How Old Is My Wolf Range

The offerings in professional person-style ranges for the home kitchen have multiplied over the years, only two of the standard bearers still reign: Viking and Wolf. Similar in price points, features, and cooking power, they seem more alike than different. How to choose? Information technology might just come down to the looks.

As the start brand to bring commercial-type cooking equipment into the dwelling, Viking has name recognition equally well equally a reputation for reliability and quality. Also known for high operation in the pro-way marketplace, Wolf challenged Viking with a wider array of high-output burners and heavy-duty components. The race continues. Viking has upped its cooking power. And Wolf has introduced a few features where it once fell brusk, such as a self-cleaning oven.

Are yous already a Viking or Wolf devotee? Share your feel in the Comments section below.

Above: Viking was the range of choice in a kitchen by District. "We wanted it to experience like a chef's kitchen, with a impact of the industrial," the designers say. For a full view, see Steal This Wait: An Exotic Tiled Kitchen by LA Pattern Firm Commune. Photography by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

How are Viking and Wolf ranges alike?

Both are American made, offer gas and dual-fuel pro-style ranges in sizes from 30 to 60 inches wide, have self-cleaning ovens, burners with high BTUs, and are bachelor with different burner configurations. Even Consumer Reports offers similar reviews of the two brands, praising their burner auto-reignition features and depression-heat cooktops (a detail where big-powered burners accept failed in the by), while criticizing the placement of the oven in relation to the flooring (too low for both makes). And because their price points are comparable, cost is not a deciding factor.

Higher up: Remodelista's Francesca has a Viking in the galley kitchen of her Brooklyn townhouse (featured in the Remodelista book). She has cooked on both Wolf and Viking ranges, but prefers the latter.

"The Wolf definitely lives up to its name: It's fierce, and powerful; peradventure a trivial too powerful for me," Francesca says. "I have the Viking, which must have a lower BTU, but it's plenty for me. I've owned three Vikings and two are nifty, one has some quirks. I would buy a Viking again for the archetype blueprint and functionality." Photo by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

What are some of the central differences between Viking and Wolf ranges?

Finishes

Above: Sick of stainless? Viking wins in this category. Information technology offers ranges in a choice of colors, including black, white, red (shown here), burgundy, grey, and cobalt. Wolf ranges are available only in a brushed stainless cease.

Knobs

Higher up: Don't underestimate the power of Wolf'southward signature red knobs. Remodelista editor in chief Julie has a six-burner Wolf range in her kitchen on Cape Cod. "This is kind of embarrassing, merely I bought it for the cheery red knobs," she says. That said "it'due south more than than ten years old and I think nosotros've only had to service it in one case."

Wolf ranges are available with red, black, or stainless steel knobs; Viking's latest knobs are stainless (blackness and white accept been offered on some recent models).

Warranties

Both companies offer strong warranties. The Wolf Residential Warranty provides two-year coverage for all parts and labor, along with five-twelvemonth limited coverage on certain parts. Viking offers a Three-Yr Signature Warranty with full coverage for all indoor cooking appliances.

Burners

Higher up: Wolf ranges have dual-stacked sealed gas burners with two tiers of flames: One delivers high rut; the other comes on for low-heat settings. Julie likes "the super firepower and the fact that it's piece of cake to adjust the flame to a depression simmer" on her Wolf range.

Above: Introduced in 2014, the Viking 7 Series ranges characteristic 23,000-BTU "summit" burners with brass flame ports adapted from the Viking Commercial product line. They besides offer a "VariSimmer" setting for even simmering at low temperatures.

Exercise Wolf and Viking offer a variety of appliances?

Wolf and Viking seem to have differing philosophies when it comes to their production lines. In 2013 Viking became part of the Middleby Corporation, the largest food-service equipment manufacturer in the earth. Since then, the company has introduced more than 60 new products. Wolf, meanwhile, is office of Sub-Zero, a third-generation, family-owned company that prides itself on focus: "While other brands separate their attention among everything from trash compactors to vacuum cleaners, Sub-Zero and Wolf remain committed to refining and mastering their specialties: the world'south finest refrigeration and cooking appliances."

This is important to consider if you're outfitting your entire kitchen and want to stick to the same brand for either aesthetic or cost reasons (some distributors offer favorable pricing when purchasing suites of appliances). But this can cutting both ways. "The reason I got a Wolf the second time around was because we had other Viking appliances that were bad," says Michelle, editor in master of Gardenista. "Those appliances soured u.s.a. on the brand, fifty-fifty though we thought the Viking stove performed well."

Above: A Wolf range surrounded by Shaker cabinets (painted in Benjamin Moore Amherst Greyness) in an LA kitchen designed past Martha Mulholland–see LA Story: Mix and Match Garden for a Spanish Colonial. Photography by Laure Joliet.

Which is easier to clean, a Viking or Wolf stovetop?

That's a point of debate here at Remodelista, but, truth be told, they're likely comparable: Both Wolf and Viking ranges now come up with sealed burner pans that make cleaning easier.

Remodelista's Sarah lives in a house that came with a 30-inch Viking gas range: "Too being great to cook with," she says, "I dearest the pullout tray beneath the burners for piece of cake cleaning."

When it comes to cleaning, I, too, had a good experience with Viking. In my Seattle remodel several years back, I chose a Viking range height with sealed burners, which, combined with removable burner grates, made for easy cleaning (and no fear of spillage creeping into unknown depths).

Above: Michelle specced a Wolf range in her Mill Valley kitchen redo. Photo past Liesa Johannssen for Remodelista.

Michelle has had both a Viking and Wolf range. She put a Wolf in her recent remodel and admits to liking it better than the Viking in part because of the cleaning problems. "The stovetop on the Viking was harder to clean. I can't recall the verbal configuration, merely for some reason food and liquids were able to drip down the burner covers and get stuck around the wiring. Incommunicable to actually clean," says Michelle. "This is not true of the Wolf. The Wolf burner blueprint is really smart—the removable burner rings fit tightly and prevent drips down into the stove parts."

Where practice I buy Viking and Wolf ranges?

Sales of Viking and Wolf appliances are express to dealers inside defined geographical limits of the heir-apparent. This means that they're not available for online purchase if you alive more than than a specified number of miles from a seller'southward location. Refer to the Viking dealer locator and the Wolf dealer locator to discover the vendors nearest to you lot.

Both Wolf and Viking have tools to help with kitchen design and inspiration. Viking has a complimentary iPad App, while Wolf offers an online kitchen gallery and curated kitchen collection.

Above: Last year Viking introduced the 7 Series, a new line of pro ranges for the domicile with features taken from the company's commercial line, such as elevated 23,000-BTU burners with brass flame ports, commercial griddles, and gentle-shut oven doors, to proper noun a few. The Viking 7 Series 36-Inch Dual Fuel Range is $10,839 through Viking dealers.

To a higher place: The Wolf Dual Fuel 36-Inch Range (DF366) with half dozen burners is $9,200 (or $10,180 with griddle or charbroiler pick) through Wolf Dealers.

Are there other brands to consider?

At that place are so many professional-style ranges on the market place that the burden of option can be overwhelming. We've rounded upwardly some favorites in different categories to help narrow the field:

• Reduced-Size Ranges
• 7 Loftier-Style Italian Kitchen Ranges
• 6 Chateau-Fashion Cooking Ranges
• 10 Piece of cake Pieces: 36-Inch Gas Cooktops
• ten Easy Pieces: Freestanding 36-Inch Ranges

Interested in outfitting your kitchen with American-made products? Come across:

• 13 American-Made Appliances, from Countertop Mixers to Ranges to Refrigerators
• xv Made-in-America Kitchen Classics
• 7 Sources for American-Fabricated Hardware
• Henrybuilt'due south Custom Kitchen Systems

Finally, become more ideas on how to evaluate and cull your kitchen range or oven in our Remodeling 101 Guide: Kitchen Ranges & Ovens.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 12, 2015.

Source: https://www.remodelista.com/posts/remodeling-101-viking-vs-wolf-ranges/

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