Casual cooking family. More interested in quality than the highest BTUs.

What do you recommend?

Low Simmer Wolf and Bluestar

High Power Capital and Bluestar

Even Heat Capital and Bluestar

Cleaning Each is different but each requires about the same effort when all types of spills and clean-up are taken into account.

Easiest to use Wok Bluestar.

Most Effective Wok Capital

Bluestar comes with two extra igniters because the igniters are exposed and can break when cleaning. This is not common but it happens often enough that Bluestar has a video on their website on how to change the igniters.

Bluestar offers French top in 48" and 60" rangetops.

Wolf grill has highest temp but no in between temperatures
It is either on or off but comes with a plate that works like a heat diffuser.

Capital grill has widest range of temperatures.

Griddles are about the same.

I think that is more or less the consensus although there are some owner fans of each that will defend the superiority of their rangetop in all things at all times.

Does local or state code limit your ventilation in any way? Our state requires make up air for any vent hood over 400 cfm. For each of those three manufacturers, a minimum of 900 to above is typical. The higher btu burners used for wok cooking produce a plume whose swift capture may be added by higher cfm draw.

There are make up air universal damper systems which senses within the hood duct and runs with turn on providing non conditioned fresh air. Broan was the first in supplying them for residential use (no affiliation, just gratitude). An 8" duct is typically used on these systems for 1000 cfm blower capacity. Over 1000 cfm, two 8" mua ducts to outside may be needed. Something to think about in this equation.

O/T: how tall are your ceilings? Are your upper cabinets 42" then stacked? The glass at top is wonderful, and I'm sure you have thought of the need for a library ladder. I love the design of your kitchen.

No make up air code in my area. I am going with a 600CFM Moderaire insert. Yes, I know that they recommend that I need more but honestly it will be very rare that we use more than 3 burners. I have posted on this before and have received excellent feedback that for me 600CFM will work very well. The Modernaire has an 8" duct that I am able to run straight up, into the attic, and out the roof above.

The kitchen ceilings are 10'. I am not sure about the heights of the uppers. Yes, the top cabinets will be for storage of items that are not used very much. We will have under cabinet and upper cabinet LED lighting.

BS
-assortment of burner sizes, you have some choice in the sizes
-open burners -google cleaning video to see how it's done
-very high heat @ 22K BTUs
-Unknown simmer BTUs so no way to compare, Indeterminate temp listed as rating.
-Service depends on where you live.

CC
-5 same size burners with 1 small pot burner
-open burners-google cleaning video
-very high heat@ 23K BTUs
-Unknown simmer BTUs so no way to compare, Indeterminate temp listed as rating.
-Service depends on where you live but almost any one who has had issues has been helped by Trevor Lawson(Eurostoves) so you might as well buy it from him if you go that route unless you know you can get great service locally.

Wolf
-5 same size burners with 1 small pot burner, all dual stacked
-sealed burners
-High heat 15K BTUS
-dual stacked burners provides simmer of 325 BTUs on small burner and 900 BTUs on large burners This means the big burner is low enough to hold mashed potatoes in an all-clad dutch oven for hours with no scorching.
-Service if you ever need it is great. They are known for their service.

I would see each in person and try to cook on them to see how they are. You can see how you like the way the heat adjusts, fit and finish and just how it feels to stand in front of it.

If I were wanting a griddle, consider an add on, either the steel Chef King for 2 or 4 burners(heavy and holds a lot of heat) or the aluminum(responds quicker to changed in temperature and is lighter weight) uncoated Royal industries over 2 burners.

" Posted by deeageaux

Even Heat Capital and Blue Star "

The burner that has the most even or useful heat for one pan will not be the best for others. No one burner can be all things. It is helpful to consider how heat makes it to your food. One aspect is heat transfer from the flame to the pan.
There is a pattern from the burner where the heat is transferred to the pan. The heat immediately starts moving away from that point in all directions, as in the diagram, until the pan comes to equilibrium. It will depend on the size of the pan, its composition and configuration of burner as to how fast this happens and if it happens. If the area on the inside of the ring is smaller than the area outside of the ring, then it will come to equilibrium quicker than the outside.

Each of these burners has a little different pattern. Sealed burners can have more flare on highest heat. This might be good or bad. There is very little difference on low or medium heat. If you use a pan with adequate aluminum or copper that conducts heat well, it is less significant. If you use cast iron or steel, you will want to consider how the pan heats in order to choose a burner that works well for you. You might like the smaller footprint on high heat of an open burner for a wok but a twelve inch skillet will heat better with the sealed burner with some flare. The burner is only one of the variables in bringing heat to your food. The pan luckily is an easily changed variable and by understanding the properties of the pan you will be able ti adjust o any shortcomings of your burner.

Does anyone else find the aesthetics of the blue star a little lacking?

Yes, it will be a rangetop and not a cooktop. One of the reasons that I need to decide is to give he and the granite fabricator the exact cutout measurements of whatever I want to use.

As far as the granite and rangetop, each fabricator with whom I spoke wanted the rangetop on site for templating. Simply having the dimensions was not enough. You might want to double check with your fabricator.