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replacing Viking range, but with what? DCS or Wolf?

9 years ago

We have owned our Viking 36" gas range for 3 years and hate it so much that we're going to bite the bullet and replace it. It hasn't worked since day 1. Malfunctioning includes, but not limited to, the burners either need constant cleaning, or it's necessary to use a lighter to ignite the burner. A year ago the griddle all of a sudden started turning itself on!! Repeatedly!! Despite numerous visits from our Viking Repairman, the oven has never maintained the correct temp. We installed a thermometer in the oven rather than pay one more penny for bad service. The folks at Viking are even less help - almost zero customer service. The igniter has already been replaced, as have a number of other pieces /parts.

After a bit of research, I believe I have narrowed our choices for a new range to the DCS or the Wolf. Any thoughts? I understand a gentleman named Weissman here has a great deal of knowledge, but there is nothing on his page. About the only thing I do like about the Viking is the integrated stainless steel backsplash and shelf, which attaches directly to the back of the oven. Our Thermador hood has warming lights, as well as directional lights and fan, making a separate warming oven unnecessary. But more important is the range itself. Any thoughts on the Wolf vs. DCS?

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Comments (3)

cat_mom
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
First, I want to ask if you have tried to arrange for a buy-back of your Viking range? I know it has been three years, but if you have documentation re: the constant malfunctioning since "day 1" you might have a good case for a buy-back (lemon law???). Rococogurl convinced us to push for a buy-back of a Jade range that, despite being one of the prettiest ranges (IMO), had a number of issues from day 1. The key, is to be persistent. We had calls in to the distributor and to the appliance store (a sympathetic secretary in the office there tracked down the cell number for the president of Jade, or their parent company, I forget which). Eventually, we received the full purchase price for our range (plus the tax).

It was tough choosing a new range, given our experience with the Jade, but eventually settled on the Wolf AG. We knew what we didn't like on the Jade (wanted burners that worked with small diameter, as well as large pots and pans for one thing), and knew which trade-offs we were willing to make. Make a list for yourself, and compare the Wolf and DCS ranges.

A few months into ownership of our Wolf, we ended up experiencing the burner/oven use issue that other's were reporting here on GW. It was frustrating to say the least, but we waited it out (through the delivery of two or three new ranges while they tried to come up with a solution). I will say, that despite the problems we had initially, I really like my Wolf range (and told DH, if/when we ever have to move, it's coming with us!). Wolf customer service is still pretty good I think, and that was another consideration for us when we were making our decision.
hvtech42
9 years ago
Capital, Bluestar, and American Range are other options to look at. They have open burners unlike Viking and Wolf. Read about open vs. sealed burners in previous Gardenweb posts.
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Given your choices I'd definitely go with the DCS - I've had the DCS range for 5 years and it's great. Burners are fantastic - great highs and extremely low simmers. Good convection oven and fantastic infrared broiler. Bluestar is a great product too - many, many happy users - but as you've pointed out, it has open burners. Now, open vs. sealed burners is a controversial issue. I LOVE sealed burners, particularly on the DCS, very easy to clean - but others will tell you that open burners are easier because you can take the pieces over to the sink to clean them and there are drip trays to catch things that fall through the burners - not for me. Personally, I'd stay away from Viking - there have been too many bad reviews regarding it's reliability although there are some happy owners on this forum.
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Have 36" Wolf with grill and 600CFM VH. 1. Would not sacrifice grill for 2 more burners at all. Like the grill way too much. 2. Blanket hood CFM recommendations are pretty much useless--much depends on hood size, configuration, duct run, brand and how surrounding area (kitchen size, cabinets, walls etc.) direct airflow. Ours works well; fish is probably the mildest offender in terms of smoke and odor. If it's a wall mount and flanked by cabinets in a typical NYC galley kitchen that should enhance its efficiency. I'm assuming you'll be externally venting: Given that different apartments can have different ducting connections I'd find out what those are first (e.g., shared stack, max ducting size, etc.) These can make a hood either more or less effective as they determine what the hood has to push against to exhaust ("static pressure" in the trade). Once you find that out try calling the hood manufacturers' customer service lines and see if you can talk with a tech rep. If you can externally exhaust and the kitchen space you'll be amazed at how much cooler the kitchen stays, especially when you're using the oven. Those small kitchens get really hot even with a window open. My $.02 worth.
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We installed a 36" Wolf dual fuel with grill last January as part of a major renovation at our house in Toronto. For exhuast we picked a 40" vent-a-hood with dual blower. At the advice of my kitchen designer and as noted in the wolf manual we mounted the hood at 36" above the range. The Vent-a-Hood installation manual clearly says 30" max. I mounted it at 36" because as a 6 footer 30" above the range seemed low. Problems. While I have successfully cooked a steak on the grill with out the house smoke detector going off. The hood has not been able to extract all the smoke from cooking both lamb or beef burgers on it. We will be lowering the hood back to 30" and I hope this removes the excess smoke. The wolf is great but you should pay close attention to the exhuast requirements stated in the chargriller manuals.
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mkuyekawa
8 years ago
Patti Sills did you ever decide? I have narrowed it down to those two as well.

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