If You Can Smell It, It's too Late — Or, How Not to Initiate a New Viking Stove

In 1994 Joe and I bought a Viking gas range. 15,000 BTU burners! 1,500 degree F infrared broiler! Convention oven setting. Oh baby, I was ready to wok with the best.

The first thing I cooked on the stovetop were pancakes, a fitting meal given that they were also the first thing I learned to cook as a kid.

The first thing I baked in the oven was, I am ashamed to say, a frozen pre-processed mass-produced Marie Callendar's chicken potpie. The timer when off and I pulled it out of the oven. It was cooked, but the top hadn't browned at all. Try the broiler, Joe suggested. So I turned on the broiler, put the potpie within about 2 inches of it, shut the door, and sat down with a magazine.

A few minutes later the most wonderful aroma filled the air. Ah ha! I leap to the stove, pulled open the door, and flames gushed out at me. I slammed the door closed and turned off the broiler. When the flames didn't die down, I called for Joe. We watched through the stove window as sheets of blue flame flowed off of the pot pie and around the cookie tray it was sitting on. Opening the door only gave them more air to burn. It was time to use the fire extinguisher.

I spent our second night with our new Viking range breaking down the stove (not easy!) and cleaning out yellow fire extinguisher chemical. I've since learned two things:

1) if I leave the stove door open when using the broiler, I'm less likely to overcook the food;

2) don't put food so close to the broiler — it may take longer to cook, but it's less like to catch on fire; and

3) when using the broiler, if it smells great, it's too late.

Kebabs cooking under the infrared broiler:

Comments

[the ulterior epicure]

kitchen chick.

a viking gas stove! i want! sigh...

u.e.

[Jennifer]

We also have a Viking broiler, and are always afraid to use it b/c it seems like the blue glow turns to flames everytime we cook meat. Is this normal? We try to reduce spatter as much as possible, but I don't know whether or not it's going to cause a grease fire.

Suggestions?

[Kitchen Chick]

I do get a fair amount of spitting and popping, with some small flames and sparks when the fat hits the broiler. Try putting the food farther from the broiler. It will take a bit longer to cook, but not *that* much longer. You'll also get better area coverage for the heat when the food is farther away.

(I've only ever used the infrared broiler. I can't speak to the other broiler option that was available when we got our stove.)

[Gregg]

I had a broiler fire this AM. I had just finished melting cheese on top of an omelet when something inside the screen of my 36" inch Viking Range caught fire. The blue flames became a smoky yellow and I battled for 1/2 hour to put it out. It was not a large fire but very persistent. I have called Viking about it but so far no luck. The phone call we got back from the local rep was more defensive in nature than apologetic or guided by a sincere desire to know what happened.

Has anyone out there had a similar experience with Viking Broilers? This was not a food or grease fire or even a sticky valve since the fire kept burning long after the gas was shut off to the unit. Scary!

[Sefphydayrara]

cheap generic levitra - order cheap levitra , http://cheaplevitraednow.com/#eaoan cheap levitra online