Things are different now. Wolf gave the ovens a semi-face lift and when you see them now with the tubular handles and in a column with a warming drawer
and Wolf steam oven….wow. And they’ve decided to get REAL FUNKY and add a black glass single and double oven to the lineup.

Thinking about buying a Wolf E Series oven? Three things you need to know:

1 – It is one of 2 Wolf ovens (along with the new Wolf steam convection oven) which can be used in both a standard installation as well as a flush inset install (cleaner look!)
2 – For a standard install, your cabinet needs to be 24″ deep and must be able to support 250 lbs for a single oven and 400 lbs for a double oven
3 – For a flush inset installation the E-series oven requires a min of 25″ in depth. REMEMBER THIS OR YOUR OVEN SETUP WILL LOOK LIKE S@#T: You inside openings of the rough opening must be finished (stained, not laminated) b/c they will be visible when oven door is open. And as stated, STAIN it, as the laminate finish will not hold up the heat the oven produces.

The Sexiness of the Wolf E-Series Double Oven. Got a cigarette?

Welcome to the Lynx Temple! All Bow Before Pharoah!

Appliance Dude riffin’……

We are now ramping into the sweet spot of the outdoor kitchen/grill sales season and I have a few notes to share. People are definitely spending the loot on the high-end grills and sales are skewed heavily towards Lynx outdoor kitchens and grills. Here are some notes to digest, broken down by brand.

Lynx – 36″ and 42″ grills with ProSear have been the movers. Had a few bites on the new, step-down L500 series but there has been a recall on the carts (easy fix) so don’t know if that’s causing some consternation with consumers. Most of the lynx grills we’ve sold are just heads as they are being used in a built-in outdoor kitchen setup. Of course Lynx is touting their new brass burners as the finest thing since inexpensive medical insurance. Will these new burners markedly change your life? As one customer said to me “You can’t tell me that these burners are going to make my food taste any better”. Agree on that point, however I can tell that you that the brass burners will in fact last longer as they won’t corrode as easily as stainless under high heat and they hold and radiate heat better.
Translation – built to last, food cooked more evenly (if that’s what you want).

Wolf – Haven’t had much play on the Wolf grills yet. Can’t figure out why. Price point? Can’t be, because the Lynx is just as expensive when you factor everything in. I own one, I like it…see my tuna dish below. Wolf’s making a big push in this space, all other competitors beware…the Wolf will roar(howl)!
I made this lovely treat on a 36″ Wolf OG36 grill – how’s that for a sear?!

Seared Tuna Courtesy of My Wolf Outdoor Grill and My Deft Touch.

DCS – the grandaddy of the outdoor grill space and the home of the lifetime warranty on your grill. Beat that! People come into the showroom and brag that their DCS grill is still kicking after 10-15 years. These are the guys who really invested in this space. This is their heritage. They’ve definitely had the thunder stick taken away by Lynx but it’s still a brand that consumers are very happy with and it comes in at a great price point and they are offering free goodies with the purchase of at least a 36″ grill.
What I love about DCS is two-fold:
1 – Grease Management system which channels all the yuck (runoff) into a trough thus negating (how about minimizing) flare ups. Cool.
2 – The entire grill surface can be converted into a sear station. That’s nice, so we don’t need a dedicated searing area like everyone else does which means less space for normal grilling. DCS gets it.

Capital – was a strong (somewhat) seller last summer. This year, very little action. People simply don’t know the name. Maybe it’s known more for its indoor product. Had a few people biting on them lately, if they buy I will get the feedback and pass it along.

Viking – haven’t had anyone mention Viking for outdoor pieces. Probably would help if I placed the product on my web site. We just started selling Viking again after a looooooong lay-off. Will work up to it. I know they streamlined the outdoor product line so that’s a nice thing. Don’t want to confuse consumers with too many skus….anyone want a Viking branded vegetable/fish grilling basket? Or Viking branded wood chips? Time to get back to core competencies. Make killer product, the consumers will come.

SHX9ER55uC – $200
SHE9ER55UC – $200
SHX8ER55UC – $150
SHE8ER55UC – $150
SHX7ER55UC – $100
SHE7ER55UC – $100

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.

At that point the answer was a resounding “no”, but times have changed and we are now staring at the near-imminent release of Sub-Zero’s first foray into the French door style – the Bi-36UFD (there are plans for a 42″ to be released in the next year or so).

I was fortunate to spend some time with the new fridge at the recent Architectural Digest show in NYC, took some nice booty pics, so let’s get in deep now. First, a list of the feature set or as I like to call it, the “tale of the tape”

- Width: 36″
- Available in stainless, overlay and flush inset
- Annual energy usage is 571 kWh or $61
- Star-K certified
- Automatic ice maker
- Water and air filter systems
- Dual refrigerator system so freezer and fridge don’t exchange air

OK, now let’s get into the grist. The biggest issues with French door refrigerators is the way that they seal, or, their lack
of sealing! If you open a typical French door you will see an annoying “flap” in between the doors that is needed to get most of the doors to seal. The problem with this flap is that I’ve had plenty of customers complain that they break, get loose, etc.
The Sub-Zero Bi36UFD utilizes the flap as well, BUT, Sub-Zero spent 4 years working on the way the fridge seals so as to avoid the issues that most other French doors encounter.

That’s why you will pay more for a Sub-Zero – insane focus on customer usability. While most, if not all of the other premium fridge manufacturers were rolling out French Door fridges in the last 5 years, the engineers at Sub-Zero sat back and said we’ll be patient, we’re going to get this right. It seems to me that they did. The fridge doors open and close with the security and sureness that one would equate with Sub-Zero. The fit and finish is beautiful.

Enough of the words, onto the evidence…..

This pic shows the Bi36ufd with the classic Sub-Zero handle. It can also be purchased with a Pro-handle to match your Wolf range.

Sub-Zero Bi36ufd French Door Refrigerator

Inside the SubZero BI36UFD. Ample storage space for a 36" built-in fridge.

Yes you can fit a platter in the Sub-Zero Bi36UFD. One of the advantages of a French door!

The freezer space is identical to that of the Bi-36 single door fridge.

Shop for the SubZero French Door Refrigerator at Curto’s Appliances.

One of My Favorite Kitchens from a Curto's Customer. Stellar.

Appliance Dude’s video analysis of this kitchen….

Appliance Dude Getting Deep into the custom Vent-a-Hood…

And now, the Wolf, Sub-Zero, Ventahood kitchen appliance package pics

Wendy had to have the Wolf range...a beauty!

Appliance Dude analyzes this Wolf dual fuel range and other items in this Eastchester NY kitchen below:

“My Bosch dishwasher doesn’t dry well!”

Any negative review of a Bosch dishwasher brings this up. Don’t believe the hype.

You are using the machine incorrectly. Let’s fix this. Watch….