BlueStar Gas Stove

[44man]

The gas igniter is a second and you pass it up so it stops. After that no electric is used for the gas. An oven needs a heat source when it shuts down and needs to start again. But a battery and inverter are power hogs. You need to charge them. Augers in a pellet stove are hungry. How long will a 12 volt battery last taking it to 120 volts? Need the charger feeding the battery and it can ruin the battery fast.

[MaryB]

I heat with a pellet stove that is 12 volt. It will run 2 days off a small deep cycle boat battery and 2-3 weeks off my big solar battery! It only draws 1 amp for the auger.

[44man]

I heat with a pellet stove that is 12 volt. It will run 2 days off a small deep cycle boat battery and 2-3 weeks off my big solar battery! It only draws 1 amp for the auger.

Well, that sounds good.
I fear pellet stoves though, friend had one and the auger bearing froze, flames were going into the pellet hopper.

[Hickory]

I've been thinking getting one of these with the pizza hood for when I go out west hunting.
http://www.bioliteenergy.com/products/basecamp

[Brasso]

I had the same conversation with a salesman as Ghosthawk. I wound up buying a GE gas stove with 9v battery igniters. Doesn't have a plug.

[MT Gianni]

The gas igniter is a second and you pass it up so it stops. After that no electric is used for the gas. An oven needs a heat source when it shuts down and needs to start again. But a battery and inverter are power hogs. You need to charge them. Augers in a pellet stove are hungry. How long will a 12 volt battery last taking it to 120 volts? Need the charger feeding the battery and it can ruin the battery fast.

The ignitor is in series with the 110 V gas control valve. When it heats resistance drops and it allows current flow to the valve. When it is on the thermostat circuit is powered as well for the duration of the bake. You could easily unplug it as soon as you were done cooking.

[ol skool]

The ignitor is in series with the 110 V gas control valve. When it heats resistance drops and it allows current flow to the valve. When it is on the thermostat circuit is powered as well for the duration of the bake. You could easily unplug it as soon as you were done cooking.

Does a stove top have the same 'features' as the oven?

[ol skool]

Well it's in. I'll shut off the circuit to it this weekend and see what happens.

[MT Gianni]

Does a stove top have the same 'features' as the oven?

That info is for ignitor based gas ovens. The spark ignition types use a different mechanism, sparking the instant the control knob is turned.

[ol skool]

So here goes. Shut off the circuit to the stove. Igniter's don't spark. Big surprise there. Lit a match and held it up to the burner, squinting and at arms length turned on the burner. OMG it lit! Filled the tea pot with water and waited to see what happened. The water boiled and the tea pot whistled. Nothing blew up and propane didn't fill the house.

BlueStar lawyers have CYA saying not to use in a power outage. But the stove top does fire up old school style. We don't intend to use the oven for the day or 4 the power can be out here. So no trials on the oven for us.

BTW this stove does not have computer controls, just knobs and a couple switches for oven light and convection fan. Simple, straight up American Made quality.

SWMBO is happy, happy, happy. That's all that matters...

Thanks y'all. Appreciate your input!

[GhostHawk]

Awesome.

Normal gas oven has a thermocouple to make sure the pilot is lit, or a sensor if it uses a hot surface ignition module.

It is possible the oven will work also. But you might have to warm that thermocouple before the gas will turn on.

[PB234]

I have a Blue Star range and completely impressed by its build quality. It is old fashioned heavy metal quality and not the flimsy junk now produced elsewhere. Blue Star has regional sales managers who I found to be very helpful and willing to do whatever is necessary to have their products be successful. The range is a heavy beast of a piece of equipment and the regional rep came to my installation to be sure all was well and tested it after installation where he discovered a part had been broken in transportation. He ordered the part and had it installed.

This is a cook's range for sure. The burners produce huge amounts of heat far beyond other residential commercial knock off ranges. Makes one consider the CFM of their air exhaust system and how they plan to use the range.

I have not seen their new wall oven offering French Doors and am concerned by its use of electronics. It does look fine.

The Blue Star salamander looks like an impressive piece of equipment for those with plenty money. I do not have the salamander, grill or griddle. The grill would be fun, but expensive and hard to clean. The griddle is bested by a cast iron griddle placed on burners. I don't have the huge range.

Congratulations on selecting an impressive piece of equipment that should outlive you without significant problems. The same person who appreciates a fine old rifle would appreciate the Blue Star.

But, if I were doing it again I would try to go with an induction cook-top and probably a Blue Star wall oven for the broiler. Induction cooking is amazing. Even with my Blue Star I am mostly using a single burner professional quality counter top induction burner and a Mak 2 Star General Smoker/Grill which is also an amazing piece of equipment made in Oregon.

Soon I will see if I can use the induction burner set up to run a pot sous vide. Seems like it should be possible since the induction burner can hold a pot to a specific temperature and is very adjustable. If you have not tried sous vide it may also amaze you. I can turn a piece of chuck into something competitive with a rib steak. $4 meat as opposed to $29 prime steaks.

Reloading and cooking have a lot in common.

[PB234]

I also noticed you are in Oregon and mention the Mak Smoker is made in Salem, Oregon. If you have a Blue Star you probably spend a lot of time cooking or thinking about it. the Mak Smoker is of the same or better build quality and will amaze you with the product you can produce.

Mak is going to only manufacturer to user sales over the internet. The fellow to speak with there is Bruce the top marketing fellow. If you are young enough to have many decades in front of you this smoker/grill will probably still outlive you and all the time producing amazing meals. You can produce BBQ that will be competitive with the best you can get easily. You can cook other stuff in it, but I have not gotten to that yet. The ribs, chicken and even a steak floor me.

Next I am going to buy a grill that is of the type found in parks. It is a metal "box" on a post sunk into the ground. Not real expensive and reminds me of childhood picnics in a park. Plus I will be able to take sous vide meat and quickly finish it off on a extremely hot charcoal grill.

[PB234]

My Traeger pellet grill is my no power backup, it will run off battery and inverter forever. Gas stoves actually use quite a bit of power when the hot plate igniter is running... 450 watts or so... so size your battery backup accordingly. Each time the burner lights it will run for a few minutes to make sure the burner lights. Plus the control electronics(always on) and gas valve all draw power.

Mary, I think you would enjoy talking to and perhaps ordering pellets from Candy Sue Weaver http://bbqrsdelight.com/author/candy-weaver/ .

[MaryB]

I have used her pellets, the lumberjack pellets are better flavor.

[DougGuy]

Congratulations on the US made BlueStar! I looked and drooled over them, and found an American Range also US made, for a good chunk of change cheaper and it has the same professional style "daisy" burners which will do us just fine.

This one has pretty close to the same build quality, it's 335lbs for a 30" range, everything from the gas orifice to the cooking surface is cast iron. Just installed it yesterday, have only cooked on it a short time but already very impressed with it's performance.

[MaryB]

One of those is way up on my want list, higher BTU burners so a pork chop or steak can get a really good sear. Only problem I ran into is none of the ovens had a top mount broiler and I hate the dumb broiler drawer on the bottom.

[DougGuy]

The American Range has a bada$$ top broiler, it's gas, some kind of quartz or ceramic or something but it burns over 1800F!

[MaryB]

Sweet I can get a good sear then move it down a rack to finish! But wayyyyy out of my price range! YIKES! I paid $125 for a 1 year old gas range and matching over the range microwave, guy was getting married and his future wife said get rid of them I want stainless. Sold the microwave to friends for $100 because I rarely use one and over the range means I can't get big canners under it.