Expert Review - Prizer-Painter BlueStar 36-inch French door double gas oven

How Stuff Works

Published: March 21, 2008

A home chef's ultimate dream, the expensive BlueStar BWO36AGD 36-inch French door double gas oven is a product of such high quality and outstanding performance that it brings with it a new level of excess to commercially styled appliances for the home.

A genuine restaurant-style oven, the Bluestar BWO36AGD provides the largest amount of baking space of just about any oven on the market. Compatible with both natural gas and propane, this model has a remarkably powerful 30,000-Btu burner and an equally impressive 15,000-Btu ceramic, infrared broiler. It's equipped with true convection and can easily handle a full sheet cake measuring 18x26 inches.

With two sets of French doors, this model is quite easy to load, in both top and bottom cavities. Adding to this ease and capacity are three full extension racks in each oven. These racks provide a large stable surface for easy loading and unloading of foods -- even for large birds such as Tom turkeys and bulky, standing prime rib roasts.

The well-thought-out design of the BWO36AGD is commercial in nature, but it takes the varying needs of the residential kitchen into consideration. The depth of the oven measures just less than 24 inches, making it the perfect size to fit seamlessly into the standard cabinetry of the modern kitchen. Dual halogen lights provide excellent lighting for both ovens. We prefer this type of lighting for expensive ovens as it's the best and brightest lighting available for today's home appliances.

Although BlueStar made its debut in 2002 and is a relative newcomer to the industry, the company behind the name is Prizer-Painter Inc. and dates back to the1880s. They have manufactured quality parts, furnaces and stoves for over a hundred years. The most well known of the company's products to today's consumer is the 1990's Garland commercial range--a choice on par with the outstanding products from Viking and Wolf.

An incredible product, this gas wall oven comes in an amazing range of vibrant colors. BlueStar relies on its durable two coat/one fire powder coating system to provide an almost infinite variety of customizing options that include 190 color choices.

This oven, although it lacks a timer, clock and self-cleaning cycle, is truly a special model for an inspired and selective cook. The highest priced of the BlueStar models, BWO36AGD is also offered in a single version that will save you $1800 over this double model.

Pros: Incredible quality, double French door design, 30,000 Btu burner, 15,000 Btu broiler, dual halogen lighting, 190 color choices, convection, 6 full-extension racks, elegant/simple controls, spacious interior, 24-inch depth

Cons: No self-cleaning, no clock, no timer