Flip This House #5

Just researched…I can get a nice 36" pro style cooktop with the stainless steel style apron front for about $1,500 and then get a nice regular brand 30" oven with convection micro combination (and self cleaning which is standard) for about $1,750 and it will be cheaper all together than the big 36" pro range

I think wall ovens are more forgiving when it comes to people’s backs. I like my ovens in a wall. :slight_smile:

I have happily had separate wall ovens and cook tops for 33 years.
Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Wall oven + separate cooktop is my preference, too.

Think about the look of LED lights in the chandelier. I can still find incandescent candelabra base bulbs around here, but can you? If you can’t and you have to use LED, the bulbs might have a whitish bottom part that could stand out too much visually in those fixtures.

I have a few antique glass and crystal chandeliers with LED bulbs but you can’t see them because they’re behind glass shades.

I have a 36" KitchenAid range and then a wall oven with a microwave/convection oven. The range is dual fuel and the oven is self cleaning although I have never used the self leaning cycle - heard the same thing about the heat damaging the electronics. I use the wall oven 99% of the time. We had to have a bigger gas meter installed for the high btu burners. The inspector said with three gas furnaces, gas fireplace, and gas water heaters that our service wasn’t high enough pressure for the burners. (this was four years ago, so I may have forgotten some detail…).

I fell in love with the 36" Thermidor gas cooktop with the star shaped burners. It’s consistently top rated and lives in my dreams for my eventual (hopefully soon) kitchen redo.

Here is a chandelier that actually comes with its bulbs! Has a bit of that dungeon look and seems expensive but maybe… You can also get it with cute little shades.

https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod3200099

I was also thinking that if you can’t find regular bulbs in the store you can probably find them online or I could even send you some.

Yes, if someone is reading this for their own stove - my big burners only work with really wide pots. Normal sized ones just get hot on the edges, not all over the bottoms. I think I would rather cook on your Thermador.
Most buyers don’t know to look for star shaped burners.

That’s interesting and it makes sense. I remember when my MIL got a Viking long ago her little tea kettle seemed like it was being swamped by flames that came up the sides! There was no smaller burner for small pots and no good simmer either. It seemed to be “blast” or nothing.

$1800 for a chandelier is out of the price range!!! But I can keep searching for similar style and I think I can get incandescent candelabara bulbs

I’m definitely leaning towards separate cooktop and oven. It would allow me to have deep drawers under cooktop for pots and pans. I think that will be best for functionality. Also, I might have a issue with gas meter and need to limit gas using appliances. This lets me have separate electric oven.

" It would allow me to have deep drawers under cooktop for pots and pans. I think that will be best for functionality."
that’s exactly how I designed my cooktop island.
but what I also did was have 2 relatively deep drawers and a shallow drawer right under the cooktop that holds pot holders, spatulas, spoons and other shallow utensils that I always use in cooking. I DO have hi counters- 36" W/O the granite top, that allowed me to do that.

Is there a Dacor factory outlet store down there? Or even a Dacor showroom? Dacor is manufactured in LA.,
and is the brand I have for cooktop, double ovens and micro. They built the original convection ovens and are cheaper than Thermador/ Wolf and work just as well.
Maybe you can check to see if new models are coming out soon , which means the floor models can be bought at a considerable discount.
I bought a discontinued Subzero fridge, and dacor ovens for $$ less than msp that were on display in a kitchen showroom. They were going to be changing all the floor models in a few months and held onto mine until I needed it.
Saved over $5000 that way!

In a reasonably high end house I expect two ovens: either two wall ovens or (preferably) a range and a wall oven. Personally, I would vote for the Bertazzoni gas/gas range under a good hood and an electric wall oven that would probably be reserved for non-smoky baking. When I broil something, or roast a turkey or something like that, I want it to be under the hood so that the smoke and grease exits the house.

I currently have 4 big drawers under a 36" cooktop for pots and pans–one of which I devote to lids-- and it is endlessly annoying piling and un-piling stuff, not to mention that it all doesn’t fit well and the drawers get stuck when a handle sticks up or whatever. I would give anything for a kitchen that enabled me to hang my pot rack. On top of the four big drawers are two wide shallow drawers for things like measuring cups and spoons, peelers, flat graters, skewers, thermometers, you name it. (I have a lot of stuff. How many people here own a cake leveler? :smiley: )

I would not spend big $$ on a truly authentic-to-the-period chandelier, because there is too much of a chance that buyers of this house won’t like it. Something more transitional would probably do nicely.

I have no problem broiling at high heat with my Dacor.
NO smoke or grease enters my kitchen.
It has its own built in ventilation system that is connected to an out door vent.

The original appliances in my house were Thermador, and the double wall ovens were large. The upper one was self-cleaning and had the kind of vent your Dacor has. The electric cooktop had a central grill/griddle, that I loved. Except for not being gas, it was great.

I would be fine with only wall ovens if it had the built in vent like yours. Unfortunately, very, very few do. Dacor is a great brand. One of my nieces has a Dacor range, which is great.

We had a Thermador pro style in our old house - dual fuel, six burner. 15 years, no issues at all. I’m a pretty demanding cook and absolutely loved it.

House we are in now has a wolf pro style. Hate the gas oven. Burners not nearly as good as the Thermador. I’m just glad we are renting for now so I can put this wolf in my rear view mirror.

Our second wall oven is a steam oven–we use it pretty much for every dinner. We also have large wall oven and 5 burner gas cooktop, all Miele. Hood above cooktop is Thermador. All over 10 years old now, and have been happy with them. Miele dishwasher is so quiet we are not always sure it is running–love layout for silverware placed flat on top rack. Don’t know if it is a familiar enough brand though for your new house; for us the introduction started with our now 20 year old Miele vacuum cleaner that still works great. Our microwave slides in under the kitchen island, out of sight and not taking up any counter top space.

@Maystarmom, what is the advantage of a steam oven, other than perhaps baking bread? Not familiar with than technology.