Customer Reviews

Cadco PCR-1S Professional Cast Iron Range, Stainless

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love this single burner range...I serially bought one of several different models (of single burner ranges) locally, tested them, and returned them all. I was disgusted. Then I got this one. It was considerably more expensive, but its rock-solid and has been in use about 18 hours a day, 24 in some cases, for several months.

Its a great size for pans and regular pots, but a bit too large for the smaller pots, like 1-1.5 qt (or even a 2.5 qt, if the latter's got a windsor bottom).

It warms up very quickly, and cools off more gently. If you're used to cooking with gas, this will be a shock because it's cast iron and holds the heat. If you're experienced in cooking with cast iron (pots, pans, ranges :), you'll find it utterly predictable, or at least I do. Sometimes you just have to remove the pan for a few seconds and turn OFF (not down) the heat.

I consider it easy to clean. I've never done more than blow a few crumbs off on the cast iron burner, but I imagine it IS a sponge eater if you scrub it with one (as noted by another reviewer). The burner has a rough surface, but that's all good in my book. It keeps pots and pans from too easily or inadvertantly sliding off the range - prevents potential disaster! The part of the range that I'm really concerned about keeping clean is what all surrounds the burner. That part is all brushed steel, with no seams or holes or "gingerbread", very sturdy, very professional, and a real breeze to keep clean.

Did I mention that I totally love this range, despite the hefty price? It was designed for working cooks, imho. If I ever need yet another burner, I won't bat an eyelash at getting this same model, or at recommending it to a friend.


Apr '09 ----- >2 years after original review

Still in near constant use, still working perfectly, still loving it...

This is a superior range, IF it meets your needs. Consider however:

1. The cast iron top stains very easily.
2. The rough cast iron eats sponges and towels and is very difficult to clean.
3. The cast iron retains heat...expect over 45 mintues for the heat to reduce from high to low....you cannot expect to change temps during cooking under most conditions.

It does however, heat rapidly and retain precise heat (at one temp) well over time.

THIS PRODUCT IS A GOOD BUY. I BOUGHT NEW CERAMIC TOP STOVE & BOUGHT THIS FOR MY PRESSURE COOKERS.I USE A PRESSURE COOKER OFTEN & I CAN WITH BIG COOKER EVERY YEAR.WELL WORTH ITS MONEY ,WORKS GREAT.JUDY IN TN.

This is a quality, substantial, well-built hotplate which is made in Germany. It is not a range. - Ranges consist of several hotplates and at least one oven.

The cast iron surface is very well-finished, providing good friction to hold pots in place. The "slow-reacting" nature of cast iron burners renders them superb for many uses where constant even heat is required - though less suitable for use where quick temperature adjustments are required. There is fine control of the heat output and it works superbly with cast iron dutch ovens. It also makes an excellent extra burner for those few times they are needed, and its portability makes it a good warming plate for use on or near the table.

This is NOT an inexpensive Wallymarket special. It is solidly built of stainless steel and is substantial enough to support and heat a full 14" diameter 30 qt. pot. - though at 120v 1500w, it does take quite a long time to reach a boil. Great for an outdoor cookout (provided the long heat-up time is accommodated).

I am prepared to pay extra for quality products that are not made in China. This is well-worth the extra cost. I shall revisit this review if there is a problem with its longevity.

This is a great product. I got it because I moved in with my finance and he has a glass range with the flat burners. You can't use those for canning and pressure cookers.Being Norwegian I make a lot of norwegian desserts at Christmas time also unable to use those burners. The pressure cooker works great on this burner. I had no problems and I am sure this Christmas it will work fine for the holiday baking. Thank you.

The electric range is so convenient and efficient in it's design. We used it recently on vacation to cook outside of our travel trailer. It heats quickly and thoroughly, enough to fry eggs or deep fry french fries, after just a few moments of warm-up time. The stainless steel finish is durable and easy to clean and its size makes it easy to store in tight places. We are VERY pleased with our purchase of this product and would recommend it to anyone looking for a portable stove or hotplate.

The hot plate has a coated iron plate top which emits a nasty smoke when first heated, but after the first use it is odorless. I started by boiling water for tea - it brought the flat bottom tea pot to a boil fairly quickly. This was reassuring, because I had worried that the unit might be underpowered. The control knob is the usual roughly calibrated thermocouple control, with a scale from 1 to 12. The unit cycles power on and off to come to temperature, lighting the red light when power is on. This means that it can be "on" with the light off, if you happen to look at it at a moment when it is in the off part of its cycle. That's a hazard, because it means that looking at it across the room to check whether it is on or off can lead to an assumption that it is off when it is on. The unit would certainly profit from both a power light and a power-cycling light, and one would be reasonable to expect such in a unit with the word "professional" in its description. Aside from this one cannot help but be impressed by its solid construction and stainless surface. In my test, in its scale of 1-12, a slight boil is at 8, medium boil at 10, and hard boil at 12, the maximum. It should be ok for frying, though I haven't tested it for that yet. Its square outline makes it more efficient in a crowded surface area, compared to round outlines. I'm satisfied with it, despite wishing it had a power switch and power-on indicator.

This portable range is excellent.It gets hot enough to cook anything, even in the larger of my pots.Takes a while to cool just like an electic range. Easy to clean; has a large base and burner circumfrence. I use it frequently and am verry happy with this purchase.

My Wife has a new Samsung, glass, (radiant surface) electric
range. The salesman advised us not to do any canning with this type of stove top.
I purchased this heavy duty single burner to do our canning with and it worked perfectly.

I have a travel trailer "cottage" on a permanent site. I don't like to boil water or other liquids inside. I have a deck with an awning. This hot plate gives me fast hot water for pasta or other cooking duties and keeps the steam and fumes outside of the trailer. It also saves my gas, because refilling the gas bottles is a pain, but we don't begin to use our electric minimum - so the electric is essentially cost-free. It feels like a quality product and performs as expected.