Remodeling 101: The Viking vs. Wolf Range

The offerings in professional-style ranges for the home kitchen have multiplied over the years, but two of the standard bearers still reign: Viking and Wolf. Similar in price points, features, and cooking power, they seem more alike than different. How to choose? It might just come down to the looks. 

As the first brand to bring commercial-type cooking equipment into the home, Viking has name recognition as well as a reputation for reliability and quality. Also known for high performance in the pro-style market, Wolf challenged Viking with a wider array of high-output burners and heavy-duty components. The race continues. Viking has upped its cooking power. And Wolf has introduced a few features where it once fell short, such as a self-cleaning oven.

Are you already a Viking or Wolf devotee? Share your experience in the Comments section below. 

Above: Viking was the range of choice in a kitchen by Commune. “We wanted it to feel like a chef’s kitchen, with a touch of the industrial,” the designers say. For a full view, see Steal This Look: An Exotic Tiled Kitchen by LA Design Firm Commune. Photography by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

How are Viking and Wolf ranges alike? 

Both are American made, offer gas and dual-fuel pro-style ranges in sizes from 30 to 60 inches wide, have self-cleaning ovens, burners with high BTUs, and are available with different burner configurations. Even Consumer Reports offers similar reviews of the two brands, praising their burner auto-reignition features and low-heat cooktops (a detail where big-powered burners have failed in the past), while criticizing the placement of the oven in relation to the floor (too low for both makes). And because their price points are comparable, cost is not a deciding factor.

Above: Remodelista's Francesca has a Viking in the galley kitchen of her Brooklyn townhouse (featured in the Remodelista book). She has cooked on both Wolf and Viking ranges, but prefers the latter. "The Wolf definitely lives up to its name: It's fierce, and powerful; maybe a little too powerful for me," Francesca says. "I have the Viking, which must have a lower BTU, but it's plenty for me. I've owned three Vikings and two are great, one has some quirks. I would buy a Viking again for the classic design and functionality." Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

What are some of the key differences between Viking and Wolf ranges?

Finishes

 

Above: Sick of stainless? Viking wins in this category. It offers ranges in a choice of colors, including black, white, red (shown here), burgundy, gray, and cobalt. Wolf ranges are available only in a brushed stainless finish.

Knobs

Above: Don't underestimate the power of Wolf's signature red knobs. Remodelista editor in chief Julie has a six-burner Wolf range in her kitchen on Cape Cod. "This is kind of embarrassing, but I bought it for the cheery red knobs," she says. That said "it's more than 10 years old and I think we've only had to service it once." 

Wolf ranges are available with red, black, or stainless knobs; Viking's latest knobs are stainless (black and white have been offered on some recent models). 

Warranties

Both companies offer strong warranties. The Wolf Residential Warranty provides two-year coverage for all parts and labor, along with five-year limited coverage on certain parts. Viking offers a Three-Year Signature Warranty with full coverage for all indoor cooking appliances.

Burners

Above: Wolf ranges have dual-stacked sealed gas burners with two tiers of flames: One delivers high heat; the other comes on for low-heat settings. Julie likes "the super firepower and the fact that it's easy to adjust the flame to a low simmer" on her Wolf range.

 

Above: Introduced in 2014, the Viking 7 Series ranges feature 23,000-BTU "elevation" burners with brass flame ports adapted from the Viking Commercial product line. They also offer a "VariSimmer" setting for even simmering at low temperatures. 

Do Wolf and Viking offer a variety of appliances?

Wolf and Viking seem to have differing philosophies when it comes to their product lines. In 2013, Viking became part of the Middleby Corporation, the largest food-service equipment manufacturer in the world. Since then, the company has introduced more than 60 new products. Wolf, meanwhile, is part of Sub-Zero, a third-generation, family-owned company that prides itself on focus: "While other brands divide their attention among everything from trash compactors to vacuum cleaners, Sub-Zero and Wolf remain committed to refining and mastering their specialties: the world’s finest refrigeration and cooking appliances."

This is important to consider if you're outfitting your entire kitchen and want to stick to the same brand for either aesthetic or cost reasons (some distributors offer favorable pricing when purchasing suites of appliances). But this can cut both ways. "The reason I got a Wolf the second time around was because we had other Viking appliances that were bad," says Michelle, editor in chief of Gardenista. "Those appliances soured us on the brand, even though we thought the Viking stove performed well."

Above: A Wolf range surrounded by Shaker cabinets (painted in Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray) in an LA kitchen designed by Martha Mulholland—see LA Story: Mix and Match Garden for a Spanish Colonial. Photography by Laure Joliet.

Which is easier to clean, a Viking or Wolf stovetop?

That's a point of debate here at Remodelista, but, truth be told, they're likely comparable: Both Wolf and Viking ranges now come with sealed burner pans that make cleaning easier.

Remodelista's Sarah lives in a house that came with a 30-inch Viking gas range: "Besides being great to cook with," she says, "I love the pullout tray beneath the burners for easy cleaning." 

When it comes to cleaning, I, too, had a good experience with Viking. In my Seattle remodel several years back, I chose a Viking range top with sealed burners, which, combined with removable burner grates, made for easy cleaning (and no fear of spillage creeping into unknown depths). 

Above: Michelle specced a Wolf range in her Mill Valley kitchen redo. (Read why she does not recommend putting in a marble backsplash behind the stove.) Photograph by Liesa Johannssen for Remodelista.

Michelle has had both a Viking and Wolf range. She put a Wolf in her recent remodel and admits to liking it better than the Viking in part because of the cleaning issues. "The stovetop on the Viking was harder to clean. I can't remember the exact configuration, but for some reason food and liquids were able to drip down the burner covers and get stuck around the wiring. Impossible to really clean," says Michelle. "This is not true of the Wolf. The Wolf burner design is really smart—the removable burner rings fit tightly and prevent drips down into the stove parts."

Where do I buy Viking and Wolf ranges? 

Sales of Viking and Wolf appliances are limited to dealers within defined geographical limits of the buyer. This means that they're not available for online purchase if you live more than a specified number of miles from a seller's location. Refer to the Viking dealer locater and the Wolf dealer locater to find the vendors nearest to you. 

Both Wolf and Viking have tools to help with kitchen design and inspiration. Viking has a free iPad App, while Wolf offers an online kitchen gallery and curated kitchen collection. 

 

 

Above: Last year Viking introduced the 7 Series, a new line of pro ranges for the home with features taken from the company's commercial line, such as elevated 23,000-BTU burners with brass flame ports, commercial griddles, and gentle-close oven doors, to name a few. The Viking 7 Series 36-Inch Dual Fuel Range is $10,839 through Viking dealers.

 

Above: The Wolf Dual Fuel 36-Inch Range (DF366) with six burners is $9,200 (or $10,180 with griddle or charbroiler option) through Wolf Dealers.

Are there other brands to consider?

There are so many professional-style ranges on the market that the burden of choice can be overwhelming. We've rounded up some favorites in different categories to help narrow the field. 

• Reduced-Size Ranges
• 7 High-Style Italian Kitchen Ranges
• 6 Chateau-Style Cooking Ranges
• 10 Easy Pieces: 36-Inch Gas Cooktops
• 10 Easy Pieces: Freestanding 36-Inch Ranges

Interested in outfitting your kitchen with American-made products? See:

• 13 American-Made Appliances, from Countertop Mixers to Ranges to Refrigerators
• 15 Made-in-America Kitchen Classics
• 7 Sources for American-Made Hardware
• Henrybuilt's Custom Kitchen Systems

And for another appliance comparison, see The Great Vacuum Debate: Miele vs. Dyson.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 12, 2015, as part of our California Cool issue.

More Stories from Remodelista

• 15 Ideas to Steal from Vintage Kitchens
• 16 Tricks for Maximizing Space in a Tiny Kitchen, Urban Edition
• Secrets from the Swanson Kitchen, SF Edition

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15 Ideas to Steal from Vintage Kitchens

Sometimes we're so busy looking into the future that we forget to revisit the greatest hits of the past. Here are 15 ideas from old-fashioned kitchens worth incorporating into your own setup.

Above: An enamel farmhouse sink with a drainboard provides space for washing and drying plus elbow room to cook. This one is in the Queens, New York, kitchen of Aesthetic Movement founders Jesse James and Kostas Anagnopoulos (the cafe-au-lait bowls are from their housewares line Sir/Madam). Source a vintage sink from a salvage dealer near you, or consider the 42-Inch Cast-Iron Wall-Hung Kitchen Sink with Drainboard, $995.95, from Signature Hardware. Tour this apartment in Calm and Collected. 

Above: An enamelware wall-hung soap dish keeps sinks clutter- (and slime-) free, and is also ideal for storing scrub brushes. See Julie's version in A Mini Kitchen Makeover, and source your own on eBay. Photograph via Martha Stewart.

Above: Store dishes tidily within reach in a wall-hung plate rack. For sources, see 10 Easy Pieces: Kitchen Plate Racks and Design Sleuth: The Stainless Steel Indian Dish Rack. Photograph via Fleaing France. 

Above: For sink-side hand drying, the roller towel on a wooden rack is ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, and laundries. Shown here, Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen's Wood Towel Holder (£28), and Roller Towel (£28 for two) from Labour and Wait in London. Ancient Industries sells a similar Wood Towel Roller for $45. See Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen Air Their Dirty Laundry.

Above: Work-of-art vintage stoves are the ultimate hearths. And they're often scaled to fit small kitchens. This one is at the Hudson Milliner, a B&B in Hudson, New York (see Steal This Look: Hudson Milliner Kitchen). Reconditioned vintage ranges can be sourced from Savon Appliance in LA, which specializes in Wedgewood and O'Keefe & Merrit (Julie once lived with a vintage O'Keefe & Merrit and loved it). Antique Appliances of Clayton, Georgia, is another source. For a list of vintage range dealers across the country, go to Retro Renovation.

Above: A boon for any kitchen, large or small: a pullout cutting board. Kitchen cabinet specialists Wood-Mode make a range of built-in storage designs, including a Pullout Chopping Block. Photograph via J. Ingerstedt.

Above: Isn't it time to bring back a little pattern underfoot? This black-and-white tile design is in the kitchen of the Hudson Milliner B&B. Note that gray grout helps hide the dirt. 

Above: The easy alternative to a root cellar? A classic hanging straw basket (with wide vents for air circulation), such as this one in Justine's Old Cape Cod Cottage. See Gardenista's 10 Easy Pieces: Onion and Garlic Baskets for sources. And explore Justine's house in the Remodelista book. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

Above: A British favorite that deserves to be discovered here: the pulley laundry drying rack positioned above the range to catch the hot air. This one is in deVOL's Shaker Kitchen. See Object Lessons: The Sheila Maid Clothes Airer for a history and sources. 

Above: In a kitchen by San Francisco architect Malcolm Davis, an open-to-the-outdoors California pantry is designed for fruit and vegetable storage. (See more at Steal This Look: Malcolm Davis Kitchen in SF.)

Above: When did the broom closet become a luxury? The perfect cleaning supplies cupboard, broom closets make perfect use of the narrow space next to the fridge. This one is in Jesse James and Kostas Anagnopoulos's New York apartment (see first photo).

Above: No need to go digging for a bottle opener when you have one waiting on the wall. Rejuvenation offers a range of vintage examples, including the Grand Prize Lager Beer Bottle Opener, $24.

Above: Old-fashioned, under-the-shelf cup hooks let you keep your mug handy (and on display). Photograph via Walnut Farms in East Sussex.

Above: A black-and-white checked floor somehow never looks tired. This easy-on-the-legs painted wood version is in Mark Lewis Interior Design's Tufnell Park project. See Steal This Look: A Classic English Kitchen for an Oscar-Winning Costume Designer.

Above: A working fireplace in the kitchen: the ultimate luxury? We think so; see more at A Floating Farmhouse in Upstate New York.

For more kitchen takeaway, go to:

• 15 Life-Changing Storage Ideas for the Kitchen
• 11 Design Details to Steal from High-End Bespoke Kitchens
• 14 Kitchen Storage Tricks to Steal from the Bathroom
• 11 Kitchen Islands Gone Glamorous

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on February 6, 2015 as part of our issue called The Humble Abode.

More Stories from Remodelista

• 16 Tricks for Maximizing Space in a Tiny Kitchen, Urban Edition
• Secrets from the Swanson Kitchen, SF Edition
• DIY: Winter Market Punch Recipe from Sweets & Bitters

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Before & After: The $350 DIY Kitchen Overhaul in Two Weekends

What do you do when you're not at work? Brooklyn ceramic artist Suzie Ryu and painter/furniture designer Kana Philip both have demanding jobs by day—she does marketing for architecture site Architizer and he's the cofounder of just-launched content-sharing platform 8. At night, they create things for their online design shop, Trollhagen & Co. As for weekends, they can be found in Chatham, New York, making a dent on their DIY house remodel. Take a look at what they were able to accomplish in two weekends for just under $350. 

Photography by Suzie Ryu.

Above: Suzie and Kana arrive every Friday night to their 1930s house, known as The Schoolhouse because it has an 1812 school attached to it. ("The school was rolled down the road after the house was built," says Suzie.) They only have 48 hours there every week, but they manage to get a lot done. After setting up their bedroom, they opened up the 1980s kitchen in the main house by removing the dark upper cabinets and replacing them with open shelving and Ikea pot racks. They painted the lower cabinets white and left the speckled laminate counter and fixtures as is.

Here's Suzie's description of the open-shelf prep: "First we measured the length and depth we wanted. We decided to run two six-inch-deep boards across our brackets to have an approximate shelf depth of twelve inches. We knew we wanted to run one shelf along the whole length of the wall and have a shorter one running over the sink but not over the stove, so we took our measurements accordingly."

Above: The shelves are Home Depot pine boards that the couple painted with a roller for speed and then brush-finished because they prefer a handmade look. They used Home Depot's Behr Ultra Pure White paint in matte on the walls and shelves. (Suzie notes that in hindsight it would have been smart to paint the under shelves matte and the top gloss for easy cleaning.) The brackets are Ikea's Ekby Valter design in birch—a mere $4 each—and the hanging bars are Ikea's Bygel Rail (over the sink) and Grundtal Rail (over the stove) with companion Bygel and Gundtal S hooks.

Like the look? See our post Ultimate Budget Storage: 10 Kitchens with Ikea's Grundtal Rail System.

Above: The shelves are stocked with Suzie's own ceramics that she sells at Trollhagen & Co., including, on the top shelf, the Harvest Bowl, two-toned Saturday Carafe, and, on the lower shelf, Harvest Dishes and Porcelain Berry Bowl—all, alas, currently sold out. Stay tuned: The couple are at work on furniture and textiles for the shop and also plan to showcase some of their friends' designs.

Above: Vintage blue enamelware collected locally and white enamelware from Valley Variety in Hudson, New York.

Above: Suzie replaced the existing leaky faucet with a Glacier Bay Single Handle Pull-Down Sprayer Faucet that she picked out at Home Depot—"it was $170, our biggest expense." She did the installation herself by watching YouTube videos on how to remove an old faucet and put in a new one (here's one she recommends).

In Progress

Above: The cabinets awaiting paint. They would receive two coats of brushed-on Behr Ultra Pure White in matte from Home Depot. Suzy and Kana like the look of the hardware-free paneled drawers and doors now that they're white and say they're holding up well.

Before

Above: The compact kitchen overlooks the sun porch, which Suzy and Kana turned into their bedroom. 

Above: The cupboard and vent removal took place over a winter weekend (during which three pipes burst), and the wall spackling, sanding, and painting the following weekend.   

See more DIY kitchen overhauls. 

• Abbey and Phil's Farm Kitchen Rehab for Under $500
• Reader Rehab: Danielle's Kitchen Makeover for Under $500
• Ikea Upgrade: Sarah Sherman Samuel's Semi-handmade Kitchen Remodel
• Ask the Experts: Kitchen Remodeling Advice from Jersey Ice Cream Company

And on Gardenista, read Michelle's kitchen wisdom in 10 Mistakes to Avoid When You Remodel.

N.B.: This post is an update; it originally ran on March 19, 2015, as part of our Weekend Projects issue.

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• DIY: Tea-Dyed Wrapping Paper from LA's Doyenne of the Perfect Present
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16 Tricks for Maximizing Space in a Tiny Kitchen, Urban Edition

A roundup of ingenious kitchen spaces—some no larger than a closet—that are minuscule yet functional (and full of ideas to steal).

1. Do Away with Cabinet Hardware

Above: Uncluttered countertops, lofty ceilings, and hardware-free cabinetry make this kitchen in the Villa Piedad in Spain by architect Maria Badiola seem larger; via Huh Magazine. We like handle cutouts as an alternative; for ideas, go to 10 Favorites: Cutout Kitchen Cabinet Pulls.

2. Use a Monochrome Palette (Kitchen Faucet Included)

Above: In Mischa Lampert's tiny NYC studio, even the kitchen faucet is white, creating a blank canvas. Photograph by Genevieve Garruppo via Lonny.

3. Install a Cantilivered Table

Above: A cantilevered table in the tiny Wroclaw, Poland, kitchen of architect Ewa Czerny of 3XA saves precious floorspace (one leg is better than two); via Architizer.

4. Consider an All-in-One Kitchen Unit

Above: A truly tiny Avanti 30-Inch Complete Compact Kitchen with Refrigerator at the Spruceton Inn. Photograph via A Journal.

5. Use a Tiny Kitchen Island as Room Divider

Above: In the Old Homestead in Provincetown, designers Kristin Hein and Philip Cozzi of Hein + Cozzi built a small kitchen island that defines a kitchen area without breaking up the loftlike feel of the space. See more at Low-Key Luxury: The New Old Homestead in Provincetown.

6. Choose a Skinny Fridge 

Above: A tiny kitchen by Ore Studios has a refrigerator that measures a mere 24 inches wide. See more at 5 Favorites: Skinny Refrigerators.

7. Make a DIY Wall-Mounted Wire Storage Rack

Above: Make a DIY $38 Wire Pot Rack That's Perfect for a Compact Kitchen via A Beautiful Mess.

8. Source a High-Style Folding Table

Above: The Table Plus from UK-based Magnet Kitchens offers an extra work or dining surface and includes storage space. The leather pockets are handy for stashing mail and magazines.

9. Think Like a Puzzle Maker

Above: A tiny kitchen by Mesh Architectures occupies a nook in a 300-square-foot art dealer's studio. Bonus points: The high-mounted oven includes a drop-down feature. See Remodelista's Favorite Space-Saving Appliances for Small Kitchens.

10. Build a Tall and Slim Bar Counter

Above: A tall, slim table serves as a seating counter in the tiny kitchen of Karlijn de Jong, via Lisanne van de Klift.

11. Install a Bar Sink

Above: Karin Montgomery Spath used a tiny bar sink and slotted in a two-burner cooktop to create a mini kitchen in an Auckland space. See more at Small-Space Living: An Airy Studio Apartment in a Garage. Photograph by Matthew Williams.

12. Hang Utensils on the Wall as Art

Above: A galley kitchen in London by Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi features walls of framed photographs and—ingeniously—kitchen implements either hung from hooks or mounted directly on the wall for immediate access.

13. Consider a Radiant Electric Cooktop Surface

Above: The look of this minimalist Stockholm apartment is streamlined by a smooth surface electric cooktop. Photograph via Design Attractor.

14. Use Vertically Stacked Subway Tile

Above: In a London apartment, architect Charles Mellersch tiled the walls in vertically stacked subway tiles to create a sense of loftiness.

15. Spec an Integrated Sink and Countertop 

Above: An integrated stainless sink/countertop in a revamped Oakland carriage house by Christi Azevedo provides a seamless work area. See more at A California Carriage House Transformed. 

16. Use Every Inch of Vertical Real Estate

Above: When Danielle Arceneaux overhauled her Park Slope kitchen, she added an additional shelf above her cabinets and gained space for displaying her bowl collection. See more at Reader Rehab: Danielle's DIY Kitchen Remodel for Under $500.

For more small-space living ideas, see Radical Downsizing: High/Low Mini Kitchens and Race-Car-Style Appliances for the Compact Kitchen.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on September 18, 2015 as part of our Urban Life issue.

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• Secrets from the Swanson Kitchen, SF Edition
• DIY: Winter Market Punch Recipe from Sweets & Bitters
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