I have been using our RNB 30” for months. Everything is perfect on it with no more than our contractor install. I don’t like the design of the “ Bluestar” hood but it does work great just terrible to clean. The range is amazing! c

We have a 36 inch BS installed in February of 2020 and have none of those issues either. The only issue we took up with them wasn’t really an issue, more of a “is this normal?” type thing about condensation. BS was very prompt and handled it quickly, we also needed our cooktop flames adjusted and the repair person they sent out did it quickly and even showed me how to do it should we need it again, it’s a very simple procedure, you only need a little screwdriver.

The convection fan won’t to run during the initial preheat and it will automatically turn off whenever the gas kicks on during cooking.

I reached out to BS this week about purchasing a slide out rack for my range and the phone recording said the phone representatives weren’t working right now due to COVID-19 and to send them an email, which I did and I got a response from them the same day.

jojo,

I have emailed them again,,, also my local dealer has contacted me saying they are working with a service company to come out,, Hopefully I will get a date soon.

question,

Did you have condensation between the glass on the oven door?

Does the blue "oven on" indicator light only illuminate when calling for gas. On ours, the blue light is off if there is no flame.

Flame on = no fan, blue light

Flame off= fan on, no blue light

Hi Chris,
Our oven does get quite a bit condensation on the door and in between the glass as well, we also had a burner that made a weird noise when lit, BS sent a repairman out who looked the range over, adjusted the air flow to the burner which stopped the odd noise. He said the condensation was normal and said the climate of our house would also effect the amount condensation as well.
The fan is designed NOT to operate during the initial preheat time, even if you turn the switch on, it will not operate during preheat.
While using the oven, every time the gas kicks on, the blue light will come on and the fan will turn off. When the gas turns off, the blue light will go out and the gas will shut off.
This will happen off and on during the baking time as the oven maintains the temperature.
Hope this helps.

Sorry Chris I meant to say when “when the flame turns off during the baking time, the blue light will go out and the fan will turn back on automatically”

Flame on, blue light lit, fan turns off
Flame off, blue light out, fan turns on (as long as you’ve turned it on prior after the preheat)
Condensation in between the glass is normal

thanks, seems odd that the blue light is not on when the oven is on period. Yesterday,, oven at ~350, light out,, thought the oven was off. the dial is vertical, same as in the off position. I walked by a few time and one time i saw the blue light and realized the oven was still on. Feels like a bad design to have the light on when calling for a flame, Who really cares to know when it is calling for heat? I have kids, I want to know is the oven is just on.

I will have to keep an eye on the dials as the light is a poor indicator.

The condensation is odd between the glass, None of out previous ovens dis this. I hope the glass does not become hazy. from the residue.

The blue light goes on when you turn the oven on. When it is up to the temperature you set it at it turns off. This way you know it is up to temp. If it starts to go below your set temp it fires back up and the blue light goes on. The blue light goes off again when it is once again at your set temp. I had a Wolf range in our previous house and it did the same thing. How would you know the oven is up to temp if the light never goes off? I think it is pretty simple to look at the dial to realize if the oven is on or off.

It's not an uncommon design on that signal light. The electric wall oven in our circa 1964 family home operated its signal light that way ... lit when the heating elements were on, unlit when the heat cycled off.

Update,

Bluestar sent parts to a service company. They scheduled fast and the tech was nice.

The new fan is quieter but still louder than our older Monogram.

The new switch fan switch still does not illuminate (blue dot) when turned on (tech thinks a neutral or ground wire must be faulty).

I was told there is no way to adjust the tight drawer slide and that is how it is. (I build cabinetry and my KV soft close slides are smooth as silk. The BS side clearance tolerances are just too tight)

The drip pans are still pinched/tight in the tray. The tech said he has no way to grind the rivets down and has no answer. This is a real pain in the a**. they are so tight i can not wrap them with foil. I have to lay foil in and hope it stays in place.

The oven doors expel more heat out of the bottom than the rear vent. This heat then goes between the two panes of glass and condensate. Not sure why the glass is not sealed? Maybe a heat thing but I have never had an oven door that fogs over on the inside. My guess is in time it will leave residue and begin to no look so clean. The tech thought the oven vent must be restricted in some way causing the exhaust gas to come out the front.

My total opinion of the unit is it is over glorified and over priced. BS provides the least amount of pre-sales details about their product.

The pros are,

Adjustable flames for burners,

Burner design.

No electronics

Here is my general complaints/cons, considering this a $10,000 appliance and going for the commercial look/feel.

Exhaust coming out of the front of the doors,

Condensation between the glass on doors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5-cWIs3Hdg

No fasteners for the bottom of the toe kick

Convection fan runs when door is opened. no auto switch in door to turn off. (commercial ovens turn off the fan so not to blow all the heat out of the oven)

Convection fan will not run with gas on.

Oven on indicator light only light when oven calling for flame.

Drip tray stiff, hard to open.

Drip pans zero clearance and have to be pressed into place. difficult to get in and out.

I will drill a ~1" hole in the tray beneath each pan so i can press the pan upwards to remove it.

I had plans to purchase an additional BS electric Wall oven but i have my reservations. I read the user manual and it looks like the touch screen is a mess. Naturally, for $5,000 there is no BS videos demonstrating anything. When I called a while back,, I asked,, to set the temperature, do i have to hold the knob to the right (5 Degree increments),, do i rotate the knob,, or do i have to click the knob right for each 5 degrees, never got an answer. I also waited on hold with BS while typing this post, finally selected the call back feature.

All in all, the range cooks well, burners are nice but for 10k i feel the engineering, fit and finish leave a lot to be desired. If i could have cooked on one before I purchased I would have seriously considered other options. For BS to boast about being the best, this is a let down. It is ok,, but it should be great.

https://youtu.be/xBTCpOJhEII

https://youtu.be/R5-cWIs3Hdg

https://youtu.be/1UmvHubPz7Q

https://youtu.be/2Wt0h1aqayM

Well, that stinks. My dd is building in a couple of years and I will be helping her. BS will be off the list.

I always think the way to go is to get the Bluestar rangetop, which IMHO has the raison d'être for having a Bluestar which is the star-shaped open burners, just like were on Julia Child’s old Garland range. It‘s the open burners that are Bluestar’s forte; the range ovens have been reported as problematic on this forum going all the way back to their beginnings. Then get wall ovens of a different brand like Bosch or Miele.

I'm looking for a 30" gas range and stopped by my local appliance store this week. Due to the glowing reviews for BlueStar on Houzz, I made a specific point to look at the two BlueStar ranges they had on display. I must say I was impressed. They are very solidly built and appear to be the type of range that would last for 25 years or more.

I'm still in the research phase and haven't made a decision yet on what to purchase but the above comments are somewhat concerning.

@Architectural Notice I just want to say that I discovered the BlueStar brand in my search for vent hoods and that they are highly rated when it comes to that as far as efficiency of some of the shapes (be careful because some BlueStar hoods are more flat underneath than others, and you want an adequate containment volume for effluent that outpaces the blower). However, I have noticed that there are a number of complaints about BlueStar oven and range operation that have popped up in posts from time to time. This isn't a scientific statement, just a general observation over about a year-and-a-half's worth of time hanging out on this forum. Were I in the market for an oven or range top, I would definitely do a lot more researching about the performance expectations before settling on this brand. BlueStar, Prizer, and ABBAKA are all branches of the same company, so it would be interesting to compare performance ratings among those brands.

for what it is worth,

I think the range is very well built with solid quality materials and should last a lifetime. It cooks well and I do like the open burner. The iron burner grates are singles and two pieces at that. Most of the time they just get a wipe down but when they go to the sink it is not unruly. Most grates covered two burners make it a beast in the sink.

The hardware is quality, the knobs operate smoothly. The oven racks are stout, smooth and not over engineered. There is a lot to like/love about the range.

My neighbor has a Thermador 60 and a good friend has a 48 Wolf with problems. Both mainly electrical headaches. This is one of the main benefits if the BS. No computer, no clock, no timer. If ever there is an issue, It should be the easiest to trouble shoot and fix.

Things like the convection fan not turning off when the door is open are workable. I can manually turn the fan off if needed. For me the biggest pain is still the drip trays. BS said the rivets were not "detailed" in production. The tech service tech has no way to grind them but luckily I am a contractor and have just about every tool possible. Most likely I will take my porting burs (automotive work) and take the waste off the rivet on the mandrel end and this problem will be solved.

I wish I could back charge every time i have to correct someone else's work.

Update and still disappointed. The repair man is coming out again to try to fix the fan/light switch. Not a huge deal but for the money BS should have an answer beyond trying random wire configs.

The oven does work but the condensation between the door glass is unacceptable. I googled the problem and a 10 yo post came up,,, coincidentally it was on Houzz and about a BS.

I wish i could send it back

So sorry. BlueStar had a pretty good reputation on the old GardenWeb forums, but I guess as time has gone on, they have not kept entirely on top of quality control. Thanks for the warning.

One last observation that i completely forgot to mention. Consider this if you are in the market.

The rangetop burner knobs operate within a 90 degree rotation. Meaning that from ~simmer to inferno all happens within a 1/4 turn. It is the design of the unit and operates smooth but so many BTUs in a short turn makes temp adjustment tender. My kids like to cook and they find it difficult (not impossible) to adjust.

Our last range top used ~180 degrees/1/2 turn to adjust from low to 15K BTU. The BS is going from low to 22k in a 1/4.

Just something to consider.

Also,, I had a few post about hoods and sinks elsewhere on the forum so i though i would attach a pic of the project coming along. I have to do it in stages because we are living here while remodeling.

We had a 36” BlueStar installed in July. I have issues with the burners “rocking” within their seats making them off center and in need of continuous adjustments to ensure they fit within the pan and would light. The dealer sent a service rep out, and I was not impressed at all with him. He adjusted them so the fit and lit and said just to not touch them. Ridiculous. Every time I try to wipe the burner and pan they wiggle, unseat, and I’m down a burner. It’s a beautiful range, and powerful, but I’m less than pleased. I feel like I need to take some training in maintenance for this range or I’ll have to call that joker repair guy back. Frustrating!

I have a few rocking burners also but my lighting issue is not specific to them. One of my front burner is out of level 1/2". I can push it down and make it level. I assume it is the gas nozzle arm at an odd angle not allowing it to sit flat.

I feel bad for my repair company/guy, He is great but BS says for him to come out and then trouble shoot. They just burn up his time guessing.

Here is my latest issue,, anyone have burners that do not want to light without encouragement? If you look close in the video, there is a flame ~10" above the burner and it will not light all the way unless I blow or wave my hand across it. The gas is rolling out because it stinks up the entire kitchen. If the burner is hot it will restart more easily. First light of the day and the gas will roll out unlimited.

https://youtu.be/LAj83iRbntw

Here is the same burner with the lights out, The camera has a hard time in the total darkness. The three orifices at the igniter light, the igniter stops, gas continues to roll out and burn well above the burner. The video show about 6 inch of flame but the naked eye can see it is almost 10" tall.

@chris doe In case you've never had a ball of escaping gas from a stove explode in your face like I have, you may want to be warned to exercise tremendous caution with this defect. I think BlueStar should be held responsible to fix this, possibly as a broader recall initiative. My experience left me with burn scars that took about 6 months to fade, and I had to severely cut my hair which was melted. The explosion that injured me also broke a window, shook loose a bookcase that was nailed to the wall, and melted carpet. It could have easily been much, much worse. Escaping gas that is not lighting is so very dangerous.

This is terrible! Glad I passed on the BlueStar on my recent gas range purchase.

Hope all of you with this problem get it corrected.

@chris doe as @Aglitter states, that is an extremely dangerous defect/defects. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall-type dangerous. BS previously had issues (and a recall) due to explosive ignition in their ovens.

Personally, I would not use the range (and turn the gas to it off) and would demand BS remedy the situation immediately.

@chris doe did you ever discover the root of what was causing the incomplete ignition of the burners?

I recall reading a post here that this could happen lighting a burner without a pan on it, with a pan in place full ignition much quicker. So maybe a problem only when lighting a bare burner to toast marshmallows. When I was a kid we were allowed to toast marshmallows on the end of a fork on the kitchen stove of course it was not a 15,000 or more BTU Bluestar, must use low flame.

I could see how a pan would help contain the case closer to the initial flame that ignites. My range was installed yesterday and I was seeing the same issue as @chris doe. After some playing around, I've found that if I let the initial flame ignite with the ignitor clicking and the gas on High and then cycle the dial down to Low, my burners ignite easily. That sounds like a lot of work and time, but it's only a matter of seconds. The initial flame ignites in 1-2 clicks of the ignitor and twisting the burner to Low then is a simple matter as well. Once the burner is ignited, set it for the desired cooking heat.

I don't necessarily know why I'm have the partial burner ignition problem. It does seem to be getting better the more I turn the burners on. They do seem to light easier even on High as I play with them (I've done no cooking on the range yet. Our remodel is not complete). I suspect that my natural gas may be escaping too quickly from the burner head and that setting the burner to low remedies that. I have a private natural gas well and am not sure what my regulator is set at, but have had not issues with any of my other gas appliances/items.

I would imagine that your point @venmar of igniting the burner with a pan on it would have the same effect as setting the dial to Low - slowing down and containing the escaping gas for ignition.

Mconn,

Bluestar has sent some parts but they were all wrong. They are sending new parts and a new regulator now.

I also discovered the "leave a pan on to the burner" and it worked well until it didn't one time. My wife was cooking and a got a large burst/flame that had built up.. She now hates the stove. I can deal with it but having small children that like to be in the kitchen, I worry an accident is brewing.

Thanks for the update @chris doe. I see how the pan method has the negative of piling gas beneath the pan until it fireballs. And I don't blame you for your worry with your children. I have 3 teenagers, so old enough that I can teach them the Low setting trick for now, but if the problem worsens for me, I'll be contacting Bluestar as well.

Post an update when you have the replacement parts and regulator in. I'm interested in how that goes.

@chris doe Did Blue Star ever fix your issue? I just learned that our Blue Star model was subject to a recall few years ago so I have to call them tomorrow to see how they intend to remedy it.

Service is coming 11/17 to add some parts. The Bluestar manage I spoke to knew exactly what is was and call my issue "ghostflame" Not sure why if there is a know problem it is not corrected in R&D before it is marketed.

Mine did not do it the first month but now is consistent at least 50% of the time when lighting.

I will post results after this next service call. We both hate the unit and I would not buy another.

The only redeeming feature is the rangetop burners and I like the ability to adjust the low flame to almost nothing for simmer.

last update,

Service came out and spent a lot of time adjusting the airflow as best he could. It lights better. The problem is once you light and relight the ghost flame is not prevalent because the burners are hot and the lines are full of gas.

The simmer burner will still not lite (ghost flame) every time when it is the first time lit. as in if it has been sitting for an hour or more.

The right front 22k has popped on me twice this week. Big enough it startled my wife in the next room and I almost soiled myself. If i turn it off and on it lights perfect. Both times it was with a pan on the burner. I might try to take a video one morning to see where the flame is actually burning when the pan is covering burner. The left 22k lights fine every time.

At this time i do not let me kids light the stove. For me, I wave my hand across the burners each and every time I light a burner and watch it light. The fault is the igniter stops sparking even when the flame is not properly lit. The gas builds and then I have to change my shorts.

I am having a party this weekend and it is a little embarrassing that i have to give a warning about my fancy Bluestar to anyone helping in the kitchen.

Bottom line is I like the unit but I would never in my lifetime purchase another BS anything. BS never answer their phone but do reply emails. For what these units cost and BS's we are the best marketing, it should be the pinnacle of our kitchen.

@chris doe Wow. I am so sorry, and thanks for updating your review. Please be extremely careful with your safety even when you yourself are using the stove. Do you have any legal counsel available to you for mediation or court-based avenues you could pursue with BS from this point if no further fixes are offered?

I am tired of it. At this point it is not worth it pursuing anymore. I can light the stove 10 times in a row and not have a problem so it is hard to show. The tech does his best but after the unit is lit a few times the problem occurs less.

BS has an excuse for everything. As a business owner I would be embarrassed if i sold a product was not right.

Here is the simmer burner this morning

https://youtu.be/MT3WR9KhLDE

@chris doe I don't what state you're in, but some problems can be easily adjudicated in small claims courts without any legal counsel. You could recover a large portion or all of your costs and replace the unit with a different brand if BS will not offer any further fixes for your current unit. If you're located in Pennsylvania, it would be easy because that is where BS is based. Pennsylvania allows claims of up to $12,000 in small claims court. If you are outside of Pennsylvania, I think there would still be ways to file against them, possibly through your local dealer if that is how you received your unit. The evidence is on your side. Keep records of everything including your stove's failures and your attempts to contact BS and get a resolution. You may be able to settle out of court if the responsible party knows you are considering small claims. For what you paid as you mentioned in your original post, around $10,000, I think it's worth it. I am speaking as someone who had severe injuries from head to toe from an exploding stove about 16 years ago. It's not worth it to have any risk like that in your house, even if it is 1 in 100 times that an explosion would happen in your face.

@BlueStar have you seen this thread? As a recent purchaser of Blue Star, I’m now becoming concerned about the safety. Is this a known defect or just a defective unit?

@chris doe

Have you checked the level (relative to earth gravity) on the problem burners?

Natural gas is lighter than air. Propane is heavier than air. If the burner holes nearest the igniter are robbing gas from the rest of the holes because the burner is not level, that might explain the problem that you're having.

@Bongo If you'll read this entire thread, you'll see several mentions of BS quality overall. @Shannon_WI wrote, "It‘s the open burners that are Bluestar’s forte; the range ovens have been reported as problematic on this forum going all the way back to their beginnings." You can also search the Houzz forum to find more posts.

Bongo,

I might just have a dud. even my local sales rep has not had these issues in the past. The odd thing is i had ZERO problems with the burners in the beginning. It started after a few months. Everything has been checked. gas volume, pressure etc.

The oven has not given me any problems other than the loud fan.

John,

the unit is perfectly leveled. I do have one 15k burner that sits 1/4 out of level but it does not give me any problems. It does cook a little uneven on delicate things but it always lights now.

sliverlined,

I have no interest in legal action. It is not my style. The unit is what is is. If I was a BS engineer i would be one the phone or a plane and figure it out.

I am a retired tile and stone contractor and once, free of charge, I demoed and reinstalled a 30k floor for a lady. She did not like the color after the original install. It was a tiny fraction of our operating budget and it sucked to waste 5k in payroll but I made it back 10 fold because the builder, designer and homeowner were so grateful.

@chris doe Then they need to get the engineer to you or whatever it takes. @BlueStar where are you? As a survivor of a stove explosion accident, I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is that neither you nor @BlueStar stop until this issue is 100% resolved.

Silverlined,

What happened in your explosion?

@chris doe It was a stove that wouldn't start. Gas was leaking out unaware, and the person trying to repair it asked me to walk over and give my opinion as to why the stove wasn't starting. Seconds after I arrived in front of the stove, a huge fireball exploded and burned me from head to toe.

Broiler comparison,

Since some of you come here looking for information before dropping 10-15k on a range I thought i would continue to share what I know/learn. Below are pictures of some tomatillos I prepped for a Chile Verde.

One pan was broiled in the BS and the other in a GE double french door electric. Both placed in the center maybe 8-9 inches or more from the element. The BS was burning the center in a minute and the perimeter not even slightly browning. You can see zero juices in the pan with the BS, that is how fast it burns.

The GE broiled almost perfectly across the entire pan in a few minutes. All the juice was captured in the foil and poured into the pot. With the BS pan i removed the burnt and finished the pans in the GE.

When i first got the oven I made come peach cobblers in 12 of those little ramekins. The centers ones burned and the outers did not brown. That is when i discovered the infrared is about 7x7". It is an intense heat but not very well distributed. More like a torch finishing a creme brulee. Maybe I should have tried to broil on the bottom rack?

Anyway, the BS did bake a beautiful turkey at Thanksgiving. Very even and very moist.

FWIW, I am only sharing this because I wish i had this information before my purchase.. You be the judge. We use our electrics for baking now, pastries, cookies, breads etc. We use the BS for turkey, hams, etc. I am trying a Prime Rib in it tonight. The small side BS oven is used as a warmer/holder for pancakes and such. I have never been able to get anything to cook even in it so I set it to 150° when i start cooking and sometimes hold items there until serving.

@chris doe You say you woukd not buy another BS range. what brands wpukd you consider? currently have an 8 year old 30” RNB range that was in the house we purchsed 2 years ago. There are things i love about it (cooktop) and things i hate about it (oven) My chief complaint is how hot the oven door gets on the side where it is vented for that reason, i dont use it when my 3 year old grandchild is here. I’ve also learned that lower temps=longer cook time, higher temps =less cook time, which is irritating because i have to constantly be checking on things in the oven. ive had the thermostat replaced, knobs replaced, and currently one burner clicks and doesnt light - but only occasionally. Therefore I have not had service out because i figure it wont happen then. IT’s pretty bad when you live in a house 2 years, and you are on “first name, how’s the family” basis with your appliance repair person.. (Not just the BS, also the Kitchenaid frig)

deb5379,

Be aware that the current Bluestar ranges are not the same design as the one you've been using.

For example, the oven doors were redesigned about eight years ago and now vent in from the bottom and out the top (like a chimney). They no longer have side vents.

deb5379,

The only other 48" ranges with 8 burners are wolf and capital culinary.

The wolf is sealed CC is not. I am not a fan of the seal burner with the gloss enamel top. Impossible to keep clean.

I contacted BS again and the tech is coming out to level my burners. I have been cooking on this range and half of my burners sit 3/8 out of level. The tech tried to fix it at the install but could not. I thought is would not be a big deal but everything burns (pancakes, crepes, grilled cheese on one side of the pan.. I will post a video when i get to my office.

Is Capital even still doing ranges/indoor cooking?

The company was purchases by SES (Superior Equipment Solutions) in 2020.

I spoke to a rep from SES and they are in production.