Walking through the appliance section at Home Depot there are several options to choose from, especially in the stove, oven, cook top department. If you are not familiar with these terms, well, neither was I. But after chatting with several appliance reps my husband and I left very confused as to which options best suited our needed. Here were out top three contenders.
The Contenders
Thermador Range Top with Wall Oven
Gas Cooktop 36 Inch ($3,899) and 30 Inch Smart Double Wall Oven ($5899)
The priciest of the bunch was Thermador's beautiful but costly range top with wall oven combo. The cooktop had luxurious star shaped burners, which each burner playing separate role either some for simmering and one power burner. The wall oven was a smart oven configured for wifi compatible with Amazing Alexa and remote monitoring, along with 13 cooking modes...cause we all need things to working towards. Additionally, consumer reports advised that this was one of the more reliable brands this year, especially compared to other luxury appliances. Overall, it was clear that this brand was a cut above our other selections, in terms of power, design and functionality...but was it worth the splurge?
Samsung Induction Cook Top with Wall Oven
36" Smart Induction Cooktop ($2294 on sale) 30" Microwave Combination Wall Oven with Flex Duo ($3670)
Another top contender was Samsung, which seemed to have smart technology as the forefront for its brand. Being induction-curious we loved the digital analog controls for the cooktop which was sleek in design and would fit our modern kitchen design beautifully. The wall oven microwave combo looked great together with illuminated blue knobs. The Flex Duo technology also allows you to convert one oven into two to cook different foods and different temperatures. While the modern technology and sleek design were big selling points, it lacked the pro-style kitchen look we were aiming for and also lacked in performance in comparison to Thermador, which is fair since Samsung is not a high-end luxury brand. However, Samsung appliances come with great reliability ratings so these were still in the running.
Cafe by GE Dual Fuel Range
Café™ 36" Dual-Fuel Commercial-Style Range ($6500)
Our last option was just a full range with no wall oven. Although different from the other combos, we loved the look of a single luxurious range being more of a center piece in our kitchen. The range has a pro-style look, with a aesthetically customizable options without the pro-style price. In terms of performance, it has a similar range of BTUs ~18,000, similar to Thermador, but did not have a griddle or grill option. This range emphasizes style without compromising utility.
The Winner
After much discussion we went with the Cafe Dual Fuel Range. This range would stand out more than our other options and be more of a focal point in our kitchen. It also comes with Smart technology paralleled with Samsung and also has the popular pro style look that enhances our kitchen design, without the Thermador price. Overall, Cafe by GE was a brand that we did not know much about, but it was love at first sight.