Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4 burners
and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and can
grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or two
without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then I
would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
griddle and he hardly ever uses it.
How about clean up for a grill? Is it a pain?
Thanks in advance.

"Skeeter" > wrote in message
...
> Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4 burners
> and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and can
> grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or two
> without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then I
> would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
> griddle and he hardly ever uses it.
> How about clean up for a grill? Is it a pain?
> Thanks in advance.
>
>

I would check the BTU output on the range and compare it with the grill you
are using. I have a JennAir with a grill, and it performs very poorly. I
would hope that the DCSs are better. In any case, make sure you have very
good ventilation. I think that I would opt for the 6 burners and invest in
a good cast iron grill pan that will bridge two burners.

Skeeter wrote:
> Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4 burners
> and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and can
> grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or two
> without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then I
> would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
> griddle and he hardly ever uses it.

The reason for more burners is better control of heat across the grill.
If the 6 burners is available for the same size grill as the 4 burner
model then the 6 will have better distribution of heat. If the 6 is
just for a larger grill then its up to you to decide how much surface
area you need.

The DCS grills are a good quality brand but when I went shopping for one
last year I felt the Fire Magic grills were superior. In either case
get the stainless burners and grill. Well worth the cost in the long
run over cast burners or porcelain coated grills.

On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 18:53:09 -0500, "Skeeter" >
wrote:

>Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4 burners
>and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and can
>grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or two
>without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then I
>would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
>griddle and he hardly ever uses it.
>How about clean up for a grill? Is it a pain?
>Thanks in advance.
>

Howdy,

I can't help with the grill questions, but want to offer something
that might be of help:

We have a DCS range and generally like it.

There is a design problem though:

At the rear of the range top (we have a 6 burner) there is a vent that
stands up about 1 1/2" above the plane of the grills. That means that
any large pots put on the rear burners hit the protrusion. Were it in
the same plane as the grills, much larger cookware could be used. I
suppose that there may be a reason that this thing has to protrude,
but I can't see the reason.

Of course, I have no idea if the range top you are considering has the
same structure, but if it does, you might want to check it with some
cookware that you would actually want to use.

Good luck with your purchase,


--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Hi Vox,

The literature says that it is an 18,000 BTU grill. How does that compare
with yours? How about clean-up? That could be a deal breaker too. I like
the idea of a grill that can give you a charry flavor. I didn't think the
cast iron stuff could do that for you...



"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Skeeter" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4
burners
> > and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and
can
> > grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or
two
> > without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then I
> > would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
> > griddle and he hardly ever uses it.
> > How about clean up for a grill? Is it a pain?
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
>
> I would check the BTU output on the range and compare it with the grill
you
> are using. I have a JennAir with a grill, and it performs very poorly. I
> would hope that the DCSs are better. In any case, make sure you have very
> good ventilation. I think that I would opt for the 6 burners and invest
in
> a good cast iron grill pan that will bridge two burners.
>
>

Skeeter wrote:

> Hi Vox,
>
> The literature says that it is an 18,000 BTU grill. How does that compare
> with yours? How about clean-up? That could be a deal breaker too. I like
> the idea of a grill that can give you a charry flavor. I didn't think the
> cast iron stuff could do that for you...

18,000? That must be per burner?? Otherwise that is pretty low. My 4
burner Fire Magic grill is rated at 52,000 BTU. I also add a wood chip
box for a bit of smoke when grilling.

Hi Miles,

The range top I am talking about is for indoors. It is a DCS slide in
natural gas cook top for the kitchen. I can get either 6 17,500 BTU burners
OR 4 17.5k BTU burners and in the midle of the range top is a 18k BTU grill.
Like a Jenn-Aire... My Weber Kettle is where I would do my serious grilling
and smoking...outside.




"Miles" > wrote in message
news:qO_mb.35828$Rd4.1013@fed1read07...
>
>
> Skeeter wrote:
>
> > Hi Vox,
> >
> > The literature says that it is an 18,000 BTU grill. How does that
compare
> > with yours? How about clean-up? That could be a deal breaker too. I
like
> > the idea of a grill that can give you a charry flavor. I didn't think
the
> > cast iron stuff could do that for you...
>
> 18,000? That must be per burner?? Otherwise that is pretty low. My 4
> burner Fire Magic grill is rated at 52,000 BTU. I also add a wood chip
> box for a bit of smoke when grilling.
>

Skeeter wrote:

> Hi Miles,
>
> The range top I am talking about is for indoors. It is a DCS slide in
> natural gas cook top for the kitchen. I can get either 6 17,500 BTU burners
> OR 4 17.5k BTU burners and in the midle of the range top is a 18k BTU grill.
> Like a Jenn-Aire... My Weber Kettle is where I would do my serious grilling
> and smoking...outside.

Ah, misread your post. I'm not familiar with DCS indoor equipment but
their outdoor stuff is very well made. However, because many chain
retail stores are now carrying DCS equipment it has caused their prices
to often be above that of other brands that may be better made.
Hopefully you can find a good deal.

Folks,

Be VERY careful in comparing BTU's on a grill.

For example, the DCS grill is 'only' 18,000 BTU, but that is across a
grill that is approximately 12x24 inches.

That is 288 square inches.

And that is 62.5 BTU per square inch (12x24=288, then 18,000/288=62.5)

What counts is not total BTU, but BTU per square inch..

Colin





Miles wrote:
>
>
> Skeeter wrote:
>
>> Hi Vox,
>>
>> The literature says that it is an 18,000 BTU grill. How does that compare
>> with yours? How about clean-up? That could be a deal breaker too. I
>> like
>> the idea of a grill that can give you a charry flavor. I didn't think the
>> cast iron stuff could do that for you...
>
>
> 18,000? That must be per burner?? Otherwise that is pretty low. My 4
> burner Fire Magic grill is rated at 52,000 BTU. I also add a wood chip
> box for a bit of smoke when grilling.
>

"Skeeter" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Vox,
>
> The literature says that it is an 18,000 BTU grill. How does that compare
> with yours? How about clean-up? That could be a deal breaker too. I
like
> the idea of a grill that can give you a charry flavor. I didn't think the
> cast iron stuff could do that for you...
>

Mine in 16,000 BTUs. One problem is that it has a downdraft with a surface
level vent that draws off a lot of heat. Clean up is so-so. The grates are
coated with a non-stick coating so they get a quick scrub and then go into
the dishwasher. I line the basin with foil, so that get thrown out
(manufacture says not to use foil, but I do anyway.) The burner goes
through the self-cleaning cycle in the oven. Periodically I clean the basin
(where the burner sits) with oven cleaner.

There will be lots of smoke, so make sure you have very good ventilation.
The results that I get probably aren't much better than just using the
broiler. I also think that I get similar results from losing a smoking hot
cast iron skillet. and finishing off in the oven.

We own the DCS 4 burner and grill in the middle.
http://dcsappliances.com/indoor/detail.php?id=10
We did add the 1200 cubic foot per minute overhead exhaust fan vented to the
out side thru the roof.
The burners are great all 4 from keep warm to full blast boil quick in big
pots
as well as hot flash wok use.
The Grill is used very often to put burn on stuff like fish chicken steak
and sausage.
Even grill asparagus sprayed with olive oil and peppers to char them.

The clean up is about the same as any gas grill you may have used.
We just brush it with a stainless brush and keep on grilling day after day.
It comes with a nice stainless cover so you do not see the grids when the
thing is not in use.

We have a much bigger outside grill and WSM for BBQ and Weber for steaks but
have cut down
using the outside stuff for the quick indoor DCS ..
Hope this helps you figure it.


"Skeeter" > wrote in message
...
> Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4 burners
> and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and can
> grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or two
> without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then I
> would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
> griddle and he hardly ever uses it.
> How about clean up for a grill? Is it a pain?
> Thanks in advance.
>
>

Thanks Jimbo! You sound like me! I use a Weber Kettle and a WSM for
BBQ'ing/grilling too. Does the DCS get hot enough to really slap the meat
with the good heat? How about the taste? Can you use the grill in a pinch
as another burner? Thanks for your time and thoughts.
skeeter

ps Do the burners get hot enough to do a decent job blackening fish? I am
getting a 1200 cfm vent system as well so I should be able to handle the
smoke if the cooktop can just get my iron skillet hot enough...



"Jimbo" > wrote in message
news:6jznb.51751$e01.128609@attbi_s02...
> We own the DCS 4 burner and grill in the middle.
> http://dcsappliances.com/indoor/detail.php?id=10
> We did add the 1200 cubic foot per minute overhead exhaust fan vented to
the
> out side thru the roof.
> The burners are great all 4 from keep warm to full blast boil quick in big
> pots
> as well as hot flash wok use.
> The Grill is used very often to put burn on stuff like fish chicken steak
> and sausage.
> Even grill asparagus sprayed with olive oil and peppers to char them.
>
> The clean up is about the same as any gas grill you may have used.
> We just brush it with a stainless brush and keep on grilling day after
day.
> It comes with a nice stainless cover so you do not see the grids when the
> thing is not in use.
>
> We have a much bigger outside grill and WSM for BBQ and Weber for steaks
but
> have cut down
> using the outside stuff for the quick indoor DCS ..
> Hope this helps you figure it.
>
>
> "Skeeter" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4
burners
> > and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and
can
> > grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or
two
> > without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then I
> > would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
> > griddle and he hardly ever uses it.
> > How about clean up for a grill? Is it a pain?
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
>
>

Oh, and one more thing, is there much of a preheat time?


"Jimbo" > wrote in message
news:6jznb.51751$e01.128609@attbi_s02...
> We own the DCS 4 burner and grill in the middle.
> http://dcsappliances.com/indoor/detail.php?id=10
> We did add the 1200 cubic foot per minute overhead exhaust fan vented to
the
> out side thru the roof.
> The burners are great all 4 from keep warm to full blast boil quick in big
> pots
> as well as hot flash wok use.
> The Grill is used very often to put burn on stuff like fish chicken steak
> and sausage.
> Even grill asparagus sprayed with olive oil and peppers to char them.
>
> The clean up is about the same as any gas grill you may have used.
> We just brush it with a stainless brush and keep on grilling day after
day.
> It comes with a nice stainless cover so you do not see the grids when the
> thing is not in use.
>
> We have a much bigger outside grill and WSM for BBQ and Weber for steaks
but
> have cut down
> using the outside stuff for the quick indoor DCS ..
> Hope this helps you figure it.
>
>
> "Skeeter" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4
burners
> > and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and
can
> > grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or
two
> > without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then I
> > would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
> > griddle and he hardly ever uses it.
> > How about clean up for a grill? Is it a pain?
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
>
>

The burners are the hottest I have ever used..........
Turns the cast iron pans white hot on the bottom so blackened fish is
really high quality
with lots of smoke. It will also turn a steel wok red if you want too.
the pre heat on the grill is maybe 8 minutes ... the grill grids are very
heavy metal
porcelain covered and can be flipped so one side is sharp ridges
to burn mark stuff like chops or steak
and the other side is rounded to handle delicate stuff like fish or shrimp
or scallops.
The grill has two parts so you can even have one of each side up at the same
time.


"Skeeter" > wrote in message
...
> Oh, and one more thing, is there much of a preheat time?
>
>
> "Jimbo" > wrote in message
> news:6jznb.51751$e01.128609@attbi_s02...
> > We own the DCS 4 burner and grill in the middle.
> > http://dcsappliances.com/indoor/detail.php?id=10
> > We did add the 1200 cubic foot per minute overhead exhaust fan vented to
> the
> > out side thru the roof.
> > The burners are great all 4 from keep warm to full blast boil quick in
big
> > pots
> > as well as hot flash wok use.
> > The Grill is used very often to put burn on stuff like fish chicken
steak
> > and sausage.
> > Even grill asparagus sprayed with olive oil and peppers to char them.
> >
> > The clean up is about the same as any gas grill you may have used.
> > We just brush it with a stainless brush and keep on grilling day after
> day.
> > It comes with a nice stainless cover so you do not see the grids when
the
> > thing is not in use.
> >
> > We have a much bigger outside grill and WSM for BBQ and Weber for steaks
> but
> > have cut down
> > using the outside stuff for the quick indoor DCS ..
> > Hope this helps you figure it.
> >
> >
> > "Skeeter" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4
> burners
> > > and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and
> can
> > > grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or
> two
> > > without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then
I
> > > would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
> > > griddle and he hardly ever uses it.
> > > How about clean up for a grill? Is it a pain?
> > > Thanks in advance.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

"Skeeter" > wrote in message
...
> Thinking of getting a DCS range top. Question is, 6 burners or 4 burners
> and the grill. How good is the grill on these? I live down South and can
> grill year round but I would love the convenience for a quick steak or two
> without having to fire up the charcoal. If it isn't worth a damn then I
> would just as soon have the extra two burners. Buddy has one with the
> griddle and he hardly ever uses it.
> How about clean up for a grill? Is it a pain?
> Thanks in advance.
>
>

I have had a DCS 48" range for a little over a year. Service nightmare!!!!
Until stuff started going wrong I loved it but I have been without a grill
for over three months due to no serviceman (unless I am willing to pay for a
minimum of two visits at $250 per visit plus parts) and difficulty in
getting the part needed. I finally gave up on the DCS route last week and
bought it through GE (their Monogram series is from DCS) and the part should
be in next week.

My personal experience with DCS would cause me to warn against that brand.
I have been responsible for at least three friends NOT buying DCS due to my
troubles. I hope for many more successes in the future.

> >
> >
>
> I have had a DCS 48" range for a little over a year. Service nightmare!!!!
> Until stuff started going wrong I loved it but I have been without a grill
> for over three months due to no serviceman (unless I am willing to pay for a
> minimum of two visits at $250 per visit plus parts) and difficulty in
> getting the part needed. I finally gave up on the DCS route last week and
> bought it through GE (their Monogram series is from DCS) and the part should
> be in next week.
>
> My personal experience with DCS would cause me to warn against that brand.
> I have been responsible for at least three friends NOT buying DCS due to my
> troubles. I hope for many more successes in the future.

My two cents:

I have the same DCS 4 burner, grille in the center cooktop the
original poster was asking about. We had to have an ignitor serviced
twice. The first time it took forever to go through DCS customer
service and get somebody out. Their customer service was definitely
below standard in terms of knowledge, responsiveness and courtesy for
what we would expect, given the cost of the cooktop. However the
second time we had to have someone come out & service the cooktop
their service had improved markedly, the DCS phone person was more
knowledgeable and the service person fixed the problem, all within a
reasonable timeframe and at no cost to us. So the jury is still out
for me on the quality of their service.

The cooktop performs very well at all temperature ranges. The grill
takes a long time to get to max heat - about 25 minutes (we have more
than adequate nat. gas supply too). The grill also has some hotspots,
particularly along the edges. Other than that it works great. Note
that the ballast for the burner ignitors is rather loud, and it is
always on, whether or not you are cooking. DCS says this is normal.
ITs a bit annoying when the room is really quiet. Overall I like the
cooktop. I am using a 600 cfm Ventahood (equivalent to 900 cfm). Its
32" above the cooking surface and with the greasest meats on the grill
it collects almost all the smoke and grease. A tiny bit does escape.
With any other foods it collects 100%.

--brian

DCS are great grills, really heavy duty and cook well. They have a grease management system so they're not that hard to clean up. I guess the only potential drawback is price. I don't know what your budget is, but if you're just gonna use it to whip up a few steaks once in a while and leave the "real grilling" to the charcoal outdoors, then I would say go with the 4-burner DCS. It doesn't take long to heat up, and I haven't had to deal with customer service on mine, so I can't offer advice on that front. If you're looking for something quick and cheap though, I would recommend looking for maybe a used lower-end grill.