.S. I have to strike a match each time to light the burners as the red button self-ignition stopped working many years ago.

SharonCb

I watched a show on HGTV where they remodeled Chef Gail Gand's home kitchen. They were using cabinetry from the company where hubby has worked for 33 years.

The stove was an old piece of junk. They couldn't even open and shut the oven door properly. Probably builder-grade appliances from the 80's. So I figured if she could use that kind of oven for years and years, as a famous pastry chef, nearly anything can be used. The replacement oven was very nice, but not a high-end-show-stopper model, by any means.

It's your abilities, not necessarily the appliance. My grandmother used a wood stove until she moved into a nursing home at the age of 89. Now THERE's something that's difficult to regulate and she was a great cook and baker.

Many kitchens these days are show places that house the bottled water in a built-in refrigerator as big as my first kitchen. The gleaming stove and multiple ovens are there to showcase the decorative corbels, copper hood, and imported backsplash.

I've had a large variety of ovens and oven prices over the 37-years I've been married - most were new when we remodeled a kitchen (benefit of having a husband in the cabinet business). I can get high-end appliances through my CKD husband, but don't waste the money. I don't think it would improve my cooking for all the extra expense (LOL). I've used the expensive "good" stuff in their kitchen demonstration theater when I've given bread classes, and I'm always glad to get back to my own kitchen. Occasionally bells and whistles can get in the way...

I do an awful lot of my cooking and baking in my two Solar Ovens, this time of the year, to save on utilities and keep the heat out of the kitchen. I'll certainly never impress anyone! No bells, whistles, stainless steel, umpteen burners, and I have to clean it myself (LOL)!

-Grainlady

Recently switched from electric to gas. I ended up getting a DCS all gas range. Low simmer on all burners was more important than the high BTU's. I am very short and didn't want to have to reach in the back for controls and I didn't want another slide in. Clearly I have more power than I need but I just don't turn them to high. I do love having a big hi BTU in the center and oven glides.

I have a basic slide-in smooth top (GE profile) with no extra juice of any kind. But it works perfectly for anything I need to cook. When I want very high temperatures I cook on the grill.

I would love to have a high end range just because they look great. But I really doubt I would be able to cook anything better or much differently.
I can set a frying pan of chocolate chips on warm and in 20 minutes it is just melted and certainly not burnt.

If money were not a concern, certainly I would have one. Along with the gorgeous, huge range hood it would require.

We have a Bluestar pro-style rangetop and Miele wall-ovens. Love the rangetop - especially how well it handles a wok. Mostly satisfied with the ovens - on the plus side, they maintain an accurate and even heat so I can load them up with multiple shelves of cookies and results are pretty consistent. But the fancy oven controller is annoying - too many modes - only one of the 5 bake modes allows setting the temp to 550 max instead of 500, max timer setting is 59 minutes 59 seconds.

There is some truth in all three:

1) Marketing hype - there are a wide range of "professional" appliances out there. In some cases "pro-style" just goes skin-deep with little performance difference from non-pro.

2) Nice but not necessary - it depends what you cook. For most things I could get equally good results with my old ovens or any decent burners. It might take a bit more time and effort but you probably couldn't tell the difference in the food. Good pans such as a nice try ply can improve heat distribution and make up some for imperfect burners. For the oven, it is nice to get consistent results and not have to rotate pans but extra effort on supervising the oven can make up for imperfection. When our kitchen was down for remodeling, I baked cake and pies in our outside gas grill - with a temperature probe and me acting as the thermostat.

3) Better tasting food - For some foods, the ability to deliver heat quickly makes a difference. Stir fry is the main place I notice a difference in the quality of the result. This isn't just the BTUs. Some burners are designed so the flame transfers heat better to the pan even for the same BTU. Some sealed gas burners spread the flame wider as they are turned higher so too much heat escapes the pan. The open burners on the Bluestar distribute the flame to the whole bottom of the pan or wok.

Maybe its a California thing, but I've almost always had a separate cooktop/rangetop and wall ovens. That is convenient with multiple cooks because someone using the burners isn't in the way of someone using the oven. When we remodeled, I thought about doing a range because some are so pretty, but the kitchen works better for us with them separate.

I use a 30" induction cooktop.

I'd love to have a big pro gas range and wanted one for decades (way before it was a big trend, even). But there's no natural gas available here and while Propane conversion was an option, I thought about it hard when I sat down to plan my kitchen remodel--My space is so tiny and it's just me that I'm cooking for. So I decided to think about what I really wanted and needed, which was high heat when I needed it and lots of control, energy efficiency and not a lot of heat escaping into the kitchen. So I ended up getting an induction cooktop and a separate electric wall oven. I just had the cooktop installed and I just LOVE it.

I think there is some marketing hype today associated with some of the commercial-style ranges but there are also some fantastic brands that will last a lifetime. If I had a bigger kitchen, natural gas available and a big budget, I might have sprung for one, but I'm thinking maybe it was a blessing that I didn't have any of these things, because I really, really like the induction cooktop, and it's nice to have an oven at eye level instead of one I have to bend down and get stuff out of.

I think there is some truth in all three choices, and I think that all three are not mutually exclusive. There IS a lot of hype. There IS some convenience to having several high power burners but it is NOT necessary. And, yes, pro ranges offer more power -- BUT the cook's skill and the quality of ingredients have more to do with how food tastes than the stove. You can cook a five star meal over a campfire with skill and good ingredients. A pro stove (or the $500 skillet or $$$ whatever) isn't going to make anyone a "better" cook. Only knowledge, practice and a love of food will do that.

I've used a preofessional stove. They're sweet and you can get used to the amount of control with them. That said, I don't want one. I'm a slightly above average cook making slightly above average meals who doesn't entertain often and don't have the money or desire to park an extravagance in my kitchen.

Then again, a lot of people buy such appliances simply to show off. Ann, wasn't it your repairman who expresed surprise that you actually USE your oven because so many he'd seen had never been touched and were for show?

I have a bluestar (6 burners). It has two burners that get very hot (I think 22K) and one that goes to a very low simmer. I do use the hot burners often, when I am boiling a big pot of water,etc. I love the oven because it is so wide that I can easily fit commercial cookie sheets in it. It has a 1800 degree broiler, but I don't use it much. In fact, I think the broiler thingy heats unevenly.
The bluestar has very few bells and whistles (no timers or self cleaning), but I like it. I think it works as well as more known ones like Viking and Wolf, but is less well known (less spent on advertising). For me, as long as it is gas, I could cook on anything.
Jo

Four-burner Viking range top. I love it. I use an All-Clad two-burner grill on top for grilling and a two-burner griddle.

5 burner DCS cooktop. The center burner has 16,000btu which is fabulous for quick boiling. That was highlighted tonight when DD wanted to boil some water quickly to cook potatoes. She has a new builders grade Frigidare cooktop with very little control, she was shocked at the short time it took on my cooktop. My kitchen was redone in 2003 and what I don't like is the way the igniters get clogged with an overflow and eventually I have to have a service call and have it replaced.
My ovens are higher end Thermador's. They're convection with a hidden element in the bottom. They seem to be fine, but DD's frigidare double ovens work well too!

I have a 30 inch Bluestar. I've had it for just about a year now and am reasonably happy. My previous stoves were Magic Chef and Caloric. The Caloric was bottom of the line, Magic Chef about middle, sealed burners, stainless top and nice, reliable oven. I cooked for 100 on the Magic Chef many times and got great results. I always lusted after the old Garland professional stove that sat in my Synagogue kitchen. I even got to cook on it once or twice. When I redid my kitchen last year and researched stoves I learned that Bluestar is what was once Garland, and I was hooked.
Is it worth it? Maybe. The oven is really big. I looked at a lot of stoves and found two problems: Continuous grates on most home-style ranges are very heavy and ovens are very small. The manufacturers measurements are misleading. I fretted over the money I was about to spend on the Bluestar but kept coming back to it. It delivers high heat that is not at all necessary, but the space on top and in the oven is far greater than anything else I saw. Its a work horse and I am not unhappy with it. I just sometimes have to be honest with myself and admit that I bought it for the hype (my own hype was substantial).

I have the cheapest Roper gas model available, I think it cost me a bit over $300. Elery has a very nice "professional style" stove, the make escapes me.

I can tell you that the high powered burner is wonderful when I'm trying to bring a big canner to the boil for canning but that is the only time I've used the higher setting at all.

It is much sturdier than my cheap stove and the burner grates themselves don't slip around when I move a pot, like they do on my cheaper stove. His ovens are wider than mine too, and the broiler isn't on the bottom so I don't have to lie on my stomach on the floor to broil something.

I've only used my broiler at home about three times because it's very inconvenient, but I'm more likely to broil something at Elery's to brown the tops or such.

So, is is marketing hype? Partially.

The high powered burners are nice for selected activities but certainly not necessary, I can do the same thing on my cheaper stove, but it takes longer.

I don't think the stove has much to do with how good your food tastes, that would depend on the cook, the recipe and the quality and source of your ingredients.

Annie

I'm soon to replace my POS smoothtop with a super-duper 36" AG unit. I've put up with some really crappy cooking appliances in the last four houses I've lived in, and now I have the opportunity and means to get what I want. For many types of cooking I do, the smoothtop has serious limitations, although I have learned to live with it. I'm looking fwd to learning to cook in a whole new way. I can hardly wait to have some serious BTU's available for stir-frying, searing, and broiling.

Am I buying into hype? I'm sure there is some of that involved. But is it any more than what one encounters when say, purchasing an automobile? How come more than 25% of new vehicle sales in my jurisdiction are pick-up trucks, but 85+% of the population here are city dwellers???

I have a 36" 6 burner Bluestar w/ two 22k jet engines.

I think the hype is to market these things to folks that really don't cook but want it for status. I'm a decent cook but before this kind of heat, could not get the results I do now; intensely seared crispy surfaces without cooking through. The thing I LOVE the most though is the speed and efficiency of cooking. I'm not waiting around for things to get fired up and the recovery time is really really fast when adding new cold stuff to the pan or to water or oil.

When I cook at other's homes without the high BTU's, it's still fun because after all, it is cooking, but it's not the same experience. I make a comparison to driving a sports car; any car will get you from A to Z or down a windy coastal road; but do it in a little high performance sports car and it transcends simple driving into an adrenalin packed, wind in your hair experience. That's how I feel when I cook on my Bluestar.

Was is worth the cost? It hurt to pay for it but three years later, I'm still thrilled to use it.

michaelp

Here is a link that might be useful:

A 30" De Dietrich induction and Miele oven.

When we remodeled the kitchen I could have gotten any stove, cook top I wanted. I lusted after a pro model. The look, the colors, all very tempting. But the more I thought about how I cook and the amount of money involved the more I had to agree with someone in the kitchen forum who said if itÂs going to cost that much it better come with 4 tires and a set of keys.

We cook outside on the BBQ all year long even in the rain and snow. So I bought a 36ÂÂ GE profile 5 burner, propane, cook top and a separate electric oven. The cook top has power boil and I can have water boiling in just a few minutes. It has pro type grates that make moving things around real easy and the low simmer is great.

I have to agree that itÂs the cook not the stove that makes a difference. A great cook can cook on anything and a lousy cook will not get any better just because the stove is a pro model. This will be the last kitchen I will build and I went for function over looks. Picking out 2 full size sinks was much more of a challenge and the one thing I am most pleased with.

Claudia

I have to agree with Claudia, it is the cook and not the equipment that makes the difference. I once went camping and discovered I had forgotten to pack the cook-box - OY VEY! No pots, No pans, No spatulas, no wooden spoons! We did have a roll of foil though and with that and some well chosen sticks we managed quite nicely!! And we were so proud of ourselves too.

I'd go with #2. I use a Frigidaire 5 burner. I do appreciate the sear I get using the two high BTU burners, and the convection oven is nice to have. I never use the simmer burner.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have one of those car-priced models. I'm not a good enough cook to justify spending that much for a stove plus the ventilation to go with it.

4 burner Viking Range Top plus Grill & Griddle and Viking Wok Burner. Six Feet of Heat! Love it! It's a joy to turn on and use, so pleasure is a factor. I would hover between a 2 & 3 on your rating chart.

However, during the kitchen remodel 4 years ago, my husband made the most beautiful Mother's Day dinner for me served out of the laundry room on a 2 burner electric portable plug-in. As has been noted, you can really cook on anything!

It's all about what makes you happy.

Also meant to add that pans make as big or bigger a difference as the heat source. We are very happy with All Clad. Having the high heat to quick sear fish and then into the oven to finish makes for a great meal. But having a quality pan to take the heat, distribute evenly and release that fish when the sear is just right is tops on the list!

I'm attracted ascetically to the old style behomeths like Aga's but know I'm not dedicated enough to ever really use one.
And while I can understand cooking on gas as the best - I can't move and clean all those grills - that's just crazy too much work for a splatter cook like myself.

The thing I disliked the most about my GE slide in smooth top, and pretty much all slide in electric ranges I've dealth with is that the oven temps are so far off to the cool end. So if you want 350 it has to be 365. So if you want a really hot oven, 500 say - i don't think it really goes there.

If I want intensely seared crispy surfaces, I use my grill outside, and I can get really high heat using the right wood. Plus it's too warm here to use that kind of heat indoors, even in winter. I do have to be concerned about creating too much heat in the kitchen, since I only have one air conditioner, and it doesn't affect the kitchen. Normally, I get cool ocean breezes, but lately they have not been as dependable as in the past. We've been cooking outdoors more lately just because it's been too warm to cook indoors. In the winter, I tend to cook outdoors only on week-ends, just because I'm afraid of the dark. I never had or needed an air conditioner here until two years ago.

Lars

I ordered 2 new high end GE Profile ranges for the church. I can't wait.
Still cooking on an old Maytag cook top at home...but the church will have good stuff!
Linda C

Well, I frequented the appliance forum and obsessed to no end about what I needed in terms of burners on a new cooktop when we redid our kitchen. I finally decided I didn't need a fraction of all that is available - I mainly wanted a larger cooktop that would accommodate multiple large cooking vessels at the same time - something I couldn't do on my old Maytag range. And I wanted a good simmer - something I haven't always had (though the old Maytag was great).

My opinion is #2 - people who are more "advanced" cooks than I am may see more value than I do in high end professional appliances. Overall though I think there's marginal add'l value in a high end professional range over a decent moderately priced one. That was reaffirmed for me when I went on a crewed sailing charter this spring. The chef made a full week of the most fabulous meals I've ever had - all in a tiny galley kitchen with small, modest appliances.