Even if Viking ranges are the most famous high-end cooking tools you can buy for your kitchen, most of us aren’t ever going to spend $9,000 for the privilege of owning one. The good news is that in a modern world where 600-pound ranges can be shipped around the globe overnight, you can buy a double oven range that will work just as well as a Viking for thousands less. Thor Kitchen has been challenging Viking with one high-end range after another lately, and they’ve been impressive, to say the least.
We recently reviewed the HRG4808U 48″ gas range and found it to easily be one of the best deals on the market. Today we’ll review the 48″ Thor Kitchen HRG4804U 6 Burner Gas Range with Double Oven to see which 48″ gas range is the better deal. To sum up our thoughts, the HRG4808U, which is the newer of the two, provides more powerful burners and a slightly less powerful griddle while the HRG4804U ups the griddle power at the expense of burner power. Both ranges are great, but we prefer the HRG4808U. We fully review the HRG4804U below, and you can buy the Thor Kitchen HRG4804U here in the United States. If you’re in Canada, you can buy the Thor Kitchen HRG4804U here.
Pros, cons, and key features of the Thor Kitchen HRG4804U 48″ Gas Range
As we’ve noted above, the Thor Kitchen HRG4804U range is, quite plainly, one of the company’s many efforts to take a bite out of Viking’s dominant 48″ double oven range line through cheaper, yet nearly as good alternatives. Frankly, it’s hard to argue with Thor Kitchen; the range is good. Like most on the market, it’s fueled by natural gas, although you can convert it to liquid propane through a conversion kit. The cooking surface is topped by 6 sealed burners as well as a stainless steel griddle.
The front 3 burners are the most powerful; each delivers 15,000 BTUs. The back 3 burners put out up to 12,000 BTUs and can be turned down enough to simmer with. Each burner includes an automatic re-ignition sensor as a safety feature to prevent gas leaks (and ruined dishes) if the flames accidentally drop out. The burners are paired in front-to-back units and connected by 3 continuous cast iron cooking grates; the benefits here are easy movement of dishes from front to rear grates (or vice-versa) as well as fewer grates to clean. Between the left and right sets of double grates you’ll find an 18,000 BTU stainless steel griddle; as with the burners, you’ll control it through a mechanical knob on the front of the range.
The double ovens and broiler are located beneath the cooking surface. The right oven is the larger one; at 30″ wide, it features a 4.2 cubic foot capacity, a U-shaped bake burner, and a peak output of 22,000 BTU. The infrared broil burner generates up to 16,500 BTU and the commercial-grade convection fan provides even distribution of heat while baking. Two halogen lights are included to help you see what you’re cooking and the window is appropriately sized. To the left of the main oven you’ll find the secondary unit; it’s 18″ wide and has a 2.5 cubic foot capacity, bringing to the total oven capacity to 6.7 cubic feet. It uses an internal tube burner to generate 14,000 BTU and one internal halogen light is included for visibility. Both oven interiors are lined with blue porcelain.
How easy is it to use, control, and cook with the Thor Kitchen HRG4804U?
The HRG4804U is a beast of a machine, and we mean that in the best of ways. If you’ve ever cooked on a restaurant-grade range, you’ll know what we’re talking about, and if you haven’t, you won’t miss much after owning this range. Nearly everything about it feels professional; the knobs turn easily, the flames light smoothly, and your food cooks quickly. Between the six burners, griddle, and double ovens, you can cook or bake just about anything you can imagine or find in a recipe book or online.
If you’re looking for a range that’s outfitted with the latest electronic technology–the ability to sync it with your smart phone, for example, or automatic start and stop times for baking–you’re not going to find it here. There are no self-cleaning features, no electronic displays to dazzle you, no clocks to set. This isn’t a tablet with a range attached to it; it’s a commercial-grade tool for commercial grade cooking. But if you want nothing more than the freedom to cook and bake at the highest levels with a machine you can control almost entirely through metal knobs and a few switches, you’re going to love the HRG4804U. You’ll just cook with it, because there’s nothing else to do. And because it doesn’t include electronic circuit boards inside, it’s not going to break down in a few years due to planned obsolescence via electronic brain damage. And this is a lovely thing in a world full of disposable appliances.
What’s the difference between the Thor Kitchen HRG4804U and HRG4808U 48″ gas ranges?
The main differences between the HRG4804U and HRG4808U 48″ ranges involve their burner and griddle BTU outputs in addition to slight aesthetic and ergonomic changes. The 4808U is the newer of the two ranges; its oven doors open more smoothly than those in the 4804U, suggesting the hinges were improved from one model to the next. It also appears to have a slightly heavier gauge of stainless steel, lending it a bit more scratch resistance. The cast iron grates are also redesigned and have a more open, minimal look, compared to the cage-like grates on the 4804U.
However, the primary differences are in burner and grill power. While both ranges are more than capable of meeting almost any cooking and baking applications you could fit into a home, it’s worth noting that the HRG4808U has more powerful burners: 3x 18,000 BTU front burners and 3x 15,000 BTU rear burners compared to the 3x 15,000 BTU and 3x 12,000 BTU front and rear burners in the HRG4804U. The HRG4804U, in contrast, has a stronger griddle, at 18,000 BTU compared to the 15,000 BTU unit in the HRG4808U.
Is it worth paying extra for Amazon’s professional expert installation with the Thor Kitchen HRG4804Urange?
Yes! While you’ll spend a few more dollars choosing the “include installation” option on Amazon compared to simply buying it from there, it’s more than worth it to have a swift, safe, and error-free professional installation. Aside from knowing the installation was done correctly (which will also keep you in good standing regarding warranty coverage), you’ll also be free from worrying about how to remove and responsibly recycle or dispose of your existing range. Let’s face it: you’re about to buy an appliance that costs a few thousand dollars, and you want it to last for decades while looking great and working well. You don’t want to start off your ownership by dropping it, denting it, or installing it incorrectly simply to save a little money. Get the job done correctly and enjoy your Thor Kitchen for years to come.
You can buy the Thor Kitchen HRG4808U 6-burner range with a double oven here on Amazon or buy the Thor Kitchen HRG4804U 6-burner range and double oven here.
Canadians can buy the Thor Kitchen HRG4808U 6-burner gas range and double oven here or buy the Thor Kitchen HRG4804U 6-burner range with double oven, here.
If you find our research on PMC helpful, you can follow our efforts to keep maniacally reviewing home appliances by shopping through our links above. We promise to keep fighting the good fight against every horror children, animals, and grown, yet messy humans can inflict upon a clean home.