Bluestar French cook top
linda918
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PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
last yearlinda918
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Bluestar's French Top
Comments (7)As a pro cook, trained in the use of French Tops (FT), I can tell you that IMHO they are a bad idea for home kitchens, and even most pro kitchens today. They are designed for one thing-holding small quantities of multiple sauces at a safe temperature during service hours. A French restaurant may need a small amount of a dozen sauces for a meal service. That would take a dozen burners, thus a lot of space. A FT can handle that many in the same area as four burners. But many French restaurants are getting away from them, as they REALLY heat up a kitchen, take like 30 minutes to heat up, and consume a lot of energy-they are replacing them with thermos bottles. Thermos bottles are inexpensive, don't heat up the kitchen, and the sauces don't thicken with time, due to evaporation. Most FT's don't get that hot, as evidenced by it's single 18,000 BTU burner, which has to heat the area that would normally have four 18,000 BTU burners. My advice is to get get a range with regular burners on it, and if you want to hold multiple sauces on it, get a full-size, 4" deep hotel pan, put it across two burners, to form a hot water holding bath. Works just like a FT, but frees up two multi-purpose burners. You could also put the pan on a griddle or grill if you wanted. Good luck....See MoreNew Bluestar elec wall oven vs New Viking french door wall oven
Comments (122)yes have electric 3 yrs old & propane fueled 7 yrs old in different homes. no issues w doors (except to adapt to left closing). both perform well. electric more bells whistles being newer.. digital and pizza stone. however on advice on tech (we had 1 svc call for faulty thermostat ez repair but they pulled entire panel and replaced), pizza stone carefully removed, stored. this way oven heats and cools faster. note that neither throws excessive heat into space. trade off is a fan running to aid slow deliberate cool down. this might annoy in an open space eat in kitchen. our fan friendly oven is installed in walk in pantry utility room that houses freezer and extra refrig (main kitchen has 30" Leibherr)...See MoreBest Range for Wok Cooking - Bluestar/Viking/Wolf?
Comments (56)Thanks for your insights. Commenting on your questions in reverse order: (a) I do not have any experience with gas wok cooking, so even if I thought my induction wok technique was good, I couldn't compare. I can say that for quantities sufficient for several people, cooked sequentially in the induction wok and then combined and finished, my 3500W Cooktek can manage more than enough power. However, it heats a ring area of the wok so the very bottom (4-inch diameter?) is heated via conduction. I suspect a gas-experienced wok user would have to modify his technique somewhat. (b) I recommend reading the first dozen pages or so of Greenheck's guide: http://www.greenheck.com/media/pdf/otherinfo/KVSApplDesign_catalog.pdf particularly the table on airflow rates, to gain insight into this subject. I usually recommend 90 CFM/sq. ft. of hood entry aperture. This is realized (actual) flow rate; blower rated flow rate may need to be 1.5X or more of this value depending on various factors. Hoods need to overlap the cooking zone, and side skirts may be called for in some configurations. MUA is a big deal and needs to be addressed at the same time as the ventilation approach. (c) If you were to use a commercial wok burner and commercial hood, the fire suppression is built in. I don't know what options are available to avoid a possible sprinkler mess vs. some other kind of chemical spray mess. Non-messy halon extinguishers may not be allowed in a home. What is allowed needs to be discussed with your code enforcement officer. I don't doubt that there is some construction approach that should be acceptable, but it is likely location specific. Also, ask your insurance company. Give up the idea of nesting the range and hood into a nice set of wood cabinets if you are going commercial. Stove and hood may need to be spaced away from any walls, which in most residences are combustible, no matter what surface materials are used to protect them. In new construction, or with sufficient land, thought could be given to following the approach of 'higher-end' historical Chinese rural homes -- wood construction kitchens were separated from the wood construction living quarters for good reasons. http://yinyutang.pem.org/...See MoreBluestar French door ovens
Comments (3)Thank you both for your input. I don't plan on opening the oven at the same time as the fridge, so that problem solved! Patricia, I imagine people burn themselves on both types of ovens, but I usually use mitts, so should be OK with the French door style. Agree that I want to be able to open the doors more than 90 degrees, which is why I posted this question, for information from people who already have these things. And yes, there will be a full size fridge on one side and freezer on the other. We currently have an oven next to a fridge and haven't suffered....See Morelinda918
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
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