If you're in the market for a powerful
professional gas range, you're a bit spoiled for choice.
But given all the options,
which one might be the best for your kitchen and cooking style:
Hestan or Bluestar?
Hestan and Bluestar both make powerful
professional style range with an emphasis on design and burner functionality.
In this video, you'll learn about each
brand, their cooktops and burners, ovens, controls, and customization.
At the end of the video,
you'll have a better idea of which brand might be better for your cooking style.
Plus, you'll learn how to download our free Pro Cooking Buying Guide.
Let's get started.
The cooktop is where these two ranges really contrast.
Hestan's cooktop is brushed stainless.
This looks great, but isn't as easy to clean as porcelain enameled
cooktops from other brands like Miele, Wolf or Thermador. Bluestar's cooktop is entirely
cast iron, meaning not just the grates but the entire surface.
It's modular, so it's easier to take apart and clean.
Its burners are open, meaning that they can be completely disassembled for cleaning-
reflecting Bluestar's commercial roots. Hestan's Circuflame power burner
in the case of the 36 inch range, is right in the middle. It's 30,000 BTU,
making it one of the most powerful burners on the consumer market today.
This allows you to boil quicker and sear easier.
The lowest burner goes all the way down to 500 BTU.
You can hold a dish easier without scorching.
This was a great temperature for holding a dish, but we found it difficult
to caramelize the onions at this low of a temperature and had to find a higher
temperature that allowed us to caramelize the onions without burning.
Bluestar's power burner goes up to 25,000 BTU.
That's powerful on its own, but again, the Hestan has it beat
at 30,000. We were able to boil water quicker on the Hestan than the Bluestar.
The lowest burner goes down to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and we were able to caramelize
our onions without any scorching or burning.
Hestan convection system is unique.
It uses a fan just like most brands, but it also cycles through different heat
sources throughout the oven to produce a more oven heat.
Bluestar gas ranges use true European convection.
It's powerful and creates an even heat,
but in our experience it's powerful enough to impact the results of delicate pastries
but is ideal for roasting meats and vegetables.
The Hestan ranges have chunky brightly
backlit control knobs that make it easy to to tell which burner are on.
There's also a small black and white touch screen on the oven door handle.
This display integrates well
into the design but isn't as easy to use as a full color touchscreen.
The Bluestar has big, easy to use control knobs as well, but they aren't backlit.
You turn the convention system on and off with a big old fashioned rocker switch.
It's super simple and easy to use.
We don't fault Bluestar for their simplicity.
What you see is exactly what you get.
There's no timer or displays.
Both ranges are customizable.
The Hestan is available in twelve different colors.
Bluestar has over a thousand colors with dozens of knobs and trim options.
Basically limitless customization.
If you're looking for a high power burner for high temperature searring,
wok cooking and fast boiling, Hestan is going to be the better choice.
You also have a nicely laid out burner
configuration to allow for larger pots and pans to fit easily.
You can also probe cook with telescopic
racks and efficient convection. Bluestar has the second highest BTU output
for professional ranges.
You can still achieve a very good sear and the removable open grates allow a wok
to sit on close to the flame and it comes standard with the interchangeable grill
griddle surface. Bluestar controls are simple and easy to use with no frills.
Thanks for watching to learn more about range cooktops, range tops and even
more professional cooking appliances,
click the link in the description below to download our free
Pro Cooking Buying Guide, and don't forget to like and subscribe.