Julia had the Garland commercial range in her own kitchen. It was made by Prizer-Painter Stove Works who makes the BlueStar now. It is reported that she loved that range. This is a closeup of the burner on the Garland range she had. It is kind of grainy but you can see the star burner.

I think the BS RNB would be closest to that. I’ve read that she did use a Thermador on one of her shows. It seems that if she preferred it, it would have been in her home.

Manufacturers toss the term “open burners” around indiscriminately meaning different things. It is actually the burner cap that makes the difference in performance. Open vs sealed refers to the burner tray. This is Viking’s “open” burner. It still has a burner cap.

This is American Performer which has a semi sealed burner tray but an uncapped star burner.

The burner cap makes the flame flare out on the highest heat. Wolf, capped has the dual stacked burners so it has a little less flare but the uncapped burner allows the flame to go in a more upward direction.

This compares BS vs Thermador.

BlueStar

These are a couple of pictures with woks.

You can see even even if the Thermador has high BTUs, much of it can be lost around the pan. I have Wolf dual stacked burners but they work out pretty well for me because I use a lot of wide pans and that is when I use high heat. Even with a wok, I move it around so it works out. BS would allow you to stir fry more at one time.

One thing some people don’t like about the Thermador is the clicking on and off on the simmer.

What type/sizes of cookware do you have? Do you use a griddle?

To compare the oven, look at the usable size. This would be the size of the rack as well as the space from the bottom rack to the top. The cubic feet measurement doesn’t mean all that much. BS holds a full commercial sheet or two half sheets. Look at the infrared broiler size.

I don’t want want to overlook any specific needs you may have so why do you want three or potentially four with the 48” range ovens? I would at some point consider a good combi oven that would give you control over humidity.

Thermador used Julia’s image after her death, without her prior permission or the estate’s permission, to promote their ranges. I doubt that she’d be pleased with that. I’ve boycotted since then. www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2012/08/30/julia-child-foundation-embroiled-in-suits-about-oven-ads/amp/

https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/julia-childs-family-outraged-over-thermador-ads-featuring-chef.html

Thank you for dropping that knowledge and correcting my use of terms. I agree and believe words matter.

I didn’t know about Julia’s home range. Unless I missed it, she doesn’t mentioned it in first third of Volume 1! That fact alone should be sufficient to select BS.

Re pots & pans, I have two sizes of Mauviel carbon steel skillets 9 & 13, three different cast iron, and recently purchased 3 & 5 qt copper and aluminum disk SS Sitram sauté pans and a copper disk Rondeau—the copper disk is out of production now. I use all, except Rondeau, weekly plus my many others.

The improved heat transfer of the Sitram results in scorching around perimeter of pan due to “capped” burner, even at medium heat. I believe burner design of BS and possibly Therm will reduce this and lessen need for shifting and rotating the pans. Am I right?

Finally Re open burners, my limited science says more oxygen around the flame should lower need for max BTUs. In other words, an 18,000 BS open design should perform as well or better than a 25,000 closed design. And BS also offers a low heat burner.

Re number of ovens, I want at least one gas oven, but wife prefers electric for baking. Gas is cheaper, doesnt get cut off as much, and is favored for proteins. We decided to keep LG until it fails and then covert to another electric option in that same cabinet in the future. Also, being older and tall, not certain my back can handle much stooping.

Thanks again!

If you get the Bluestar open-burner range, do not forget about getting a powerful hood for it. People tend to spend a lot of time researching and deciding what range they want, and then get an inexpensive hood as an afterthought. Your hood should be 24" deep front to back, have baffle filters (not mesh), and the duct that goes from the hood to the outside should be 8" or 10" diameter. Minimum cfms would be 600, but 1000 would be better.

I would not get the 48" range size you mentioned for your medium sized kitchen - the exhaust cost for it will be enormous, you will be foregoing upper and lower cabinet space and counter space, and most people do not even use all the burners on the 36" size.

A 30” Bluestar can fit a full sheet pan. Let that sink in. There are 36” ranges that can’t do that! You can probably get by with a 600CFM. Hood for it, plus the make up air. Bigger is going to need more expense on all fronts. Not just the range.

Could you have a 30” Bluestar without outside venting do you think? We have never had venting to outside

Kim Dodge - no. For a Bluestar gasrange you need venting to the outside. I understand you've never had venting to the outside, but you’ve never had a Bluestar either. Please look at the amount of btus on the Bluestar. I advise you to get a range with lower numbers of btus per burner.

Thank you Shannon!!! I appreciate your feedback, and will look into a proper vent if we make the change!!!

If you like cooking in carbon steel skillets, then I think the answer is obvious. You absolutely should get the Bluestar.

I love my skillets. They are super responsive and easy to work with. But they also suffer from hot spots, if the burner doesn't distribute heat very evenly. On my Bluestar uncapped RNB burners, the skillet is a joy to work on. On my open but capped Viking range, they are a huge pain.

Of all the stoves I have ever cooked with, the Bluestar is the most intuitive one. It takes zero effort on my part, and it simply "does what I want it to do". It's hard to describe until you have tried it. But the very precise and even temperature control is awesome.

As far as ovens are concerned, I know that there is a difference between gas and electric. But I find it is super easy to adjust for. I wouldn't make my decision solely on fuel source.

The Bluestar has a great and very accurate gas oven. I like baking/cooking in it. In fact, I have used it exclusively for about 8 years. But the main selling point is its super powerful infrared broiler. Nothing else comes close.

On the downside, it takes a really long time to preheat. At a minimum, it takes 20min, preferably longer. And while the large capacity is useful once every two years or so; in practice I find I rarely really need it.

On the other hand, in our recent remodel, we paired the 30" Bluestar RNB range with a 24" Miele CSO wall oven. Oh my! That's a game changer. If it's in your budget, get a high-end combination steam oven. There are so many things you can do much easier and better in them. I now only use my Bluestar oven for the broiler -- and if I am cooking particularly splattery food. Cleaning the CSO is easy, except when foods splatter a lot.

You are likely going to get a very biased answer to this. People who have and love and recommend BS, or ppl who have and love and recommend Thermador (Or anything else). I personally think your real life appreciable difference will be negligible. Go with your gut and don’t look back.

M,

Thanks for your advice! The BS is the clear choice based on comments!

I have also seen your positive comments re BS post sale/delivery customer service and product performance/reliability. Do you remain positive?

Re Miele, We observed a live in-store chef demo and were impressed, but will delay oven replacement due in large part to cost. But I also expect/hope this technology will improve over the next few years as it gains popularity and manufacturer competition drives down the price [fingers crossed]!

I checked, and my Bluestar has a serial number from 2010. So, apparently, I have had it for coming up on 10 years now. It's still going just as strong, and I still recommend it.

Over the years, I have had to call Bluestar with questions every so often. I find, it's a little bit hit or miss. They come across as a very small company, and so sometimes they are just too busy. But the good news is that their ranges are a super simple design. If you have the least amount of DIY ability, you can easily do any adjustments that might be necessary. Mostly, all you have to do is just keeping it clean, and it'll work fine.

The one caveat is that you need to make sure it is set up correctly during installation. It has a few adjustments that need to be dialed in. So, ask your dealer if they have experience with Bluestar. It's not actually difficult. But if you have never done it before, it can be surprising.

As for Miele, I strongly feel that they are at least one generation ahead of all the other vendors when it comes to combination steam ovens. But of course they know that. So, they do charge quite a premium. While I was travelling in Europe, I took a look at some of the appliance stores, and similar Miele ovens were a lot cheaper. As in, some items were half the cost, if I recall correctly.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that these saving will eventually materialize here in the US. But honestly, I wouldn't hold my breath.

So I punches the ticket and purchased this 48 inch Bluestar Premium today for 30% below retail at a SoCal retail outlet. It’s an “open box” return and still has original factory rapping, and was mounted on a wood pallet. Called BS regional sales manager to verify, but he was not available. It could be a hoax, but I traded with this retailer before and took the gamble!

Kelvin, according to the model # this is a Platinum, not an RNB. The oven in this works very differently. All of the heat comes from the back in the oven, not from the bottom. The convection fan can not be completely turned off as it has to run whenever the burner comes on. Some people report that it works well but others say it doesn’t. My concern would be for things that need heat coming from the bottom as I have noticed even with an electric oven with a hidden bake element, some things like pies do not brown as well on the bottom as they do with the old style open element. Just something to be aware of.

Congrats! That is a beautiful range.

Thanks again to all! Wekick, your concern and warning are valid, but most user reviews of the Platinum oven are positive. Nevertheless, it does have a second 12” oven and we are keeping our electric double wall oven. Fingers crossed!

Re TheCooksKitchen and ventilation, I experienced that “need” in the store! the retailer fired up all 8 burners on propane and i nearly melted. Gas will produce a lower flame, but this is not my mother’s old Kenmore stove and I am bit intimidated. And yes will use savings on a top quality hood and new kitchen window!

I'll second Cook's Kitchen's reminder to consider make-up air (MUA) for that big hood. Even if you think you can get by without it --- say, by opening that new window whenever you run the hood --- your local codes may still require it.

MUAis a life safety issue. It’s a must.

I usually recommend the RNB over the Platinum, because I feel the griddle on the RNB is better, and the slightly higher BTU doesn't really justify the much higher cost. But neither argument really applies in your situation. So, I think you'll really be happy with your Platinum.

The heating element in the oven is a bit of a wild card. It should help with much faster preheating (a problem that he RNB suffers from), but on the other hand it has a bit of a learning curve and might make some specific dishes harder to cook. Since you still have the smaller oven, which I believe doesn't have this type of burner, and you have your wall oven, I believe you have the best of all worlds.

Enjoy your new range. It's a beast :-) And yes, do make sure you have proper venting.

Also, unless this range is going to be installed in an island, you absolutely have to swap out the backguard for a properly raised version. The ovens are going to fry your backsplash; and if they won't do it, then the burners will. Read the Bluestar instruction with regards to minimum clearance requirements.

And no, installing tile on sheetrock isn't what they mean when they say fire resistant. That requires stone or metal on steel studs.

My mom sent me this recently, which includes a blurb about the Garland stove, for anyone interested: https://lithub.com/how-to-arrange-your-kitchen-according-to-julia-child/?fbclid=IwAR08UYTfNbKKfTt7nvI6X4CKxcRIESNLJhvl1-Wmi8xJkp1nD18SKYe7NLA

Congrats on your Bluestar! It looks lovely.

jslazart, is that a double oven or a warming drawer in Julia’s kitchen? Also, appreciate her emphasis on comfortable flooring. Standing on tile is debilitating! Marmoleum is my preference!

Unsure, but in a commercial range, I would imagine it is a second oven. You could always try to go to the Smithsonian and ask for a closer look!

It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but it looks as if Julia's Garland range had only two oven doors. And the article mentions that there was a salamander right underneath the covered stove top grill. This would suggest that the salamander wasn't a stand-alone component, but it was part of the second, smaller oven. In other words, it's similar to the infrared broiler that we get in a Bluestar range these days.

This would suggest that both openings were for ovens and not for a warming drawer. That would make sense in a restaurant. An oven is more versatile, and in a pinch, it can always do double-duty as an impromptu warming drawer.