Although DCS and Wolf are both professional ranges, the difference between the two could not be greater. It's almost like two different products and two very different companies.
Wolf was purchased by Sub-Zero about 10 years ago and is a stable, family-owned company manufacturing in Wisconsin and Arizona. Sub-Zero is best known for ultra premium refrigerators and completely redesigned Wolf to be the luxury leader in stoves. Wolf also tests every product and component before it leaves the factory leading to one of the best service rates in the industry
DCS was purchased by Fisher & Paykel, a conglomerate out of New Zealand, about five years ago. Fisher & Paykel is best known for their double drawer dishwashers and other commercial products.
As I look back at this article(I wrote this awhile ago and am reviewing). This is a comparison of the upper and lower prices of the professional range category. DCS is all gas with basic features whereas Wolf is the more expensive dual fuel
Let's look at the two ranges:
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VS |
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DCS RGU486GDN - $6,969 |
Wolf DF486GC - $12,149 |
First, the prices are obviously much different. DCS will also offer a free double drawer dishwasher with purchase of the range (have to add that to the list of companies offering free dishwashers with Jenn-Air and Thermador).
The central question is: Why the difference in price?
I like this particular DCS model with five burners and the largest griddle available at 24 inches wide. The configuration is a DCS exclusive. I also like the burners at 17,500 BTUs per burner. DCS is one of two companies which publishes its simmer in degrees at 140°. 140° is theoretically the lowest temperature to kill bacteria while cooking.
Wolf, however, is the better range. Although the DCS is actually hotter at 17,500 BTUs versus 15,000 BTUs, the Wolf is a three stage burner with the better simmer at 500 BTUs. Wolf also has an advanced clock and timer unit whereas DCS is completely manual. The real difference is in the oven. Wolf is dual fuel, self-cleaning convection. The larger oven has twin convection for more even cooking. The DCS on the other hand is straight single gas convection in both ovens but is not self-cleaning.
In my opinion, Wolf is the best oven in terms of features and overall product quality, but DCS presents an attractive lower-priced option.
What do you think?
Additional Resources:
- A Professional Comparison between Thermador, Wolf and Viking
- A Professional Range Comparison (30 inch)
- Wolf Vs Viking Round 2
Download the Yale Professional Cooking Buyers Guide for more information about professional ranges.
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