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MacBeth
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| Posted: Feb 21 2006 at 9:00am | IP Logged
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Does anyone here have a professional restaurant range...not one made by a pro company for residential use, but a real, honest-to-goodness restaurant range?
I am looking at some used equipment which is nicely priced, and in good shape, but I am wondering about whether I will need to upgrade my natural gas meter if I go with something professional.
Still looking at the lovely DeLonghi, too! I just want to check all options. I do have a friend who has a pro stove, but she bought it with the house (16th century farm house with many additions), and is afraid of it  , plus, she does not cook--no use in asking her! 
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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lilac hill
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| Posted: Feb 21 2006 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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I had an Imperial, 6 burner, no frills, plenty of power.
Used liquid propane so it burned a little dirtier than if we were using natural gas. The commercial oven used more fuel.
We ended up turning off the stove pilot light because it was generating too much heat, so I would match light it. Obviously the girls were not using the stove at that time.
We put concrete board against the sides of the adjoining cabinets and walls because of heat in the oven.
Used a thermometer in the oven because it was not reliable--of course most ovens are not so a therm. is a good idea anyway.
Cleaning the oven was pretty messy, but the door was removeable so it was easier on my back.
The clean out tray under the stovetop was full width, which made clean up easier.
It had legs which made cleaning under , easier too.
I really dislike cleaning so having an appliance which makes it easier is a plus.
We added a pillowed stainless back to make it prettier and the vent for the oven was up the back so make sure you know where the vent is so you can design the adjoining cabinets. The big hood really made everything better but you will need the space for venting and power.
My roof vented hood is great--quiet and has lots of power, but it is chilly in the winter.
Do you have any codes that will prevent your using a commercial without addded ventilation and safety or unreasonable clearances?
Automatic extinguishers do not fit the decor of most homes
Do you have room in your plan for a commercial with the venting and clearance issues? Sometimes it is more of a cabinet/couterspace/oven size/stove size debate.
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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momtomany
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| Posted: Feb 22 2006 at 7:43am | IP Logged
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You might want to check on the weight bearing capacity of your floorboards where the stove would go. I have a 6 burner with griddle Jenn Aire and the builder decided to reinforce the floor where it was going.
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Mary Ann in PA
wife to MIchael, mom to Elizabeth, Becca, Tim, Peter, Andrew, Sarah, Matthew, John, Leah and Joseph
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stefoodie
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| Posted: Feb 23 2006 at 9:39pm | IP Logged
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hi macbeth! i looked into this a couple of years back and again recently -- i have been strongly advised *not* to get a commercial range for several reasons:
- per most city/county codes, you probably will need clearance on all sides of the range (if i remember correctly about 12-24" per side) -- like they do at restaurants -- and not like most homes will have space for (but lucky you if you do!). the sides of commercial ranges get hotter than regular or pro-style ranges because they don't have the same insulation that ranges designed for the home do.
- the knobs on commercial brands reportedly get hotter than regular knobs.
- materials that are closest to the range need to be non-flammable, so no drywall/wood/etc.
- the biggest issue is insurance (but maybe not for you, if i remember correctly?) -- they won't cover any damage that results from a fire caused by a restaurant range, if it's installed in a home.
at any rate, the people that have chosen to get one despite all that either:
- chose to build to code, or
- ignored code and took their chances:D (which i'd love to do if only my hubby will let me!)
of course i understand the appeal of a commercial range -- more power at less cost! you can be sure i'll be drooling if you do get one! good luck and keep us posted.
ps the latest bluestar now has 22K, highest BTU among all the pro-styles, but you probably already knew that. i'm shooting for the 6-burner.
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stef
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MacBeth
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 12:02pm | IP Logged
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Viv, Stef and Mary Ann...
Thanks so much for all the advice. In the end, taking all of this into account, along with the size of our kitchen and height of our ceiling, budget, etc., we decided that the Delonghi is our best bet. It is fairly compact, has all the features I really need (though I'd love a built in griddle  ) and is in our price range.
I briefly considered a Thermador 48" with those pretty blue knobs (hey can they be bought and retrofitted on another stove??) that was on Ebay for an amazingly low price, but it was pulled from auction. The funny thing was, it was listed in the capital of Nunavut, with no shipping details. The capital, from what I could tell on a map, is on Baffin Island. We watched the auction, wondering if there really such a stove in such an obscure part of the world, and then Ebay cancelled the auction.
Stef, I took a look at the Blue Star...nice! I hope you get it!
Mary Ann, since our kitchen has no cellar beneath it, I did not think that would be an issue, until I saw some of the weights of these ranges! Oh, my...we would have to reinforce the floor for many of them. That was another factor; thanks for bringing it up.
Viv, your point about cabinets beside a commercial stove was key. The kitchen is too small to allow space, and when every inch counts, it's not a great idea to add more insulation around any appliance.
Code is another good point. Sure, I could put it in without telling the village...but my dh/insurance agent was looking over my shoulder as I searched saying, "I don't think that's very safe, Dear." No, Stef...he would not make an exception for me .
We looked at the DeLonghi in a local showroom yesterday, and were impressed with the quality for the size (36", with 5 burners, including a wok burner, and two convection ovens). I will not have to update the gas meter, though I will have to run a gas line about 8 straight feet. (Trip volunteered to do this for me, but I think I'd like him to live long enough to go to high school  ) It does not require a heavy-duty hood.
Overall, this looks like a great plan. Now, all I have left to do in the kitchen is move the sink (back to where it was in the original plan, so the pipes and drain are already there), sheet-rock the whole room, move a door to where the window is, seal the old door with a wall, move a radiator (just flip it 180 degrees), patch the floor and paint it...then we can hook up the stove and add cabinets! I cannot wait to cook with gas again (old stove was electric and a bit dangerous).
Hey, if anyone is an expert on kitchen design and wants to see my new kitchen on the drawing board, download the IKEA Kitchen designer, and I'll email you the plan...gotta love the internet. 
Thanks again for all your help, ladies!
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
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momtomany
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 2:24pm | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
Viv, Stef and Mary Ann...
The funny thing was, it was listed in the capital of Nunavut, with no shipping details. The capital, from what I could tell on a map, is on Baffin Island.
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MacBeth, it sounds like a good stove! I had to laugh at the Nunavut auction. My 7th grade ds has been using Mapping the World By Heart and did a lot of research on Nunavut. Very hard to believe a stove like that was there, and I couldn't imagine what kind of shipping costs you would have!
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Mary Ann in PA
wife to MIchael, mom to Elizabeth, Becca, Tim, Peter, Andrew, Sarah, Matthew, John, Leah and Joseph
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stefoodie
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| Posted: March 06 2006 at 11:58am | IP Logged
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oh my gosh. i had to look up at our map to find nunavut. i never noticed it LOL!
macbeth, you know what frustrates me is that so many older kitchens had commercial ranges -- in the 70's and 80's the kitchen design books have real kitchens equipped with these -- and these are not high-end kitchens! was insurance not an issue back then? were codes less stricter? it looks like these people were able to successfully bring them into their homes and cook on them safely.
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stef
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mrsgranola
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| Posted: March 20 2006 at 9:57pm | IP Logged
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Well, if anyone here IS a kitchen design expert.. I need you!!!! Why should I go with gas? Convince me again... the dual--fuel slide-in downdraft I need for my floorplan is scaring me off... it's so expensive!!!! I could change the plan and get something that's NOT downdraft but that would be a pain...
the confused ,
JoAnna
http://parenteadventures.blogspot.com
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kristina
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| Posted: March 20 2006 at 10:52pm | IP Logged
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momtomany wrote:
MacBeth wrote:
Viv, Stef and Mary Ann...
The funny thing was, it was listed in the capital of Nunavut, with no shipping details. The capital, from what I could tell on a map, is on Baffin Island.
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MacBeth, it sounds like a good stove! I had to laugh at the Nunavut auction. My 7th grade ds has been using Mapping the World By Heart and did a lot of research on Nunavut. Very hard to believe a stove like that was there, and I couldn't imagine what kind of shipping costs you would have! |
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I had never even heard of Nunavut until I played the Leapfrog Explorer Globe with our children. It took me my entire turn to find it the first time. 
Happy cooking on your new stove, Macbeth!
Blessings,
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stefoodie
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| Posted: March 21 2006 at 10:49am | IP Logged
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hi joanna, i'm not a kitchen design expert but here's why i like gas: instant response!
cons of course: stoves are harder to clean than electric, according to some people -- though i've found that to be a non-issue here, i.e., any stove will get ickily dirty if not cleaned at least on a weekly basis, esp. with the type of cooking i do
- some folks fault gas stoves for the increasing cases of allergy, asthma and other respiratory ailments these days. i fault the new building codes that don't require homes to be vented to the outside. i was shocked to find that the home we bought wasn't vented as i originally thought. the builder who came to estimate the job said everyone's going with the microwave vent/fan system now -- which doesn't work for me. it will cost a pretty penny to have that venting put in.
i'd get induction but i'm afraid of the learning curve, and they're pretty expensive too -- although de dietrich owners say it's worth every penny.
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stef
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Karen T
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| Posted: March 26 2006 at 11:11pm | IP Logged
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I've had to live with elec stoves most of my married life, as we never stayed in one place long enough to warrant switching over. Last year our old elec wall oven bit the dust (22 yrs old - orig to the house!) and we decided to go ahead and switch. I'd always loved gas, used it in a couple of houses and at my grandmother's. We went with a dual-fuel Fridgidaire - the stove is gas with 4 different sized burners, and the oven is elec. convection (which can be turned off if you don't want convection all the time), plus a warming drawer in the bottom. I absolutely love it and as for cleaning, it's way easier than my old elec. with the nasty drip pans no matter how often you clean them. This has grates that go on top of the burners and are easlily lifted off and rinsed or scrubbed in the sink. The rest is ceramic top and wipes up easily.
I love gas b/c it heats up fast, heats evenly (vs. old elec burners that have hot and cold spots in them) and cools down fast. If something is about to boil over, I turn it down and it instantly stops. On my old stove, I'd have to remove the pot and wait at least 5 min before risking putting it on the burner again. Also, I could never have anything simmer after boiling; everything stayed too hot.
I've already told dh that when we move (in the next year or two) just to plan on some extra money in our househunting for converting my next kitchen to gas if it isn't already (btw, that part was very cheap since we did already have gas into the house for heat, it just required one line to be extended, a few hundred dollars) AND to get the same stove again!
Karen T
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 04 2006 at 6:53pm | IP Logged
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Karen T wrote:
| I've already told dh that when we move (in the next year or two) just to plan on some extra money in our househunting for converting my next kitchen to gas if it isn't already (btw, that part was very cheap since we did already have gas into the house for heat, it just required one line to be extended, a few hundred dollars) AND to get the same stove again! |
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Karen,
You gave me hope with this message. We have gas running to our house, but electric stovetop. I thought it would be rather costly, so I didn't even look into switching. I'll have to look into it, because I miss my gas range so much. And I find some of the gas stovetops were less expensive than the electric.
How did you find out this info? Called the gas company? The people who sell the appliance?
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Karen T
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| Posted: April 05 2006 at 10:06am | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
Karen,
You gave me hope with this message. We have gas running to our house, but electric stovetop. I thought it would be rather costly, so I didn't even look into switching. I'll have to look into it, because I miss my gas range so much. And I find some of the gas stovetops were less expensive than the electric.
How did you find out this info? Called the gas company? The people who sell the appliance? |
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I don't know if this makes a difference or not but we have gas heat, gas hot water heater and a gas line that ran under our kitchen to our laundry room for a gas dryer (we have elec dryer so don't use that). All they had to do is switch out the gas pipe for the dryer to a larger diameter and put a "T" on it to go up to the stove. I think it was $200-300? Believe or not, the appliance store said to ask our plumber since we also had to have some plumbing capped off at the time of our cabinet replacements. The plumber we had, though, said he did very little gas line stuff and preferred not to. We ended up using a guy that contracted with the appliance store to do hook-ups. Two funny (in hindsight) things that happened during all this: Our original cabinets had the typical over the stove venthood and a box in the cabinet surrounding the ventpipe. It had never been a great vent, not much suction or help with the heat, etc. With the new stove we bought a new microwave with included vent. When we tore out the old cabinets (ourselves -what a job!) we found just an empty box with NO ventpipe and no hole in the ceilng at all! So we had to have that same contractor put a new vent through the ceiling and attic. Then, the second thing, which is not so funny, is that when they put the brand-new stove in, hooked it up and turned it on, it went BANG and started smoking! He had to quickly pull it back out and outside and returned it and got a new one for us, which has been fine. Glad someone else was doing the hookup!
Anyway, I'd ask the appliance store (this was a mom-and-pop store, not Home Depot or anything). I think we called the gas co first but they didn't have anyone to recommend. If the appliance store can't help, call a few plumbers (I never would have thought of them!)
Karen
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Stoves/Ranges (again)
