My despised WOLF Range died, finally. Next 36" range? BlueStar?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

So, we have suffered with a 36" Wolf DF range for 13 years. We bought it when we did our kitchen because it was top of the line and both DH and I are serious cooks. Problems started right away- burners didn't seal and leaked along the side, constant ignition clicking on 2 out of 4 burners. Oven door spring broke. We must have had the repairman out every 3 months the first two years. He tried as best he could. After warranty expired, we had to pay ourselves for a second new door spring replacement. Never had such problems with previous Thermadors or Viking ranges. Then our local repair person retired. DH became an expert at replacing the burner O rings (quite a skill!). Oven started acting up. Only DH knew all the tricks to get the oven to maintain temperature (open control panel, sometimes Temperature gauge kicked in, if it didn't, turn on light, if it still didn't, close control panel, if it still didn't, turn off oven, turn on again at least 75 degrees higher than you wanted to see if it would register temperature, etc., etc.). I have hated this range for years. Finally, it seems to have given up the ghost. DH used all his magic but could not roast his potatoes higher than 250 degrees.

So what other range would you suggest for two serious cooks? Lately we do make pizza and sourdough bread frequently, so the oven needs to get HOT. The space is 36" and cannot be changed. A few months ago I went to look at all the Lacanche models in Seattle, and only the 40" would satisfy my needs. However, we are not going to be ripping out cabinets and countertops to accommodate a different size. What other models would you suggest? Self cleaning is not important to me, so I was considering a Blue Star Platinum. Also heard about Hestan, but they are pretty new. Suggestions, experience, reviews? Would love to hear others experience.

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lerkat
Original Author

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

@eam44, we are making a last gasp effort at getting it fixed. We had a repair person out, and after 3 visits, some of the issues have been fixed. Yay! Burners don't click off anymore, second fan in oven works, turns out one of the heater elements wasn't being told to turn on, and now it does. So oven heats up a lot quicker (but still takes a long time compared to cheaper ovens- see below). However, even though the master control board has been replaced, the oven still does not track the temperature that is set- it does not seem to recognize that the temperature has fallen. So you have to continually turn the oven off, turn it on at least 60 degrees more than it was set, and then it takes its temperature and figures out that it is way below set point. Why the hell can't I set the Wolf oven at a temperature, and trust that it will be at least close to that temperature? Also, sometimes the temperature indicator shows, and sometimes it doesn't- the lights just stay out. So it's an ongoing process, and lots of $ to repair (although these repair people have been great).

We talked to the repair people about BS. They said that they have had a lot of problems getting parts from them- very long wait times. It may be that with the COVID issue, they are almost shut down. They like Wolf because they are very responsive and parts get sent out right away. That is their perspective from a repairman's job. From a homeowner/user's perspective, I am not so crazy about Wolf, because my oven still doesn't function properly.

Anyway, I would never, ever buy a Wolf range again. We have a Sharp range in our guest apartment (electric top, separate microwave and electric oven below), and the oven on that thing beats the pants off the Wolf. I set the temperature, it heats up in minutes, and it actually MAINTAINS that temperature during the entire bake or roast. I don't have to check it, it checks it for me. And it does it for about 1/10 of the cost of the Wolf range. Wolf looks high end, and is marketed as such, but it isn't.

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Comments (11)

eam44
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Yikes. Capital Culinarian is another option to consider. And yes, BlueStar is well loved on this forum. Both offer open and sealed burners. I’d probably go for the Capital in an open burner, but the BlueStars are really beautiful.
lerkat thanked eam44
ryburns26
3 years ago
Bluestar. No question. A true workhorse that screams quality.
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remodeling1840
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lerkat
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks eam44 for the suggestion, I will look into Capital.

ryburns26, which model do you have? I am trying to decide if the powR in the oven is worth moving up to the platinum.

remodeling1840, I had a Thermador pro in the past and liked it. So your gas oven stays in temperature- that's good to know. The electric Wolf oven varied by more than 50 degrees F- in either direction- and only with a lot of coaxing. It will be nice to have a decent oven again.
ryburns26
3 years ago

I have a 60” platinum. The oven is awesome. No issues. It’s the centerpiece of my kitchen.
lerkat thanked ryburns26
barryv_gw
3 years ago
I have a BS RNB, and love the burners. Less than impressed with the oven. It takes a while to heat up, and like all gas ranges, it is very well vented, so if you want to get good oven spring, you will probably want to bake in a container - like a dutch oven or cloche for part of the bake. It also gets the kitchen pretty warm in the summer. For pizza, you can try a steel plate in the BS, but for me, a dedicated pizza oven is the way to go - it keeps the heat out of the kitchen, and it is pretty easy to find ones that get up to around 800 F to over 900. If you like small pies, Ooni Koda is hard to beat on price, right now it is $329 https://ooni.com/collections/shop-all/products/ooni-koda . If you are willing to spend a little more, many like the Roccbox https://us.gozney.com/products/roccbox and I have the Koda 16, which is better for pies in the 14 to 15 inch size. While many offer wood burning options, if you go this route, I prefer gas for the quick heat up and less mess.
lerkat thanked barryv_gw
lerkat
Original Author
3 years ago
Barry_gw, thank you very much for your suggestions. I had replied to your post, and saw it here on Houzz, but somehow my reply has disappeared. Houzz is kind of wonky- this explains why I see duplicate replies all the time. I miss the old THS and GardenWeb! Maybe my original reply will reappear.

Anywho, your idea on the outdoor pizza oven is GREAT! I am trying to convince DH to go there. It would be so great to cook pizzas in a couple of minutes instead of 15' in the oven.
lerkat
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
reburns26, your kitchen is stunning. And thank you for your feedback. I posted something to that effect a few weeks ago, but the post disappeared somehow from Houzz.
eam44
3 years ago
@lerkat, how is your search going? There was a recent post on the horrors of owning a BlueStar range, so keep in mind, you had a Wolf that was a lemon, and every manufacturer probably does too...
barryv_gw
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
ierkat, when you make a pizza above 500 to 550 F, it is not just that it is done quicker, the taste is much better, IMO. 700 to 750 works best for me with whole wheat, though some like to go above 850 F with tipo 00 flour.
lerkat thanked barryv_gw

My despised WOLF Range died, finally. Next 36" range? BlueStar?

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My despised WOLF Range died, finally. Next 36" range? BlueStar?

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