Solid Fuel Rayburn Range vs Dual Fuel Rangemaster, Elan 110

cookiequeen

So we are buying a house that is up to the 1st fixing, however the plumbing needs to be re-done in places. We have a condenser boiler however that needs to be replaces cos its so bad it doesn't even have an energy rating as does the cylinder (too small) so we were looking at reconsidering our whole heating/hot water and cooking system. House is about 1850sq/ft

we are considering the solid fuel reyburn range which will do 12 rads plus HW plus cooking. We will also have a solid fuel stove in the sitting room. We do not have a huge supply of solid fuel ourselves so we would need to go to the bog every summer I guess and supplement with wood/coal etc.

I have to have some kind of range in the kitchen be it a solid fuel or elec/gas rangemaster. I am a rediculous when it comes to cooking, I am obsessed with food and bake and cook adventurously a lot. Our range will be our only source of cooking

My questions are:
What happens in summer with the solid fuel range for cooking? Do I have to keep it going all the time in order to cook my evening meal?

Is it overkill to have the dual fuel just for the aesthetics and love of a cosy kitchen when we can do the same or similar job with the stove in the sitting room?

Does anyone have the ranges I mentioned and if so could you give me some feedback?

What if I am not around all day every day like someone mentioned and I go back to work fulltime 9-5? Do I have to wait an hour for the range to heat up enough to cook my dinner??

Is solid fuel really as messy as some folks are making out? How much will I be feeding it every day? 4-5 times? as it will not be near the utility or the turf shed? How often does it need to be cleaned? Is it a lot of work to maintain?

Thats it for now but I'm sure I'll think of something else later, I'll add it on!

Any help/ info/personal experience or feedback would be greatly appreciated

crosstownk

Hi,

We recently had some work done in the house which included an extension to the kitchen and a new boiler.

We briefly thought about the solid fuel option but decided that it was too much hassle. As we both work during the day, we decided that an A rated gas condensor boiler was the way to go for the central heating.

We also had an Elan 90 dual fuel fitted which we are delighted with. Apart from the fact that it looks great, it is a great cooker to use. The gas hob is very controllable and the ovens work a dream although the large oven takes a while to reach any temperature over 200C. Handy items like the door mounted roasting tray and the griddle are useful to have. All in all, if you decide on the Elan you won't be disappointed especially if you like cooking. Bear in mind that both ovens are B rated.

Our previous gas boiler was 20 years old and as efficient as you'd expect for that vintage. Our previous cooker was all electric and very basic. Our gas bill has come down from approx €260 to €180 since we replaced the boiler and began cooking on gas. We also had thermostats fitted upstairs, downstairs and on the hot water cylinder so I suppose that helps save energy too.

Sorry I can't provide any feedback on the solid fuel option as I've no experience with it but hopefully someone else may be able to help.

EDIT: This is the type of boiler I had fitted (Ideal ICOS 24HE) - it should handle 12 rads no problem >> http://www.idealboilers.com/icos_system_he.html

Well, from experience I can tell you that you will have to be at home alot to keep your solid-fuel rayburn hot enough for cooking. No, it wouldn't need to be topped up 4/5 times, maybe 2 - 3 if you use antracite. I cannot comment on turf as we never used it. At that, you will not have a hot oven in an hour! The hob - yes. No it is not messy to keep clean unless you're a messy person anyway, meaning if you are rough with your ashes of course they will raise dust. You will have to de-ash everyday. The oven cleans itself, except for the racks. You clean the top when its cold. I am also a baking freak, but found the solid fuel rayburn unsatisfactory as I could not keep the heat even enough. I was also in a 9-5 job at the time so it wasn't practical. We have since installed a rayburn 308K and woe betide anyone who would try to take it from me!

cookiequeen

Thanks for your input guys, I think I'm probably leaning toward the elan purely for convenience. With 3 kids and all I don't know if I want the extra work to do even if it does mean a lovely warm kitchen, I just don't understand how I would get around the summer period when I don't really need it for anything other than cooking.

so now to look at the elan closely, I red somwehere else that range cooker ovens can be very narrow, as I understand crosswink that the oven is the same size for the 110 and the 90. Do you find this with your model? How did you go with the turkey last month?

any other help info would be greatly appreciated

Thanks again

crosstownk

cookiequeen wrote: »

is the same size for the 110 and the 90. Do you find this with your model? How did you go with the turkey last month?

Thanks again

I poached then pan fried the turkey this year...........

The left (main) oven is the same in both the 90 and the 110. In the 110 the right oven is 14 litres to the better. Remember that only the left oven is multifunctional in both models - the right is fan assisted only. The 110 also has a storage area below the right oven - handy for frying pans. To be honest if you use ovens regularly then the there is little difference.

However, the hob on the 110 has 6 burners - the 90 only has 5. The wok burner on the 90 is simply that - a wok burner. It gets too hot even with a large frying pan. So you essentially have 4 burners and a wok burner. The 110 has two wok burners one of which can be used to heat the griddle which is a lot better than the 90 whereby the griddle is heated by 2 regular burners.

I have the Elan 90 and am very happy with it. The ovens are a lot more than adequate for a family of two adults and two children but I prefer the hob configuration on the 110.