I would mostly ditto tyguy.

Thermador is the most even of the sealed burners due to the star configuration but if it was in the same league as BS or CC they not need to give you a free dishwasher in order to get you to buy it. They don't run these promotions once or twice year it is almost constant. They advertise in major metro area papers.. "get a free dishwasher or range hood." BS and CC have word of mouth because customers become advocates for the brand. What does that tell you?

If you are super anal then the CC two piece burner is easier to clean. 99% of the time I have a minor spill on my CC burner I don't clean it I just let the fire burn it off. Again if you want everything spotless and clean clean clean after every meal CC does have that advantage

Dont care about name brand, so I would notice a difference between thermador burners and blue star or CC

isn't heat heat? I mean seriously: a hot pan is a hot pan, right? what possible difference could it make what the source of the heat is??

"the heat from my favorite brand of heat source is waaaaay better than the heat from your favorite brand of heat source!!!1!"

durrrr

so I would notice a difference between thermador burners and blue star or CC

{{gwi:1442436}}

isn't heat heat?

No. 100 degree F is heat 1000 degree F is heat.

Not the same.

I mean seriously: a hot pan is a hot pan, right?

No. A 350 degree pan is not the same as a 500 degree pan.

A pan that is 500 degree F on the edges and 350 at the center is not the same for cooking as one that is 500 or 350 acorss the pan.

what possible difference could it make what the source of the heat is??

Quite a bit. Appliance companies pay engineers a pretty sum to find optimum designs for burners. Some have priorities other than optimal cooking conditions.

Dee, just to give you a heads up, FmrQuahog used to write intelligent posts, but lately has been responding on any threads to do with cooking appliances with a snarky comment. Idk what is going on with him/her, but it's not worthwhile to respond. For example, recent FmrQuahog posts just say the words in caps "BLUESTAR", or "CAPITAL CULINARIAN". On another post about ranges, "oh goody, another btu dick-measuring contest". (direct quote). Another thread about Bluestar, "omfg i can't believe it! this is life changing". FmrQuahog is just messin' around.

I think before you ask which brand is better for you, you need to decide what you want. I don't think there is much debate about whether the BS or Capital has better performance than the Thermadore, but if you are not a serious cook than does it matter? I am willing to bet that the average cook would have better luck with the Thermadore than the raw power of a BS. I think everyone gets wrapped up in product and less on which is better for the individual who will actually be using it. I am by no means advocating either stove unless one is far more reliable I am just pointing out that one size does not fit all.

BrianVarick, I disagree. I have had a Blue Star for almost nine months. I love having the heat WHEN I WANT IT. The 22K burners sear a piece of tuna or salmon beautifully, creating a crust I couldn't really manage to get before. But having high powered burners doesn't mean that they always have to run at high power because the heat can be turned way down. I can practically simmer on the high burners! So why would i want to give up that flexibility? I do not claim to any culinary wizardry. I am just a normal, relatively adventurous home cook. What I can say is that I have never enjoyed cooking as much as I have since I upgraded to the Blue Star.

I am sure I would have loved a Culinarian too. I just liked the Blue Star better. But the lower-powered Thermador is just not in the same league.

I agree with Brian that one size does not fit all, and that is why I refrain from saying "brand x is the best range on the market". However, I can say with certainty and experience that Thermadore (which I tend to agree with Dee that they are one of the better sealed burner designs), Wolf, Viking, sealed burner Capitals, sealed burner American Range, Dacor, NXR, DCS, etc absolutely do not have cooktops that are in the same league as Bluestar, Capital Culinarian, and American Range Performer. And yes, indeed anyone who has used both will be able to notice the difference. The ovens on the ranges are a different story, I don't think any brand has one that is truly stand out in comparison to the competition.

You do not have to be a professional chef to take advantage of the increased performance one of the three commercial style open burner ranges deliver.