I find that I use my 22K burners for almost everything, so I like them at the front but I get your point about the smoky stuff. How deep is your hood and what material is your backsplash? I would consider those factors before putting the big ones at the back. I like the simmer in back because simmered things are usually parked there for a while, so putting the burner in the back gets the simmering pot out of the way.

I had a 48" Bluestar cooktop for the last 5 years, I did have a griddle but not doing one in the new build. I kept the standard burner configuration. Personally the 22K burners make more sense to me up front than in back. You can always start your boil on a front burner and slide it back to maintain the boil. I want the high heat burners where I can attend to them, when I'm searing or wok cooking I want that right in front of me. I'm doing an RNB 36 and I'm doing 3 22K burners accross the front, but I'm also adding a high power induction drop-in hob next to the range. what kind of trim are you doing on the range? If you are doing Island trim I would worry about all that heat right at the tile.

Tighter picture of the cooktop

I find that I use my 22K burners for almost everything, so I like them at the front but I get your point about the smoky stuff. How deep is your hood and what material is your backsplash? I would consider those factors before putting the big ones at the back. I like the simmer in back because simmered things are usually parked there for a while, so putting the burner in the back gets the simmering pot out of the way.

Sorry for the double post.

Jeffreyem would be very sorry to leave that kitchen. It is really beautiful! I can imagine how much you have enjoyed it over the last five years.

Alot of people say you can simmer on any size burner after its properly adjusted.I just ordered a 36" 6 burner and I put a 22k in the back bc I too like to boil water there. I left the simmer burner in the back left since its easier to reach to the back to stir a simmering pot occasionally, vs constantly attempting reach back to stir item thats cooking on high heat. Burner alterations costs 150-175 per burner depending on distributor.

This post was edited by eyezonz on Fri, Mar 7, 14 at 13:59

nycbluedevil

The next one will be better.

I have a 36", and I have actually thought it would be nice to have the simmer burner in front and one of the 22K in the back. There are things I make on the simmer burner that require constant attention (thinking bechamels, risottos) and plenty of times that I want to just blast a pot of water without all that heat up near me. Also, while my hood is 24" deep and does cover the front burners, I feel like it does a better job with the back burners than with the front. If I had 8 burners, I can't think of a downside for switching two of them.

Thanks for the input! Regarding hood size and backslash I am still finalizing details but current plans are 22.5" deep hood and possibly Caesarstone for backsplash, but if not I will do tile. I was planning to do island trim. I can see your points, nycbluedevil and jeffreyem, about locating the higher power burners up front. How deep are your hoods? Do you find that they adequately capture everything from the front burners? I am planning to have my hood at 32" high, but could have it at 30".

Thanks, eyesonz, for your input and experience, esp about simmer location.

Justmakeit - how high is your hood? I think you are right that just switching one of the 22K burners to the back would make sense. I might also specify 3 22K burners - I didn't really think of that earlier.

And, jeffreyem - can't wait to see your new kitchen if it's going to be better than your current one!

MarinaGal -- just measured my hood. It's at 32". I'm not complaining about the job it does with the front burners, but a little lower and it would probably do even better. 3 22K burners would be amazing! (Thinking about it, I wonder if getting 2 simmer burners would also be good. The way I cook, there are lots of times when I've got two things cooking long and low at the same time. The simmer burner works so well for that. Hm, something to think about.)

I have a 36" 6 burner RNB that came with the now-standard configuration of having the two 22k burners on two front corners. I say "now" standard bc when my parents bought their RNB 7 years ago, the standard configuration was having a 22k in the left front corner and the other 22k in the rear right.

I prefer the now -standard configuration that I have than the previously standard configuration that my parents have bc of ease of reach using the power burners. I noticed that on their range, the rear 22k burner hardly ever got used, even for just boiling water bc it is not as easy to use as any of the front burners. Perhaps that's why even bluestar changed the standard configuration to the way it is now with 22ks all in the front.

Incidentally, I also have added an after market third 22k burner in the middle front, and I replaced the simmer burner with the 15k burner that used be in the front middle spot. So now I have 3 22k burners up front and 3 15k burners in the back and no simmer burner. I don't miss the simmer burner at all as I can simmer anything (even rice or oatmeal for one) on ANY burner, including the 22ks. They simmer so well that I plan on eventually replacing all the rear 15k with 22ks so that the entire range has 22k burners.

I used cast iron and aluminum diffuser plates on my Bluestar all the time for simmering. As for hood depths, I have not seen a hood depth for an against the wall hood any deeeper than 24". I'm probably doing a 66" wide Best IQ 1200 CFM over my RNB 36 with an induction hob next to it, I have no upper cabinets on that wall.