In the market for a new gas range, your help is requested

[stricklybojack]

.

Well, I am starting the process of finding a new 30" gas range.
Straight out of the gate i run into one of these Cosmo's for $1,600.

Then i spotted the Viking at another dealer for $3,000. I think it's a demo or trade in at that price.

*edit- Oops those ranges are 36" whereas we need a standard 30".

Please post your thoughts, experiences and opinions here concerning, Cosmo, Viking or any ranges you favor, they will be appreciated.

About Cosmo

Cosmo is a leading provider of affordable luxury kitchen appliances in the USA. We are a specialist in complete stainless steel kitchen appliance collections with superior components incorporating the latest technologies. Utilizing our own special understanding of your cooking needs, our products are designed to provide every kitchen with performance, style, and value.[this post was last edited: 1/4/2016-16:31]

http://www.cosmokitchenproducts.com/

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Go with a tried and true name.

KitchenAid. My relatives just got all new KA appliances in their kitchen and love them. I was very impressed with the performance and build quality. Plus, being as KA are made by WP parts and service should never be a problem.
WK78

 

[rp2813]

Is the top surface stainless steel on the Cosmo?  I'd steer clear of it if it is.  I do like the positioning of the mega-burner in the center, and the rotisserie option in the oven.  I presume the racks glide on ball bearings.

 

We got our Electrolux Icon dual fuel range back in 2008.  It was a floor model clearance priced at $1,500 instead of (supposedly) $5,600 full retail.  The top surface is glass, which means you can use a razor blade to remove any spills or overflows that get stuck to it.  Overall, I'm happy with it.  I use the convection option frequently.  I've never been a fan of gas ovens.  I also like that I can slide pots and pans all over the surface instead of having to lift and place squarely onto another burner, and I've been spoiled by the oven racks that glide so easily.

 

One thing to consider is that these "chef's" style ranges don't offer the bells and whistles found on less industrial-looking models.  Our Icon has no minute timer or automatic option for the oven.  As Nate remarked on a visit some years ago, "I can't believe your stove cost more than my car and it doesn't even have a timer."

 

Here's a picture of the closest thing I can find to our model:

 

 

[stricklybojack]

.
After spending some time clicking around and getting a feel for what's out there, all I can say is, holy crap are stoves expensive! You can easily spend well over a grand on ugly junk. "Cheap" knockoffs of the high end stuff can be had for 2k and up. The high end stuff starts at 4K...goes and way up from there.

Bosch, Samsung , GE Cafe, and maybe a KitchenAid is the standard fare that has cought my eye so far, those run from $1,500 to $2000 and up.
Capital, Bluestar, and maybe Five Point are the professional style ranges that interest me. Those check in at 3-4K for the entry level, on clearance. Perhaps better to find one lightly used.
NXR, Krucht, and Thor Kitchen are the knockoffs that hold some promise and split the difference at 2-3k.

Being we need a 30" unit, vintage gas stuff seems limited, especially in top condition, it looks like we will be buying one of recent vintage.
On top of everything else we,will have to hire a plumber to install a gas line so that affects our budget.

Like the looks of that Icon btw..
[this post was last edited: 1/5/2016-19:51]

 

[rp2813]

If you have them in your area --

The warehouse genre of appliance retailers around here (Airport Appliance & Pacific Sales to name a couple) carry many brands and seem to always have some odds and ends clearance priced.  Some of these dealers have special locations containing only such items and are only open on specified days (Western Appliance).  That's how we found our Icon so cheap, and also how we got our KA Architect SxS fridge still with protective wrapping on its bins, etc. for less than 50% of retail.  Both came with full manufacturer warranties as with any brand new appliance.

 

 

 

[combo52]

Best 30" Gas Ranges

First of all if you have to hire a plumber to install a gas line I would assume that you already have a 240 volt line in your kitchen, so if that is the case and you want to have a gas range go buy anything you think looks good that you can afford, because you are not likely a serious cook.

 

Yes there are many great cooks that cook on gas ranges [ and electric ranges like Julia Child ] but the bottom line is electric ranges slightly or greatly out perform gas ranges in all respects.

 

And having been in this business for over 40 years and having seen many people make the switch from electric to gas I have never seen anyone become a better cook.

 

Yes some were happy with the switch, but most could not believe what a mess a gas cook-top becomes and how difficult it is to clean.

 

They also complain about the excessive heat and odor from gas cooking, and a signifant % just gave up cooking at home after the switch.

 

People who do best with gas ranges are folks that either do not cook much or have full time cleaning help [ or just have too much time on their hands or no other life, LOL ]

 

Bottom line is you can get a great cooking Electric or gas range for less than $1500.00, if you need more range than this buy two ranges and install them side X side.

 

John L.

 

[stricklybojack]

.
John, don't take this personally, but you are simply wrong. I very much appreciated your expert input on the SQ we bought, but having cooked on gas for many decades now it turns out my wife and I know what we like; and it has nothing to do with how serious we are.
Does one need to explain the preference for cooking with gas.. really? Not what's "better", but what one prefers. Pans laying on electrical elements feels wrong to me, end of story.

That said I am still glad to hear your opinion, and any others that may post on this thread.

My father put electric in this house because he thought it was safer. He never cooked anything other than toast in his life. Thus, I started cooking on an electric stove, but after moving on many of the abodes I have hung my hat had gas ranges. My wife is from England and currently does most of the cooking for us, she hates electric. Our apartment in NYC has a sweet little Wel-bilt range.

My mother grew up as the house cleaner and her sister was the cook while both their parents worked during the depression. Her sister later had a very successful restaurant in Palo Alto/silicon valley where every tech name you have every heard of -now over the age of 60- ate at one time or another. She liked gas too, and went to great length -telling contractors and architects to buzz off with their bs mostly- to put a vintage gas range in her newly renovated home...that was in the mid 70's btw. She has passed away, but my mother lives on and soon we will be doing the cooking for her.

Some things just don't reduce to logical, statistically measurable out comes and a person's cooking fuel preference is in my opinion one of those things.[this post was last edited: 1/5/2016-21:16]

 

[washman]

Yeah

that's why ALL professional kitchens use electric cooktops. NOT!

LOL LOL LOL

Funny, my 72 year old father cooks with a GE made in Mexico gas range and has not had one single culinary class but cooks his tail off when his back allows him to stand. Nor has he complained about heat or clean up. Unless his coffee pot boils over which is rare.

I grew up with a gas range beginning in 1977 with a BOL Magic Chef in a mobile home. Cooked with a Brown gas range in a $360/month apartment in college. Parents got a double wide in 1993 with a MOL Magic chef range. Nary a complaint from anyone and we cooked our collective asses off in there. Thousands of meals were cooked on those basic gas ranges.

One advantage to gas that cannot be denied and I don't care if someone installed 100,000 units in 10 lifetimes is this.........it is vastly superior to any electric unit when it comes to temperature control. You want off? Turn off the gas and heat ceases. Try that with any electric unit. Be prepared to move pot or fry pan off if you want to stop cooking.

If gas is so bad, why do professional kitchens use them? Even Gordon Ramsay has one in his very expensive digs in Chelsea, London. Perhaps he knows something we don't?

 

[luxflairguy]

I want to echo John's words. I've had both over the years, everything from vintage to Garland and Dacor. When we moved here to Sumas I had the choice between an electric range and a gas range as there is both utilities behind the stove. New construction. My late partner Lynn, thought we should go electric so if we moved we could take it with us. So I bought a TOL GE smoothtop. Loved the top, hated the SLOW heating oven. So for Christmas 2014 he bought me a TOL Frigidaire gas range. Love/hate at once. 2 big burner in right front and left rear. The left rear was so close to the backsplash you couldn't center a large pot on it. Most of these stoves have a small 5K burner and it's almost useless. While I loved the oven, I got tired of the heat and the constant on and off of the burner. Now that I'm alone, I found that the gas top limiting and really got tired of turning the hood up high each time I wanted to use the oven.
So before Thanksgiving, a friend and I went to my storage and bought back the smoothtop. As even Consumer Reports says, the smoothtop is FASTER than a gas burner and I can attest to that. I also, now cooking for one have many more options on the cooktop for smaller pans without having to dial back the heat. I have a "Powerboil" burner than is way faster than gas and my biggest burner has 3 different size rings-6",9" and 12". I use the 12 more than I thought with my stockpot. I've learned to turn the oven on earlier than before and love the huge size. I cooked for a charity Christmas Eve dinner and was able to do 8 turkey breasts at a time the oven is so big. Not to mention
SELF cleaning! And clean-up? Cleaning the sump area of the gas range was a pain. The grates were always greasy and didn't fit in the dishwasher. The area around the burners got messier and messier. And the oven didn't self clean as well.
So don't look down on a smoothtop. I don't think I'll ever look back!
So there's my 2 cents. G

 

[rp2813]

Let's Review

The title of this thread is, "In the market for a new gas range, your help is requested." Italics mine.

 

What part of "gas" do people not understand?

 

I grew up with electric and learned how to deal with its major shortcoming:  slow response times in both directions.  Still, when the choice was mine to make, I went with gas.  I'll find any excuse to use my pressure cookers, and trying to find the sweet spot on an electric burner's setting is nearly impossible.  Constant fiddling and turning the heat control up or down a notch.  Back & forth, back & forth, babysitting the damned PC the entire time.  No thanks.  I set the gas flame where it needs to be and I'm free to tend to other kitchen tasks.

 

Besides the infinite control of the flame, another reason for going with gas was because back when Dave was still cooking, he was hard on things and an electric stove simply wouldn't have held up.  I had to get my mom's '49 Westinghouse out of here fast after we moved in or he'd have destroyed it.  Good gas cooktops have heavy duty grates that are practically indestructible.  So there's that.  I still have my many years of experience with electric influencing my cooking technique so am not in the habit of sliding pans around on the burner or slamming them down, but if I were to do either, the grate wouldn't even flinch whereas doing the same on an electric coil could put it out of commission. 

 

As I stated above, I want nothing to do with a gas oven.  Electric is far better IMO for baking and broiling.  That's the beauty of a dual fuel range.  There has to be a demand or they wouldn't make them, and every one I've seen has gas cooktop and electric oven -- never the other way around.

 

 

 

 

 

[askolover]

I grew up with electric, we switched to gas in '92 and have never looked back.  My sister switched when they built their two new houses, but when they moved again the house already had electric.  As soon as she could she had it switched out for gas too.  But induction, that's another story.  Love it but not as the only cooking surface.  When we build our new house I'll probably have both...gas range and induction hob or cooktop.  I don't like electric ovens.   

 

I'd love to have a Wolf, always wanted one, but not feasible currently to spend $4000+ on a stove (but the house will be paid off next year)!  So, I have a Frigidaire 5 burner self-cleaner that has the big porcelain coated cast iron grates that I can throw in the dishwasher.  Very happy with it.  Mother has a Frigidaire 4 burner self-cleaner and she's happy with it too.  Neither of us use the clean cycle though...I'd rather use Easy-Off!  Not sure what sister has.

 

I've never heard of Cosmo.  Are they American or Chinese (or other) made?  Can't find that information online, may just have to email and ask. 

 

[gusherb]

It's not a 36" but I love our GE double oven gas range that we got in September. It's not perfect but it's a well thought out and designed appliance. The ovens work beautifully, heat fairly quickly and maintain temperature very tightly. I need to get a thermometer though and see what's going on. When I use Convection Bake mode it appears to over compensate a little and cause me to bake cookies for about 3 minutes longer than called for.

The cooktop is great except I wish the 12,000 BTU burner were in the front instead of the right rear, I feel that's stupid to put a large burner in the back. But overall once I got the hang of controlling a gas flame again I realized just how LITTLE control I had with our old Maytag electric range. With the electric, frying things in butter always resulted in the butter burning at some point no matter how proactive I tried to be with the heat. On the gas I was able to fry Latkes without adjusting the flame for 30 minutes straight and nothing ever got too hot or too cold.

One of the nice design touches I appreciate was the oven light bulb covers being simply a twist off, the bulb in the bottom oven had a surprisingly short life (it was a GE 40 watt bulb made in Germany) so I got to see how easy it was to change it. (All the oven lights I've seen before required removing a screw)

http://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-specs/JGB860DEJWW

 

[ea56]

Whether Gas or Electric

is better for cooking is a matter of personal preference. I grew up and learned to cook primarily on electric so I'm very comfortable with electric. I have used gas from time to time because that was what I had. I don't mind using older gas stoves, they have better control of the burners in my opinion.
But the newer gas stoves not so much. Our last home was new when we moved into it in 1987 and it had a new GE gas stove. I hated that stove! If I had the flame adusted down low on a burner to maintain a simmer I found that the flame would often blow out. Also, there was a lot of gas film that would cover the surfaces in the kitchen. When we moved to our present home in 1994 it had an electric stove and I was so happy to be back using what I preferred. If someone likes to cook with gas better good for them, same goes for electric. If you are an intuitive cook, pay attention to what you are doing and are flexible I believe that you can cook well using either gas of electric. You just need to be adaptable. So I say buy the stove that suits the way YOU like to cook.
Eddie

 

[tolivac]

Gas-electric-I can use EITHER-one or the other suits me fine.Remember folks-its not magic-either one is a HEAT source for cooking.don't think the food cares as to wich fuel its heated with.Moms house-electric-Dads Propane gas,Apartments-gas-houses I have bought and lived in-electric.Commercial places--gas becuase of cost.Electric would be too expensive for them.-and traditional things.When I go to a place to eat-listen to their gas meter as you walk by it!

 

[foraloysius]

Oh my oh my, we sure have a way of stirring up discussions here. Cooking on gas vs cooking on electric is almost as you start a discussion about frontloaders vs toploaders...

Reviewed.com has a few things to say about gas ranges.They wrote reviews on gas ranges. Perhaps this is of some help.

http://ovens.reviewed.com/search/pr...ating=true&display_type=Range&has_review=true

 

[earthling177]

Ralph: I think what made people give up on suggesting gas was that Robert mentioned the budget had to fit a plumber to install a gas line.

Robert: here's the thing, I grew up with gas, and have used both gas and electric, so it's not that I don't know what I'm talking about. So, to be as gentle as possible, make sure you and your wife don't like induction as soon as possible, before spending money on a new gas line and gas range just so you'll end up regretting the decision. Amazon has a $50-60 MaxBurton induction hotplate that is a very nice demo/intro of what an induction range can do, except that most induction ranges will have much higher power burners (although most of them will lack the thermostat).

If you don't like induction, sure go ahead and get a gas range. But my parents got a new home built a few years ago and got a gas range. Every time I visited I found their range takes forever to heat up, and here's the kicker, it takes what feels like forever to change temperatures (up or down -- those "heavy duty" grates sure store some heat in them). When the water finally boils for pasta, you add the pasta and then have to wait a long time for it to come back to a boil -- also, when you fry stuff, there's a lot of water in the frying pan that takes forever to evaporate, which doesn't happen on my stovetop. A year ago, my parents finally noticed I have an induction range (they thought it was just a radiant smoothtop, and I'm not the pushy "hey look at my stove" kind of guy). They noticed because dinner got on the table real fast compared to their stove, and cleanup was a breeze. This year they visited again and made a point of using my range (which they never did before). Now they want to install an electrical line to get an induction stove. Which I had mentioned to them when the house was still in planning stage.

Anyway, good luck with your new range!
-- Paulo.

 

[askolover]

my fears

for a complete induction range would be reliability...I just don't know enough yet.  Besides that, back in '94 when we had an ice storm and knocked the power out for days we could still cook...that's what made my sister change to gas.  But, I second what Paulo said above...check out induction...it really is awesome.  I use my portable cooktop most of the time unless I'm cooking several things at once, then I'll use the range top burners.  It REALLY does boil water super quick.  My pressure cooker loves the control it provides.

 

[countryguy]

I have a portable induction cook top also and love it. I use it 99% of the time now rather than the electric cooktop. Adjusting the heat is fast and easy. Turn down the temperature and it reacts instantly. Bringing a pot of water to boil is much faster than on the electric stove. I've never cooked on gas so I can't make the comparison but induction compared to a regular electric is amazing! My next full sized stove will definitely be induction.

Gary

 

[rp2813]

I have maybe two pans that would work on an induction burner.  Going with induction requires a commitment to a certain type of cookware, which for a lot of people would mean starting from scratch.  I bought a single induction unit several years ago when I thought Dave might be able to cook again, but I've never used it.  I'd like to try it for pasta, but I don't have a big pot that's compatible with induction.

 

I understand that plumbing costs need to be factored in if the gas stub isn't already there.  In my case, my dad had ripped out the one that was behind the stove area, but it was easy for me to run a couple of feet of pipe and restore it since it came up through the floor from the basement.  I did the whole job standing up.

 

The only time I have an issue with things not heating up or cooling down quickly is when I'm using the heavy custom iron simmering plate/diffuser for a pot of soup or stew, etc.  That piece will retain heat for a while after the flame has been shut off.

 

As for slow response after adding pasta to boiling water, that's all about the BTUs.  Both front burners on our stove are 16K BTU, and I have found that when a recipe calls for "medium-high" heat, it translates to "medium" on one of those front burners.  When we had a dual fuel Jenn-Air at our other house, those burners were only 8K and 10K, and were often not up to the task.