To get the controls on the front, you'll either need to get a slide-in range or a pro-style free-standing range (e.g. Wolf, Bluestar, Capital, DCS, etc.)

It is not all that hard to fit most of those conditions with a prostyle range - Capital, Bluestar, American Range, etc. Unfortunately, it is pretty hard to find dial controls in the front for the oven in more moderate price range - I think Kenmore offered one in a special order at one time. If you go with pro style range, you won't get the storage door below, but will get dial controls up front. I have the 30 inch bluestar. They have, IMHO, a silly metal grate that goes in the middle. I took it out and put in a piece of wood for just the reason you suggest -to place spoons etc. On my last range, i had a granite co cut down a small offcut and put that in the center between the grates, and that worked out well.

GE Monogram 30" Dual Fuel range. We love it. It's been in and working for about 4 months now. Above comments are right, you will need to go a "pro" range to get all you want.

Thanks for the responses, and thanks for the picture, whit461. That stove looks nice, but we are not looking for a pro stove.

What's crazy to me is that the Frigidaire I had in an apartment circa 2008 had almost all the features I'm looking for -- including the front oven control -- it just had a black top. I would buy that stove used, if I could find it.

Why are there no midrange options with a front control knob? Super cheap stoves have it. (http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/AGR3311WDW.html)

I'm looking for something kinda like this: http://www.kenmore.com/kenmore-30inch-freestanding-gas-range-stainless-steel-w-stainless/p-02272633000P?prdNo=19&blockNo=19&blockType=G19#reviewsWrap

... just without that fifth burner and with the front oven knob! Budget is $1000 to $1500.

Maybe I'll just buy a $200 white stove for now (with the functional design I want) and wait for something better in the future. Any other suggestions before I do that?

From my stove shopping last fall, it seems you can't get all of your specifications in a freestanding range for less than $1.5k but you can get everything (except for stainless-surfaced stovetop) in a slide-in model which you can use as free-standing range

You do know that a slide-in can be used as a freestanding stove? (Don't confuse them with "drop-in" ranges). Also, you do know that you can buy a rear-filler strip and/or a thin backsplash/backguard as an accessory for most slide-in models? (And, if you will have fully exposed sides, you can get usually get side panel for the slide-in models that don't already have them.)

GE, Frigidaire, Whirlpool (and its sub-brand Maytag) all have gas slide-in models with almost everything you want for less than $1600 (including an accessory back-guard if you need one). Some are down closer to $1k in price. Check out Lowe's.com and AJ Madison.com. "Almost everything" that is, except for having the stainless-steel finish on the top instead of the black top. When I was shopping last fall, it seemed that either some design cartel had decreed or else some marketing survey company had persuaded all major manufacturers that all customers in this price range must have black stove tops on gas ranges with stainless steel fascia.

If you want a sub $1.5k gas stove with a stainless steel finish and absolutely must have to have an integral backsplash without any oven controls on that non-removeable back-splash, I know of only one readily available brand: Premier Pro (offered at AJ Madison, Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, etc. etc. but you have to search for it.) But: (a) these stoves are very, very basic; (b) they are $1400 to $1500 for one with an oven window on a stove that is otherwise very similar to the $200-$400 models from other lines (although the Premier Pro's will have one larger burner rated at 15000 btu-hr); (b) complaints are about design, poor function (including uneven oven heating); and (d) there are complaints about poor build quality. For example, Costco offered Premier "Pro" stoves for a few months last year at costco.com. The reviews were negative and the number of returns apparently prompted Costco to drop the line. (You can find the reviews if you use costco + premiere pro + range + reviews" as your search string.) And, the stovetops on all stainless Premier models are black.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Fri, Jun 21, 13 at 15:43