Trend or Classic? Pro Style Full Range

13 years ago

My wife and I are still working on our kitchen design. One of the choices we're struggling with is the full range or rangetop with seperate wall ovens. The choice is between a 48 inch Wolf full range with six burners and grill or the corresponding range top with double wall ovens.

I think I have a good understanding of the pros and cons of each at this point (I'll list them below in case others want to weigh in.) However, one thing I don't feel qualified to opine upon is which choice will stand the test of time longer from a style perspective. Many "magazine" kitchens these days contain the full pro style range. Is this a trend that will date our kitchen in 5-10 years time, or is it a classic look?

Other pros of full range:

-Ventilation for ovens

-Easier to plan floor plan around

-Dramatic centerpiece for kitchen

-Easier to repair since it isn't a built-in appliance

Other pros of range top / wall ovens:

-Cheaper (by ~$2k)

-Allows for storage of pots and pans directly below range top

-Wall ovens are at more convenient (and safer) height

-Two full 30" ovens

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Comments (12)

deeageaux
13 years ago
If anything the rangetop is the trend.

I am getting the full range plus a second wall oven with a drawer microwave underneath.
sayde
13 years ago
If your layout will work well with the rangetop and wall ovens I think it is advantaged. I'm getting the range because in my small kitchen it just works better, from a space utilization perspective.
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Wow... I love reading these posts. Whoever thought this many adults could be so passionate about a stove? For those of you in the know, the depth and breadth of your information is a real eye-opener for us novices, still in learning mode. Some brands I previously ruled out (due to lack of reliable first hand experience that I could find/read online) may now need to come back into the running! I wish someone had a crystal ball to share, so I could look in and see exactly what the best alternative for me is. I have reviewed more info on every brand mentioned in the dialog above than I can remember. And, sorry to say, I don't think I'm any closer to a decision, lol Trying to prioritize functionality, aesthetics and price is just about to drive me over a cliff, lol My indecision rests in the fear of spending what to me is a large sum, only to have the range fizzle out in 2-3 years. I'm sure though, that the more knowledge you all impart, the more confidence I'll have when it comes time to finally pull the trigger. ;-)
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This isn't an easy decision because, as we all know, the kitchen is a game of dominos. You've obviously targeted the range as an important appliance. The other big ticket is the refrigerator so I would look at that right away as well with any tradeoffs in mind. First, are you a stovetop cook or an oven cook? IOW, which is more important to you, the burners or the oven? What's your oven experience so far? Gas or electric? Any preferences? Do you need a microwave? Speed oven? Steam oven? If one or more then I would prioritize. Pro ranges, something like a 48" (my DD has a Wolf dual fuel) give you multiple burners and very large ovens. Those hold big pans and quantities but take a lot of time to heat. If the ovens are going while you're working on the top, a pro range can be very hot to work at. Pro ranges come with gas ovens and dual fuel, with electric. Dual is more expensive. So do you need 2 big gas ovens? How many burners would be ideal? Is 6 enough? Are high outout burners important? If so, do you want all high output or is one enough? How important is simmer to you? Mrs. Nyefnyef makes a very good point about the range size and attendant hood and vent sizing. No matter what pro range goes in, a hood is essential especially with high output burners. Hood costs go up with size, of course. So there's the big range option -- say min 6 burners and 2 big ovens in the range. Or, there's the rangetop or cooktop option - with double electric wall ovens if that's a preference. Or there's a dual fuel rangetop plus induction option if, say, you do a lot of pasta and want 2 fast induction burners. Plllog, who cooks a lot has a combo like this. Or, there's the rangetop/cooktop option - with a single electric wall oven and a smaller speed or steam oven. Plus microwave if that's needed. Or any mix of the above. The Berta and Ilve and Verona are ranges at better price points than the other brands but there are various trade offs in the burner ignitions, oven sizes and styling. First, I'd try to decide what's most important to you, and what's needed. But I'd worry less about which range and more about what's needed throughout the kitchen.
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A couple of additional considerations for the op. 1. "Prostyle" encompasses a couple of other design/layout features besides having four full-range, large burners: (a) the burners are spaced a couple of inches wider -- 11 inch centers (front to back) as compared to 9" on non-pro-style ranges) and (b) they have thin backsplash/oven vents at the back or (if not placed against a wall) have island trim. These two features mean you have space to run four very large pans at a time, if that is the kind of production/entertaining-cooking you do. This is something you cannot do with most standard freestanding and slide-in ranges. WIth freestanding ranges, it is the thicker vent/backsplash that limits the size of pots on the back burners. With slide-ins, it is the more constricted burner layout. (Major brand slide-ins often have a bit less usable cooktop real estate than freestanding ranges even though the look more open. 2. The GE Cafe ranges are kind of an exception to these restrictions. The space at the back of the Cafe stovetop is a thin forward-angled, low rise oven vent which does give you more room for pots than with a standard freestanding range, The burners (IIRC) are still on 9 inch centers and, as you welll know, the back burners are rather wimpy. Also, if you are planning on putting your Cafe stove against a wall, you might want to consider buying the accessory vent riser that GE offers. It puts oven venting a bit higher, keeps stuff from rolling off the stovetop into the oven vents, and helps shield the back wall from some of the worst goop and condensates. 3. You say you have crossed the NXR off your list because "the quality seems to be suspect." I take "suspect quality" to be a concern that substandard parts are used resulting in an unreliable, short-lived appliance. If that is what you meant, you have crossed off the NXR for the wrong reasons. It is not the "quality" of the NXR ranges that is "suspect" but, rather, the company's (Duro's) warranty service and support. The build quality is a well known quantity -- at least comparable with similarly priced Electrolux/Frigidiare, GE, Whirlpool, etc. ranges. The NXR's operating components are sourced from well respected, reliable makers who supply the same parts to other stove makers. The problem with any line of manufactured products is the simple fact of life that everybody's production lines kick out some lemons and some stoves of every brand and model can and do turn up with shipping damage. As far as anybody can tell, NXRs do not have any more instances of shipping damage or lemons than most other brands.Most people who buy NXRs get good ranges. That is where we talk about warranty service and support and that is where NXR/Duro can be sketchy. It is not just NXR/Duro, though. For many manufacturers with small-market shares, warranty service can be bad and sometimes has been outright terrible. That is, in fact, a serious consideration for anybody considering any pro-style ranges. Research Blue Star and you will find numbers of complaints about similarly bad service for those ranges. This is not said to defend NXR but to point out a market reality that has to factored in to the decision to purchase any pro-style range from any maker with a small share of the appliance market. BTW, the fact that you can find a lot more complaints about Blue Star than NXR is not important. Blue Star has simply sold a lot more stoves for a lot longer than NXR. As you will find from searching threads here, a large majority of the Blue Star buyers have very well satsfied. Again, the problems have not been so much with the overall quality of the product as with the support and service. There is another aspect that may dampen the number of NXR complaints, which is that many of us buy or bought our NXRs from Costco. Costco has an iron-clad, full refund, customer satisfaction guarantee. That means that, if I receive a lemon or stove with shipping damage (that is, damage was not obvious enough for me to refuse the delivery), I don't have to wait for the endlessly delayed, multiple warranty service visits that get reported for just about every brand of range. Instead, I just take my range back to Costco and get a full refund. I can do the same thing if I just decide I don't like the stove after several months of use. Obviously, this is going to appeal to some people and not to those who lack the interest, ability or means to schlep around a 300 pound range. 4. When I was stove shopping several years ago, I was seriously interested in a GE Cafe dual fuel range. I don't know if you found it in your searches, but we had a thread discussing the pros and cons of NXRs, GE Cafes and other ranges in that price bracket. You might find it useful if it didn't turn up in your searches. Here's the link: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg0123491328448.html
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You might get more of the reactions you want in the Kitchens Forum, where design rules. My opinion: White isn't a fad. It won't look trendy because right now is more about candyapple red or delft blue. They have one of those color previewers, don't they? If not, try it in Photoshop. Fill with their white swatch white. I think you're right that it'll give you more of a vintage essence, and it is a bit different. In fact, I'd even say that it's a way of avoiding the trendy look because white isn't trendy and stainless is. They've been making stainless appliances about as long as they've been making appliances, and I grew up with ones that looked like they could be current offerings, but with all the buzz buzz buzz about stainless, as if it could make the food taste better, it has become the trendoid thing. OTOH, stainless is used because it's close to indestructible. It's a pro style range with actual high heat burners, and stainless isn't going anywhere from restaurant kitchens (unless it's giving way to induction :) ). So it would be totally fine. They've also been making white since the beginning, so that would be fine too. The best way to avoid being dated-trendy is to look inside your mind's eye for inspiration, rather than at what's being shown. Anything you see today at Home Depot or the like is already past its date. Go with your gut, with your eye, and with your own idea of what you want to be cooking on in 10 years. That'll see you true every time.
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weissman
13 years ago
You've laid out the pros and cons pretty well - after that it's merely a matter of personal preference. I don't think either way will ever look dated.
kathec
13 years ago
I can't speak from experience, I've never owned a 48" pro style range. My experience has been limited to standard 30" ranges or 36" cooktop/double wall ovens, not a pro in the bunch. I just wanted to add my 2 cents on the trend aspect. Pro ranges have been "in style" in higher end kitchens for a LONG time. Yes, many people have only been noticing them in the last 10-15 years or so due to the advent of HGTV and the other home improvement shows. It has become a status symbol for many, but the staple of serious cooks for a long time. I recently checked out a House Beautiful Kitchens book from the library copyright 1993. The pictures are probably from as early as the late 80's. 80% of the kitchens featured had a pro style range. Viking, Wolf, Garland, they're all there. A new diswasher and a swap out of brass hardware and nearly all of these kitchens would look right at home in 2010.
flwrs_n_co
13 years ago
I've never had a pro range--just a regular 30 in. stove, but I'm going to try to make room in my new kitchen for a cooktop and built-in oven(s) because I'm tired of pulling my stove out to clean the sides and behind it. I can't even imagine how one would pull out a pro-style range to clean the inevitable drips off the sides. I was considering a 36-in. Bluestar but have decided to go with a 36-in. induction cooktop (responsive but easier to clean) and built-in convection ovens with self cleaning.
weissman
13 years ago
Many of us don't pull out our ranges to clean the sides or back - what's the point? - out of sight, out of mind :-)
sue36
13 years ago
I went with a 36" rangetop and double 30" ovens because I preferred the functionality. You should get whatever works best for you. I don't think either is "trendy". I know people that have had prostyle ranges since the 80s, and people who have had rangetop/cooktop with double oven since the 70s.
zelmar
13 years ago
A "pro" with our 48" range is that I use the smaller oven 90% of the time. I don't know if it really makes a difference with fuel usage, but it at least makes me feel as though I'm being conservation-minded. That being said, I was careful when purchasing to make sure my most often-used baking dishes (Pyrex pie dishes and 9x13 pans) would fit in the small oven. I found the configuration of the racks in some brands didn't allow these dishes to fit even though the specs of the oven size seemed fine.

And another "pro" for the range is that the burner area makes a great landing zone for items from the oven when there is space.

I see you've already listed the ventilation---this is something that I really appreciate.

As far as longevity, I think both styles are here for the long term.
athensmomof3
13 years ago
I just saw my first up close and personal at the show room today. The chef (it was a demo kitchen not a salesroom) told me something that concerned me about the ovens taking so long to heat up (the big one). The small one obviously was quick but won't fit much in it.

I roast a cookie sheet full of vegetables several nights a week and all that might possibly fit in the small oven was a 9 x 13 casserole dish. And I rarely cook casseroles :)

Having had the bad experience in a rental condo of a new range taking forever to heat up, I am not sure I want to deal with that every night.

Has anyone else had this experience?
rhome410
13 years ago
Other advantages of separating them...

- One person can cook and one can bake without getting in each other's way.

- Some range ovens are a bit hot on the door and heat the cook while they're working.

- I can keep an eye on things in the wall oven (at least the most often used, top one) from almost anywhere in the kitchen.

Not sure I'd agree that messing with a 48" range to repair it (pull it out and take it apart) is that much easier than repairing whichever builtin appliance needs the attention. Either one is heavy and awkward and takes more room than most kitchens comfortably allow.

As for classic and trendy. I think a range is probably more classic, but wall ovens are pretty timeless, too. Choose this one on your function priorities and what works best in your particular layout.

Best wishes!
nishka
13 years ago
I hope they stay a classic for at least the next 20 years since I just bought a DCS range. I still plan to have an electric wall oven and microwave combination.

This is my first pro range and just like athensmom, I usually roast veggies or toast bread in my oven. I don't want to wait 20-30 minutes for it to heat up.

Ranges have been around forever and cooktops since the 50's (that I know of) so I really don't see either of them going out of style anytime soon.
kateskouros
13 years ago
if a full range is a trend, then it's been trendy for a while now. we looked at a home with the original range in the kitchen: stainless, 6 burners, two ovens. the house was built in 1921.

Trend or Classic? Pro Style Full Range

Comments (12)

deeageaux

sayde

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