Non-standard counter top heights and Bluestar range

6 years ago

This posting is mostly a public service announcement for the benefit of anybody searching the forums.

Everybody in our family is pretty tall, so in our upcoming kitchen remodel, we decided to raise the counter tops by 2 inches and to also increase them from the standard 24" depth to a 30" depth.

Since we are getting custom cabinets, this is easy to do and for the most part it works really well. It also opens up a bunch of options for little details that would otherwise not easily be doable.

The only real problem that we encountered was with our existing 30" Bluestar RNB range. It is intended to be installed next to 36" tall counter tops. If the counter tops don't quite line up, or if the floor is uneven, the legs can be adjusted by up to one inch. But that still isn't really enough for our purposes.

Our contractor suggested putting the range on some sort of support, but everything that we could think of would look really ugly. And the appliance dealer couldn't think of anything either.

Turns out, an email to Bluestar's very friendly customer service department provided the answer we needed. While not very well advertised, Bluestar does sell a set of extra tall legs. We ordered a HIGHLEG-4 kit directly from Bluestar, and it'll allow us to adjust the stove height between 37¼" and 39". So much nicer than any improvised solution that our general contractor could have come up with.

Hopefully, the next time this question comes up, this posting will show up in the search results.

Featured Answer

vinmarks

6 years ago

Glad you are loving your Bluestar. We had a 48 inch Wolf range in our previous house. We liked it but it had it's issues. We liked that the Platinum has the grill/griddle that is removable. We had the fixed griddle on our Wolf and really didn't use it that often. It would have been nice to be able to remove it. We will probably leave the grill/griddle off. We would never use the grill since we love cooking on our Kamado Joe. Hopefully we love ours as much as you love yours.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

vinmarks
6 years ago
Are you going to pull the range out from the wall with the 30 inch deep base cabinets? The reason I ask is that I remember reading the installation instructions on blue star free standing ranges and it said the range was to be installed directly against the rear wall and that it can not be installed against base cabinets extending past 24 inches.
M
Original Author
6 years ago
Yes. Essentially this will be an "island" installation. In fact, we'll install the island trim at the back of the stove.

With the island trim, the back of the stove needs to be at least 6" from any combustible surface. Maybe, that's what you remember?

Conveniently, we are exactly 6" from the wall. But even if we weren't, that could easily be addressed by making sure the backsplash extends down a little bit. The installation instructions provide details.
Related Discussions
Bluestar RNB 36" height above counter
Q
Comments (14)
Green, I agree, partially, with your statement about the installer. My problem with your statement is that the installer never said anything to the OP about this issue, or not as far as we have been told at least. If the installer ignored the install directions from BS and didn't consult the OP about it then they installer should come back out for free and make it right. Now, if the installer asked about it and was told to ignore it I would agree with your statement. To me the installer is responsible for reading and properly installing the range. Being they didn't do that they should have to live up to doing it properly at their own cost. Just my opinion, of course. Phil
...See More
counter height for stools higher than standard .. what size stool
Q
Comments (26)
I'm sure you'll be able to find what you are looking for. We got our stools at California Bar Stools--I think they just serve our local area (Bay Area), but they have several on their website that I think are similar to what you are looking for. There was a lot of choice in terms of the stain and the upholstery, if you can afford to go custom. We were even able to take home a few options to see how they looked (it totally helped!). Our counters are 37" and we got 26" stools. My husband commented tonight that he thinks they are the perfect size. Here is a link that might be useful: California Bar Stools
...See More
Non standard counter depths
Q
Comments (11)
Oh, and another thing to consider -- you're going to want a range with the controls on the front. The raised control panel on the rear on a freestanding range will be a problem, because you're going to have 5 or 6 inches of countertop behind the range. As for the mechanics of it, We have the range in the center of the wall with a 30" cabinet on either side, and the fridge to the right of that. We used 3cm quartz and there are separate pieces on either side, with a third piece running behind the stove (mounted on a cleat on the wall and on the sides of the cabinets). That put a seam at the back corners of the stove, but I don't even notice it. It could be a bigger deal if you use a stone with a pronounced pattern. We built out a wall to enclose the fridge in an alcove, so didn't have to worry about the panel.
...See More
Standard cabinet height under counter...Barker cabs say 34.5" Huh?
Q
Comments (26)
Sophie Wheeler, 23 years is WITHIN the last hundred years. That was my point. Using your logic, a house built in 2001 was instantly obsolete. Site built /stick built construction is actually considered to be desirable - completely custom, and often done in higher end homes. Is it cheaper to build modular and install? It can be - it's certainly more convenient for the homeowner. But for new construction, site built is great. Can both be equal in quality? Sure. I only know about this because I know a few builders, and we've actually discussed this exact topic. Hell I could gain major improvements just by replacing all the doors and drawers and all new hardware. But what I have still works quite well. If I had issues with drawers sticking and doors that didn't fit right, that would be a different story. But I don't. Everything works and fits as it should, so I will pursue changes where I need them. And those changes are all that we really should be discussing here. Again, thanks for the advice, but your suggestions have nothing to do with my topic.
...See More
vinmarks
6 years ago
It was in the free standing range installation manual. Here's the part I remembered directly from the manual:

This appliance has been designed to be installed directly against rear walls and side base cabinets. It
cannot be installed directly against tall side cabinets, side walls, tall appliances or base cabinets extending
beyond 24 inches [610 mm].

Are you happy with your range? We just placed an order for the 48 inch platinum series range.
M
Original Author
6 years ago
We absolutely love our RNB. Had it for a couple of years, and it works so much better than any other stove I've ever used. Definitely recommended.

I jokingly told my dealer, he should drop all other product lines, as they clearly are inferior compared to Bluestar.

Before the remodel, we only had space for a 30" model. I'd love a bigger stove, but even after the remodel we wouldn't have space for 48". And I can't really justify replacing our perfectly good 30" with a brand new 36". But I'm sure, you'll love your 48" model. Dual ovens sounds so nice to have.

When we bought our stove, the Platinum series didn't even exist yet. So, we didn't have much of a choice. If I had to buy now, I'm not quite sure, which one I'd pick. The improvements between RCS and RNB are very obvious. But the value proposition for the Platinum feels less clear. In principle, it is a superior product. But from reading reviews, it sounds as if the current design doesn't fully realize the potential of these improvements just yet.

The grill/griddle sounds awesome, but then I read reviews and most people are a little disappointed by it's overall usability. The oven burner seems a mixed bag too; although that might be limited to earlier designs which suffered from some growing pains initially. But given how much I love my current oven, I don't really see much of a need to change anything.

On the other hand, the little bit of extra BTU would be very welcome. After cooking on a high BTU stove, I never want to go back. It changes everything about how you cook. So, yes, I'd love to upgrade my existing RNB to even more powerful burners, if only there was a way to buy a retrofit kit.

And the rest of my concerns are not so much to say that there is anything wrong with the Platinum series. It's mostly a reflection of Bluestar having set the bar so high that my expectations are now unrealistically high of what I'd love to see in their top-of-the-line offering.

In other words, I'm jealous of your new stove. You'll love it.

Please report back, after you have had a chance to use it for a bit.
M
Original Author
6 years ago
Yeah, I am in the same boat. I love my outdoor grill too much and enjoy that it keeps the cooking smells outside, even if I am smoking the meat. Also, no worries about cleaning up splatters and/or droppings. So, really not much use for an indoor grill. Of course, for people who don't have easy access to an outdoor grill, that argument could go very differently.

I do think that I probably could get used to having a griddle permanently on my stove -- assuming I did actually have the space for it, of course. But I think the Platinum griddle isn't quite perfect yet. From reading a bunch of reviews, these are the main issues:
1. it doesn't heat up quite evenly. I personally suspect this is just an issue with a learning curve of how to preheat. And if I recollect correctly, BlueStar does actually publish instructions on how to do that and get good results. So, I am not overly concerned. Although, I might decide to customize the burner configuration so that there are two high-powered burners adjacent to each other. But that's very easy to do after the fact.
2. there is a vent hole in a very unfortunate location and people complain that it gets uncomfortably hot. That's definitely a little annoying.
3. clean up isn't as easy as it could be. I think, that would be the biggest issue for me. I use our rolled carbon steel skillets a lot, and they would be the most likely candidate to be replaced by the griddle. I love how clean-up for the skillets only takes a few seconds. If the griddle is any more difficult to clean, that would require significant adjustments to my workflow.
Having said all of the above, I do have a little bit of experience with a griddle on a BlueStar stove. Friends of ours have a BlueStar cook top (thanks to my great experience with my own range!), and they usually leave an after-market cast-iron griddle permanently on two of the burners. I have used it, and it is quite nice. I could get used to it -- if only clean-up wasn't so tedious.

In other words, I don't think anybody has found a great solution for this particular problem just yet.

Non-standard counter top heights and Bluestar range

vinmarks

Comments (6)

vinmarks

M
Original Author

Related Discussions

vinmarks

M
Original Author

M
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Non-standard counter top heights and Bluestar range

vinmarks

Comments (6)

vinmarks

MOriginal Author

Related Discussions

vinmarks

MOriginal Author

MOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

M
Original Author

M
Original Author

M
Original Author