Note: I am not a professional appliance reviewer and there are no scientific tests behind this brief review. These are just my thoughts and opinions from using the product. I did receive a small discount when I purchased my appliances through the appliance retailer.
We have had our Fulgor Milano Sofia 36" Range for about 6 months now (as of February 2020) and really couldn't be happier. It's the centerpiece of our new kitchen and we are so happy we decided to go for the upgrade.
We first discovered the Sofia range when shopping at Aztec Appliance here in San Diego. We had stopped by to look for a new range hood. Ken, our salesperson was walking us around (and we weren't even stove shopping). He walked us by the Fulgor range and told us how much people are loving them and chefs have been buying them. Oh, and it happened to come with a free Zephyr range hood worth up to $1,100. Wow, is that an incentive or what?
We placed the idea on the back burner (no pun intended), but it kept creeping into our thoughts and we just couldn't not strongly consider buying a new range for our new kitchen.
The online research phase began to find out more about Fulgor ranges. The problem was, I could barely find any information on the range other than from the company website and a few reviews on the big online appliance stores websites.
I had to turn to other local appliance stores and everyone had great things to say about the range. It was feeling more and more like taking the risk of a lesser-known brand in the US would be the way to go.
That's how we ended up being convinced. And then we decided to go big (as in 6" bigger) to the 6-burner 36" version of the Sofia range and went with a Zephyr Venezia Wall hood to go with it.
This started a snowball of buying all new appliances rather than just a range and a hood. You can check out our full kitchen reveal to see everything we used.
5 features that convinced me to go with the Fulgor Milano Sofia
- The beautiful looks. Ok, so performance and quality is super important when purchasing a high-end range. But how it looks is right up there, and the Sofia range has the cleanest lines and boldest looks out there.
- The burners - All of the burners are dual crescendo, which means they each have a large powerful outer burner and a smaller inner simmer burner. All 6 of the burners are like this and are each 18k BTUs. For me, this is visually so much cleaner looking means you don't have to move to a different burner if you want to simmer.
- Easy to clean surface - matte finish porcelain burner bowl is durable and feels a bit like a nonstick surface when it comes to cleaning with a damp sponge.
- Soft-close oven door - Once you get used to not having to manually bring the oven door from open to close, there is no going back. It's just so nice to be able to tap it closed with your knee when your hands are full carrying something very hot.
- The ability to change the door color - You can purchase a different color door to totally change the look of the range to match your kitchen.
Why consider upsizing to a 36" range?
Most home kitchens have a somewhat standard size 30" range. While these are great and work perfectly fine, adding just 6 more inches has some big benefits.
- It's a true centerpiece of your kitchen - A larger range makes a statement of your kitchen and totally changes the look.
- Oven size - The increased oven size means no more cramped oven during holiday baking. Plus, it can be used for extra cookware storage when not in use.
- Room on the range - I'm not sure about you, but things can get a little cramped when you have a large frying pan and a few other pots going at the same time. This cramped feeling is eliminated with the extra space of a 36" range.
- Dedicated griddle - You can leave a griddle on two of the burners and not have to worry about moving it.
- The price difference is negligible - A 36" range will be around $500 to $1,000 more than a 30". While this might sound like a lot, you would be buying cabinet and counter for that space anyway, so the extra price is a little less in that aspect. Also, the beauty of the range makes up for spending more on decorations.
More random thoughts about the range
- If you really love to cook, this range is for you. It is a much better value than a Wolf or a Viking.
- I absolutely LOVE the power of the burners at 18,000 BTUs. They heat heavy-bottom skillets very quickly and I almost turn the burner down because they are so powerful.
- We paired the range with a Zephyr Venezia 36" wall range hood, which we also love. This hood is quiet, powerful and has baffles which look great and are much easier to clean compared to mesh filters
- Gas ovens aren't as precise as electric, so I place an oven thermometer (affiliate) that stays in the oven so you can get a second opinion on the temperature to verify.
- I love the "manual" ness of the range. As appliances get smarter and smarter with built-in computers and wi-fi, I really prefer to be able to just set the temperature and the setting and have it work. That's what you get with this range and oven.
All gas vs dual fuel with electric oven
It can get a little confusing reading up on different types of ranges and fuels. It's actually pretty simple.
The all gas version is just that; gas for the oven and gas range burners. Dual fuel has gas range burners and an electric oven.
Electric ovens are known to be more precise. If you bake a lot, this might make a difference for you. Personally, I don't really bake and just roast so I am fine with a gas oven.
For an electric oven, you will need to have a 220v outlet already in place. If you don't, it can add extra expense to have one added. If we had a 220v outlet in place, I probably would have gone with the dual fuel model.
A few things that could be improved
With everything we love, there are just a few things that could be improved on, in my opinion.
- The all gas model does not have a self-cleaning oven feature, though the dual-fuel version does.
- No warming/storage drawer below oven. Not a huge deal, but having a pull out drawer for storing sheet pans below the oven would be nice.
- The oven dial temperatures are a little strange and it's probably because it is European.
- The timer and clock interface isn't super intuitive.
Final thoughts and recommendation
I recommend the Fulgor Sofia range to everyone I talk to who is remodeling their kitchen or looking for an upgrade. While it's not for everyone, if you love to cook and love the look, a Sofia range is something you should strongly consider.
Fulgor Milano Model Numbers
| Size and Fuel Type | Model # | Buy It |
| 30" All Gas | F6PGR304S2 | Buy on Amazon |
| 30" Dual Fuel | F6PDF304S1 | |
| 30" Induction | F6PIR304S1 | Buy on Amazon |
| 36" All Gas | F6PGR366S2 | Buy on Amazon |
| 36" Dual Fuel | F6PDF366S1 | Buy on Amazon |
| 36" Induction | F6PIR365S1 | |
| 48" All Gas | F6PGR486GS2 | |
| 48" Dual Fuel | F6PDF486GS1 |
All thoughts and opinions are my own. Please see the Fulgor website and an authorized retailer for tech specs and documentation.
Ashma says
I have been using FM dual fuel range since last year. Absolutely love it. Do have an issue with the lowest settings on the stove top burners. It's extremely difficult to tell if they're on or not. I make special effort to check ALL knobs in off positions prior to finishing up in the kitchen. There have been times when I inadvertently left one burner on all night in the past.
The electric oven does a grezt job for dehydrating and baking. Exactly what I needed.
Bobbi Bebchuk says
Hello!
Do the knobs have an illuminated ring or any visual indicator that they are on? Sometimes a gas range has such a low flame it’s nice to have the knob be illuminated- most brands do have lights in the bezels -even BBQs!
justin says
Hi Bobbi! The knobs do not have an indicator to let you know they are on. That would be a nice feature and could be a great look for a dim kitchen.
Bobbi Bebchuk says
Hi Justin: Thank you for your response! I’m looking to purchase a range in the next 6 months and found your site very informative. You’re kind to answer all these questions!
Evon Biondi says
Hi! I'm glad I found you because I'm lost and hope you can assist, both with your own experience and also if you can direct me to others who can help. My ex (thinking he was doing something nice for me) bought the Fulgar Milano Sofia all gas for me. I didn't know he ordered the all-gas...had I known I would have screamed NO! I have only ever had gas on the stovetop area and electric in the oven. I have tried to cook in the gas oven and nothing is turning out. Literally nothing. I was in tears. I have been in tears with every attempt at cooking and I know how to cook. I am a very good cook with an electric oven. I can't send it back. I can't exchange it. It is a $7000 mistake. I have to learn how to use it. I got it in Jan and after a month of nothing turning out, I stopped using the oven. It's now a very expensive cook top. So sad. I have tried being in contact with Fulgar Milano and they were of no help sadly. Do you have any guidance as to who to talk to or webites that teach about cooking in a gas oven? I can't do any of my staples, broiling, chicken, roasting vegetables, lasagna, cooking anything! I'm desparate and super sad. We broke up after he bought it and insisted I pay him for it...so I paid $7000 for a stove I didn't want and can't use. I have to figure out how to master it. Please offer any advice. Thank you so so much! Evon Biondi
justin says
Hi Evon! Thanks for reaching out and I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. That is just so dang frustrating. Can you give me some more details about what the oven is doing and how it specifically isn't coming out so that maybe I can help? I don't have a direct contact with Fulgor support. I have had luck in the past contacting them through their website contact/support page when I needed a replacement knob. Please send over some more details. Not sure if I will be able to help, but I will try. 🙂
Cookinglove says
Hello! Thanks so much for taking the time to help us! I have been researching which 30" gas range to purchase for a month and have pretty much decided on the Sofia. Your posts have helped me to consider going for dual fuel, so I am not sure how well you can answer this but... my last hesitation is about the blower which vents oven heat between the door and the controls. My soon-to-be-recycled electrical range does that as well, and it's horrible. (I do a lot of oven roasting while simultaneously cooking on the top, and I get extremely hot; perhaps it's worse because I am only about 5'). Do you feel much heat from the door while simultaneously roasting and cooking? I'm not worried about safety, just steadily increasing discomfort as I cook... (I try standing to the side of the range a bit in this situation, but being so short it doesn't really work with my limited reach).
Thanks a million billion for your time! Cheers!
justin says
Hi! So sorry for the slow reply to your question. I wanted to test it out before replying and forgot to come back. It does blow air out above the door. I don't find it overly hot, but it's definitely there blowing air. It has never bothered me actually. It can be frustrating shopping for ranges because you can never really test them out, you can only see them in the showroom in the off position.
I hope this helps and sorry I don't have a definitive answer for you.
Buzz says
Are the fans quite loud during the oven cool down
justin says
You do hear them, but I wouldn't say they are really very loud. They do run for 15 minutes or around that I would say. I think it is a good thing, as it shows the oven is insulated and holds temp so it takes a while to cool down.
Andy Stone says
Hi there. We have the gas model and I can’t figure out how to tell if it’s at temp?
Any thoughts welcome.
justin says
Hi! I always keep a large dial thermometer in the oven so I know what the actual temperature is. That way you know if it's fully pre-heated and it makes for better baking and roasting. 🙂
Monica says
Ciao! Sto valutando l'acquisto di Fulgor Milano Sofia 36". Il piano cottura è fantastico, ma non trovo informazioni riguardo al forno. Quali funzioni ha? Cuoce in modo uniforme? Quale temperatura raggiunge? Grazie per la cortese risposta.
Monica
justin says
Ciao, Monica!
I'm going to use a translator for your message.
Are you referring to the gas or the electric oven? I only have experience with the gas version. The high temp is 550°F / 170° C. It has a convection setting (with dual fans) and broil. That's about it. It is pretty basic.
It isn't always the easiest to light. Sometimes it takes two attempts, but it is usually because I don't remember the number of seconds to hold the dial down so I do it wrong.
Once on, it cooks very nice and evenly. I really like the convection setting. I also love the soft close hinges, so you can kick the door closed with your foot and it will close softly.
I would love to try out the electric version of the oven to see how it compares.
Let me know if there is anything else I can try to answer for you.
Cheers!
Ashma Shepherd says
I am getting ready to buy the FM Sofia 36" gas range. I have received a quote from a local dealer. The dual fuel is $500 more which is not an issue. I preferred all gas. My concern is I dehydrate a lot during the year along with baking and roasting. If I go ahead with the gas model, would dehydrating be an issue, since gas is considered wet fuel whereas electric dry fuel? Thanks for any responses.
justin says
Hi Ashma. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. If you like to dehydrate food, then I would definitely go with the duel fuel. You would need to check the lowest oven temp for the electric version of the oven to confirm it will go as low as you need.
The problem with the gas oven is that it won't go low enough (lowest on the dial is around 275° F). And also like you mentioned, it will have moisture in the air because of the gas.
If I were to do it again, I would definitely strongly consider getting the dual fuel.
Cheers!
Ashma says
Justin,
Thank you for the information. I was chatting with a salesperson and my understanding was the FM goes as low as 120 degrees F. However, I will definitely double check to prior to purchasing either a gas or electric range.
Regards.
Geoff Metropolit says
Hi Justin,
Thanks for sharing your experience with your Fulgor. We were recently introduced to the brand and were generally quite impressed with the apparent high quality and value.
We have heard (from a salesperson albeit) that the dual burners are too powerful to do a simmer - in your experience, is there something to this comment? I note you mention you simmer BBQ sauces so maybe that answers my question there... but would appreciate if you could comment generally on your experience using the dual crescendo burners at low temperatures.
Thanks!
justin says
Hi Geoff,
Absolutely. The dual burners are definitely NOT too powerful for a simmer. That's the reason for the inner burner. You turn it down to simmer and only the small inner burner is on, and you can simmer as low as you would like. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Cheers!
AK says
Hi Justin,
I have been trying to decide on a 36 inch professional gas range( Wolf vs. Thermador) and came across Sophia Fulgor range. It was difficult to find any reviews on this brand and finding your review has been very helpful. I like the high power output with precision control of Fulgor but I was concerned about the unsealed oven glass door. Have you notice any problems of streaks from roasting while using the oven? I currently own pro kitchenAid gas range and had the same problem and could not clean in between the two glasses of the oven door. Thanks!
justin says
Hi! Thanks for checking out the post. I do see that the glass is unsealed. However, where the vents are on top are above where the door closes so it's not like greases or anything are going to be pouring in there when cooking. I just looked at mine and while the glass isn't clean on the oven side (my fault), there isn't anything on the inside of the two pieces 🙂
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Gail Zedick says
Suggest an enhancement for the front control dials to prevent inadvertently turning burners on or off or changing the oven temp. Perhaps a button to lock the dials or an individual dial. I’m short and leaning forward to use my microwave above the range or tend to pots on the back I find I always turn a dial to a new setting. Having a toddler in the house who loves to twist dials is a major hazard as well. Perhaps I should have realized this when previewing the range with the dealer. Wonderful range otherwise.
justin says
I agree with you Gail about accidentally changing the oven temp. I would prefer if it was a manual dial with a digital display of the temp and a lock would be great or at least a beep so you know it changed. I think they might have made some updates with the latest models, but I haven't seen them in person. Thanks for your feedback.
Rosanna says
I thought it was just me. We’ve had our 36” Fulgor Milano for a week and am doing a lot of experimenting. One time I noticed the oven knob went from 350 to 290. I must have brushed against it by accident. I was baking cookies. Another time I thought I set the timer but had actually also set a turn off time. Once again while baking. I looked up to see my oven was off. Shake my head with frustration.
I do love the overall look of it. It’s beautiful. The oven size is really big. The stovetop is wonderful.
Our oven has some issue with not heating up to proper temps. I’ve used two thermometers to figure that out and we are being serviced on Wednesday so hopefully it’s just a matter of tweaking some of the controls.
justin says
Hi Rosanna,
I hope your service call gets the temp issues figured out.
It happened to me last week again when all of a sudden I realized my oven temp was way higher than what I had set the knob to. It must have been brushed while I was cooking or by someone else in the kitchen. Not sure if this is specific to the Fulgor brand, or if it's a common thing. It doesn't happen often, but it could definitely ruin a meal
Gail says
I experience the loose-goody knob situation frequently and it is very frustrating. An engineering change should be incorporated to stiffen up the knob or use different mechanism to ‘click’ to your desired temps or changes! I think height challenged folks suffer from this condition when we have to stretch to reach toward the rear of the stove. Thanks
Gail
Brian says
Hi. Thanks for the review. With covid, it's hard to go look at ranges. From the reviews and videos I've seen, it seems like the front display would be difficult to see. I'm 6'2" and it looks like the display would be in an awkward position. Could you comment on that for me. What has your experience been? Thanks.
justin says
Hey Brian. I suppose it might be slightly difficult to see the display from way up there. On mine, the only thing on there is a timer and time. It doesn't display the temperature, so I actually never really look at it when using the oven. I believe the newer models display the oven temp but I haven't seen one myself. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Brian says
Thank you for the reply. Much appreciated.
Kara Williams says
Hi, we purchased the 48"Fulgor Milano 4 months ago. I am 6'1" and don't have any issue viewing the screen, setting the timer, etc. It's well lit and easy to read.
Brian says
Thank you for the reply. Much appreciated.
Ross says
Thanks so much for this review!
I recently bought a Monogram 30" gas range. although the Oven is quite amazing, the cooktop was very disappointing. I found the center of the pan remains quite cool. I notice that most of the heat energy of the flame is actually going around the pan. My cooking experience is that the cook top does not allow pans to recover temperature fast enough after adding food to pan.
Can you comment on your experience of this with the Fulgor?
justin says
Hey Ross! Sorry to hear you are disappointed with your Monogram range.
The performance of the Fulgor range is really impressive. I like how it has the outer and inner flames of the burners and you can have both on for med/high or just the inner on for simmering. I haven't experienced any hot or cool spots on the pans. The heat output is also excellent where recovery feels instant.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Brandon M. says
I couldn't agree more with your review. We took a big gamble on this unknown brand 4 years ago with the dual fuel 36" range and haven't looked back! We love it and have had zero problems with it. When I first unboxed it and saw how heavy duty the 220V tail was, I knew I got a quality product. One more thing I want to share is the billet aluminum trim around the knobs and burners. My old Kitchenaid range had tons of scratches and dings from pots and pans. The aluminum looks clean and doesn't get damaged. For anyone shopping for a range, you can go with Fulgor Milano with confidence. Great review!
justin says
And I totally agree with you, Brandon. Thanks so much for adding your experience!
Frank says
I have a 36" Sofia dual model for the past 3 years and just recently had a problem with an F13 error code. The service person who came to my house disconnected the connection on the board at the back of the range that is used for the meet probe....just a bit of info if this ever happens
Tony says
Hi Justin,
Thanks for the great pointers and that's one beautiful kitchen!
In the process of renovating my kitchen and planning on acquiring the 30 inch Fulgor Milan Duel Fuel. So from what I see, I only have 4 inches and change from the bottom for the 120/240V plug to clear the back of the range and which I already moved the outlet so that it starts right at the tile level.
Now where did you place your gas line? Does it come out of the wall and is located no higher than 4 inches or does it come up from the floor or is it in an adjacent cabinet?
Any pics would be nice. As they say,,,a picture's worth a thousand words!!
Thank you,,,,Tony
justin says
Hey Tony,
Thanks for checking the post and kitchen.
In one kitchen the gas line comes up from the floor. In the second, it comes out of the wall about 4 or 5 inches from the floor.
I would check out the installation instructions to see if that helps you out. They are located on the product pages.
Scroll down to "Installation Manual" on https://fulgor-milano.com/us/en/product/30-dual-fuel-pro-range
It has a couple of diagrams for gas placement. Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Justin
Joanna says
Hi! Thank you for posting this review. I am interested in Fulgor Milano ranges and am having a hard time finding much information. I am located in Michigan. I was wondering how you are liking your Accento compared to the Sofia? I am looking for a 30" range and they seem pretty comparable in function a bit different in appearance. Thanks for your input!
justin says
Hi Joanna,
Thanks so much! They definitely seem very comparable. Honestly, I haven't really used the Accento yet for anything besides simmering BBQ sauce. We are waiting to take photos of the kitchen before I mess it all up. lol. But I use the Sofia every day and love it. I think you will be really happy going with the duel fuel.
The main differences I see are:
- Burners: they are not all the duel high/low burners. This isn't a big deal IMO
- No soft-close oven door on the accento. You definitely get used to the soft close, but it's not essential.
- No oven rack on rollers on the accento. This is something that is a nice to have, but also not completely necessary. I believe you can buy a rolling rack separately if you want that.
- The look of the two is slightly different. IF they were side by side it would be more noticibale but they both look very similar to me.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Cheers,
Justin
PEW says
I’m glad everyone has had such high satisfaction with this brand. Ours was purchased over a year ago and has not worked properly since. We’ve had one guy show up to fix it and threw his hands up in frustration and left. Another guy just called and said f*#k you and hung up. The local dealer will not come out because we bought it from an authorized dealer in another area. We’ve been told he was not supposed to do that. Horrible experience. Pretty but crappy product.
Patty W.
justin says
Really sorry to hear about your experience, Patty. I have emailed with someone who also had issues with their range. They just kept contacting the company (Fulgor) over and over and eventually, they remedied the issue by replacing the range. Hope that it can get resolved for you as well. Cheers, Justin
Kara says
Thank you for this review. I am an avid baker and I am considering the dual fuel 36inch. My hope is to be able to utilize all three racks for baking a dozen cupcakes on each shelf. Do you have any experience filling the oven on all three shelves and found that it maintained even baking results? From viewing this oven in the showroom it appears that only this brand and the Wolf seem to be able to accommodate three racks with enough height between racks.
Angela says
Hello!
I'm considering buying a 48" Fulgor ... been shopping all the different ranges online. (Bertazzoni, Capital, Zline, Ilve, etc...) Doing a modification to a kitchen (Carlsbad), and would love double ovens and a gas cooktop. I will have to go check out Aztec Appliance. Are you still happy with your Fulgor? Any issues or service calls? or updates with additional comments? Thank you
justin says
Hi Angela,
I would definitely check out Aztec and even Perch (might be one near you) has a great showroom for browsing, but they don't really seem to do discounts.
I do still love the Fulgor and now have a second Fulgor range in my kitchen studio that will be used for developing recipes for this website. In the studio, we went with the Accento 36" all gas. I haven't used it yet, but I do plan on doing a comparison between the two at some point.
I did have them swap out the oven burner on the Sofia because it was sometimes difficult to light. This was resolved with the new one.
Happy to answer other questions you might have. Cheers!
Mark Francis says
Justin,
We bought the 30" all gas range in December and cannot get Fulgor to fix issues with the oven temperature. Pre-heat times are longer than advertised, To obtain a desired temperature the control knob indicator must be set 50 degrees or more higher. Temperature drops significantly when oven door is opened and takes a long time to recover. It has been serviced twice under warranty without significant improvement. The last service person claimed this was a common problem with the gas ovens. The local representative has been helpful but cannot get any response from Fulgor. Any suggestion? Thanks.
justin says
Hi Mark! I'm sorry to hear that. Do you have the newer version of the range or the older one? The newer one has a different oven burner that I believe is an improved version. Do you know if they replaced that when it was serviced?
kristin says
Hi- So glad I came across this...we have the 36" Sofia bought in 2017 also with problems with the oven lighting (takes several attempts), and now the oven is turning off mid-bake. We love the cooktop and everything else about this. It is impossible to get serviced and we had several technicians sent via the warranty company that couldn't figure it out. Do you know what year the oven burner was changed on that model. I'm glad to hear it isn't a problem anymore! Did you go through Fulgor to change the burner out? and how did you contact them. They are very mysterious:)
justin says
Hi Kristin,
Absolutely. Glad you love your Fulgor but sorry you are having an issue with your oven.
I'm not sure what year the model changed, but I got mine in 2019 and the newer model was already out (I believe the S2 and mine is the S1) but it was more expensive and had two even more powerful BTU burners which I didn't need.
I had reached out (had to be pretty persistent) to Fulgor support and then they dispatched a local service company to work on it. Maybe your local appliance store could help? Or a highly-rated local repair company that services them might know?
Best,
Justin
Jessica says
Thank you for this review! I think I’m about to buy one for my new kitchen. We are also getting the Fulgor fridge.
justin says
Absolutely, Jessica.
So excited for you and your new kitchen. Definitely let me know how you like your range and I'd love to hear about the fridge as well! We just got our second Fulgor range in my studio kitchen. 🙂
Cheers,
Justin
Sascha says
same here, did you get the fridge and what do you think of it? how is the reliability, even though it would be a recent purchase...
Mavis Davis says
I bought a Fulgor Milano Sofia as well! I've had mine since Sept 2019. I was hesitant as well and for all the reasons you had. But I am so glad I picked it! It is a lot stronger than what I am used to (had a Wolf previously). I am so happy with the Sofia. I have the stove top only (drop in)
justin says
Hi Mavis,
That's awesome. So much fun to cook on and very interesting to hear it is more powerful than the Wolf you previously had. Our second Fulgor range just arrived for our kitchen studio in the back yard. Can't wait to get it hooked up.
Cheers!