Commercial-style residential stoves: how hot is too hot?
My mother purchased a high end "pro-style" stove for our family vacation home. Ever since we've had it, the front of the thing (including the knobs and all around the top of the oven door) gets really hot, too hot to touch. At first we thought something was faulty with the door. After months and months, the company has:
1. Given us new knobs, which also get crazy hot.
2. Sent a new door, because they changed the design a bit due to customer feedback.
And it still gets hot, as high as 150° (repairman took measurements for us) in places. The company says this is within standard range and this is "commercial nature" of stove. But I've never had a residential stove get anywhere close to this hot.
We're trying to return it but they're giving us a hard time because it's within "standards". I have a 17 month old son, seems way too hot to me! I mean after it's been on for an hour, I can't even touch the knobs.
I am wondering: does anyone have any experience like this? Does your pro-style (like Wolf or Viking) range get this hot? Have you ever seen any standards for this -- I can't seem to find anything online. TIA.
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17 Comments:
I would suggest contacting the Consumer Product Safety Commission for information or to make a report.
http://www.cpsc.gov/
dhorst at 3:44PM on 12/18/08
let us know which one you bought so we don't make the same mistake! Please and Thanks
nightmoon at 4:52PM on 12/18/08
I have used a 6 burner gas Fisher & Pykel stove at someones house, I baked things for a while and it seemed fine, at one point I cranked up the oven to 450 and it only got a little warm on the outside, not that hot. I would contact the manufacturer not only the place of purchase, be careful with the toddler!
joanpieroni2 at 5:42PM on 12/18/08
Oh we've contacted the manufacturer and the place of purchase. It's the manufacturer who's being very unhelpful. And thanks @dhorst, will do!
Meg Hourihan at 6:17PM on 12/18/08
Glad to help. Be safe!
dhorst at 6:21PM on 12/18/08
I used to turn the knobs with tongs on the restaurant stove during service because the knobs got ungodly hot. I know it's not a great permanent solution, but it helps in the meantime.
beth1 at 7:20PM on 12/18/08
I own a KitchenAid Pro-Style 6-burner gas range and I'm a personal chef and use commercial-style ranges in client's homes all the time.
I've honestly never even heard of the outside and/or knobs getting THAT hot, much less had any issues with anything like this. One exception...one POS builder-grade stove in one client's home...but it doesn't get too hot to touch! I'm thinking that this is just all wrong! Does the manufacturer insinuate that this is a normal thing with their stoves???
Chef Jo at 9:22PM on 12/18/08
Yes, in fact they've said two things: 1. That the external temp reading is totally within "standards" and 2. That it's the "commercial" nature of the product.
I think both of these comments are b.s. First, they don't even say what standards they mean. Second, the point of buying a residential commercial-style range is for the safety features and insulation that aren't found in true commercial products. So why pay a premium to burn yourself?
I've worked in professional kitchens where the stove knobs didn't get this hot. So this whole thing's seemed pretty outrageous to me.
Also someone asked the make. It's a 30" Liquid Propane 4 burner Capital. I've looked a lot online and people seem to really like their Capitals, no one's complained of this issue. All I can think is we have a lemon or something, but for them to claim there's no problem and that external temps of 150+° are acceptable in a residentail environment is crazy.
Meg Hourihan at 10:23PM on 12/18/08
yes, i have the same problem. i have a viking 4 burner with a grill in the middle. the stove is so poorly designed. though i love the burners, the convection oven (because it has a fan in the back of the oven) actually cuts down the size of sheet pan i can put in -- which means that unless i use the very, very bottom shelf, or the very, very top shelf -- my oven door will not close all of the way if i put a full size sheet pan in there. that really sucks .... because i am a COOK!
and the stove gets extremely hot, the dials get very hot and not only that, the temperature numbers and settings have washed off of the dials. lucky that i'm an easy going person - because i should have returned the damm thing in the very beginning. it was a 50th b.d. present from my other half.... so.... i would never by that brand stove again.
it does get extremely hot, so hot in fact that if i have company over, most people start undressing because it's so HOT -- it heats my house so much so, that i don't need any other heat going.
though i love having a commercial stove, i have to say i'm really disappointed in this VIKING. so good luck, you eventually learn to live with it.... but everytime i need to do 2 sheet pans of roasted vegetables or the like -- it's a bummer.
pooch at 10:33PM on 12/18/08
Hey, welcome to the brave new world of globalization. We not only are importing junk manufactured with shoddy standards, we're importing the status quo's of those countries, where the consumer has no rights, or protections..
I agree that you should contact the consumer product safety commision. That stove sounds like a fire hazard.
Mares at 12:36AM on 12/19/08
If they measured it at 150 degrees, I'll bet it actually gets hotter. I'd find some independent person to test the temp and verify it for you. Not sure exactly who that might be, but maybe a building inspector or someone from the fire department. Someone official would be good, particularly if you can get them to give you a written report on the temp. And make sure that the oven's been on long enough to get to those high temps.
The downside to this approach is that the fire inspector or building inspector might say that the stove is unsafe in a residential environment, but the company still might not do anything for you.
dbcurrie at 1:13AM on 12/19/08
Do you have a hood that vents to the outside? I have one and it is 36 inches and pulls the heat off the range area and gets it out of the kitchen.
I suggest if you do not have a vented hood you get one. I would never have a commercial grade range without one.
My Wolf (36" 6 burners natural gas) does not get that hot on the knobs however while the oven is going the sides of the range pick up some heat.
Our friends have a Viking and their knobs do not get hot.
I did a lot of research before I picked my range. I actually went to a demo and cooked on both the Viking and Wolf before I made my choice.
I cannot fit full sheets either but I can fit half sheets which works fine with what I do.
How heavy is the Capital?
My Wolf weighs over 450 pounds and is good solid steel. A commercial grade range is going to throw a lot of heat.
JerzeeTomato at 1:26AM on 12/19/08
'Hey, welcome to the brave new world of globalization. We not only are importing junk manufactured with shoddy standards, we're importing the status quo's of those countries, where the consumer has no rights, or protections..' (Mares)
That's not entirely applicable in this case, since Capital is US brand. Besides, the EU has its standards to, which in some cases are more stringent than American ones. The problem here is that a truly commercial-grade stove is not likely to be designed to take into account the presence of small children or pets, neither of which would be likely to be found in a commercial kitchen
Our own stove is a standard household model, and gets blazing hot, but that is mostly because it is a cheap crap unit, which came with the flat, and which we'll be replacing.
A number of companies make stoves with 'cool-touch' doors and other surfaces; it really sounds as though one of those would be a better idea for your household. It sounds to me as though the manufacturer is stalling until your stove is no longer under warrantee. If I were you, I'd simply contact, them say that it is not satisfactory, and return it. They probably won't pay for shipping, since it probably does comply with the guidelines for a commercial grade stove, but it will be worth it for you peace of mind.
mongoose at 4:29AM on 12/19/08
@dbcurrie We've done exactly that, twice. Capital has received the report and says the temps are fine. And we do have a Ventahood over the stove. But it's the heat vented around the door that's causing the problem. Re: globalization: Capital is a US brand and my understanding is the stoves are made in the US, could be wrong about that though. And we're very much in contact with them about returning the stove.
Does anyone know where the guidelines/standards are for residential and commercial grade stoves? That's really what I'd like to see.
Meg Hourihan at 9:06AM on 12/19/08
The very best place to learn this is from an independent service person. Whenever I have questions about my range I call an independent service repair person locally who does not work the the distributor. In the beginning when it was installed we were dealing with the installation person who worked for the regional distributor. I realized that he was a bit biased. He showed up with the range in the LP gas model, which is not what I ordered and then proceeded to tell me I did not know that I had natural gas which was total bullshit. So I sought out a independent service person who communicated with the distributor and got us the right model for natural gas and that is who I call every year for my check up. He never makes choices in favor of the manufacturer or distributor.
If you are dealing with a distributor or your dealer find someone else who is not beholden to them. I found that was the best way to deal with it.
JerzeeTomato at 9:32AM on 12/19/08
When you communicate with them, do it in writing and make them sign for it. Include a CC: in your correspondence for the Consumer Safety Commission, an attorney, Better Business Bureau, your state's Attorney General, the Attorney General of the United States and any other bureau, commission, elected official you can think of. You want them to know you are very serious, in addition to being very pissed.
PerkyMac at 8:06PM on 12/19/08
I purchased a capital range with the promise of super low simmer burners, european convection that bakes evenly, and a fast boil center burner, plus lots of cookspace for a 5 burner 30 inch range. I was disappointed on all counts.
I don't have the door temp problem, but the top vent gets really hot, which since it is in an island with a counter behind it has been something the kids have to learn about.
I frequently burn baked goods which are still undercooked in the middle if I convect, and can't use a all the burners except wiht my super small pans. The "140 degree simmer" burners are actually really hot and will burn any sauce without added protection( even with a cast iron trivet-which is woefully inefficiet use of energy-it sometimes scalds things.) It takes the same ammount of time or LONGER to boil a pot of water for pasta ( and the salesperson guaranteed me 5 minute miracle boiling!) than my old electric range which I hated.
I still think this is better than the electric, but not worth the extra $$$2500!!!! I would expect better. I won't even go into the small recurring problems it has had, all of which Capital, to their credit, has taken care of.
ancientanne at 12:14PM on 01/03/09