We have been using our new Electrolux cooktop for about 6 weeks and are very happy. We use all the burners, but I especially like the center one to heat pasta water quickly and the 850 BTU burner for sauces! My only complaint is that I seem to be cleaning the knobs each time I saute because they are in the center. This might happen less if the knobs were all on one side. On the other hand, they are very logically placed and I never turn the wrong burner on (which use to happen with my old stove). Hope this helps.

That does help! Thanks for the feedback, especially on the knob cleaning issue.

I don't have one but I was looking at the Dacor. It looks awesome. Knobs are on the side (good point meg ma).

I just went and looked at the Electrolux and the Capital Maestro 36" gas cooktop. The Capital is the closest to the DCS in looks and it has pretty much the same burner configuration and styling as the DCS. The knobs are on the side (thanks meg ma!). The downside to the Electrolux besides the know placement is that the burners are not dual burners so you have to remember which burner is which in order to take full advantage of the different BTUs. Not a deal breaker and they are almost exactly the same price. The specs on the Electrolux say no drawer can be placed below it; not sure why but my cabinet guy says they do it all the time and just cut down the sides of the drawer to accommodate the clearance needed for the cooktop. I'm checking the Capital specs to see what the deal is with the drawer, but because it's so close to the DCS I am leaning toward the Capital at this point, unless something weird occurs with the specs.

Hi, I'm wondering what gastop Farmersdaughter chose, and if you are happy with it? I'm looking at Electrolux too, and wasn't aware of the bottom clearance issue. I thought that was just on their induction tops. So I'll have to look into that. I do want drawers under the cooktop for cookware storage. I haven't seen a capital cooktop yet. Saw their range which is beautiful, but I really want separate top and ovens.

I ended up ordering the Capital cooktop, mostly because it is so similar to my current DCS and because of the (potential) drawer issue with the Electrolux. It just arrived and hasn't be installed yet. I'll report back in the 3 - 4 weeks to let you know how it's working!

Hi, Thanks for your reply. I don't know where to go to see a Capital drop-in cooktop. I've only found one dealer that carries anything by Capital. They can order it for me, but I'd really liketo see and touch before I order. I went back to appliance stores yesterday, with my pots (felt like a bag lady). After looking at DCS, Electrolux, and Monogram for the 6th time, I am suddenly leaning toward the Wolf. It's not the name, it's the fit and finish, the quality of the stainless, the heaviness of the grates, the feel of the knobs, and it's just pretty to look at. If I have to stand in front of something for hors everyday, I want to like what I see. I'll look around again for a Capital, maybe I just have to drive further.

farmersdaughter, How is the Capital cooktop working? I too am also looking at the Dacor and Electrolux. While browsing the other day I also noticed the Gaggenau. Very nice but alot of scratches on the floor model. The grates didn't seem to be designed that well to prevent scratching but I sure liked the brass burners and the mega burner in the center. It seemed like a cross between and open and closed burner. Any more comments on the Capital, Dacor, Electrolux, or Gaggenau would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I really like the Capital cooktop so far in general. In comparison to my old DCS range, it seems a little bit underpowered, but not significantly. Other than that, it performs exactly as I expected it to, which is great.

Aside from performance, I do have a few complaints about the Capital cooktop. One thing I don't like about it as much as my DCS is the stainless steel where the knobs are located, and underneath the burners, is not quite as heavy duty as the DCS (it's a little shinier) so it takes a little extra effort to clean up compared to the DCS. The iron grates also take a bit more effort than the DCS to clean because the center (round) grate must be removed in order to lift up the other grates. Not a huge deal, but a bit extra effort. The third thing that kind of bothers me is that the black circles atop the burners and the black "donut" rings around the burners move much too easily when cleaning and are always getting knocked out of position. Again, not a huge deal but just a minor annoyance.

Just a reminder, the new DCS cooktops and ranges are not the same as the one I have so my comments have to be taken with a grain of salt when comparing.

farmersdaughter, Thanks for the followup. How is the simmer feature? Any problems with the flame going out? Can you leave a pot or small pan on simmer and not worry about burning or splattering? Thanks again.