Question on 30″ CULINARY SERIES (RCS) SEALED BURNER RANGE RCS30SBV2
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3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoArchitectural Notice thanked Patricia Colwell ConsultingRelated Discussions
AR Open Burner Range. Has anyone seen one yet?
Comments (31)I just got back from looking at the 30" model. It was hooked up, so I saw the burners in action, but there was no hood so I couldn't actually try it out to cook anything. I have attached a link to some pics of the burners, drip pans/tray, etc. My initial thoughts, in no specific order... 1. As with all the American Range ranges, it is very well put together. Seams and corners are finished nicely. Understated look, less industrial by far than bluestar but not overly softened...just really straightforward pro-look. 2. The approach is a little different than bluestar, there is both a drip tray under everything and also separate drip pans under/around each set of two burners. More like the Bluestar drop-in cooktop, less like the range. Reminded me a bit of the Jade residential open burner ranges. 3. The drip pans are black enameled steel, and are very deep - seems like the likelihood of things actually making it to the drip tray is pretty slim. They also, however, don't seem to have any obvious way to get a grip on them to remove them...it was a bit fussy when I did it. 4. All the burners click when you ignite any single burner. 5. The center area on the 30" is a removable stainless steel piece...I don't know if they are going to offer an optional grate, but it seems like it would be really simple to get something to work even if they don't. 6. Unlike the other American Range ranges, the grates are free-floating...there are no "dents' for the feet to rest in and hold them in place. AS a result, the grates move around a bit more, and are noisier...this is especially noticeable because of the other "moving parts" (i.e., the drip pans and tray)...its a little "clanky." 7. My big reservation...the grates are really, really high. Pots are going to end up really far above the flames, which kind of seems to defeat the purpose of having super-powerful burners. I would be concerned that in the real world a lot less heat would be transferred to the pan on this than on, say, a bluestar (or probably a culinarian, but I haven't actually seen one of those in person yet). I may be wrong about this, but it worries me...I hope somebody does do some real world comparison testing soon. That's it for my iniitial thoughts. If anybody has any specific questions, feel free to ask and if I can answer it based on my look today I will. Here is a link that might be useful: pics...See MoreBlueStar RCS30 Sealed vs Open Burners
Comments (25)We've had our 30" BS RNB for eight or nine years now. I have used the oven extensively and find that it is very reliable. It does exactly what it's supposed to do; nothing more and nothing less. I like working with it, other than the fact that it takes really long to pre-heat. The fact that it is so predictable makes it a joy to bake with. I usually store my large Fibrament baking stone in the oven and don't take it out when I use the oven. I don't think it makes a huge difference for everyday use, but it might contribute a little to my overall very positive impression of the oven. In general though, most ovens benefit from a) more thermal mass, and b) dispersal of thermal energy. So, I almost always keep either a baking stone or at least a cookie sheet on the bottom shelf of any of the ovens that I have ever owned. Having said that, we now have a Miele combination steam oven and a Miele SpeedOven in addition to the RNB. I find the SpeedOven isn't much of an alternative. I am happy that I bought it as an extra oven that happens to use the same space as the microwave; but I am not sure the cost is quite justified by the benefits. So, don't buy, if money is tight. On the other hand, the CSO is a huge improvement over anything I have owned before. It preheats much faster than the RNB and the fine-grained moisture control is awesome. The smaller cavity size is rarely an issue. I now use the CSO for everything. The only downside is the rather anemic broiler element. These days, the RNB only gets used if I need a good broiler. None of my other appliances even come close....See MoreBluestar rcs30sb (sealed burners model)
Comments (40)I now know more about pro gas ranges and european color palettes than I ever thought I would in this lifetime... no, I wasn't looking at unusual or custom paint formulas. BS has up to 750 (I think) with the extended RAL colors, plus custom matches, but there are 190 colors in the basic RAL palette. I was looking at those. The custom color body in a standard RAL # was quoted at $1250. Trim (knob rings, pulls) in another metal are $650, and colored knobs are $400. So, you can see how it mounted up. I have a custom tile mural backsplash so I thought it would look nice to tie one of those colors. Just a mock up design below. But, I digress... I am satisfied with the SS and a splurge on a color for the knobs. It will still pop. Best news of all (shhhhh don't tell anyone), my sales rep said order the RCS and if I want, they'll upgrade a couple of burners for me later no charge. Now I can't beat that deal! And, sounds like I could swap out a door for color one later down the road too if I want to upgrade. Never occurred to me. Crispy transcendent mushrooms are on their way! You guys are awesome. :-)...See MoreAnyone with a BlueStar 36 inch RCS Sealed Burner Range?
Comments (32)The glowbar igniters are a really old and proven technology. You'll find it in lots of gas appliances (e.g. water heater, furnace, ovens, ...) as they are so safe. Whenever the thermostat calls for heat, it turns on the igniter. As a first approximation, a glowbar igniter is the same thing as an incandescent light bulb without the protective glass shell. It draws a couple of hundred watts and uses that to produce heat. Right next to the glowbar is a temperature activated gas valve. As long as no heat it produced (i.e. glowbar doesn't call for heat or glowbar is defective), no gas flows. This is very safe. But if the valve detects sufficient amounts of heat, it opens and gas flows over the glowbar and ignites. This is damn simple and there is very little that can fail catastrophically. So, it is inherently a safer design than using click igniters. Those are good for the stove top where a person can supervise the burners. But the oven has to work even when it cycles on/off without human intervention. The downside, of course, is that this glowbar behaves just like an incandescent bulb. Some bulbs live for decades, most live for a couple of years, and a small number dies within months. Same is true for glowbars. Nothing much you can do about it. Fortunately, they are cheap and standardized components. Every appliance manufacturer buys from the same factory. And yes, gas ovens always cycle on/off completely. There generally isn't a great way to modulate heat output. This is a noteworthy difference when compared to electric ovens, which frequently can keep constant temperatures much more easily. For many dishes, that doesn't actually matter. But there are some that do in fact cook much better in an electric oven. And I guess the reverse is true too....See MoreJohn Williams
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