Viking Stoves!

[fan-of-fans]

I was reading about some Viking ranges (not the older Canadian dept store brand but the new super expensive ones) and I was surprised about how many problems people had with them. One review stated that the company said their oven couldn't be fixed after numerous problems and refunded their money.

It's amazing that appliances that cost thousands of dollars don't last a fraction of the time the typical ones do.

Is this an issue with all commercial-style appliances, or just Viking? Then again, that's not so say that there aren't a lot of Vikings out there that never have problems, I suppose problems get more announcement than praise.

 

[gusherb]

I thought I heard Wolfe had problems with it's ignition systems too.

The only one I think I heard of not having any widespread issues is BlueStar.

 

[toploader55]

I can't see buying the domesticated commercial ranges for the home.

 

Go right to South Bend, Vulcan, or Garland Commercial Cooking Equipment.  You will NOT have digital clocks, timers, self cleaners, but you will have a great range that you can virtually beat the crap out of everyday, 7 days a week all year long.

 

I would rather have a Vintage Gas or Electric Range, but for those that must have the Industrial Look to Boil Water for Tea, Impress their friends, Cook 6 meals a year, or impress their Caterer, go for it.  I just never understood these High End Kitchens and no one uses them. (Yeah, I know it's for the resale value of the home and the "I Have" factor) and their Subzero fridge is full of Take Out containers and the Dishwasher only has washed Cocktail Glasses in the top rack.

(And might I add... in these new machines that sprinkle water for 2 hours, You can Wash Tall Stemware in the Lower Rack. That spray couldn't flip over a Plastic Container in the lower rack.  My One Armed Wonder KitchenAids will wash Ridel Stemware in the Lower Rack spaced properly without breaking them)

 

[miele_ge]

do you use a crystal/china cycle to wash the Ridel

In the KitchenAid?

 

I am a huge fan of Ridel and wash our vinum series glasses on a daily basis in the Miele...  I am sure over time there will be a bit of clouding/scratching but that beats the risk of breaking them while washing by hand.

 

 

 

[tomturbomatic]

John used to define the signs of a Yuppie kitchen as unused Calphalon cookware hanging over an unused commercial gas range. The burners are so large that a flame setting no higher than low to simmer can be used under a regular 2 quart teakettle without the flame engulfing the kettle and incinerating the plastic handle.

 

[toploader55]

Hi Alan.

None of my KitchenAids and I think all of the from the 20 series back never had a Crystal/China Cycle.

 

Only one speed... Hurricane.

 

 

 

[michaelman2]

ugh....I had one of the domesticated Viking ranges....there is a reason I am bald.....I do not know how they can produce a superior product for commercial use and then something so inferior for home/domestic use......I went round and round with Viking about the calibration, holding temps, ceramic interiors etc and finally just switched to another range.....they really are a fantastic commercial range manufacturer. Not so much for the home use.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The 18 Superba machines offered a short wash recommended for china and crystal. It consisted of one prewash to which detergent should not be added, a 3 minute main wash followed by the after rinses and drying. There was no aeration of the water like WP & GE used to reduce the water pressure. I think the goal of the cycle structure was to keep water temperatures lower than in the regular cycles by skipping the first two pre-rinses and to reduce the exposure of the dishes to detergent. Heat destabilizes the gold and platinum trim on china, according to the Lenox China Co. They advise letting the dishes cool until room temperature before handling after machine washing.

 

[firedome]

Lenox...

used to recommend only hand washing for their china with metal bands, so we have always (well, for 44 years anyway!) hand washed our Lenox Solitaire (plain bone white w/Platinum band). Brierly cut lead-crystal stemware we also hand wash strictly out of paranoia, however it may be safe to d/w, just don't know. Stieff many years ago recommended that silver knives be hand washed due to handle glues used, but believe that may have changed with new & improved glues, however we still hand wash, don't know what glue was used, other silver utensils go in the d/w.

 

[firedome]

Vulcan - Hart

makes great commercial ranges, we used to go by the factory in Baltimore on the way to the pool, it's still there I'm told. My understanding is that true commercial ranges are not approved by Insurers for domestic use, so installing them in a home may void coverage in case of a fire. Suppression systems, huge hoods, special wall construction/covering, and placement are all critical for their safe use, details that many homeowners wouldn't pay proper attention to.

 

[combo52]

Viking so-called professional ranges for the home are junk

They are cheaply built rust buckets All those beautiful colors they come in are just painted steel heaven help you if you get a little oven cleaner on it it comes right off. Underneath the cooktop it's just all painted steel again and becomes a big Rusty mess in no time.

 

I had a customer who is quite a good cook and she lived in a home for year that had a Viking range and she'd liked to entertain quite a bit. After living in this home for year she moved to a town house she purchased that had a new GE gas range it, and she couldn't stop talking about how wonderful the GE gas range was compared to the Viking she said you didn't have to constantly watch a thermometer in the oven when baking and you didn't have to constantly turn food to get it to cook evenly. And the greatest part of the GE that she really liked was the cooktop she said the burners were properly sized it was easy to clean she said it was a pain in the neck to clean up the Viking when you're done with a meal.

 

So call professional ranges are really only intended for people that have full-time cleaning help in their homes because there are nightmare to keep clean. And don't even get me started with the other Viking appliances their built-in refrigerator line came from Amana when Raytheon sold it's appliance division to Goodman and Goodman immediately sold it off to Viking. Amana had only produced built-in refrigerators for one year or so and they never got the bugs out of them and amazingly Viking hasn't either, I cannot tell you the number of customers that had several Viking built in refrigerators and they're always sorry they got another. Usually Viking would entice them to get another after the first one was so bad by giving them one at half price, everybody I've talked to was sorry they took the second one because it was just as bad as the first.