The Bluestar RCS does have one simmer burner, but it's a true pro-style range. They don't list the price for the RCS on their website (they do for their other ranges) but the 36" RCS sells for $3699. I bought one in Nov, and got quotes from AJ Madison and a local appliance store and the price was the same. So the 30" should be $3K or less. I'm basing this on the $1400 difference listed on BS's website between the 30" and the 36" BS RNB. There should be a similar price difference between the two RCS models. Maybe not $1400 but $500 at least. Probably more.

Isn't the Bluestar RCS open burner though? What are the pros and cons of open vs sealed? I assumed for cleaning etc sealed would be better. Also on this forum I read that the oven door of the Bluestar RCS gets hot. And I have two little kids, true/false?

I am getting my appliances from AJ Madison as well.

There are many posts debating open vs. sealed burners. You need to read them. I have a BS and think that open burners are a complete no brainer and would never have closed burners again. But that's just my view.

And yes, there are people who get all wigged out about hot doors. No they don't get that hot. And besides, kids figure out not to go near the stove pretty quickly. I know. I raised three of them without incident. There are much more dangerous things than a hottish range door.

A couple of additional considerations for the op.

1. "Prostyle" encompasses a couple of other design/layout features besides having four full-range, large burners: (a) the burners are spaced a couple of inches wider -- 11 inch centers (front to back) as compared to 9" on non-pro-style ranges) and (b) they have thin backsplash/oven vents at the back or (if not placed against a wall) have island trim. These two features mean you have space to run four very large pans at a time, if that is the kind of production/entertaining-cooking you do. This is something you cannot do with most standard freestanding and slide-in ranges. WIth freestanding ranges, it is the thicker vent/backsplash that limits the size of pots on the back burners. With slide-ins, it is the more constricted burner layout. (Major brand slide-ins often have a bit less usable cooktop real estate than freestanding ranges even though the look more open.

2. The GE Cafe ranges are kind of an exception to these restrictions. The space at the back of the Cafe stovetop is a thin forward-angled, low rise oven vent which does give you more room for pots than with a standard freestanding range, The burners (IIRC) are still on 9 inch centers and, as you welll know, the back burners are rather wimpy. Also, if you are planning on putting your Cafe stove against a wall, you might want to consider buying the accessory vent riser that GE offers. It puts oven venting a bit higher, keeps stuff from rolling off the stovetop into the oven vents, and helps shield the back wall from some of the worst goop and condensates.

3. You say you have crossed the NXR off your list because "the quality seems to be suspect." I take "suspect quality" to be a concern that substandard parts are used resulting in an unreliable, short-lived appliance. If that is what you meant, you have crossed off the NXR for the wrong reasons.

It is not the "quality" of the NXR ranges that is "suspect" but, rather, the company's (Duro's) warranty service and support.

The build quality is a well known quantity -- at least comparable with similarly priced Electrolux/Frigidiare, GE, Whirlpool, etc. ranges. The NXR's operating components are sourced from well respected, reliable makers who supply the same parts to other stove makers.

The problem with any line of manufactured products is the simple fact of life that everybody's production lines kick out some lemons and some stoves of every brand and model can and do turn up with shipping damage. As far as anybody can tell, NXRs do not have any more instances of shipping damage or lemons than most other brands.Most people who buy NXRs get good ranges.

That is where we talk about warranty service and support and that is where NXR/Duro can be sketchy. It is not just NXR/Duro, though. For many manufacturers with small-market shares, warranty service can be bad and sometimes has been outright terrible. That is, in fact, a serious consideration for anybody considering any pro-style ranges. Research Blue Star and you will find numbers of complaints about similarly bad service for those ranges. This is not said to defend NXR but to point out a market reality that has to factored in to the decision to purchase any pro-style range from any maker with a small share of the appliance market.

BTW, the fact that you can find a lot more complaints about Blue Star than NXR is not important. Blue Star has simply sold a lot more stoves for a lot longer than NXR. As you will find from searching threads here, a large majority of the Blue Star buyers have very well satsfied. Again, the problems have not been so much with the overall quality of the product as with the support and service.

There is another aspect that may dampen the number of NXR complaints, which is that many of us buy or bought our NXRs from Costco. Costco has an iron-clad, full refund, customer satisfaction guarantee. That means that, if I receive a lemon or stove with shipping damage (that is, damage was not obvious enough for me to refuse the delivery), I don't have to wait for the endlessly delayed, multiple warranty service visits that get reported for just about every brand of range. Instead, I just take my range back to Costco and get a full refund. I can do the same thing if I just decide I don't like the stove after several months of use.

Obviously, this is going to appeal to some people and not to those who lack the interest, ability or means to schlep around a 300 pound range.

4. When I was stove shopping several years ago, I was seriously interested in a GE Cafe dual fuel range. I don't know if you found it in your searches, but we had a thread discussing the pros and cons of NXRs, GE Cafes and other ranges in that price bracket. You might find it useful if it didn't turn up in your searches. Here's the link:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg0123491328448.html

Thank you, thank you, thank you! For writing such a detailed response.

I have been reading up on the NXR ranges and experiences compared with GE Cafe. I have to say that after reading those I am actually reconsidering the NXR range. Like you've said no range is without it's issues. Seems to be the case with GE and NXR.

So if you own NXR where did you buy it? Would you take curbside delivery and order it online to avoid the tax? Costco also does curbside delivery so how did you get your range inside?

I was able to find an American Range Performer 30" for 3200 CAD from a local shop. Check your local retailers for deals, especially at this time of the year.

have you considered a Thermador 30 inch all gas with free dw for about 4k? It's not a fugazi like NXR, its a cooks range.

Thermador is having a promotion but even with it the range is out of my budget as I need to buy a hood and a microwave (separate).

I was considering buying an NXR through a store online but based on NXRs customer service issues I am thinking of buying locally from someone who might also have a good service department. I could purchase from Costco but I'd rather buy everything I need in one place. Plus I want in-home delivery for the stove, not curbside.

This post was edited by PJOH127 on Thu, Jan 29, 15 at 10:09

PJ --

Do you live in New York, Austin, LA, San Francisco, north Florida or Chicago? There seem to be relatively few local stores that actually carry any NXR products. (A reflection of the small market share and a stove that is aimed at a niche market.) Seems to me that if you are getting it as a special order from most locals, you might just as well order online. Also, buying locally -- especially if the stove is a special order --- does not necessarily avoid warranty service delays and heel dragging. Have you read the threads on bmorepanic's saga?

I bought my NXR from Costco.com. The stove is not carried in the warehouse stores. The main factors for me were: (a) the Costco satisfaction guarantee; (b) the recommendations of friends who'd bought theirs three years previous; (c) the price was hundreds less than the other stoves on my short list (i.e., a couple of induction ranges and a Cafe DF floor model); (d) more or less immediate availablity -- it showed up in six days when I needed a stove right away and when, at the time, there would have been a five to six week wait on the induction ranges. The Cafe floor model was actually the first choice, and I could have carried it away, but the price got bid above my budget.

Sales tax was not a consideration for me as my state (Montana) does not have one. If you live in a sales-tax state where Costco has a warehouse-store, Costco.com usually collects the sales tax. That may affect your choice.

Another couple of possible Costco.com price considerations. First, depending on what kind of Costco membership you have and whether you use a Costco Amex card, there are rebates of up to 5%. Second, if you do not need the new stove immediately, you might wait for one of the periodic discount sales that Costco.com has been running every few months for the last three years, By happenstance, I got my NXR for $1799 during one of those sales. In the most recent sale last October (IIRC), the price was $1649.

As for curbside delivery, I'm one of those folks who actually prefers it and is equipped for it, so I'm no help on negotiating for in-house installation.

It is good that you are reading the other NXR threads. These can be helpful in deciding whether or not an NXR is a good match for what you want.

Quick update- I ended up getting the Capital MCR 304N and got it at a sweet price from AJ Madison. I bought a bunch of things from them - range, Bosch dishwasher, Kobe Hood and a microwave so I think their prices were fair. While the Capital does not have dual or triple ring burner (I think the NXR does) I am looking forward to it. I will have it next week in my new kitchen. I can't wait!

Nice pick.