I got the appliance gene from my mother.
Nothing makes either one of us happier than a high end stove.
She loves stoves so much it took her a couple of months, 5 different stores, 3 sleepless nights and an astrology appointment to finally pick out a new one.
Me? I've known for years what new stove I'd pick.
A Blue Star.
But a 30" Blue Star range is $4,899.
So I figured I'd get the closest thing to a Blue Star. Maybe an actual used professional range from a restaurant supply store. Or an NXR. Or a bunsen burner.
Then one night, as I lay on the couch in a drunken potato chip stupor I was browsing the Costco website and my whole world changed.
They carried the Blue Star range. For $2,399.
That's $2,500 LESS than buying it from Blue Star.
It was such a great deal it immediately made me suspicious. So I did some digging around the great vast Internet and came up with a couple of reasons why the Costco version of the Blue Star was so much cheaper.
The burners are 15,000 BTUs each, as opposed to the standard version, which has 22,000 BTU burners. BTUs are "British Thermal Units" by the way. A standardized way of measuring heat output. The higher the BTUS the more heat from that burner, the faster you can boil a pot of water. Or scorch a pan.
To me, 22,000 BTUS is best left in a restaurant. I can't imagine any situation where I'd need more than 15,000 BTUs. Nothing legal anyway.
I have no idea what my current 16 year old stove is, but I can guarantee it isn't 15,000 BTUs per burner so I don't care. It'll be better than what I have and more than I probably need.
The other difference in the Costco version is the slide out oven racks. The fancy version's racks are on ball bearings. The Costco version doesn't have that. For a savings of $2,500 I'm pretty sure I can muddle through without the ball bearings.
And finally, the interior of the oven. The fancy version has a double glazed stipple commercial grade enamelled oven interior. Sounds good! Almost makes me want to spend another $2,500 on the oven. Wait. No it doesn't.
So the Costco version wins! By a long shot I might add.
I don't have the stove yet, but these are shots of it from the Costco website.
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I bet you're wondering why I was so hopped up on the Blue Star. It's the burner.
Most gas burners are a single circle that runs around the outside of your pot. The Blue Star burner is in the shape of a star. A blue star as a matter of fact. This ensures the middle of your pot is heated just as much as the outside of your pot. So when you're simmering sauces in a pan the whole pan will simmer ... not just the outside.
I actually spotted this stove over a year ago. WAY before I had any inclination of redoing my kitchen. It's entirely possible the thought of this stove being out in the world, available for purchase ... may have subconsciously prompted me to redo my kitchen.
I wonder if Costco would take issue with me billing them for my kitchen renovation. Since technically they're responsible for it. Luckily for them my to-do list is quite long and by the time I get around to billing them the statute of limitations on that sort of thing may have run out.
So if you're in need of a good highish end stove ... I've done the research, and this Blue Star from Costco is a good buy for a really good range.
In Canada and need a Costco membership? I've struck a deal with Costco and they'll send you $10 back when you join up. Just use the code ILOVECOSTCO1 for a regular membership, or ILOVECOSTCO2 for the executive membership. The Costco button on the righthand side of my sidebar will stay there for the next month or so if you want to partake in the offer. Once the button is gone, so is the offer.
Although I can't imagine there are still people out there who aren't Costco members. You people clearly don't know the joy of knowing you'll never run out of batteries.
I honestly don't buy a ton from Costco, but it's worth it just for the few things I do buy there. Starbucks French Roast coffee, most of my meat, books and cleaning supplies. Those are my staples.
And pillow case sized bags of potato chips.
More kitchen updates soon.
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Hi Karen,
I was wondering if you could give your readers a mini-update on its performance and reliability and some of the small problems/issues you've encountered over the last year and a half. (Nothing works flawlessly but ideally its not impossible to replace/fix things.)
Hi Larry! I haven't done an update but I can tell you a few things have gone wrong with the stove, all of them I fixed myself and the company sent the parts for free. The spark module on one of the burners went, and then a few months ago the ignitor on the oven. I emailed the company and they sent me the parts. I easily fixed both problems, but I would say the stove was too new to have had anything go wrong with it. Aside from those things though I still love the stove and how how performs and I especially love the open burners. ~ karen!
This is a really helpful post. Thank you so much!
Hi Karen,
It is another year later from our last reply, I am asking this question. Hope you'd have the time and patience to reply me. I am considering the same range from Costco. I like the idea of open burners and completely sold on to it. What I wonder is oven performance. How does it perform with cookie / cake cooking? Does it cook even? How about its grilling an broiling? Since it is gas oven, I'm concerned about the evenness!
Hi Karen,
Sorry, I know this is an older post on which I'm commenting. However, I do love browsing through your posts when I have the time! I am so glad you posted this information on a gas range. We also re-did our kitchen this past December. We replaced all of our appliances EXCEPT the oven. I knew we wanted to switch to a gas range but it is soooo confusing and overwhelming when you start looking. We do indeed have a Costco membership and are going to go with your recommendation of a Blue Star-thank-you! They no longer have the exact range you bought on the Costco website. They have two 30 inch options, one is with a sealed burner, the other is with an open burner. Which one did you get? I haven't even looked up what exactly an open versus sealed burner is yet but I'm interested in your opinion anyway:)
BTW-I also read your post today. I hope Cuddles is feeling better-for good this time!
Hi Shawna! I got the open burner which is what Blue Star is famous for. It's much easier to clean, has a pan underneath for cleaning up any spills and I love it. I do warn you though that the Blue Star gets really hot for some reason when it's on. The door, the door handle, the knobs ... ~ karen!
Purchased Blue Star Precious Metals 36'' range at a cost of $7,500 in April. Oven doors are crooked and do not line up. As a result there is uneven heating so I can't use my oven. The installer notified Blue Star (as well as my husband has numerous times) that the doors are defective. Also the handle is loose under the burners and can't be fixed since it's stripped. Installer also informed Blue Star. We have also been in constant contact with the appliance store we purchased this piece of crap. They get the same run around from Blue Star. THIS IS A NEW RANGE, NEVER BEEN USED. ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD. We wanted a replacement to this piece of crap but was told too bad. We did not purchase a floor model, no refurbished model. We were told the oven doors will be sent to us and then another Blue Star qualified installer will come out and install the doors and handle. That's been over a month and no replacement doors have been sent. ANd no replacement handle. We're told these are custom made and no one can tell us how long that will be. Customer service says they don't know where it is in production and can't find out. WHAT???? My husband had customer service forward him to someone that can make decisions only to get a voice mail with no return call. If anyone knows a name and number to Blue Star Corporate Executives I would surely appreciate it. I can't say if this is a good or bad range but I know that customer service is awful. I'm stunned the company is still around. I DO NOT RECOMMEND BLUE STAR AT ALL!!! We are not wealthy people, this was a large extravigant purchase on my husbands retired military pay (32 years service and 3 wars). I feel like I'm being held hostage with a pretty range that serves no purpose Imagine if this were the holidays with big dinners?
So how is that Blue Star working for you? I am in the process of deciding between that or a 34 inch Garland.
My current VERY expensive gas range has a fried and non replaceable electronic brain so I am trying to infuse long term reliability into my choice.
Comments please.
Hi Dan. The Blue Star is working out great. Part of what I love about it is there are so few things that can actually go wrong with it because it's so basic. The only thing I warn people about is how hot it gets. The door, the handle, the knobs, are all metal and they get HOT when the oven is on. As far as cleaning it, it's really easy and because so much of the spills and drips go down to the pull out tray there's almost never anything on the actual grates to clean. It's like a stove miracle. The infrared broiler is great and the power of the burners (even on the Costco version) is also great. No complaints so far. ~ karen!
Hi again Karen.
Thanks for the update, I think that we have both made good decisions. Luckily I ordered an open burner one yesterday at $2699, a $200 increase over the $2499 that you paid.
Today, I see that it is now $3099, a $400 increase overnight. Ouch, I am glad I bought it when I did. I am looking forward to having it in my kitchen next week.
Have a great weekend,
Regards from down the QEW in Niagara,
Dan
Hi Karen.
Well the Blue Star with open burners is installed and working wonderfully.
After operating the oven for 2 hours at 450 for the burn off, there were no significant hot spots with the exception of the drip pan.
I would look at your oven door closing clearances to see if the door isn't sealing properly. That could be the problem with your hot oven issues.
Dan
Glad to hear it! You'll love the drip pan. As far as the hot oven, I've done a lot of searching on it and everyone who owns one has the same problem. Hot knobs, door, etc. So consider yourself lucky! Either you're lucky or have hands made of 100% callus. ~ karen!
Karen,
The oven handle was barely warm and the knobs were only warm-ish. No one would consider them even very warm, let alone hot.
Maybe I just lucked out but I think that there is an issue if they get too hot. That is very unusual for a domestic stove. I doubt that it would get CSA certification or liability insurance if it got too hot. I am speaking as a semi retired professional industrial designer (IDSA) who understands liability issues very well.
Regards,
Dan
The Blue Star is cool, but my '52 Chambers 6 burner gas stove with griddle, two ovens and a cooking-well still wins in my heart. It also has more chrome on it than a '56 Chevy. I bought it for a song from a friend who was moving then discovered AntiqueAppliances.com, which is just a couple of hours from me, and now I'm just waiting till I have the cash to have it restored. A fully restored beast can cost in the range of six grand, but that's if you don't already have one to take to them. Some day....
Karen,
I've been reading your blog for over a year now.... yet somehow I actually did miss this post. So glad you reposted!
I too have a gene for the high end stove. Both my parents worked in restaurants when they were young. So cooking is a big deal in my family.
Here's the thing, I'm starting a kitchen remodel (of the none diy variety) in about three weeks. So when I did my appliance shopping a few weeks ago I went to the appliance stores and told them about my issue with cooking.... the uneven heat! None of the sales people were of any help. But through the magic of reading internet forums, we found the Bluestar online. We don't have the Costco deal here in the US, but I was able to get the 36" RCS model which sounds the same (for $3k) and I could not be more excited!
If I had a blog, I'd also post, and repost about it! Please give and update on your open burner adventures so I can live vicariously through you until mine is "fired"up. (Yep I'm that corny)
Jess in California
Sounds like you got a great deal! Mine STILL isn't hooked up. It's just sitting sadly in the kitchen. :( ~ karen!
Jess, which site did you find the RCS for 3k? I've been looking for ~ a week and haven't found anything :( I'm in the US as well.
John,
A store near San Francisco had a sale they were advertising on craigslist, so my local appliance place (standards of excellence) matched the price for me. I'm in the Sacramento area.
Karen,
Any updates? We started demo today. And by we I mean the guys in my house while I was at work. Heh.
Jess
I do love me a good professional grade stove! I considered the Blue star as well, but ended up with a Viking and it has the 15,000 BTU too. I love it & you will love yours too. I do not however have that fancy "star" flame thingy though! That is awesome and if I had noticed that I probably would have bought that one! It looks like you choose the 6 burner? Is that correct? If so you will really appreciate that! Can't wait to see it all plugged in! If I know anything about remodeling or building projects I'm thinking you may not be having Christmas dinner at your house? :)
I want, I want! After years in a passionate love affair with my Viking, I am now cooking on some crummy thing that doesn't respond when you turn it up or down. And lately, I've burned things that a five year old wouldn't burn (like popcorn!). But this Blue Star? It kinda puts the poor old Viking to shame. I want, I want!
That is a beautiful stove!!!
We gutted our kitchen entirely this year and started over - mainly because I wanted to convert from my electric glasstop, downdraft cooktop. I had 5-year-old double wall ovens that I decided to keep for the new kitchen but I got a 36" Bluestar rangetop that I absolutely LOVE!!! I have 2 22,000 BTU burners, 2 15,000 BTU burners, and 1 9,000 BTU burner that will melt butter or chocolate and hold it without ever scorching it - no need for a double-boiler to melt chocolate. It is the most awesome rangetop! Of course, you also need high-powered ventilation to go along with it. I love my new kitchen and rangetop - the only thing I might change would be to get the full Bluestar range but still keep the electric wall ovens (both offer convection and I love that, too).
That's my stove! Not the one from Costco because they didn't have it a year ago (at least that's what I'm telling myself). My husband and I looked at all the high end ranges and we both love the look of the blue star so much more than any other range. And you forgot to mention the pull out bunker plates that allow you to set a wok straight on the fire. That was the other selling point for us. Total genius. Awesome for stir fry anything. Except that stir fry is his job and so we've only done it a few times.
Also, I don't think it's any harder to clean than any other stove I've ever had. And it has a pull out plate that sits under the burners to catch stray food bits that fall under the burners.
You're going to love it Karen!
I used to have a huge old red Chambers gas stove, it was so beautiful. The oven exploded into a fireball one day (it was real old) and I sure miss it. My new husband works at Costco, it's a very good company to work for.
Funny ... I always assumed Costco was a good company to work for because they don't seem to have a very high turnover of employees. People stay there for years and years. ~ karen!
Yep. Just google "Costco may be the happiest company on earth." I shop there because they are so good to their employees. There are plenty of places I won't shop.
Sigh. I don't have a Costco near me. At least not near enough to justify the drive. But to save $2500, I might be willing to drive more than an hour. Congrats, Karen. It's a beauty!
Oooohhh...it's preeeeety. You may have now put a bug up my butt as well. Electric stoves got nothin' on gas stoves (GOT NUTTIN), and I wholeheartedly agree with you about the flame situation! And when you mentioned Starbucks French Roast coffee *zoinks!* it definitely made me sit up and take notice! Being kind of a coffee snob, one thing that an electric stove just cannot do (well) is create good moka pot flame with pinpoint accuracy. Moka pot base: 5" wide; smallest stove burner on an electric stove: 8". Same when making coffee in a Turkish ibrik or a Greek briki - the heat goes everywhere BUT under the pot. Worth it to have a good gas stove, IMO, if only for making great coffee! Can't wait to see the stove in its home inside your fabu new kitchen!
"drunken potato chip stupor" - ha!
I actually saw your Blue Star stove in our Costco a year or so back-it's very sexy. I was a little miffed because we had just finished purchasing a whole kitchen's worth of Viking (for a lot more $$). I too, was excited about cooking with gas. I do love it except for two things; One, it is very difficult to get a low simmer, and two, when I am cooking up a storm (more than one burner and oven on) it's like cooking next to a campfire and the hot flashes get kinda out of control. Otherwise, yes I love it.
When I had a gas stove *sigh* I found one of those perforated simmer rings quite useful to get a low simmer.
Example of a simmer ring
It's so beautiful, I almost cried. Seriously.
I have a commercial 6-burner stove/oven in my kitchen and it is a BEAST. I can't even clean it because the parts are so heavy and large. I only ever use one of the burners ... maybe 3 on a big day ... so all the other burners have become so gunked up they don't work. And you'd think the oven compartment would be enormous given the size of the thing, but nope ... wide yes, deep yes, tall NOPE. I can't get my home-grown 40-lb turkeys in there. Having the pilot lights lit all the time heated the whole house, especially in summer, so we switched those off and have to use a scary lighter every time we cook. The ONE thing I like about this thing is the star-pattern burners. Those are amazing, and I've been hunting for a human-scale stove with star burners for years.
The next time I have $2,500 to spare, I'm getting one of these Blue Stars. Maybe I can turn the current beast into a chicken coop or something. Ugh.
LOL. Yeah, this stove does seem like a good compromise. Although I STILL love the look of a 6 burner. My main problem with my old stove is the fact that the control knobs are on the TOP of the stove. So it takes up precious space for pots and pans sitting on burners. The Blue Star has controls on the front like a normal range, so it'll have more room on top for cooking. Yay. ~ karen!
It's amazing what a huge bonus a little thoughtful design can make. Empty flat spaces are very valuable! And who likes gunky knobs?