There is nothing you cannot cook in a 60 inch oven. There are two full size ovens and up to 8 seperate areas for burners, woks, grills, griddles or french tops. The 60 inch is the marquee piece in the appliance business.
Pro vs. Commercial Ranges
Commercial or restaurant ranges are much less expensive, but are uninsulated and have different venting and sprinkler requirements. A Pro range will be more expensive, but is rated for home use and can be placed adjacent to cabinets unlike a commercial range. Read this post for more information.
Capital
It is said that one of the best kept secrets in the appliance industry is the name Surjit Kalsi. He is the creator of high end cooking appliances. He created the first Viking ranges with Fred Carl as well as founded the Dynamic Cooking System (DCS). In 2001 his son Rich Kalsi started Capitol cooking equipment with some of the other engineers from DCS.
In 2004 after being released from a non-compete agreement when DCS was sold, Surjit joined Capitol. He is known as the founding father of professional ranges and all-stainless steel barbeques. So even though they are a relatively new company, Surjit has a long history in the appliance industry.
Viking
In 1983 Fred Carl started Viking and the challenge of pioneering and developing the very first commercial-type range for the home had officially begun. With the help of people like Surjit Kalsi the first 20 test models of the Viking range were produced. In January 1987 full production of the first commercial-style ranges for the home use was started.
Now Viking Range Corp. is one of the best known high-end appliance manufacturers in the world. That's the Viking version. Or was it a rejected Whirlpool prototype. Either way, Viking was first in this segment and really created the pro range business.
Wolf
For more than 70 years Wolf has been making cooking products for restaurants and hotels. When I was a line cook in the 80's I cooked on a Wolf stove.
In 2000 Sub-Zero bought the Wolf brand and totally revamped the line. They own one of the most impressive factories in the United States in Madison, Wisconsin. Their partnership with Sub-Zero certainly has helped.
Summary
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Capital All Gas - CGSR604GB2 - $12,999.00 Dual Fuel - None |
Viking All Gas - VGCC560-6GQ - $11,919.00 Dual Fuel - VDSC560-6CQ - $15,049.00 |
Wolf All Gas GR606CG - $11,959.00 Dual Fuel - DF606CG - $15,949.00 |
Viking
Viking gives you the flexibility of color with a vast array. If you want that professional build quality with a softer look of color, then Viking is the only maunfacturer. Burners have recently been upgraded to 16,000 with one at 18,000 BTU. Although Viking created the pro range, they are in a period of flux. Middleby of Ohio purchased Viking in February 2013.
Capital
Capital has the hottest burners in the professonal planet at 23,000 BTU output. You can boil and heat the fastest in a Capital. They do have one large oven at 4.6 cubic feet, but a relatively small second oven at 3.1 cubic feet.
Capitol range has the highest amount of choices in the configuration of the burners Such as:
- 8 burners with a griddle or 6 burners with a grill and a griddle
- 8 burners with a grill or 4 burners with a wok and a grill
- 6 burners with a wok (30,000 BTU) or 4 burners with a wok and a griddle
- 6 burners with a double griddle or 4 burners with a grill and a double griddle
- 6 burners with a double grill
They do not have a dual fuel oven (gas on the top with electric convection oven).
Wolf
I like Capital and Viking, but Wolf may be the best overall. Burners are 15,000, but the simmer is an excellent, constant 500 BTU per burner. The ovens at 4.4 cubic feet are larger than Viking at 4.0 and more functional than the Capital arrangement at 4.6 and 3.1 cubic feet. The twin convection system of the dual fuel in each oven spreads heat better than the single for more even baking.
Best part of the dual fuel model is the temperature probe that allows you to set the internal temperature of the food you are cooking. I use this feature all the time for my roast. I set the probe to 150 degrees, and monitor the temperature on the digital display.
When the roast is at 140 degrees it's time for my kids to set the table and start cooking my vegetables. Once the roast reaches that 150 internal degrees, the oven chimes. At that point I remove the roast and let it rest for 10 minutes and it is perfect. This feature helps timing my meals so all the parts of my dish are served hot.
Final Thoughts
What is best depends on your preferences: Capital is the hottest, Viking has colors and Wolf dual fuel for backing and overall oven performance.
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Additional Resources
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