Pro-style ranges can be efficient, economical

Dear Jim: I just remodeled my kitchen and I plan to install a professional gas range. Do the huge burners use extra gas? Is it better to install a dual-fuel model or will the electric portion cost more to operate?

– Martine H.

Dear Martine: Stainless steel professional-style ranges are becoming very popular when remodeling kitchens. They not only look great, but the stainless steel is easy to keep clean and children cannot scratch it.

For safety, make sure you select a range certified for residential use by the AGA (American Gas Association). Residential models have additional safety features and are designed so the exterior does not get dangerously hot.

You may find a “true” professional range at a lower cost because it does not have the additional features, but pay the extra for a safe one.

A professional gas range is usually associated with big, powerful, gas-guzzling burners. The burners can produce a high maximum heat output up to 15,000 Btuh (Btu per hour), but the best ones can also be set down to just a simmer. Low-heat simmer settings in the 400 to 500 Btu range are common.

Often, a larger burner with the proper-sized pot on it will use less gas than a smaller one. For example, a large burner can heat a pot of water to boiling in a much shorter time period than on a small burner. This results in less heat being lost from the sides and top of the pot so gas is conserved.

Dual-fuel ranges are particularly popular on the large professional ranges. These can use electric elements to bake and broil in the oven.

The baking and broiling elements are typically in the 2,600 to 3,000 watt range. These are somewhat more expensive to operate than a gas burner, but many people prefer an electric oven for certain foods.

Adding a convection option to your oven has many advantages. The heating elements are shielded from the foods so there is no direct radiant heat. Fans circulate the hot air over the heating elements and the foods. This results in faster, more even heating so less electricity will be consumed. Some also include air filters so flavors do not transfer among the foods.

One important feature to consider is automatic flame relight. If the flame blows out, the electronic igniter relights it. If you have children in your family, controls with built-in lockouts can keep them from turning it on. A built-in above-burner exhaust fan is an attractive and functional feature.

If at all possible, select a 48-inch or wider range. Starting at this size, most models have two ovens and room for a grill and a griddle or wok between the burners. Smaller 36-inch models can accommodate six burners or four burners with another item between them.

The following companies offer professional-style gas ranges: Dacor, (800) 793-0093, www.dacor.com; Five Star Ranges, (800) 553-7704, www.fivestarrange.com; Heartland Appliances, (800) 361-1517, www.heartlandapp.com; Viking Ranges, (888) 845-4641, www.vikingrange.com; and Wolf Appliances, (800) 332-9513, www.wolfappliance.com.

Dear Jim: I am having a new roof installed on my house. The roof currently has an electric power vent and a ridge vent. The roofer says I should not have both. Is he correct and, if so, which one should I keep? -Jerry R.

Dear Jerry: Your roofer knows his stuff. You should not have both. When the power vents starts, it will draw air in the ridge vent instead of in the soffit vents. Air should come in the soffit vents so it flows over the insulation. Have your roofer remove the power vent and rely on the ridge vent to naturally exhaust the hot attic air. Have him make sure there is adequate soffit vent area for the cool inlet air.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Bangor Daily News, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.