36" Thor vs NXR-PRO 36" or other???? $3k budget
ahreno
5 years ago
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Zalco/bring back Sophie!
5 years agoZalco/bring back Sophie!
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Looking for a 36' CD fridge...
Comments (3)Thank you for the review trailgirl. We do not desire ice and water in the door either. After a bunch more reading it is obvious many of these newer mid-level fridges have noise complaints. Quietness is very important because of our floorplan design. I see that the LG 21776ST receives decent reviews concerning noise and actually comes in under our $3K budget. We currently have a standard model 15 year old Maytag that has been queit and care-free. I cringe at needing to justify spending $5K on a fridge to expect that out of a new one....See MoreAlready blew my cabinet budget, WWYD?
Comments (39)Has your contractor given you any references to call? When we were "interviewing" GC's, I asked for a list from each -- the one that got the list to me in a timely fashion, i.e. within a few days, ended up being the one who got the job - after calling references on their list and getting glowing reports. This was actually a good indication of how they have handled our entire project -- in a timely and professional manner throughout. Ask for references -- a good, confident GC should be happy to provide those. Finding a cabinet maker -- I looked at cabinets "out of the box" for weeks and could not find a style or finish that worked for me. I started calling folks who I knew had done reno's w/in the last five years to ask "would you mind telling me where you got your cabinets?" Sometimes they would say "do you know so and so, they did kitchen, addition, etc". I just called people and introduced myself - most were happy to share this info. and through this "referral" system I found a local cabinet maker (who I didn't know and never would have found on my own - GC was so impressed with his work that has since used him on other jobs) who gave me what I dreamed about (not without compromise along the way) within my budget constraints. Soapstone -- have it, love it, priced it on my own and saved significantly. Our variety is "softer" and although we have only been using our kitchen for about a month, I have chips in several edges, especially around the sink. At first I was heartbroken and then reminded myself that we chose this and marble for the "patinas" they would develop over time -- now I use a sharpie to hide them and move on. We are having so much fun cooking in this kitchen together that a nick or two is worth it!...See More30" pro style range for under 3k?
Comments (11)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...See MoreNeed recommendations for 36" gas range with oven for serious home cook
Comments (28)kooopons: BlueStar made a bunch of design changes for the currently shipping ranges (RCS V2, RNB V2, and Platinum) that addressed the problems found on some earlier models. These changes include modifications (or completely new design) of: oven door, oven floor, oven walls, convection fan blade, burner mounting rails, igniters, and visible sheet metal parts. They also moved to a new factory in Blandon, PA about a year ago with a bunch of new employees. Notice the lack of BlueStar complaints on GardenWeb in the last year or so....See Moreahreno
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