As I mentioned in last Thursday’s post, I spent 4 days in Louisville, KY as a guest of GE Monogram with 19 other designers and industry professionals. My first full day started out taking a stroll over to the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, after which we made our way to Appliance Park, the home of GE Appliances – a “city within a city” that encompasses approximately 900 acres, 25 miles of railroad track, and 47 acres of warehouse space. It is so big that they even have their own zip code!
After arriving at the MEC (The Monogram Experience Center) we fueled up on coffee and snacks, then made our way over to Monogram’s version of “Kitchen Stadium” where we met Monogram house Chefs Joe and Brian. There, they gave us play by play instruction on preparing our lunch on the Monogram Dual-Fuel Professional Range – a deliciously tender grilled pork chop with mango salsa atop a bed of spinach and potatoes in a mild Jamaican coconut milk based curry.
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| Jill sautéeing the vegetables for what will become a Jamaican curry. |
As you can see, the dish we prepared turned out fabulous and it even tasted better than it looked! I’ve always been a little timid around the grill, but the grill on the Monogram Pro Range was a cinch to use!
Now on to some of the other features the Monogram Dual-Fuel Professional Range has to offer…
The reversible burner grate feature is HUGE for me, because I do a lot of wok cooking and I do not like being limited to having to cook on one burner only. Having all the grates reversible allows me to move my wok to ANY of the burners.
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| This photo is of the 6-burner model but is used to illustrate the unique shape of the burner grate. |
I’m also a really messy cook, but that isn’t a problem because both the grill and burners can be put into the self clean oven to be cleaned- how easy is that?
The dual flame stacked burners provide 18,000 BTUs but can simmer down to a low 140 degrees – perfect for melting chocolate or simmering sauces without scorching.
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| Photo courtesy of GE Monogram |
When the griddle is not in use, the bamboo cutting board (which comes with, when you purchase the range) can be placed on top to provide extra space for prep work when cooking on any one of the burners or grill.
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| Photo courtesy of GE Monogram |
For those who entertain, this next feature is a big one. Not all professional ranges can boast the ability to accommodate caterer’s trays. As you can see from the photo above, the Monogram Dual-Fuel Professional Range fits not one, not two, but THREE full-sized caterer’s trays, which means no fiddling around transferring items from tray to tray, which frees up valuable counter space and makes for seamless entertaining.
On the other side of the caterer’s oven is the everyday oven. Both ovens provide 6-element heating: 2 bake, 2 convection, and 2 broil elements for quicker preheating times. The large rear convection fan reverses direction resulting in more even cooking. In addition, the automatic temperature probes can be used in either oven to set the internal temperature for larger cuts of meat.
Another huge feature that many overlook when shopping for ranges, is the full extension steel ball-bearing porcelain coated racks and rack supports. The full extension racks provide easy access and the porcelain coating means that the racks and rack supports do not need to be removed when the oven is in self-clean mode. Most people I know don’t clean their ovens that often since removing the racks and rack supports is such a hassle. However, the porcelain coated racks and rack supports in the Monogram Pro Range enable them to withstand high heat so they can stay in place during self-clean mode!
Last but not least, the Monogram Professional oven features a Star K Certified Sabbath mode, which allows those who observe the Sabbath to operate the oven in bake mode for up to three days when in Sabbath mode. When set, the lights, display, and audible beeps are disabled, yet the oven can still be used. How’s that for thoughtful details?
As particular as I am with how things look, I can do without red knobs on my range. Instead I look for quality and features that are going to make my life easier, and GE Monogram has certainly done that with their Pro Range. Thoughtful design and details not only enhance the look of today’s kitchen, but they enhance the way we live today.
To wrap up our first full day at the MEC, chefs Joe and Brian whipped up dinner, which included by far the most amazing Chilean Sea Bass I have EVER tasted (and those who know me know how much I love sea bass – I am not easy to please. Theirs was cooked to absolute perfection.) Prepared on the Monogram Pro Range, of course!
Below, watch what Monogram house chefs Joe and Brian have to say about the Monogram Dual-Fuel Professional Range. Love these guys – not only are they amazing chefs, but they are both incredibly sweet.
There’s more to come on my travels to the Monogram Experience Center, so stay tuned!
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| The Group Shot minus Jill and Donna |
Please note that my travel and expenses to the Monogram Experience Center were provided for by GE Monogram, but all opinions expressed in this post are my own.
