Deciding Between 2 different Gas top convection ovens... help

[PrincessMommy]

I am undecided between two ovens and would love some feedback.

First one is a Samsung:  5.8 cf capacity for the oven.  Warming drawer.  5th burner is oval only for extra large pans or griddle.

https://www.samsung.com/us/home-appliances/ranges/gas/nx58h9500ws-slide-in-gas-range-with-true-convection-nx58h9500ws-aa/

Second oven is a GE Profile.  5.6 Cf capacity. No warming drawer.  5th burner is a mix between oval or standard size for regular sized pans or griddle choices. (best seen in the photos)

https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-specs/PGS930SELSS

So my issue is I like both the warming drawer feature AND the size choices for the 5th burner.   Honestly, I'll use the griddle more than I'll use the 5th burner as a traditional burner (almost an empty nester). But, I'll probably only use the warming drawer when we have a big gathering.    So it's not like either feature is a  *have* to have on a daily basis.  

Which would you prefer to have?  

[hornblower]

First one. 
I think the 2nd option is only useful for large canning pots because otherwise you'll never really be able to fit a regular sized pot/pan there while using the other pans. And I like the warming drawer for raising dough. 

[Farrar]

First one. Samsung is a better brand and the warming drawer is a better feature than the shape of the 5th burner IMO.

[kbutton]

41 minutes ago, hornblower said:

First one. 
I think the 2nd option is only useful for large canning pots because otherwise you'll never really be able to fit a regular sized pot/pan there while using the other pans. And I like the warming drawer for raising dough. 

I have been seeing cooking pots now and then that are likely intended for middle burners like the round one for the second stove. The handles are made totally differently so that they can fit between other pots. Kohl's had them. If you think you'd cook on the middle burner, just realize that with the oblong burner, you would need special pots on the outside if you want to cook while using the griddle, and the oval burner means that there aren't many practical pots that fit on it other than the griddle or a canner. With the second stove, you'd probably be able to do more diverse things with that 5th burner because of the flex shape (or whatever you'd call it). 

That said, we love our Samsung! If you haven't had a convection oven before, be prepared to be spoiled.

My warming drawer holds cookie sheets, lol. Maybe I should try it for the intended purpose sometime. 🙂 

[gardenmom5]

below are the specs on the burners.  do you prefer the left or the right burner as your go-to burner?  

I prefer dual fuel with an electric oven, and GE profile used to make one.  (I have it.  I love it, the oven is as big as the thermador.)  we were doing big turkey's for thanksgiving when we bought it - so height mattered.   

I would go with the GE.    I like the grates better, and think they'd give slightly better pot support. (I do not like those "holes" in either range)  I have a warming drawer - we almost never use it. (my 6qt skillet is stored in it...)

fyi: you do not want any range/cooktop with a vent at the same level as the burners - it will suck up heat so you're not actually cooking at the temp you think you are.

 

Left Front Burner (Size and Power)

15,000 BTU

Left Rear Burner (Size and Power)

5,000 BTU

Right Front Burner (Size and Power)

18,000 BTU (True Dual)

Right Rear Burner (Size and Power)

5,000 BTU

 

 

 

Burner - Left Front	21,000 BTU Tri-ring Burner
Burner - Left Rear	5,000 BTU Precise Simmer
Burner - Right Front	15,000 BTU
Burner - Right Rear	9,500 BTU
Burner - Center	9,500 BTU Dual Oval

 

 

Center Rear Burner (Size and Power)

9,500 BTU

 

 

[PrincessMommy]

@gardenmom5 -  that is a good point about the vent being flush with the burners.  I hadn't thought of that.   It will be under the microwave, which has a vent.  I think I'll plan on using that instead.  I hadn't thought about which burner to use as my go-to.   Good thoughts.

I also like the grates better on the GE but the Samsung is very similar.  The other options I had open grates.  That nixed them off right away (that, and the placement of the control nobs).

@kbutton - We had a convection oven at our last house. I miss it.   

 

[Carol in Cal.]

I have a warming drawer at our cabin, and I use it a lot.  I was really surprised at how helpful it is.

The only thing I wish was different about it is that although it has a range of warmth’s, it does not have a temp setting.  If it did, I might be able to use it for, say, baking a quick pan of apple crisp or a side dish in a shallow pan while a roast is in the main oven.  Then it would be almost like having a shallow extra oven, functionally.  But I would pick that over a 5th burner, I think.

Just in general, the last time I looked at stoves I was surprised at how close together the burners were.  The electronic controls being on a slanted or horizontal mounting that took up some of the stove top space made the manufacturers crowd the regular burners together.  When I brought my pots to the store to see how this would work out, ironically it turned out that I would actually lose function while appearing to expand it; in that the new stove had a Big Hi BTU burner AND a center (5th) burner, while my old one had just 4 basic burners, but on my old one I could have 3-4 pots cooking at once while on the new one it was 1-3, and if it were 3, they would all have to be quite small.  Needless to say, I kept my old stove.  It’s bummer but there you have it.  Worth checking.

 

[PrincessMommy]

I'm not paying $6K either!!  Mine is the slide in version and probably the smallest they sell.  But, it's in a fixed place and I can't (won't) enlarge.    It will be less than $2500 but not $1500 sadly.  Going with a designer means I use her suppliers... no scratch -n- dent - which I'd also prefer.  

With both ranges, I get the 5th burner.  But it's different on each model.  That's what I was trying to figure out.  

[PrincessMommy]

22 minutes ago, Patty Joanna said:

 

Ah.  Well you got good insight about how the pans fit.   We have  a 36” unchangeable slit, and the 5th burner is useless if there is another pot on the stove. But when I make Big Soup for coffee hour, it’s useful—-but not really necessary.  I think the 5th burner is more of an asset on wider stoves.  I DO appreciate having a high BTU burner for boiling pots of water...but that is upper left burner anyway. I think I’d use the warming drawer more than a 5th burner.  

Well, as I said in the original post... they both have the 5th burner... it's just the configuration of the 5th burner is different.   I guess it' will be tight fitting for me 

[gardenmom5]

7 hours ago, PrincessMommy said:

@gardenmom5 -  that is a good point about the vent being flush with the burners.  I hadn't thought of that.   It will be under the microwave, which has a vent.  I think I'll plan on using that instead.  I hadn't thought about which burner to use as my go-to.   Good thoughts.

I

 

I don't know what the requirements are where you live - but here, for a gas stove, there is a minimum power for an exterior vent.  (electric can be filtered and sent back into the room, not gas - it must go outside.)

[Suzanne in ABQ]

54 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

I don't know what the requirements are where you live - but here, for a gas stove, there is a minimum power for an exterior vent.  (electric can be filtered and sent back into the room, not gas - it must go outside.)

 

We don't have that requirement where I live.  Gas cooktop, but no vent to the outside.  Just the filter on the microwave above.

I was told (I believe it was an appliance repair person) that Samsung and GE Profile are the same, all made according to the same specs, in the same factory, but just have cosmetic and little other small details that are different.  They're the same level of quality and price point.  I know that when we were buying our refrigerator, the Samsung and the GE Profile models were almost identical, inside and out.  The only difference was in the appearance of the door controls (same buttons with same functions, just looked different).  So, don't make your choice based on those two brands. 

ETA: Disregard the above.  I just checked, and GE was sold in 2016 to a Chinese company called Haier.  So, no longer associated with Samsung.  

I had a built in griddle in a previous house, and I absolutely loved that thing!!!  I had more kids at the time, and I loved being able to whip out pancakes like crazy, 6 to 8 at a time!  I still miss it, even though we only have one kid at home.  I would choose the one with the built in griddle over the warming drawer.  I wouldn't worry about being able to fit five pots on the stove at the same time.  I just don't cook that way.  And, I have never used a warming drawer in all my 56 years on this earth.    I would much rather have a small oven in that space, for cookies and pizzas and chicken strips, but I don't think they make those in dual fuel anymore.

Only you can answer whether you would use a griddle or a warming drawer more. 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Suzanne in ABQ

[Carol in Cal.]

1 hour ago, Suzanne in ABQ said:

 

We don't have that requirement where I live.  Gas cooktop, but no vent to the outside.  Just the filter on the microwave above.

I was told (I believe it was an appliance repair person) that Samsung and GE Profile are the same, all made according to the same specs, in the same factory, but just have cosmetic and little other small details that are different.  They're the same level of quality and price point.  I know that when we were buying our refrigerator, the Samsung and the GE Profile models were almost identical, inside and out.  The only difference was in the appearance of the door controls (same buttons with same functions, just looked different).  So, don't make your choice based on those two brands. 

ETA: Disregard the above.  I just checked, and GE was sold in 2016 to a Chinese company called Haier.  So, no longer associated with Samsung.  

I had a built in griddle in a previous house, and I absolutely loved that thing!!!  I had more kids at the time, and I loved being able to whip out pancakes like crazy, 6 to 8 at a time!  I still miss it, even though we only have one kid at home.  I would choose the one with the built in griddle over the warming drawer.  I wouldn't worry about being able to fit five pots on the stove at the same time.  I just don't cook that way.  And, I have never used a warming drawer in all my 56 years on this earth.    I would much rather have a small oven in that space, for cookies and pizzas and chicken strips, but I don't think they make those in dual fuel anymore.

Only you can answer whether you would use a griddle or a warming drawer more. 

Did you know that electric griddles are a thing?  I LOVE mine.  It is nonstick, the only nonstick thing I have ever bought on purpose.  I take it out to use it and then put it away, and since it’s pretty big I’m glad that I don’t have a dedicated one to take up space.  I make tortillas and pancakes on it.  I can cook them out on the deck if I don’t want the heat in the house, as is sometimes the case.  

I did have a very old stove with a gas griddle year ago, and it took up about a third of the stove top area and I hardly ever used it.  It was very hard to clean.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

1 hour ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Did you know that electric griddles are a thing?  I LOVE mine.  It is nonstick, the only nonstick thing I have ever bought on purpose.  I take it out to use it and then put it away, and since it’s pretty big I’m glad that I don’t have a dedicated one to take up space.  I make tortillas and pancakes on it.  I can cook them out on the deck if I don’t want the heat in the house, as is sometimes the case.  

I did have a very old stove with a gas griddle year ago, and it took up about a third of the stove top area and I hardly ever used it.  It was very hard to clean.

 

I'm sure an electric griddle would be awesome, but I have a tiny kitchen, so no cabinet space for an electric griddle.  I'd have to store it downstairs in the storage space, and I know it would never get used.  The griddle on this stove can be swapped out for a regular stove top grille, and doesn't take up much space stored vertically (like a cutting board), and easy to clean in the sink.  I have a square griddle that I use on my gas stove (like a sauté pan, but square, with shallow sides) but it only makes four pancakes at a time, and they're very close together.  

[PrincessMommy]

 

 

 

7 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Did you know that electric griddles are a thing?  I LOVE mine.  It is nonstick, the only nonstick thing I have ever bought on purpose.  I take it out to use it and then put it away, and since it’s pretty big I’m glad that I don’t have a dedicated one to take up space.  I make tortillas and pancakes on it.  I can cook them out on the deck if I don’t want the heat in the house, as is sometimes the case.  

I did have a very old stove with a gas griddle year ago, and it took up about a third of the stove top area and I hardly ever used it.  It was very hard to clean.

Could you not remove the griddle part.  All the stoves I looked at had removable griddles.  I would imagine when it's on the stove it takes up a lot of room and I wouldn't want it to be permanent.  

[Ottakee]

I had this gas stove at my last house and LOVE LOVE LOVED it.  I used the griddle much more than any burner.  So easy to clean.  You can get a grate to fit in the griddle spot if you need a 5th burner.  Also, you can replace the griddle it comes with with a cast iron one.  I miss that stove more than the house.  https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-30-in-5-0-cu-ft-Gas-Range-in-Stainless-Steel-JGBS66REKSS/206943135