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At a Glance
The professional gas range is still the marquee kitchen appliance, and yes, it will make a statement in your kitchen.
Viking was the early pioneer but has lost interest especially against Wolf, Thermador, Jenn-Air, Miele, and BlueStar. Which should you consider? That all depends.
Do you like to boil quickly, simmer slowly, broil or bake in the oven and what kind of controls do you prefer?
We wrote this article in March but much has changed since then. There are a lot of new products and features you should consider in a professional range.
We will look at the companies, their ranges, and then break down the best range for each feature.
There is not one dominant range or brand, so you are best to choose one based on how you cook.
I will also show you reliability stats based on 34,687 service calls completed by our service department just last year.
You will also learn the differences between dual fuel and gas ovens. Many people think dual fuel is way better, and it often isn't.
Let's start there.
Dual Fuel Vs. Gas Ranges
Dual fuel is a gas top and electric oven versus an all gas product. It is usually $1000-2000 more than a gas range.
The benefit to an electric oven is a dryer more consistent heat. It is better for baking.
On pro ranges, Wolf and Miele will add features on their dual fuel. Wolf adds a clock timer, self-cleaning and twin convection.
Miele adds their MasterChef controls on their larger units only. Miele stopped providing MasterChef controls on their 30-inch ranges.
Miele Range Controls Featuring MasterChef Programs
Gas is a moister heat and is preferable for roasting. However, gas is also exceptional for broiling.
If you love to broil, a gas infrared broiler is a direct intense heat and the best residential broiler.
BlueStar Gas Range Infrared Broiler
Wolf, Thermador, Miele, and BlueStar all have infrared in BlueStar being the hottest at 1,850 degrees.
Choosing gas vs dual fuel would depend on whether you bake versus roast and broil.
Best 30-Inch Professional Ranges
Jenn-Air JGRP430HL - $4,599
Features:
- Flat Tine Racks
- Remote Access
- Dual-Stacked PowerBurners
- JennAir® Culinary Center
- Glide Racks
- Cast Iron Grates
- Dual-Fan True Convection
- Culinary Intelligence
- Connected Temperature Probe
Jenn-Air is brand new with two new ranges in their Noir and Rise Series.
Jenn-Air's ranges still have high output with two 20,000 BTU and one 18,000 BTU burner but have placed more emphasis on the cooking experience.
It is Wi-Fi enabled and compatible with Amazon's Alexa. Jenn-Air added their Cooking Center interface for Wi-Fi.
It allows you to cook more precisely and shows you pictures of the color of the food before you cook.
Jenn-Air also owns Yummly. This cooking app allows you to cook any style.
When it works. The Jenn-Air app is rated as 1.5 stars, but that should improve.
Thermador PRG304WH - $4,849
Features:
- QuickClean Base® designed for easy surface cleaning
- ExtraLow®, the widest simmer temperature control as low as 100°F
- Exclusive, Star® Burner-most even heating, unsurpassed flame coverage
- 2 ExtraLow® burners for simmering, melting, or holding long durations
- Convection Bake offers precise multi-level baking results.
Thermador is known for its star burners with even heat distribution and an extremely low simmer. The Thermador can simmer at an unbelievable 100°.
It turns on and off intermittently to achieve this temperature. Thermador offers a free dishwasher (valued at $1,399) as well as a free hood promotion with other qualifying purchases.
Thermador introduced a new range with betterstyling and Wi-Fi through an app. Their app works reliably, so you can adjust the time and temperature remotely from your phone.
However, they also dropped their BTU output in two of their burners from 18,000 to 15,000 BTU, so it's not as powerful as last years.
Wolf GR304 - $4,850
Features:
- Convection oven for faster, more consistent cooking
- Patented dual-stacked sealed burners for precise control
- Cast-iron burner grates with easy-slide finish
- Infrared broiler for fast preheats, quick sears
- Stainless steel construction
- Rigorously tested to ensure dependability
- Spark ignition system for each burner
Wolf has the dual stacked burners for a really good simmer on each burner. There is also up to $1,000 in rebates with other combined purchases from Sub-Zero.
The stovetop is a bit underpowered with three 15,000 BTU burners, but each burner can simmer down to 500 degrees.
The oven is single convection, but their infrared broiler is powerful at 1,500 degrees. Wolf, along with Thermador and BlueStar, are not self-cleaning ovens.
(Our Pro Cooking Buying Guide explains everything you need to know about Wolf gas ranges).
Miele HR1124 - $5,599
Features:
- 4.6 Cu. Ft. convection oven
- BTU: (3) 19K, 12K
- Self-Cleaning
- Infrared Gas Broiler
Miele has really great output per burner at 19,000 BTU. They also offer the twin convection for even cooking. This range is also the most cleanable and is self-cleaning.
The racks are designed to withstand the heat of the self-cleaning cycle, so you do not have to remove them and wash separately. The grates are also dishwasher safe.
BlueStar Platinum BSP304B - $6,295
Features:
- Restaurant style 25,000 BTU PrimaNova open burners
- All burners, plus Interchangeable Griddle and Charbroiler
- The PowR Oven provides 40% faster preheating and 30% increase in oven efficiency
- Gentle 130(degree) simmer burner
- Integrated wok cooking
- Extra-large oven with True European Convection and 1850(degree) infrared broiler
- Accommodates a full-size commercial 18" x 26" baking sheet
- Available in Natural or LP gas
BlueStar platinum ranges have the highest heat output at 25,000 BTU on their highest burner. Their grates can be modified to fit a round-bottomed wok, great for high-heat cooking.
This range comes with an interchangeable griddle/char broiler for added cooking flexibility.
BlueStar has a POWR convection oven that reduces preheat and cooking time. It is also the only pure convection oven, so it eliminates taste crossover between racks (you should ask for a custom demo).
BlueStar Platinum series ranges are offered in 750+ custom color/trim options for an added cost. BlueStar occasionally offers rebates and incentives but they change regularly.
Which Professional Range Should You Buy?
Below is a table comparing features between these ranges:
|
|
Jenn-Air |
Thermador |
BlueStar |
Wolf |
Miele |
|
Power Burner |
20K BTU |
18K BTU |
25K BTU |
15K BTU |
19K BTU |
|
Simmer Burner |
850 BTU |
100 degrees |
130 degrees |
9K BTU |
12K BTU |
|
Oven Capacity |
4.1 cubic ft. |
4.4 cubic ft. |
18''x26'' baking sheet |
4.4 cubic ft. |
4.63 cubic ft. |
|
Self-Cleaning |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Accessories Included |
Glide rack |
Glide rack, roasting pan |
Interchangeable grill/griddle, glide rack |
Roasting pan |
Glide rack |
|
Broiler |
Gas |
Infrared gas |
Infrared gas |
Infrared gas |
Infrared gas |
|
Open/Sealed Burner |
Sealed |
Sealed |
Open |
Sealed |
Sealed |
|
Promotions |
$1,000 toward another (select) J-A appliance |
$1,299 toward a Thermador dishwasher |
Up to $1,000 for BlueStar appliance package |
Up to $1,000 after mail-in with select Sub-Zero product(s) |
10% mail-in rebate on select Miele packages |
BTU Output
Winner: BlueStar is the most powerful with the 25,000 BTU Nova open burner.
BlueStar Burner
Runner-Up: Jenn-Air is really powerful for a sealed burner range at 20,000 BTU.
Jenn-Air Burner
Convection
All the ranges offer convection (fan-forced heat for more even baking and roasting).
Winner: BlueStar's PowR convection oven is designed to be the fastest and most even. It is the only pure convection. The air is blown in through the rear versus the bottom.
BlueStar Oven
Runner Up: Miele and Jenn-Air have twin convection or two fans for even baking. I like twin convection in 36-inch ovens because there is more of a difference in larger cavities.
Miele Twin Convection Oven
Jenn-Air Twin Convection Oven
Still, many 30-inch wall ovens have twin convection, so it is an advantage.
Self-Cleaning
Jenn-Air and Miele are the only companies offering self-cleaning in an pro all-gas models. Every company features self-cleaning in their dual fuel ranges. (BlueStar is the exception because they don't offer a dual fuel range).
Simmer
You would think high to low would be an easy comparison, but it's not. Thermador is the lowest with temperatures as low as 100 degrees. It is, however, an intermittent or on/off simmer. Wolf has a consistent simmer at a higher temperature of 500 degrees with a smaller burner of 375 degrees.
Promotions
Thermador and Jenn-Air are the most aggressive with their rebate promotions. Both give you a product valued at ($1000-$1399) from buying the range. Both brands offer additional incentives with the purchase of full-size integrated refrigeration.
Wolf offers a $1,000 mail-in rebate.
Miele is offering up to 10% back via mail-in rebate with qualifying kitchen packages during different times of the year.
Reliability
| Service Qty | Shipped Qty | Service Ratio | |
| Samsung Chef Collection | 0 | 1 | 0.00 % |
| Fisher & Paykel | 2 | 10 | 20.00 % |
| Bertazzoni | 3 | 14 | 21.43 % |
| Thermador | 85 | 346 | 24.57 % |
| Jenn-Air | 36 | 138 | 26.09 % |
| Wolf | 75 | 278 | 26.98 % |
| Miele | 10 | 20 | 50.00 % |
| La Cornue | 1 | 2 | 50.00 % |
| BlueStar | 20 | 36 | 55.56 % |
| Grand Total | 232 | 845 | 27.46 % |
Thermador, Jenn-Air, and Wolf have similar reliability. Miele and BlueStar are less reliable. The ignition system is the biggest problem for any gas range and may need service more regularly.
It is the second most repaired item after ice makers in refrigerators. It is not a major issue since you will still be able to cook with three burners.
Every pro range is over 20% in service in just the first year. You should consider service before buying any of these brands.
Wi-Fi and Smart Connectivity
Wi-Fi is the future of appliances without question. Jenn-Air is the furthest along with recipes and apps to improve and innovate your cooking.
Thermador would be next. It is not as advanced but more reliable for now.
In the next 3-5 years, you will be telling your range what to cook. It will know what you want, shop for your food and set the dishwasher to the right cycle.
But we are not there yet.
Which Professional Range Is The Best?
BlueStar 30-Inch Professional Range at Yale Appliance
As I said before, this is a tough choice. If you are using the top cooking surface, look at Jenn-Air or BlueStar for power or Wolf and Thermador for a better simmer.
Miele and Jenn-Air will have self-cleaning and twin convection for better temperature control.
Jenn-Air is the most interesting because their online app experience is so advanced (when it works).
So, each range has their attributes depending on what and how you like to cook.
Remember, all gas ranges can have an ignitor issue so always check to see who can service your appliances in your area.
Find the perfect professional range for your home based on your lifestyle by clicking here.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What type of oven is best for home use?
The best oven for home use depends on our lifestyle and how you cook. For broiling or roasting, gas provides a moister heat and is better for baking meat.
2. What is the best appliance brand to buy?
Sub-Zero and Wolf are the best names for resale, but Thermador, Miele, and Jenn-Air should also be considered.
Additional Resources
Download the Yale Pro Range Buying Guide with features, specs and inside buying tips to all the major brands. Over 580,000 people have read a Yale Guide.
Related Articles:
- Pro Range Configurator - Find The Perfect Professional Range
- Best 36-Inch Professional Ranges
- Best 48-Inch Professional Ranges
- Most Reliable Professional Gas Ranges
WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?
A few review sites have placed this at the bottom of their articles. So here is our take: Our mission is to find reliable products for you to buy. Other review sites may say this as well.
However, we don’t love every product. Quite frankly, it costs us way too much money in repair costs to support less reliable brands.
In fact, we sell fewer brands than most appliance stores. Here is why:
We feel it is our responsibility to repair your appliances after you buy them.
We now have 30 service technicians, each averaging 8-10 calls a day Monday through Friday, plus another 110 on Saturday. That's over 30,000 service calls logged in one year.
The labor rates of fixing an appliance do not come close to the true cost in any product’s warranty period.
That is why no major retailer has a service department. It costs too much labor, money and time.
Our Blog is a bit different than most others you will read. We cannot write glowing reviews of unreliable products.
Hopefully, the bloggers and organizations who write such glowing product reviews for every brand consider servicing these products first. Only then they will understand the consequences of their marketing.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
