Viking 30-inch Dual Fuel Range: Review And Comparison

If you're someone who cooks a lot, you'll appreciate a good​
appliance. They can be the difference between average and excellent cooking.
Plus, they can also shave time off your meal prep, too.

There is an overwhelming range of kitchen appliances to
choose from out there. We thought we would review a particular brand and see
how they fared against other brands.

Let’s take a look at the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range.

So, what is the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range, then? It is a
range of five burner sealed stove-top ovens, produced by the manufacturer Viking.

They are aptly named dual fuel because they utilize both
electric and gas. The stove-top is run on gasoline, while the oven below is
electric.

For the sake of continuity, we will focus on the five burner
30 inch model in the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range. The four burners have a maximum
Btu of 15,000.

Viking themselves claim to have one of the largest oven
capacities on the market with the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range. Additionally, they
also believe that they have one of the fastest preheat times in their ovens,
too.

The gas that the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range uses natural gas,
as opposed to propane. Let’s give the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range a thorough
review.

The Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range has a number of established
features, with additional specs
to now add to the list.

Their pro sealed burner system is capable of going up to
18,500 Btu’s on the front right-hand burner. All other burners can only reach
15,000 Btu’s.

All Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range burners are equipped with a
cutting-edge ignition system to ensure that the flame ignites every time.

Their black chrome knobs are hard wearing and heavy duty.
Again, they reiterate that the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range has one of the largest
oven capacities in the industry.

Additionally, the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range oven comes with
six porcelain rack slots and three racks. The soft close door allows you to
close the oven door slowly and softly, without it slamming.

Their window opening is new and improved, with a broader
view of the oven interior. The Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range has three oven lights
for you to see everything.

Because the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range uses electric in the
oven, it's self-cleaning. The oven comes with ten cooking and baking modes,
including convection.

The surface grates located over the burners are easily
removable for a quick clean up.

When using the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range, there are a few
things that you need to remember.

There is an electric ignition for all sealed surface
burners. This means that there are no open flame pilots, making it safer.

The front right-hand burner is capable of outputting up to
18,500 Btu’s. However, it’s also great for simmering large pots, as well, and
can be turned right down like the other burners.

There is an optional griddle that also comes with 15,000
Btu’s. The thermostat that’s attached to the griddle is designed to maintain an
even temperature across the surface of the griddle once properly heated.

The Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range also comes with an optional
char-grill, depending on the specific model. This is a heavy duty porcelainized
grate made out of cast-iron. Beneath the grate is a porcelain plate that is
designed to catch any drippings.

The soft close door feature allows the door to remain open
until it is approximately 12 centimeters away from the oven. Gently pushing it
at this point will encourage it to close. The speed at which the oven door
closes will depend on the temperature of the oven.

Now that we've covered the specs of the Viking 30 Dual Fuel
Range let's take a look at how prices vary for this range across different
retail outlets.

• AJ
  Madison: AJ Madison has the full Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range available,
  whether you’re looking for the five or four burner model.

  The particular model we’re reviewing is available on AJ Madison
  from $3899.00 in stainless steel with propane gas. If you want it in black with
  natural gas, it’ll set you back $4599.00.

• US
  Appliance: US Appliance
  also has the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range available for purchase online, too. The
  model that we’re reviewing is available in white and natural gas for $4699.00.
• Appliances
  Connection: the last online retailer that we’re looking at with the Viking
  30 Dual Fuel Range models is Appliances
  Connection. They have the natural gas model in stainless steel
  available for $3999.00 – and this includes free shipping. If you’re looking for
  the same model in black or white, it’ll set you back $4699.00.

Now that we've discussed the different price points of the
Viking 30 Duel Fuel Range across the board let's see how they rate against
similar appliances from different brands.

First, let’s discuss the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range:

Now, let’s discuss the Smeg CPF30UGM and compare
it against the Viking RVDR33025B

The Smeg CPF30UGM has a wider range of colors to choose from
compared to its Viking counterpart. These include matte black, olive green, red
and yellow as well as regular black, white and stainless steel.

The Smeg CPF30UGM also has available storage space
underneath, which the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range doesn't. This is because the
Viking range has to allow for a substantial oven capacity. 

Surprisingly, the Viking 30 Duel Fuel Range is smaller than
the Smeg CPF30UGM. However, we can confirm that it has a larger oven capacity
compared to Smeg’s 3.6 cubic feet. The Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range has an oven
capacity of 4.7 cubic feet.

The Viking Dual Fuel Range has three oven racks, while the
Smeg CPF30UGM only has two.

Now that we’ve looked at the Smeg CPF30UGM against the
Viking Dual Fuel Range let's review the Bertazzoni PROF304DFXX in contrast.

The Bertazzoni PROF304DFXX has a number of features that are
different when comparing with the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range. One of the most
significant differences that we can see is the Bertazzoni PROF304DFXX has an
open burner, as opposed to sealed burners like the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range.

It is also available in a more extensive range of different
colors, including yellow, orange and red. The Bertazzoni PROF304DFXX has a higher
Btu output on some of its burners, and then a lower output on the others.

It comes with four burners as opposed to five. Its oven
capacity is almost comparable with the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range – coming in at
4.6 cubic feet. While it features a temperature probe that the Viking 30 Dual
Fuel Range doesn't have, unfortunately, the Bertazzoni PROF304DFXX doesn’t come
with an interior oven light, while the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range does.

It only has two oven racks, and its door isn't removable.
The Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range comes with three oven racks, and you can remove
the door for more efficient cleaning.

Let’s take a look at our last comparison between the Viking
30 Dual Fuel Range and FiveStar TPN287. As a refresher, let’s review the Viking
30 Dual Fuel Range:

Now, let’s do the same to the FiveStar TPN287:

The FiveStar TPN287 is only available in the same colors as
the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range. Its burner output is slightly higher across the
board, allowing for 18,500 Btu’s for each burner. Its oven capacity, however,
is one of the smallest in this review, at 3.69 cubic feet.

It does come with three racks instead of two, putting it up
there with Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range. It also stands slightly higher than the
Viking range, which may or may not be convenient, depending on the layout of
your kitchen.

Overall, while FiveStar TPN287 is a high-quality dual fuel
oven, it's also the most expensive on our comparison list. 

We’ve looked at the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range in comparison
with other similar appliances on the market. Now, let’s discuss the various
advantages of the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range:

• Temperature:
  Good
  Housekeeping mentions the temperature when it comes to looking at
  the benefits of the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range. They say that the sealed burners
  allow for a steady simmer and an even distribution of heat. Additionally, the
  oven is said to heat evenly and broil well.
• Cleaning:
  the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range is easy to clean, with few awkward crevices and
  hard to reach places. The oven racks are easily removable and can fit nicely
  into an average-sized sink. If you don't feel like doing the dishes, the Viking
  30 Dual Fuel Range also has a self-clean setting.
• Easily
  Controlled: learning how to work and operate the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range
  is simple and straightforward. The controlled knobs are easy to see and use,
  while the manual that comes with this range is extensive but concise. It also
  includes a quick reference guide if you want to skip the details.

Now that we’ve run through the advantages of the Viking 30
Dual Fuel Range, let’s take a look at some possible setbacks:

• Oven:
  the oven seems to have a couple of problem areas that can get in the way of a
  good bake. Because there is no storage drawer below, the oven itself is quite
  low, making it hard to bend down for access every time. Additionally, while the
  oven is large, the window looking into the oven is quite small.
• Oven Continued:
  while the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range has three interior oven lights for a high
  level of visibility, there appear to be some issues around the lighting itself.
  Apparently, they don't come on automatically when you open the door. Also, the
  oven isn't able to convert temperatures when using the convection feature, so
  you have to remember to do this manually.
• Appearance:
  if you’re someone who likes stainless steel, the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range is
  ideal. While it’s available in a black and white as well, you will still get
  quite a bit of stainless
  steel with these models. The control panel, back guard, and front
  handle will all remain stainless.

We’ve looked at the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range in great
detail. We have discussed the technical aspects of this appliance range and
considered varying price points and how it compares to other similar dual fuel
range models.

In conclusion, we award the Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range 4/5
stars. While it has a couple of setbacks around specific features of the oven
and is more limited in appearance than you may think, the Viking 30 Dual Fuel
Range is built well for practicality and longevity.

The Viking 30 Dual Fuel Range is made to suit a wide variety
of cooking requirements.