Can't speak to the RCS but my RNB isn't an issue with respect to door heat. It does get warm, but nothing that would cause any injury. I also have two toddlers at home and one (the two year old) is obsessed with touching the range, the knobs, the door (and every other appliance) and she's never been hurt at all.

Thanks, gtadross. Good to know it's toddler-safe. We're also thinking of making the jump up to the RNB so this will be useful input for us in any case. Much appreciated.

Although I don't have the RCS, I would say get the RNB if you can. To be honest, the 15k burners, while better than your average range, tend to leave people somewhat underwhelmed. They're simply nowhere near as powerful as the 22ks. Another thing is that you most probably cannot upgrade any of your 15k burners to 22ks. Bluestar will not send you the required parts. There a few threads to that effect on this forum.

If you have the RNB, however, you can add additional 22k burners for a few hundred bucks, either before ordering or afterward. I added a 22k to my RNB afterwards and now have three 22ks in front and the less powerful burners in the back, so I can quite literally back-burner things that don't need as much attention as what's cooking in front.

I just purchased a RCS over the summer - very happy so far. The oven temp on the front of the door isn't bad, but the side of the door is hot 200F+ - enough to vaporize water sprayed on it; it would burn you if you touched it for more than a second or two.

The 15k burners are great - most other gas burners are 9-10k and are sealed burners - not what I would call underwhelming. Actually, the only thing I haven't been able to cook amazingly well on these burners is with a wok, which a 22k can't pull off amazingly well either.

If you don't want to pay the additional $1,500-$2000 for the RNB, the RCS is a great choice - but the oven temperature door is not stellar - the only thing about this range I would call underwhelming.

Thanks mateo21. Do you happen to know or did you research at all whether the RNB has similar door temperature issues? I can understand that you might not have, but thought I'd ask. Thanks.

I have the RNB 48. The side of oven gets quite warm. Mine is slid in between two cabs so I do not feel that help. But the test kitchen I used did have quite the warm side while the oven was on. That said, I do like it v much, even for wok cooking.

Thanks carree. Ours would be in a peninsula so, like yours, the sides would be between cabinets and presumably we would not feel the heat either. Have you experienced issues similar to those of mateo21 with the hot door edges?

Not so as I would not recommend the stove. If I am running at 500 degrees for an extended period, yes the knobs get warm. I think the suggestion of pulling out slightly that catch drawer is the popular means of alleviating this. This stove is a different animal from your typical GE type oven. You need to relearn the way you cook because the pot will boil faster or that wok hay will be achieved faster (listen to me using wok cooking vernacular!) or that skillet will burn that garlic or onion faster...so you have to be ready to go. There is no chatting on the phone and forgetting about what is on the stove or chopping the onion half way through the preheat of the skillet.

That said, I would not want to go back. It is tremendously well insulated and the convection capability in that oven has helped me turning out magazine worthy roasted chickens and really delicious focaccia. So , am I having fun? Yes! Do I miss some things like the ease of a self clean button or a pristine stovetop that should look brandy-new? Yes, a bit. But I would do it again tomorrow. My lamb chops with the infrared broiler cooked FAST and have a beautiful crust. So, go for it.

Love the excitement, carree. Upgrading our cooking is one of the reasons we're looking to upgrade our stove. Thanks for the thoughtful and helpful responses.

Sorry for the late reply - I'm unclear about the RNB door temperature!

I also echo carree's sentiments about the stove, however, it's fantastic. I've been cursed with a flat top electric for the past year and this stove not only is a significant step up in power from any gas stove I've ever used.

htwoozik, did you end up getting the 30" RCS?

If so, can you confirm the hot door issue is still there?

I'll have 30'' RCS delivered first week of March, will check on the door issue as I like to do bread on 450-500F.
Will update on this thread in 3 weeks.

Interested in any new thoughts or experiences on this topic...thanks to all.

I have an older model Bluestar 36" just purchased and noticed the exterior (door, knobs, side, etc.) get extremely hot! Love the stove but wouldn't recommend it if small kids are in the house. Why the hell are the knobs getting hot?!

Anymore feedback on the RCS hot door issue?

I can attest, as having cooked on a bluestar for many years, the door, kick panel and knobs get extremely hot.

If any owner tells you that they can hold their hand on certain areas (top sides of door, bottom center of door, center of kick panel) without getting burned after the range has been on for an hour at 350 is a bold-faced lie.

How the testing agencies (UL and/or ETL) passed that range is mind-boggling and, frankly, borderline criminal, or, at the very least, negligent.

I've had an RCS for the last two months. My door gets hot but not extremely hot, and no I'm not a bold faced liar. However, the sides and the top of the door do get extremely hot where the oven vents are located. I don't know if my kick panel gets overly hot. Haven't noticed. And the knobs can get quite hot too but if you pull the drip tray out so it's just past the knobs then they won't get hot. And doing so doesn't interfere with opening or closing the oven door. Easy solution. I got a Viking range in the late 90's and raised two kids-had the range before I had the first child. The door on that range got extremely hot. As did the metal struts that held the handle. A lot hotter than my RCS door. Much like the sides and top of the RCS door. Amazingly both kids lived! And no burns or scary incidents at all. If you have kids they will learn not to touch the range, just like an adult learns.

Well, I've stated this before in another thread too, the oven door on my 30" RCS does NOT get HOT, lukewarm at best. That includes all areas of the door/window. The kick panel does get HOT. The knobs get hot too but not to the point of being able to touch them. I think this whole oven door "HOT" thing is getting over blown a bit IMHO....To Cassity: what year did you buy your BS range that you cooked on for years? I know that BS has done some modifications to their oven doors, maybe you had an older version BS door? Just want to clarify, I am giving an honest review of the heat on "my" range/oven, NO lie...ha.

I have a 36" RNB that I've blasted at 500-plus degrees to cook pizza on my new baking stone. I've roasted meats in it and broiled as well. The over door and the knobs on the RNB get warm -- NOT HOT -- and no warmer than other ovens I've owned. This continuing BS oven door topic is just weird.

FINAL VERDICT ON HOT DOOR ISSUE:

This is a great product with an unfortunate, and very real, design flaw - through all of the models, not just this one. The hot door issue is real, and it is a risk you should be aware of before purchasing. If you have young children, toddlers or infants - I don't see how you can buy a BlueStar stove in good conscience - despite them being beautiful cooking units. I just returned from an appliance showroom where we ran the BlueStar (two models, RPB & RNB) at 500F for 30 minutes. The door was warm to the touch. The knobs were hot - too hot for comfort. The kickplate (louvered) and the driptray edge were straight up scalding. Had I kept my hand on the kickplate or drip tray for more than a half-second, I would have been badly burned. The price of these units is immaterial to this discussion. These ranges get unsafely hot for use in a family home. For singles, adults without kids, or families with grown kids - the unit would do nicely. Frankly I am surprised these have passed the appropriate tests to be sold on the Canadian market.

There is no RPB model made anymore. You just signed up here and over at Chowhound to complain about something you've never owned? Who does that? So you're lucky, you can chose another brand. Don't like it? Don't buy it.

The currently shipping RNB V2 (along with the RCS V2 and Platinum) have newly redesigned doors that addresses the heat and door sticking problems reported in some earlier models. Was the RNB that you tested at the showroom an RNB V2 or was it one of the older models?