Build a Professional Kitchen with a Viking Stove

I have enjoyed cooking for most of my adult life. I always dreamed of having a “professional” kitchen, which included a “professional” cooking range. Therefore, several years ago, when I decided to build a new kitchen, I spent hours reading up on “professional” kitchen ranges. I went to appliance stores, I went online, and, in short, did everything I could before making a decision. I was limited by the fact that I wanted a six-burner stove and two ovens.

After weeks of anguish, I selected Viking, which has an excellent reputation, It was such a handsome range that I could hardly wait for it to come. It cost about $7,000, much more than I had ever paid before, but I knew it would be worth it. I disliked my old range because I couldn’t get the temperature to remain steady. I had to watch it constantly because it never remained at the temperature at which I had set it.

The stove was delivered and I can’t tell you how excited I was!! This range, to me, was like a Ferrari is to a car lover. It was duly installed by the builders and I couldn’t wait to use it. I need to say that the burners are run on gas and the ovens were electric (there are no gas ovens that are self-cleaning,)

There were two ovens, a small one and a large one. After I had started using the stove I found that I still had the problem I had had with my old stove: the temperature was never constant and I had to keep adjusting it. I had the Viking service people over twice, at $100 per visit, and their advice boiled down to they couldn’t do anything about it. They suggested that I preheat it an hour before use, despite the fact that the booklet said 20 minutes. I tried that and it made no difference.I began to long for my old stove. I realized the, after several contacts with Viking, that they weren’t interested.

Since then, the thermostat of the smaller oven is broken and I can’t read the burner labels because they have disappeared. Why would a company that makes a “professional” stove, use such cheap burner markings???