Feature Article for March/April 2008
Professional Cooking
With all the different brands of “professional” cooking equipment on the market
today, how does one make a choice? Our store sells Viking, Thermador, DCS, Wolf,
General Electric Monogram, LaCornue, Jennair Professional, Dacor, etc. Every
week another rep comes into the store with another line of “professional
equipment” so even we have to make a choice as to what to present to our
customers. Here are some common features.
All brands look like “restaurant” equipment. Most offer high BTU burners, around
17,500. There are combinations of burner configurations which include burners,
barbecues, and griddles. The combination will vary depending on the width of the
product. Ranges 48 inches wide or wider will have two ovens. All of the ranges
and cooktops are “Residential” rated and can be used in a residence with no
problems installing them. There are backsplash options which can be purchased
separately to go against a wall or in an island. There are also cooktops that
offer these same features. The newest rage is high performance drop in cooktops
with 20,000 btu burners, simmer control, and half the price offered by Miele, GE
Monogram, DCS, Viking and others. Now on to the differences.
Self Cleaning: This feature is not on all of the range models, however,
it is offered by some as an upgrade. Some brands have as many as three different
sets of models depending on the features they have. The ranges which do not have
self cleaning ovens can be considered easy to clean manually since the side
panels and oven bottom are removable, but not on all brands so look for this if
you are buying one which does not offer self cleaning. Most of the self cleaning
models have electric ovens with gas tops, Viking has all gas self cleaning
ranges but not in all sizes yet.
Convection Ovens: Most manufacturers offer convection ovens as an
upgrade. This feature allows one to bake on multiple racks as well as speed up
roasting time. Expect a $500.00 and up charge for this feature. Most of our
customers will choose this feature. Some models have electric convection and
others offer gas convection. They should have equal performance.
Infrared Broiler: This feature is located inside the oven. Instead of
having a tube with gas flames coming out of two sides, infrared is a ceramic
block or wire grid with tiny holes in it which the flame gently protrudes. They
are generally larger than the tube type of broiler and gives the oven greater
broiling capacity. The flame hugs the broiler and reduces flare-ups. The effect
on meats is similar to what one would expect from a restaurant like Ruth Chris.
This is not new technology but more manufacturers are using it. Some brands
offer this feature as a standard feature others make you pay more for the
upgrade.
Cooktop Cleanability: This feature is what most customers are choosing
the range brand. The two types of burners are “Sealed” or “Open”. The sealed
burners do not let a spill get under the cooktop surface which means that
cleaning is done on the top. Since the rangetop cannot be disassembled the
cleaning is not done in the sink but over the range. Open burners mean that one
has to take the cooktop apart to get inside and clean. Depending on the brand
this can be messy and inconvenient. Others have slide out trays under the
burners which make cleaning a snap. Both the pull out tray and sealed burner
models are easy to clean. There is a great debate in the industry as well as
with our customers as to which is better.
Simmer: Most of the Pro Range manufacturers have addressed the poor
simmer quality over the years and have greatly improved upon it. Ask your
salesperson about the “Low” setting if you plan to simmer. Gas has never been as
good as electric to simmer on but most brands do offer simmer now. This is
usually not an upgrade but you may pay more for the product overall for the best
simmer burner. I was just invited to test four ranges side by side to judge the
best overall simmer and Viking clearly won, their flame was more uniform and
consistent for the professional simmer quality, I will not mention the other
brands because I do sell them and people do not complain about their performance
but concentrated low BTU in the center of the pan and Cycling the burner on and
off do not give the simmer quality Viking has. A diffuser is probably needed for
all other burners to get to Vikings level of performance.
I have to say that 98% of all our customers who buy these products from us are
satisfied with them after they get them home. They all should last well over 30
years with normal wear and tear. We have live demos and have cooked on most of
them and performance is very similar with similar features. We have many in our
showroom to look and to see and feel the difference. Remember, these products
must pass muster with us first before we will offer them to you. The prices
range from $2999.00 to well over $10,000. We let you decide which best fits your
lifestyle and cooking needs.
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