Last year, Jenn-Air won Best of Show at the prestigious Architectural Digest Show in New York. They had a massive party with rappers and Cirque-like performers. "Bound by Nothing" is their slogan.
But the question remains: Is the new product competitive with luxury brands like Wolf, Thermador, and Miele?
Jenn-Air Kitchen at Yale Appliance in Boston
In this article, we will be learning about Whirlpool’s premium brand, Jenn-Air, their newest generation of professional ranges, and the introduction of their two new series named “Rise” and “Noir.”
Jenn-Air has made some huge changes ranging from performance, looks, and a brand new digital platform.
36-Inch Rise with Chrome-Infused Griddle
The Rise collection somewhat resembles the previous generation with the traditional pro-style look with a few changes. They have kept the traditional pro-style handle but have extended it the full width of the range.
The top grates are sturdier, and the knobs are now a beautiful LED-backlit halo surrounded by a brass bezel. The front has a larger black glass window for a modern look.
36-inch Noir with Chrome-Infused Griddle
Jenn-Air Noir Range at Yale Appliance in Boston
The Noir collection is the minimalist suite.
The handle is flat and runs the width of the range, but it has a smooth mirror-like finish on the back side that ties in nicely to the front of the knobs.
The grates are slightly lower profile compared to the Rise with clean horizontal lines across the top. The most noticeable change compared to the older model is the sleek modern look.
It looks a bit like the Miele.
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Size |
30 inches |
36 inches |
48 inches |
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# of Burners |
4 |
6 |
6 plus a grill or griddle option or both |
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Oven Capacity |
4.1 cubic feet |
5.1 cubic feet |
6.3 cubic feet in total. 2.2 left and 4.1 right |
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Temperature Probe |
Yes | Yes |
Yes, in both ovens |
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Grates |
Cast-Iron |
Cast-Iron |
Cast-Iron |
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Oven Racks |
Flat Tine Racks |
Flat Tine Racks |
Flat Tine Racks |
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Self Cleaning |
Yes, in gas and dual fuel models only |
Yes, in gas and dual fuel models only |
Yes, in gas and dual fuel models only |
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Sabbath Mode |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Warranty |
2-years |
2-years |
2-years |
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Price |
$4,599 |
$6,199 |
$9,399 |
These Jenn-Air ranges are identical for features yet aesthetically different.
Power: You now have (3) 20,000 BTU dual-stacked power burners with turning down the option of 1,650 BTUs across the front where the previous generation only gave you (2).
In the rear, you get (2) 18,000 BTU dual-stacked power burners with turn down the option of 1,650 BTUs and (1) 9,000 BTU dual-stacked power burner in the center rear with a turndown option of 1,000 BTU’s
Grill: They now have an infrared grill. Infrared is direct, intense heat. You can cook faster, and it will burn off most of the drippings for easier cleaning
Durability: The cooktop is now black porcelain coated steel, which is more durable, stain resistant, heat resistant, and easier to clean compared to stainless steel.
Jenn-Air Glide Racks at Yale Appliance in Boston
Glide Racks: You now have 3 telescoping glide racks where you only had 1 in the older model. The tines are also flat, which gives your cookware increased contact for better heat transfer.
Technology: Jenn-Air has gone away from the 7-inch touch screen LCD display that is used for temperature control, cooking time, probe settings, etc. and adopted an app-based system. The Jenn Air connect app can control every function.
A few abilities to note are:
Remote Access & Notifications: Real-time notifications allow owners to control appliances from anywhere: connect to Wi-Fi to preheat ovens, check the cooking status and configure oven features for recipes
Culinary Intelligence: You input the food and how you want it cooked. The range calculates time, temperature, and rack position.
Connected Probe: Get alerts on your phone when dinner is done by setting the desired internal temperature of your food. The probe is also available in the smaller ovens if you jump up to the 48” models.
Smart Integration: Can connect to Amazon's Alexa or a Google Assistant enabled device for the ability to use simple voice commands to do everything from adjusting the oven temperature to turning it off.
Custom Clean: Self-cleaning allows you to tailor cleaning levels to the amount of build-up to revive your oven's interior.
Scan To Cook: You can scan the barcode of the food on your phone, and the oven will automatically program the cooking for time and temperature.
Whirlpool owns Yummley. You can connect to 1000s of recipes with their app.
Jenn-Air Kitchen at Yale Appliance in Boston
The burners, oven selection, and temperature can be set manually. The timing functions and advanced cooking settings are all done through your app on your phone.
This is the future of appliances. You probably are already setting your temperature through Nest or monitoring your house/business remotely with cameras.
However, Jenn-Air is the first major manufacturer to a place that controls exclusively through an app without any controls on the range itself.
All Gas
Electric Dual Fuel Ranges
All Gas Ranges
Dual Fuel Ranges
All Gas
Electric
Most Reliable Pro Gas Ranges 2019
| 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 % |
Most Reliable Dual Fuel Pro Ranges 2019
| Service Qty | Shipped Qty | Service Ratio | |
| Jenn-Air | 17 | 57 | 29.82 % |
| Wolf | 70 | 215 | 32.56 % |
| Miele | 11 | 31 | 35.48 % |
| Fisher & Paykel | 3 | 8 | 37.50 % |
| La Cornue | 12 | 24 | 50.00 % |
| Thermador | 54 | 108 | 50.00 % |
| Grand Total | 194 | 573 | 33.86 % |
Jenn-Air at least in the older series was slightly better than average for a professional range.
Thermador, Jenn-Air, and Wolf are the most reliable brands to consider for professional ranges. Twenty-six percent doesn’t seem like a reliable product. However, an ignitor problem (the most common reason we're called about professional ranges) can be fixed by a tech in under an hour.
In some ways, no, you should not.
On the larger units, there is no steam, microwave, or warming drawer functionality.
However, these ranges are beautiful. They have beefed up the output, added an infrared griddle, and the controls are impressive. They also added some neat integrations like scan to cook and Yummly.
You should certainly consider Jenn-Air for a new pro range - if they work.
Additional Resources
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