BlueStar or American? Concerned about BlueStar door heat?
Mimi Hock
9 years ago
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malabacat
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Wolf vs NXR vs American Vs BlueStar Vs Capital
Comments (22)willtv, no need to Hot Rod your Easy-Bake it has already been done. Look ma, no bulbs! Some worried the federal phase-out of 100-watt incandescent bulbs would cause a perhaps unforeseen demise: the Easy Bake Oven. Without the powerful wattage, how would budding bakers turn out their (admittedly gooey) goods? First introduced in 1963, the iconic play appliance allows kid chefs to bake real cookies, cakes, and other confections, originally relying on a 100-watt bulb as the heat source for its easy baking. But the more energy-efficient bulbs, like fluorescents and LEDs, aren't hot enough to do the job. Hasbro answered this with a total redesign, its 11th since its 1963 debut. "This gave us a reason to do it completely differently," said Michelle Paolino, a vice president of global brand strategy and marketing at Hasbro, according to a USA Today report. The bulb has been replaced with a heating element similar to a traditional oven. But the most apparent change to young cooks is its look, sleek and purple with Atomic-Age curves. (Parents are most likely to notice the price increase � now $49.99, up from $29.99.)...See MoreBlue Star v. American?
Comments (11)The American has better lighting inside the oven and a bit bigger-easier to see through window. Also, I don't think it gets quite as hot on the door or below the door as the Bluestar. Also nice little indicator lights to let you know which burner is on. The Bluestar RNB, is more expensive, oven and broiler work about the same (great oven, great Infra Red Broiler) but has better burners on top. The Bluestar only has a light to let you know if the oven is on or if the fan is on. No little light for each burner. On the other hand, the Bluestar also will broil with the door ajar,(The American has a button that shuts off the broiler when you open the door-but some people have used a magnet to hold the button down and keep the broiler going). The Bluestar also has one nice ball bearing oven rack.The American doesn't have a ball bearing sliding rack, but it does have more rack positions in the oven. Finally, the Bluestar is an open burner system and the entire top is porcelain coated cast iron (and removable), with a sliding stainless drip tray underneath. The American uses round sealed burner caps on a stainless top with Cast Iron burner grates. Both brands use burners of different sizes- this is esp. important with the sealed burner as the smaller burner cap keeps the flames from going up the sides of smaller pans. Not a problem on the Bluestar open burners which are set much lower and the flame comes straight up. Still they have a small 'simmer' burner as well. There is a less expensive version of the Bluestar, the RCS, and it has fewer features, usually missing the convection fan and an 18K burner instead of 22K, BUT, some of the RCS, do have convection- it's kinda like their 'production model' and if a seller or distributor orders enough of them, they can get them set up different ways. Usually only as a 30 inch. Most people have the RNB-(the fancy one). If you like the Bluestar star burners, which is really the biggest difference, then you'll have to get a Bluestar. If you like 'sealed' burners on a stainless top, then you'll be happy with the American....See More30' American Range or 30' Blue Star Ranges
Comments (10)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....See MoreBlue Star Sealed vs Open Burner - Cleaning Concerns
Comments (10)Thanks for all your suggestions everyone. Non-digital is highest priority. I think induction is too high-tech for us. We want old school knobs, dials, and flames with fewer parts to break - hence Blue Star sealed or open burner. Love that they don't even have a clock! I think this thread has convinced me that I can go for a Blue Star open burner. When I think about tossing the different parts of the stove top into the sink and scrubbing the hell out of them (every so often, I actually clean) it sounds a lot more enticing than trying to chip off baked on crap from a stainless steel or enameled surface. Plus, I think the flat black metal of cast iron will hide more crap than most other sealed burner surfaces. I also think I need to invest in some more medium sized pots so things don't boil over so easily. We have the goldilocks of pots - too small or too big. Any favorite kinds of pots to use on your Blue Star for making grits, rice, boiling pasta?...See More
Debbi Branka
9 years agoMimi Hock
9 years agoBrenda Gravelle
9 years ago
Jerry Jorgenson
7 years agoPacker Backer
7 years agopaul m
7 years agoI second that. Our Blue star RNB 36 may get warm, but it has never been an issue or has it even come close to burning anyone. My 14 yr old daughter does most of the baking and she has never once mentioned the door being hot.
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