Freestanding Cooktop/Oven

[pauls51]

Not sure if this is ok to have in here???

The SWMBO and I are in the process of building our home and we are approaching the next step of deciding on the appliances for our Kitchen. We both love to cook and will spend alot of time in our kitchen.

We have decided to go the 900mm freestanding route, that is the Cooktop/Oven combination.

We have looked at a few and thus far our favourites are:

Ascot 90
http://www.prestigeappliances.com.au/stoves/ascot90.shtml

Ilve T90
http://www.ilve.it/


Have any of the aspiring B&B home chefs had any experiences with any of the above??
Are there any others that we should take a look at.?? This weekend we'll be looking at some Gaggenau's too.

 

[ouch]

As long as you're spending.........

http://www.la-cornue.net/

 

[Phog Allen]

Wow Paul. Those are beautiful ovens. I am unfamiliar with them but on first flush, they look to be extremely well made. In the States, our big names in commercial quality ranges are Vulcan and Blodgett. They are superb but do carry a BIG price tag. That is expected. They are full on commercial quality appliances seemingly last forever with a modicum of care. One thing we deal with in the States is that most local jurisdictions(cities, counties) that create zoning codes will not allow full commercial appliances to be installed in homes. How would they know you say? Because, most of the Vulcan ovens are designed to take 3/4-1 inch gas inlet lines which are pretty much non existent in residences. You are more likely to have a 3/4 inch incoming main service line that quickly reduces to half inch diameter branch pipes for the appliances and maybe a full 3/4 inch to the central furnace or boiler. They just won't carry the volume needed to properly feed the large ovens. They also have specific venting requirements as well. I know tht Vulcan specifically tags their commercial ranges as "not for installation in residences". So with that in mind, make sure your new home has a sufficiently sized gas service. This should be decided by your LOCAL jurisdiction inspection authority and your plumbing/gas contractor. Not trying to scare you but just make sure you are up to snuff. I am guessing from the gorgeous looks of those ranges you linked to they are indeed aimed at high end residential kitchens so you are probably good with a "normal" residential gas service. Whatever that is in you local area. We have a couple of brands here that are aimed at this market. Wolf and Viking. They both seem to have good reputations. Sorry I couldn't be of more help with the ones you linked to.

Regards, Todd

Edited to add; I went to the first site you linked to and looked at their install manual. It said the gas connection on the stove was 1/2" British Standard Pipe thread and I would wager you that is the "standard" pipe size for gas ranges in Oz. So I would think you are good to go. Still, make sure before you drop the money on the appliance.

 

[pauls51]

As long as you're spending.........

http://www.la-cornue.net/

I wish!!!.. I'd need to sell my cars to put some of their stuff into my Kitchen!..

Wow Paul. Those are beautiful ovens. I am unfamiliar with them but on first flush, they look to be extremely well made. In the States, our big names in commercial quality ranges are Vulcan and Blodgett. They are superb but do carry a BIG price tag. That is expected. They are full on commercial quality appliances seemingly last forever with a modicum of care. One thing we deal with in the States is that most local jurisdictions(cities, counties) that create zoning codes will not allow full commercial appliances to be installed in homes. How would they know you say? Because, most of the Vulcan ovens are designed to take 3/4-1 inch gas inlet lines which are pretty much non existent in residences. You are more likely to have a 3/4 inch incoming main service line that quickly reduces to half inch diameter branch pipes for the appliances and maybe a full 3/4 inch to the central furnace or boiler. They just won't carry the volume needed to properly feed the large ovens. They also have specific venting requirements as well. I know tht Vulcan specifically tags their commercial ranges as "not for installation in residences". So with that in mind, make sure your new home has a sufficiently sized gas service. This should be decided by your LOCAL jurisdiction inspection authority and your plumbing/gas contractor. Not trying to scare you but just make sure you are up to snuff. I am guessing from the gorgeous looks of those ranges you linked to they are indeed aimed at high end residential kitchens so you are probably good with a "normal" residential gas service. Whatever that is in you local area. We have a couple of brands here that are aimed at this market. Wolf and Viking. They both seem to have good reputations. Sorry I couldn't be of more help with the ones you linked to.

Regards, Todd

Edited to add; I went to the first site you linked to and looked at their install manual. It said the gas connection on the stove was 1/2" British Standard Pipe thread and I would wager you that is the "standard" pipe size for gas ranges in Oz. So I would think you are good to go. Still, make sure before you drop the money on the appliance.

Hi Todd, thanks for your info and Yes in Oz the 1/2" is our standard, well it is in Melbourne!. I have managed to get the price down to $4k because they have the showroom model up for grabs, which is still unmarked so i believe i'm onto a winner. Reason for going for a something a little more expensive is the reliability/longevity issue that seems to be expressed on almost all of the reviews we have read both online and in magazines

Am looking at a couple of Viking units this weekend with SWMBO too. I am almost certain that in Oz we stock Vulcan too so we might check them out also.

Considering that we are both passionate about cooking the unit we buy will be working almost full time and we do not plan on "upgrading" for a long time!

 

[Phog Allen]

Paul, I think that is a most wise decision. If I were building a new home I would be doing the same thing you are. We both love to cook and I love to bake as well. Even decent quality residential ranges are going for nearly $1000 these days and if you get anything with better quality cast iron grates, specific btu burner sizes, etc. you are going to crowd 200-2500 dollars very quickly. We have a LOT of the Vulcan ranges where I work at university. They are nearly bulletproof if you take care of them. They are used by both kitchen cooks and at times by students themselves. The latter is in our scholarship residence halls which house about fifty students. Four or five are assigned cooking duties weekly to feed the fifty. So commercial quality and size are surely warranted. We have Vulcan's installed in all of them. They are massive things. About six feet wide with six large burners and a 24" griddle area. They weigh a ton (seemingly!) and most of our are electric which adds to the weight problem. I despise the electric models. They are a bollocks to work on and break more than the gas models which just sit there and do their thing for years on end. The Vulcan commercial models are not as refined as the ones in your links. They are robust, stainless steel monsters designed to take abuse. I noticed at the Vulcan site they own Wolf as one of their brands. That may be an option as well but those Italian models you linked to are beautiful.

Regards, Todd

Here's a link to Vulcan's USA site. Hope this helps. Vulcan