Lake Tahoe. Not a word generally associated with appliances. Towering pines, water gently lapping at rocky beaches. Winter sports and water sports. Clean air and activities to keep you busy for days. For those of you who have been to Tahoe, you also know there is a certain feel there. You look around and think, how was I able to get here? There is a sense of luxury to Lake Tahoe, a luxury that is often associated with stars and fame, yet it is laid back and, really, affordable for everyone! Attainable.
This brings us to Z-Line and Attainable Luxury, their tag line. If you are in the market for higher end kitchen appliances, you are more than likely experiencing sticker shock when you see the cost of a true professional range as they creep up into 5 digits before the decimal point. With Z-Line, you will be getting that professional range in the mid 4 digits.
A little bit about Z-Line. They are headquartered in Reno, Nevada and the founder had the vision to create a line of appliances as well as kitchen and bath Collections that harkened back to the elegance of Lake Tahoe and its surroundings. All of Z-Line’s products are designed in their Reno headquarters and shipped from their facilities in Ohio, Tennessee as well as Reno. Z-Line’s commitment to engineering and designing these appliances to be at the center of your kitchen and stand proudly up to other professional brands is commendable and they have really done a great job! They offer a selection of ranges, range hoods, dishwashers and microwaves with refrigerators coming the first half of 2022.
Collections:
Z-line ranges are where their design department shines! They are available in a couple of different collections. The Autograph Collection is their premium line which mixes different accent colors like gold, champagne gold and matte black with their DuraSnow finish, black stainless steel finish or matte white finish.
Their Studio Collection offers ranges and range hoods in 24” widths and dishwashers in 18” widths. These are perfect for ADU’s, mother-in-law spaces, or rental units that do not have a lot of space, but really want to up the luxurious look of the kitchen.
Finally, there is the Alpine Collection, which features select range hoods that were inspired by the Lake Tahoe surroundings, which enhance and complete the looks of their ranges.
Let’s get into each of their products.
Z-Line offers ranges in 24”, 30”, 36”, 48” and 60” sizes and outside of the color combinations that were mentioned in the Autograph Collection, these ranges will come in stainless steel, DuraSnow and black stainless steel. There is also an upgradeable option that allows you to change the color of the oven door and the kick plate to Blue Gloss, Red Gloss, Blue Matte, Red Matte, Black Matte and White Matte. These colors are available in all widths on the dual fuel range and all gas ranges. (All gas option is not available in the 24” or 60” width).
What makes these ranges, and really all of the Z-Line products, affordable luxury is the pricing. Looking at a 36” dual fuel range, in color, the price would be $3974.99. A comparable range in another Luxury brand would be in the range of $9,000 and $12,000. Affordable luxury, indeed!
You may have noticed that we mentioned DuraSnow as a color option on the ranges, and it is highly unlikely you know what that it. This is a finish on 304 grade stainless steel that, due to the finish is highly durable and resists fingerprints. It is also easy to buff out scratches using the included pad when you purchase a DuraSnow finished range.
Both of the dual fuel and all gas ranges are available with Italian made brass burners rather than the aluminum Italian made ones. Brass burners offer better heat retention, distribute heat more evenly and are more resistant to high temperatures. These brass burners also look better than the aluminum counterpart.
The power of these gas and dual fuel ranges will range between 4,200 BTU (Think low heat cooking and simmering) to 18,000 BTU (Think searing and wok cooking), so no matter the size range that you have, you will always have the perfect burner to simmer your perfect sauce or sear your favorite steak.
The oven cavity within the dual fuel ranges are a 100% convection oven that is great for baking or roasting all of your favorite pastries and other dishes.
One last point on these ranges is that they have an 100% risk free warranty on the entire range as well as an industry first lifetime warranty for the Italian burners that covers parts, replacements and burner caps. Truly an outstanding idea.
Cooktops, Rangetops and Wall Ovens:
In addition to ranges, Z-Line also produces some great luxury cooktops and rangetops. First, let’s discuss rangetops.
A rangetop is, well, it is basically the top portion of a range that fits into your countertop with the dials being on the front of the unit. These rangetops are available in stainless steel, DuraSnow and black stainless steel. They offer the same burners and BTU of those on the ranges that we just discussed.
Similarly, a cooktop will have the same functionality as a rangetop, except it will appear less bulky, as it is installed in your countertop, versus into and in front of your countertop. Z-Line offers cooktops in gas or induction. (Link to induction blog here) The gas cooktops are available in all stainless steel and stainless steel with a black porcelain coating in either 30” or 36”. The induction cooktops are available in 24”, 30” or 36” with the 24” and 30” cooktops having 4 burners and the 36” cooktop having 5. All of the burners are available with a boost of power which aids in getting your pan and what is in it to the temperature that you require.
The next Z-Line product that we will talk about is their wall ovens. They offer a single wall oven and a double wall oven. Both of these wall oven units are equipped with the same features. There are several standard and convection cooking modes, including: Standard Bake, Standard Broil, Convection Bake, Convection Roast, and Convection Broil. These are both built-in designs that fit seamlessly into your current cabinet space and also feature a temperature probe, Sabbath mode, keep warm and proof modes, telescoping oven racks for ease of use and a fast and convenient self-clean cycle. These two wall ovens are available in stainless steel, DuraSnow and Black Stainless steel.
Microwaves:
Z-line offers many options for microwaves, including an over the range unit that include ventilation, and a oven and microwave combination that would be able to be installed above a single wall oven to give you more options on what and how much you are cooking. One of the most requested items from Z-Line is their drawer microwave. Having a microwave at hip level is one of the best appliances to have in your kitchen. Placing a dish, mug or plate straight down into a microwave, adds so much convenience to what is already a convenient appliance. Here is is below, shown with the optional trim kit.
Now that you have set your mind on your Z-Line range or cooktop and wall oven, you will likely want to match up with your other appliances. Luckily they offer 2 versions of their dishwasher, one classic with 2 racks and a 3 rack model. The Z-Line dishwasher is only available in the DuraSnow finish option, and the reasoning behind this is given the location and use of the dishwasher, they tend to collect the most fingerprints and scratches. As we have learned, with the DuraSnow finish, this is no problem.
These dishwashers are available in 2 different widths (18” and 24”) as well as two different handle styles, Classic and Modern and are both panel ready for their DuraSnow panel or your own custom panel.
Each style of dishwasher has a top control panel that is concealed when the door is closed so you are left with a clean and elegant front. The Classic Dishwasher is rated at 40dBA, which is comparable to the quietest on the market. The 3 Rack Dishwasher is rated at 51dBA, which while that would sound like it would be loud, it is quite quiet and offers has 8 different cleaning cycles.
Z-Line has a very extensive ventilation catalog ranging from very traditional wall hoods to custom style finishes including copper and wood. They even offer outdoor rated hoods for your professional outdoor kitchen set-up! Not only that but they offer different range hood accessories like stainless steel crown molding and integrated Bluetooth speaker systems. All of the hoods that Z-Line offers come with integrated LED lighting,
So, let’s start first with finishes. There is traditional stainless steel, black stainless steel, DuraSnow, Copper, wood and outdoor.
As you can see from just the photos above, these are really the centerpiece of your kitchen and you can go all out to put your personal style into your space.
In terms of types of hoods that Z-Line offer, you will see that they have wall hoods, island hoods, inserts for custom hoods and under cabinet hoods.
Now that we have covered the styles and materials of the Z-Line lineup of ventilation, what actually makes them work and how good are they?
The interior blower on these hoods, depending on style and type, can range from moving 300 CFM (cubic feet of air per minute) up to 700 CFM to clear the air from the smokiest or smelliest dinner. They are also very quiet, and the baffle filters are dishwasher safe, so they are very easy to keep clean.
Finally, I want to touch on CrownSound. This is exclusive to Z-line and boy, is it cool! I know that some people have portable Bluetooth speakers in their kitchen to listen to music when they are cooking or cleaning, but this takes it to a whole other level.
CrownSound is a Bluetooth speaker that nestles itself in the top molding of a wall or island hood that pairs to your Bluetooth device within 40 feet. It is very easy to connect with any of your devices and is simply installed. out of site and sounds amazing, giving you wall to wall bass-boosted sound. The CrownSound speaker is available in different options such as stainless steel and black and is available as an add-on item or it is also bundled with select hoods.
With Z-Line, you truly do have appliances that give you affordable luxury. They both look great and perform very well. Metropolitan Appliance is so excited to have Z-Line as a new option for our customers who want to have a fantastic professional kitchen at affordable prices. Please reach out to one of our Appliance Specialists with any questions by calling or texting us at 206-623-8811.