When it comes to cooking, the range does much of the work. Housing both the cooktop and the oven, the range is the heartbeat of your kitchen. You want a great stovetop with robust temperatures settings to enable the perfect sear or fry and facilitate a smooth melt or simmer, and underneath, you want a great oven that can give you a perfect, even bake every time. There are many models of ranges available from well-known brands. We’re going to look at two luxury-tier brands in the culinary space — read our comparison guide for Thermador vs Wolf ranges.
At a Glance:
What makes Thermador ranges great?
What are the best Thermador range models?
What are the best Wolf range models?
Which is better: Thermador or Wolf ranges? [Table]
About Thermador Ranges
Thermador ranges come with many different models to choose from, consistently offering a few key features. Their patented Star® burners will give you more even heating with great flame coverage throughout your stove. You’ll also find great additions like griddle and grill space on the cooktops.
About Wolf Ranges
Wolf ranges also come in a variety of sizes, oven count, and fuel types. All their ranges feature their patented red control knobs, but you’ll also find options for black and stainless steel. Beyond aesthetics, Wolf ranges produce a great cook with differing burner sizes and intensities. You’ll also find large oven capacities capable of baking and roasting all your favorite foods.
Best Thermador and Wolf Ranges
With several models to choose from across Thermador and Wolf ranges, it can be difficult to make a choice; however, we’ve narrowed it down to the best overall picks and the best splurges for each brand.
Our Top Picks:
- Best Overall Thermador: Thermador Pro Harmony 36" Stainless Steel Pro Style Dual Fuel Range (PRD364WLHU)
- Best Thermador Splurge: Thermador Pro Grand 48" Stainless Steel Pro Style Dual Fuel Range (PRD486WLGU)
- Best Overall Wolf: Wolf 36" Stainless Steel Freestanding Dual Fuel Range (DF36650/S/P)
- Best Wolf Splurge: Wolf 48" Stainless Steel Freestanding Dual Fuel Range (DF48450DG/S/P)
Best Thermador Ranges: Our Top 2 Picks
1. Best Overall: Thermador Pro Harmony 36” Stainless Steel Pro Style Dual Fuel Range (PRD364WLHU)
This 36” Thermador range features a sleek, professional design. The stainless-steel finish with metal knobs and an oven bar will allow this oven to integrate into any kitchen style with ease. The rangetop boasts patented Star® burners that will give you more even heating with great flame coverage. Two burners feature precision simmering capabilities, going as low as 375 BTUs. All four burners are nestled into a quick clean base, allowing for easy cleanup of any spills.
Accompanying the burners on the rangetop is a large grill and griddle space. This space gives you diverse cooking capabilities but remains easy to clean with removable racks. The oven offers precise airflow for cooking on multiple levels without flavor transfer. This convection bake is complemented with eight cooking modes in a large 5-cubic-foot capacity.
Features:
- Exclusive, patented Star® Burner
- QuickClean Base®
- ExtraLow® Simmer burners
- Superfast two-hour self-clean mode
- Every burner boasts 18,000 BTUs
- Titanium surface non-stick, rust-proof cast-aluminum grill accessory
- Powerful, 8-pass bake and broil elements
- Third Element Convection
- Full Access® telescopic racks, integrated easy-grip handle
- Removable griddle and grill accessory for easy clean-up
- Six rack levels for multiple item cooking
2. Best Splurge: Thermador Pro Grand 48” Stainless Steel Pro Style Dual Fuel Range (PRD486WLGU)
Our splurge choice, the 48” Pro Grande Thermador range, holds the most robust cooktop capabilities of the models on our list. You’ll find six independent Star® burners plus a large grill/griddle space.
The oven offers precise airflow for cooking on multiple levels without flavor transfer. This third element convection cook gives you a more even bake, even when introducing pans on multiple racks. You’ll also enjoy the side-by-side oven design, giving you more space to bake in two different temperatures. Unlike our other chosen Thermador, this luxury model features wireless connectivity. This gives you easy remote control and monitoring from your smartphone. You’ll find an easy interface with the signature blue indicator light enabling easy control of the appliance.
Features:
- Patented Star® Burner with QuickClean Base®
- Powerful 22,000 BTU burner
- 4 ExtraLow® Simmer burners
- Two-hour rapid self-clean cycle
- Superior grilling results with the 2000-watt electric grill
- CookControl™ meat probe and preheat status with audible alert
- Third Element Convection
- Six rack levels in each oven for multiple item cooking
Best Wolf Ranges: Our Top 2 Picks
1. Best Overall: Wolf 36” Stainless Steel Freestanding Dual Fuel Range (DF36650/S/P)
Our choice for the best overall Wolf range is this 36” model. Complete with classic Wolf red burner knobs and a clean, simple silhouette, this range features a patented gas dual-stacked, sealed burner design that provides precise high-to-low temperature control. It also supports a spark ignition system that reignites the burner automatically.
The range’s gas cooktop holds six burners and a continuous grate system, allowing you to cook intricate meals and rearrange your cookware with ease. A high maximum heat of 20,000 BTUs will give you a perfect sear, while a lower 300-BTU mode will delicately melt and simmer. In the oven, Wolf packs this range with a convection system complete with Dual VertiCross™. This mode gives you even, reliable heat throughout the entire oven. You’ll get a perfect even bake with reduced hot and cold spots, enabling better multi-rack cooking.
As for controls, Wolf spares no feature. You’ll find nearly 50 presets that will automatically cook your food perfectly. Ten cooking modes complement these presets, allowing for perfect baking and broiling with convection capabilities. Finally, this entire Wolf range is WiFi-enabled, giving you the ability to remotely preheat, select modes, and adjust oven temperature from your mobile device.
Features:
- Patented gas dual-stacked, sealed burner design
- Automatical reignition of burners
- Dual VertiCross™ convection system
- Gourmet Mode
- Ten cooking modes: Bake, Broil, Convection, Convection Roast, Dehydrate, Gourmet, Proof, Roast, Stone, and Warm
- Six dual-stacked burners produce up to 20,000 BTUs
- The full-color touch screen
- LED backlit control knobs illuminate when in use
- Oven self-clean, delayed start, timed cook, and Sabbath features
- Temperature probe
- WiFi-enabled
2. Best Splurge: Wolf 48” Stainless Steel Freestanding Dual Fuel Range (DF48450DG/S/P)
Like our overall pick, this luxury splurge 48” Wolf range features the patented gas dual-stacked, sealed burner design for precise high-to-low temperature control. The main difference in this model is the size: The stove features four burners and a large griddle cooktop.
On the cooktop, the griddle gives you intense heat options, featuring even, precise heating. This griddle allows you to handle breakfast with equal finesse as seared burgers and stir-fried vegetables. The split burners provide you ample space for searing, sautéing, pan-frying, and boiling, with power going up to 20,000 BTUs. The dual oven features a side-by-side design with one 18” oven and one 30” oven. This enabled simultaneous cooking at different temperatures, allowing you to fit multiple pans with ease.
Features:
- Patented gas dual-stacked, sealed burner design
- Automatical reignition of burners
- Dual VertiCross™ convection system
- Gourmet Mode
- Ten cooking modes: Bake, Broil, Convection, Convection Roast, Dehydrate, Gourmet, Proof, Roast, Stone, and Warm
- 30,000-BTU double griddle
- Six dual-stacked burners produce up to 20,000 BTUs
- The full-color touch screen
- LED backlit control knobs illuminate when in use
- Oven self-clean, delayed start, timed cook, and Sabbath features
- Temperature probe
- WiFi-enabled
Thermador vs Wolf Ranges: Which are Better?
When comparing Thermador vs Wolf ranges, it’s difficult to pick a better choice. We’ve pared it down to the best option by category.
Smart Capabilities
If you’re looking for a smart-capable oven, Wolf is the better choice. You’ll find smart capabilities in both our best overall model and luxury pick. Thermador only offers this connectivity in their more expensive models.
Performance
In terms of overall performance, these two range brands are very close; however, we must select Thermador as the overall winner in this space. For one, Thermador’s patented burners will give you a better, more even heat on your cooktop. You’ll also get more cooking space on the brand’s larger model compared to Wolf’s.
Thermador vs Wolf: Best Ranges Comparison
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the top models from each brand:
|
Product Attributes |
Thermador PRD364WLHU |
Wolf DF36650/S/P |
|
Fuel Type |
Dual Fuel |
Dual Fuel |
|
MSRP |
$8,949 |
$11,065 |
|
Number of Burners |
6 (w/ 2 double grates) |
6 |
|
Finish Options |
Stainless Steel |
Stainless Steel |
|
Width |
35-15/16” |
35-7/8” |
|
Height |
35-7/8” |
36-1/2” |
|
Depth |
24-3/4” |
29-1/2” |
|
Cooking Modes |
8; 3rd Element Convection, Centre-Area Grill/ Broiler, Convection Bake, Convection Broil, Convection Roast, Conventional Heat, Roasting Function, and Self-cleaning Pyrolitic |
10; Bake, Broil, Convection, Convection Roast, Dehydrate, Gourmet, Proof, Roast, Stone, and Warm |
|
Bonus Features |
WiFi connectivity; Self-cleaning; Sabbath Mode |
WiFi connectivity; Self-cleaning; Sabbath Mode; Temperature probe |
Check Out Other Luxury Range Comparisons: Miele vs Wolf Ranges: Which are Better?
Shop Luxury Ranges at Spencer’s TV & Appliance
At Spencer’s TV & Appliance, we provide high-quality, brand-name appliances for great prices. It can be difficult to choose an appliance, especially when comparing Thermador vs Wolf ranges. We hope this buying guide enables you to make the best decision for your kitchen. Shop kitchen ranges online or visit us today at one of our locations in the Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Glendale regions.
Related: A Deluxe Guide to Luxury Appliances