Review: GE Cafe CGS990SETSS Gas Range – Curto’s Appliances
The CGS990SETSS is a perfect example as to why I don’t know EVERYTHING when it comes to appliances.
When I first lay eyes on the CGS990SETSS last summer I was not a fan at all. The idea of the two ovens didn’t speak to me. IMHO I didn’t see this range taking off and figured it would be phased out of the Cafe lineup in a year or so.
I was wrong.
The first one I sold was to a couple from NYC who were interested in the Cafe series bc they didn’t want to break the bank on appliances, but they wanted a pro look. The wife was intrigued by the CGS990SETSS b/c they figured that since they were empty-nesters and weren’t entertaining as often, they probably wouldn’t have great use for the lower, larger oven.
A few weeks after delivering the CGS990SETSS, I received an email with a detailed and glowing review:
On the range’s burners…“Power burners are nice and the simmer burners work well to keep things warm but not burn. The ovens heat quickly, I used the middle burner to reduce a sauce in an oval shaped LeCreuset iron casserole — pot fit perfectly.”
On the advantage of the small oven… “love the small oven, I use it often and it’s great having two ovens. Both ovens heat up relatively quickly. Roller rack helps make the low height of the bottom oven less of an issue.”
On the benefit for someone with a smaller kitchen…“I also now have the option to use the small oven and then the kitchen doesn’t get hot at all. So this is a huge help in a city kitchen.”
The only negatives that were mentioned were:
1 – she wished there was more power in the back burners
2 – the simmer burner was so low you don’t see it so you can easily inadvertently leave it on
So there you have it. Lesson learned – before you form your own opinion based solely on your own observation, open your mind to the thoughts of others. I never would have thought about the benefit of this range in a smaller kitchen due to the lack of heat it gives off. If you live in NYC, or have a smaller kitchen in general, the heat from your oven is typically a problem. Not if you use the CGS990SETSS.
And when I complained about the low, lower oven, I never took into consideration that the vast majority of people will only use that lower oven a few times per year. The upper oven is large enough to fit casseroles and most dishes and will be the workhorse in this appliance…and will give off less heat!
The CGS990SETSS has continued to sell briskly over the last 6 mos and with all of the other manufacturers adding double oven ranges to their lineups, it looks like this style is here to stay. So if you are interested in a flexible, stylish range that won’t set you back an insane amount of money, roll the CGS990SETSS.
GE Cafe's Brisk Selling Double Oven Range - CGS990SETSS
The 5th element in the middle, which rates at 5k BTU's is a favorite for those who love eggs, bacon and other griddle-lovin' dishes.
The GE Cafe CGS990SETSS power burner
Knobs for the right-side burners on the GE Cafe CGS990SETSS double oven range.
The smaller upper oven on the CGS990SETSS range. This is the one you will cook in at least 90% of the time unless you are running a catering business out of your home or you entertain like some Hamptons social star.
GE Profile vs. GE Cafe: Double Wall Ovens
One of the more popular questions we are asked in the showroom is the difference between the Profile and Cafe lines. We’ll break this down by way of the product category.
Wall Ovens:
GE electric wall ovens come in either 27″ or 30″ flavors.
27″ Wall Ovens
GE Profile
There is one GE Profile double electric ovens coming in at 27″ in width.
- The double oven PT956SRSS offers convection cooking in the top oven and traditional heating in the bottom oven.
- The double oven offers 1 extensible ball-bearing rack.
GE Cafe does not offer a 27″ Wall Oven
30″ Wall Ovens
GE Profile
There are three GE Profile 30″ double wall ovens
- The top of the line PT960SRSS offers convection in both ovens as well as a glass-touch LCD control panel.
- The next two models (PT958SRSS and PT956SRSS) differ in that the PT965 only offers convection in the top oven. Aside from that point, they are virtually identical.
GE Cafe
GE cafe offers one 30″ double oven – CT959STSS .
This model features glass touch controls and convection in BOTH ovens. Also, each oven
offers one fully-extensible rack. Aside from these points the top of the line Profile and Cafe ovens are exactly the same in regards to power output, size (4.4 cu ft) and the broiler system.
GE MSRP PRICES
PT960SRSS – $3399
PT958sRSS – $3099
PT956sRSS – $2799
GE doesn’t publish pricing on the Cafe series but figure it should cost around $2500, which is about
what you’ll spend on the top of the line Profile PT960SRSS.
GE Cafe Double Oven - CT959STSS
PT960srss - GE Profile Double Oven
Categories: GE, GE Cafe, GE Profile Tags: CT959STSS, ge profile double wall oven, ge profile wall oven, ge profile wall oven 27, ge profile wall oven 30, PT956SRSS, PT958SRSS, PT960SRSS
GE Cafe Appliances – The CGS990SETSS is Selling…
Just as I opened my big mouth last month that I was seeing a resurrection in GE Profile sales (at the expense of the GE cafe series) suddenly
the Cafe line starts rocking again. I am seeing big-time movement on the Cafe CGS990SETSS. This has surprised me. I wasn’t the only person in my dealership who thought this would bomb
considering the lower oven is basically scraping the floor. Can you say hernia induced by hoisting the 20 lb Thanksgiving turkey out of this?
Looks like I’m wrong because consumers are snatching this piece. Here’s the logic that’s been presented to me…how often will you really have to
use that lower oven? Unless you entertain like Martha Stewart you probably will only go low a few times per year.
That means the smaller upper oven (2.6 cu ft, NON-convection) is perfect for a typical dinner. Your casserole. Your baking tray. It’s big enough and the insulation is
better than the lower oven on the gas CGS980SEMSS or CGS985SEMSS which are the traditional gas ranges in the Cafe lineup.
Categories: GE Cafe Tags: ge cafe cgs995setss, ge cafe range
Fall 2011 Kitchen Appliance Preview: What I’m Geeked About
I’ll add to this list as I draw closer to my Fall buying show and I receive a complete list of what’s new….
- Liebherr CS-2060 36″ single door fridge: This shares a similar design to the smash hit CS-2062 french door model. 20 cu ft, LED lighting, 2 compressors…winner!
The CS-2060 is definitely headed for my showroom floor.
- GE Monogram 30″ Integrated Refriegrator What’s not to love about this fridge?
The seamless integrated look that melts into your cabinetry, the options (84″ or 80″ height, Euro or Pro handles), and pricing that won’t surpass the GDP of a Central American country.
- The new GE Cafe line of appliances – no pics to link to, but I’ve seen the dishwasher, new refrigerator, double oven, double oven range and cooktop. Nice stuff, won’t break the bank. Pics to follow.
- DCS pro dual fuel ranges – DCS rebooted the entire line of indoor appliances back in the Spring but the dual fuel ranges lagged the rest of the line in obtaining UL approval. Well I’ve been told they’ve received that stamp and product is rolling out now. You can’t mess with DCS’ reputation for making killer pro cooking ranges. I think the new ones look sweeter than before and they’ve made a few tweaks which will let them hold their position as one of the premier pro range manufacturers.
Liebherr's New CS-2060 Single Door Refrigerator.
Categories: DCS, GE Cafe, Liebherr, Monogram, Refrigerators Tags: kitchen appliance packages 2011, liebherr cs-2060
Theresa’s GE Cafe – GE Profile Kitchen – Larchmont, NY
The following kitchen is an example showing you don’t need to take out a second mortgage in order to fit a kitchen with beautiful, functional kitchen appliances. It also shows why GE Cafe appliances have been such a tremendous hit for the last few years…professional look yet easy on the wallet. Nice!
Appliances used in Theresa’s Larchmont kitchen:
- GE Cafe CGS980SEMSS 30″ gas range
- GE Profile PFCS1NFZSS 36″ French Door Refriegrator
- GE Profile 30″ Hood JV936DSS
- Bosch SHX45P05UC – SHX45L15UC dishwasher (Basically the same model…we own the L15UC and love it!)
-
- The yellow paint and white cabinets lend a sense of airiness to the space, so much so that the large stainless fridge does not weigh down the kitchen.
-
- The GE Profile PFCS1NFZSS French Door Fridge, the pivot point in Theresa’s kitchen.
-
- A side view of Theresa’s kitchen. Note the counterdepth refrigerator side-profile. Great choice, as a standard-depth unit would have protruded too far into the kitchen.
-
- Theresa paired the ultra-popular CGS980SEMSS GE Cafe gas range with a pro-style GE Profile hood. Most of the time people will combine this range with the GE Cafe microwave, but this hood definitely works within the kitchen’s design scheme.
It’s Early 2011 and Kitchen Appliance Package Deals Abound
We are getting many requests for information on the best kitchen appliance packages (especially with VALUE in mind) so I’ve broken
down a few appliance deal options listed by customer/budget type.
Appliance Package Deal # 1 – I Want a Trophy Kitchen
The high-end section of the appliance industry was destroyed in 2009 and it took heavy promotions from the likes of Sub-Zero, Viking, Monogram and more to get shoppers to invest in high-end appliance packages in 2010. While the sales didn’t approach the astronomic levels that the industry saw in 2003-2007, they certainly improved as the collapse of Western Civilization no longer seemed imminent as in the dark days of the fall/winter 2008.
While I expected 2011 to get off to a better start, things are still very sluggish in this segment. The first important note to be aware of if you are shopping for high-end appliance packages is that most of these promotions were recently extended and will last through the end of 2011. This is huge because these rebate programs NEVER existed in the high-end appliance space and I don’t see them being repeated. So if you are in the market for high-end appliances, chances are you will need to act this year. Here is a breakdown of the cutoff dates for the various promotions:
So what is my take on the high-end packages? I am a sucker for the value of GE Monogram and the heritage and performance of Wolf and SubZero. Here are a few packages from these brands that I see selling well and offer great quality as well as value.
Wolf / SubZero Appliance Package – In this package you would receive $1250 in an
instant rebate under the current offer (which may be changing):
- Wolf SRT366 gas rangetop with sealed burners (I am not a fan of griddles or grills on
indoor appliances, they don’t work as well as their outdoor counterparts, the cooking areas aren’t large enough and I believe you can never have enough burners
- Wolf 36″ stainless wall hood
- Wolf S030U/S L-series single wall oven
- Bosch SHX58E15UC dishwasher (hundreds below a comparable Miele!)
- SubZero Bi36 S/S/PH – 36″ SubZero with pro handles, stainless
(NOTE: The SubZero Wolf package is likely to be extended with more money being doled out to consumers. Will have more info when it’s finalized).
GE Monogram Kitchen Appliance Package
- GE Monogram 36″ Dual Fuel Range, 6 burners (keep in mind that the Monogram line will be releasing their all-gas ranges sometime in the first half of 2011. Editor’s note: They’re out!).
- GE Monogram 36″ Cabinet insert (I don’t like Monogram hoods as they are way too bulky, so I opted to use the cabinet insert here)
- GE Monogram Pro 24″ Dishwasher in Stainless
- GE Monogram 42″ ZISP420NXSS pro refrigerator in stainless
Package # 2 – I Want Value!
GE Cafe Appliance Package
On the topic of GE, let’s talk up the GE Cafe line, which continues to knock the socks off of this category. Where can you get a pro looking kitchen for less than $10k? How about for less than $8k? $7K? Then you have to look at GE Cafe. Plus, GE will be offering a $500 rebate on GE Cafe kitchen appliance packages for the first few months of 2011. Try this on for size:
GE Cafe Gas Range – CGS980SEMSS
GE Cafe DIshwasher – CDWT980RSS
GE Cafe OTR Micro/Hood – CVM2072SMSS
GE Cafe French Door Refrigerator – CFCP1NIZSS
Bosch Appliance Package
Another brand to check out in this upper middle-tier is Bosch. They are currently offering up to 15% rebate on Bosch kitchen appliance packages through May 31 2011. This can lead up to some significant dollars back in your pockets. Bosch has been forced to get very aggressive with their kitchen appliance promotions because quite bluntly Electrolux has handed them their proverbial lunch in the last few years when it comes to the sale of kitchen appliances. Now it looks like Bosch has regrouped, put together a compelling offer for consumers, and has the ability to make up ground with Electrolux raising their prices. Message to Bosch: Be nice to consumers and hold your price points!!!! You need to get your kitchen appliances back on the consumer radar screen and 2011 is the time to do it.
This is what the Bosch kitchen appliance package will need to look like in order to qualify for the 10% or 15%:
Appliance Package 10%: Purchase at least (3) 300, 500 or 800 series Bosch appliances
Appliance Package 15%: Purchase at least (3) 800 series Bosch appliances.
What I like about this is that Bosch is only holding you to (3) appliances, so it’s easy to qualify.
Here’s a sample package which I sell the heck out of:
Refrigerator B22CS80SNS
Dishwasher SHX65P05UC
Range HGS7052UC
With this package alone at 15% back you would be looking at nearly $700 in your pocket and that’s without selling the products anywhere near their MAP price.
KitchenAid Appliance Package
KitchenAid is a versatile brand. You can go into the high-end stratosphere with their built-in products like the 42″ KBFC42FTS French Door Refrigerator and accompanying pro range, or you can nestle quite comfortably in this middle-upper middle category. Let’s check out a package that would vie with the Ge Cafe, Bosch and Electrolux lines.This time I am going to mix it up and instead of using a range, we’ll do a gas cooktop, double wall oven, French Door fridge and a killer KitchenAid dishwasher. Check this out for around $7000….
KitchenAid KEBS208SSS 30″ Double Wall Oven
Kitchen Aid KUDE40XSS dishwasher
KitchenAid KFCS22EVMS 36″ French Door Refrigerator
KitchenAid KFGS366VSS 36″ gas cooktop
Best Value Kitchen Appliance Packages: GE Profile Package
In the first installment we discussed the Frigidaire Gallery Series and the great value as a kitchen appliance package that it brings to the table.
Now we’re going to shift focus to GE. In the last 2 years, it seems all of the noise out of the GE camp has been about their Cafe line of appliances.
No doubt, Cafe has been one of the top success stories in two years of dreariness for the appliance industry. GE Cafe appliances boast pro styling, some pro functionality, and price points that won’t make most consumer pass out. However, lately I am recommending that people consider the GE Profile line as well. For less money than GE Cafe, you can receive many of the same benefits, albeit with a different look.
Let’s take a look at a GE Profile value package in stainless and compare the dollar outlay to GE Cafe.
30″ Gas range – PGS975SEPSS – The range offers convection cooking, deep recessed cooktop for easier cleaning, extra-large oven and a stacked burner which ranges from 18K BTU to 140BTU for a low simmer. It also offers self cleaning, glass touch controls and double coated racks that you can keep in the oven during self cleaning. Retail is $2649 ($300 less than the Cafe FREESTANDING unit).
GE Profile PGS975SEPSS gas range
Dishwasher – PDWT380RSS – If you want to save a few dolllars, GE Profile offers the PDWT380RSS which is also Enery Star qualified , offers the Smart dispense technology, and offers 4 wash cycles. The retail on the PDWT380RSS is $1099.
The GE Cafe CDWT980RSS dishwasher is $1449.
Free-Standing French Door Refrigerator – PFSS6PKXSS – This is a 26 cu ft French Door refrigerator with external ice/water dispenser. It is Energy Star rated, 36″ wide and 70″ high. It offers energy efficient LED lighting and a full-width drawer that maintains freshness and crispness. Retail is $2699. GE Cafe does not offer a freestanding french door refrigerator. Their counter depth unit has a retail price of $2999 retail.
GE Profile French Door Refigerator
Over the range microwave/hood – PVM1870SMSS – This combo micro/hood offers 1.8 cu ft of space and is powered by 1100 watts. This is NOT a convection micro. Retail is $569.
So total these up:
GE Profile Range – $2649
GE Profile dishwasher – $1249 (top of the line)
GE Profile French Door fridge – $2699
GE Profile micro/hood – $569
Total – $7166.
Then take $300 off for GE Combo rebate
Total – $6866
Keep in mind we are using retail prices. If you’re actually paying these numbers, you’re getting robbed!
GE Cafe CGS980SEMSS – Best Value, Lowest Price?
Had to do a post on this piece…while 2008-2009 proved to be tough shakes for appliance manufacturers, you can bet that the folks at GE Appliances are dancing a mad jig about the GE Cafe 30″ gas range – CGS980SEMSS. This gas range has proven to be an absolute rock star. GE actually couldn’t have timed the introduction any better – just as the economy was starting to slow up, here comes a cooking range which gives off a pro look, sports some pro features, but comes in THOUSANDS of dollars lower than other pro cooking appliances by brands I won’t name here. Look at the features:
- Self cleaning oven
- 18K BTU power burner and a 150F degree simmer burner
- PreciseAir convection system means accurately baked foods in a gas oven.
- Super-large capacity in the oven
- Warming drawer offers an addition 1.0 cu ft for baking 140 – 450 degrees.
GE Cafe CGS980SEMSS Gas Range at Curtos.com
Considering the MSRP on the CGS980SEMSS is $2899 and it typically sells in the mid-$2000 area (the price for the CGS980SEMSS is less than that at Curto’s) compare that with other 30″ gas ovens that are in the pro category. I won’t name names folks, you’ve been shopping around, so you know the models. The CGS980SEMSS reviews very well, also considering that customers have done nothing but rave about the piece.
The world of kitchen appliances may be bruised and battered, but there are a few pieces out there that have risen above the fray and prospered. Count the CGS980SEMSS as one of them.
Categories: Gas Ranges, GE, GE Cafe Tags: cgs980semss, cgs980semss lowest price, ge cafe appliances, ge cafe range
Electrolux French Door vs. GE Cafe French Door Refrigerator
Since the economy crashed last fall, it’s been amazing to watch how consumers appliance preferences have changed. The high-end lines have been displaced by the upper-middle tier. Bad news for Viking et al, good news for KitchenAid, JennAir and especially the new line of Electrolux appliances and the GE Cafe line.
At Curto’s we’ve extensively trained our sales force on both lines, placed the GE Cafe and Electrolux displays back to back in a premium spot in the showroom and maintained the notion ‘let the best line win”.
We just had the GE cafe and Electrolux french door refrigerators added to the displays and it’s been interesting getting customer’s feedback. Here’s what I’ve heard from consumers:
- gorgeous design, interior lighting is “amazing”
- box seems well built
Electrolux French Door Cons
- price tag is a joke ($2899-$3699, set by Electrolux via UMRP policy)
- ice machine takes away valuable space in fridge (good point – why is the ice machine located in the refrigerator?)
GE Cafe French Door Pros
- Nice price! (over $800-1000 less than comparable stainless in Electrolux)
GE Cafe French Door Cons
- Feels “cheaper” in comparison to Electrolux when opening doors and drawers
GE Cafe French Door Refrigerator - Curtos.com
Electrolux Ew23bc70is French Door Refrigerator at Curtos.com
Categories: Electrolux, GE Cafe, Refrigerators Tags: