Stove/Range died - Recommendations?

[XexoX]

Thank you Mr. (Ms.?) Delmar. Most helpful things to consider. The burners on your GE, what is the BTU on them?

The other thing I have to consider, is much better ventalation. I hate what I have now, a microwave/ventaltion in one things, does vent to outside, but really doesn't seem to do much.

For venting, are you stuck with recirc or can you vent to outside?

If you can vent, I have nothing but positive things to say about the Windster I bought when I remodeled 7 years ago. It is built very well (thick stainless is always nice to see...and good, consistent welds), company is very responsive, design is well thought out. Grease traps are readily accessible and a snap to clean.

Yes, I can vent to outside. I'll check into Windster. Thanks.

[Wjhunt]

I was reading your post on the wok suggestion topic. Electric ranges use 240 volts. The Bluestar requires a normal 120 volt outlet. Just another little thing to deal with.
I’m wishing you the best of luck. It looks like you will be dealing with several trades. The plumber and electrician are certainly needed (you will need power to the hood vent). You will probably need a carpenter to install the hood vent and if your going through the roof you will need a roofer. Then, there’s the building department for permits and inspections. The project is totally doable but there’s more to it than people realize. If you don’t have some experience with construction, then it’s smart to hire a contractor to coordinate between the trades. Again, best of luck.

[XexoX]

I was reading your post on the wok suggestion topic. Electric ranges use 240 volts. The Bluestar requires a normal 120 volt outlet. Just another little thing to deal with.
I’m wishing you the best of luck. It looks like you will be dealing with several trades. The plumber, possibly electrician, carpenter, and a roofer. Not to mention the building department for permits and inspections. It’s totally doable, just expensive.

Thanks M. Hunt. The vent is to the side of the building, and already there, so a new vent system will have to use that one. No roofing! There is already a 120 volt outlet behind the stove. When I bought the current stove, I believed the sales person when they said I needed 240 as well as 120, so both were installed. The outlet might need to be lowered is all, and I am capible of doing that. While not an electriction, I have rewired a house, and yes, it passed inspection. I'll check on what permits are needed to bring the gas line up to the stove. I'll have to do this even if I don't get a more expensive stove, as I'm pretty sure I'm going to gas.

A friend suggested looking at a used stove. Not sure where to check on that.

I keep getting very good input here. Thank you everyone for your advice and help.

[Wjhunt]

I was revising my post while you were submitting yours so just ignore it. I’m glad you have experience with construction, that changes everything in a good way.

[PaulME]

You may have a reuse center near you. I stumbled on one that is in Boston, you can’t count on finding anything specific but if your patient you can score deals. I have seen the one in Boston have a $20k range (can’t remember the brand of these), occasional wolf stuff and other high end bits. The range hood I have is a wolf I got from them for less than 1/4 price of new - range hoods are mostly sheet metal with virtually no electronics, mounted a remote blower outside which they also had.
There are plenty of bad reviews ou there but have had no real issues on the capital in about 5 years. One thing on gas ovens is that topically they have almost zero electronics, there is a thermostat, a valve, and an igniter, if it has convection there is a blower, it’s the electronics that can be difficult to repair or cause issues, I also have a Wolf electric wall oven we got used, that can be flaky, take a loooong time to bump from one temp to another and not want to change modes. I can hint it’s there L series which the wolf showroom had stated are better than the newer ones, need to have someone take a look at it - in all probability it’s the electronics and that is a whole rotating panel that probably costs $1k or more

Do your investigation and buy what you want, I really like open burners now and would definitely find one f the view that have them if I were to replace again.
Have fun

Oh one other nice thing in having a gas range including oven is in extended power failures the gas range hooks to a 120 outlet that we can have on the generator so full function. Of course this is the first year I finally got a generator and have not used it on the transfer switch yet.

[XexoX]

You may have a reuse center near you. I stumbled on one that is in Boston, you can’t count on finding anything specific but if your patient you can score deals. I have seen the one in Boston have a $20k range (can’t remember the brand of these), occasional wolf stuff and other high end bits. The range hood I have is a wolf I got from them for less than 1/4 price of new - range hoods are mostly sheet metal with virtually no electronics, mounted a remote blower outside which they also had.
There are plenty of bad reviews ou there but have had no real issues on the capital in about 5 years. One thing on gas ovens is that topically they have almost zero electronics, there is a thermostat, a valve, and an igniter, if it has convection there is a blower, it’s the electronics that can be difficult to repair or cause issues, I also have a Wolf electric wall oven we got used, that can be flaky, take a loooong time to bump from one temp to another and not want to change modes. I can hint it’s there L series which the wolf showroom had stated are better than the newer ones, need to have someone take a look at it - in all probability it’s the electronics and that is a whole rotating panel that probably costs $1k or more

Do your investigation and buy what you want, I really like open burners now and would definitely find one f the view that have them if I were to replace again.
Have fun

Oh one other nice thing in having a gas range including oven is in extended power failures the gas range hooks to a 120 outlet that we can have on the generator so full function. Of course this is the first year I finally got a generator and have not used it on the transfer switch yet.

Thank you Mr. ME. I found a Bluestar on Craig's list for 1/4 the new price, but it has sealed burners and I really want open ones. I'm going to keep looking, see if I can find a deal, but I'm resigned to a new one. Several things I have to get done first before installing a stove, so I've got a few weeks of winging it, and to look. The only place in town that sells Bluestar is a bit nose in the air type place.

Your Capital, I read it isn't home cabinet depth, that it sticks out about 4 - 5 inches. In my small kitchen, and where it is located, that just won't work, thus the Bluestar.

Being able to hook up to a generator is an importan plus for me. Recently not having power for 6 days really brought that home. Plus, I bought the generator, so I'm ready for next time.

Again, thanks. I really do appreciate all the advice.

[Chappychap]

Returning after a long period of focusing on the house move . Closing in about 3 hours hopefully and then we'll have the keys! I'll still be a little quiet the next couple weeks whilst we move coast to coast, but looking forward to getting more active on here again soon.

In the meantime hoping I can get some advice from the people on this thread. After the final walkthrough I'm already plotting replacing the old electric stove with gas, but the main consideration appears to be venting. The house has gas BUT as the current stove placement is on an inside wall I can't see an easy way to vent to outside without a ton of work to either remodel stove placement to where a bunch of cabinets and a central air heater vent is currently, or to go through the ceiling/floor with all the demo and ducting that'll require. Seems like my gas dream is going to get expensive if I try to move the stove placement and go exterior vented. How essential would folks here consider external venting vs recirculating? Not too worried about noise, more thinking about not creating a level of indoor pollution that is health-impacting. Opinions on if I'm mad to consider recirculating hood or if I should just bite the bullet? Bonus kudos for anyone who has an opinion on rough $ range I should budget for a project (with venting) like this in Boston...

Also welcome any feedback on if I'm just obsessing over gas unnecessarily - alternative is induction plus a portable gas flame for wok'ing...

[Wjhunt]

The best thing to do is talk to an inspector at the building department. You may need to know the recommendation for the appliance that your planning to get. Also, what is the distance to the closest window? I would have thought that you definitely need to vent anything using gas (even a water heater) . After a little bit of reading, I am not sure. Venting through the roof is pretty common practice for a hood vent. I would definitely recommend calling the building department. The plumber that does the gas line should be able to answer that question when you get an estimate.

[JASinIL2006]

I don't think external venting vs. recirculating has any bearing on whether you get a gas stove or not. You can use gas stoves in non-ventilated settings without any danger or problems -- we have in every house we've owned.

The use of an externally vented range (vs. recirc) is entirely a comfort level thing; the recirculating type, quite frankly, are pretty lousy at filtering anything and I don't think they really serve much of a purpose, except to maybe redirect a bit of the heat that rises from the stove. Other than that, I don't think they do much. (Unless you're buying some kind of ventless, laminar flow chemistry-lab style unit, which would cost more than installing a vented unit.)

[jbart65]

Blue star and Capital are the best choices if you really want open burners. I have a Capital. Nine years and I’ve only had replace two igniters. Did myself for $50 apiece. No circuit boards to burn up. Easy to clean, too. Íve used Blue Star and it’s just as good. No self cleans are cheaper.

You can get a really good mainstream range for a lot less, though. Just not for me.

For a hood, I got a good one for less than $1,000. Don’t have to spend a ton.

[XexoX]

Blue star and Capital are the best choices if you really want open burners. I have a Capital. Nine years and I’ve only had replace two igniters. Did myself for $50 apiece. No circuit boards to burn up. Easy to clean, too. Íve used Blue Star and it’s just as good. No self cleans are cheaper.

You can get a really good mainstream range for a lot less, though. Just not for me.

For a hood, I got a good one for less than $1,000. Don’t have to spend a ton.

I've looked at both and decided on Blue Star. The Capital is deeper than my cabinets and that just won't work where it goes. I liked the Capital a bit better, but the deepth issue is a no go. Now to get the gas line up to the stove, and to find a vendor. The one in town is a no deal. The love sales and then blow you off for anything else.

[jbart65]

Can’t go wrong with either. Love my Capital, but sometimes I wish I got Blue Star. I’ll never need another range, but if I did, I’d get the BS RNB. Capital burners go higher, but the RNB simmers better and the oven is better mainly because it can hold a pro cookie sheet. If you don’t bake cookies though ... (-:

[XexoX]

Can’t go wrong with either. Love my Capital, but sometimes I wish I got Blue Star. I’ll never need another range, but if I did, I’d get the BS RNB. Capital burners go higher, but the RNB simmers better and the oven is better mainly because it can hold a pro cookie sheet. If you don’t bake cookies though ... (-:

Thanks, I don't remember which one I plan to get, so I'll check it out. And I do bake cookies. I've promised some to Mark and Sue, but my stove died before I got to it. I just don't post pictures cause I take really lousy ones. Can't hold the phone steady. I have no clue how people here manage such great photos.

[XexoX]

Well, my Blue Star sits in my kitchen (it arrived yesterday). I have a few things to do before installing it. I need to move the electrical outlet down, not more than 6 inches from the floor. Currently it is about 1.5 feet up from the floor. Also just found out that I need a "heat shield" or whatever on the wall behind it at least 6 inches above and below the back height of the stove. Oh goodie!

And let me tell you, pulling off all the contact "tape" which covers all of the stainless steel is a pain. Especially the parts where they put screws through it. Pull tape off, take out screw, pull tape off from behind head of screw, put screw back in. Some times this requires removing other parts to access the screw. Fun! I won't even bring up how fun it is to pull the tape off the grids that were punched into some of the steel. Joy!

And that sucker is heavy! I can't move it around by myself.

And finally, lets not forget that the stove has to be hooked up to the gas line by a professional, or else the limited warranty is invalid. Like the professionals that put in the extension for the stove? "Don't worry, that gas you are smelling is what escaped from the pipe when we opened it up to connect the extension to. It will dissipate quickly. There are no leaks, we checked." Six hours of smelling gas with accompanying headache, I check for leaks. Yeah, there is a leak alright. Pull the other one, it's got bells on it.

So, I'm hoping by the end of next week I'll be able to use the stove.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Don’t blow yourself up. I’m looking forward to seeing it.

[XexoX]

Don’t blow yourself up. I’m looking forward to seeing it.

Thanks! I'm not. Just needed to vent a lil' bit. One place left to peel off the contact "tape". I've removed the old 220 electric outlet (it sat too high against the wall). I've got the protective panel on order and should be ready early next week. Just need to move the 110 outlet for the convection fan. And see if I can find a "qualified" gas person to hook the hose up for me. Just taking it in baby steps!

Trying to not buy anything, but that donation knife looks great and a great cause as well.

[PaulME]

Congrats. Had a recent issue with my capital that indicates their service capacity sucks. Ignored small oven not working for months (somthing you can do when you have a total of 3 ovens . Decided to get it fixed. Place I bought it from Eutostoves is no longer there, call capital about service providers. The dealers they gave me info on don’t service and no longer carry the line - boggles the mind.
Anyway as gas stoves are really quite simple did the investigation myself - igniter was not coming on. Pulled the part dead, spend a few hrs finding the correct cross reference for the part and buy it online for $30 (vs I believe a list price from capital of $250). Note that all the manufactures do this just some worse than others. None of them make the components themselves. In this case it’s a coorstek part distribution from Robert Shaw. A bit of time finds you the exact part. Figure I should do this on the stove top igniters and controls just to have a spare on hand

[XexoX]

I was considering Capitol, but they aren't counter depth, and that was a deal breaker for me. From what I've read, Blue Star sucks on service too. But like you said, the parts are pretty standard, so I should be able to do any repairs myself. Just have to research how to hook it up to the gas line now.

[salemj]

Good luck with it all. I got to this thread late, so I didn't comment, but I will say I've been extremely pleased with my new stove. I went for pragmatics and bought a dual fuel GE Profile. The power burner is about 21,000 btw, with every other one a step down in increments. Simple, easy, no worries, no fuss, and cost me about $1600 CAD in the end. But my next range will be induction. Returning to gas after years of living with whatever the rental had, I love it but also miss all of the luxuries of induction (including the better cooking performance). But I do love the tactile feeling of gas, no doubt....

My guess is that your stove will prove magnitudes better. But the real challenge is what you are facing now: the set up! Mine was part of a major reno that also involved putting in new gas lines. I cooked on a broken 30+ year old off-brand electric stove prior to the arrival of my new one, while the rest of the kitchen was stripped down to the drywall or studs. I know you are going to absolutely love the new one after such a long haul getting it all sorted. Enjoy!

[XexoX]

Good luck with it all. I got to this thread late, so I didn't comment, but I will say I've been extremely pleased with my new stove. I went for pragmatics and bought a dual fuel GE Profile. The power burner is about 21,000 btw, with every other one a step down in increments. Simple, easy, no worries, no fuss, and cost me about $1600 CAD in the end. But my next range will be induction. Returning to gas after years of living with whatever the rental had, I love it but also miss all of the luxuries of induction (including the better cooking performance). But I do love the tactile feeling of gas, no doubt....

My guess is that your stove will prove magnitudes better. But the real challenge is what you are facing now: the set up! Mine was part of a major reno that also involved putting in new gas lines. I cooked on a broken 30+ year old off-brand electric stove prior to the arrival of my new one, while the rest of the kitchen was stripped down to the drywall or studs. I know you are going to absolutely love the new one after such a long haul getting it all sorted. Enjoy!

Thanks Mr. Joe! It is going slowing. I can't find tools I know I have. Hopefully I'm on the downward slope of getting it set up. The electrical outlet should be in by days end. Hanging of the SS sheet behind the stove after that. Then it is ready for hookup. Can't wait. Thought it'd be up and running this week, but next week for sure!