We have a Kenmore Pro dual fuel range - LOVE IT! My sister had a Viking when we bought it. Yes, I would have rather had a Viking but this was similar and less $$$. I still love it!

Dual fuel or all gas?

Capital Precision - all gas, self clean, 6 sealed burners - 140 deg. simmer - 19,000 BTU, rotisserie - $5500

Quite a few folks over on the Appliance forum have Capital and have very favorable reviews.

KitchenAid 48" Dual Fuel Range, Self Clean, Two 20K BTU Dual-Flame Burners - $6000

Not sure how they rate overall but the folks on the appliance forum could weigh in.

A start.....

Here is a link that might be useful: Capital Precision

All gas would be fine. Thanks.

While not self cleaning, you should check out BlueStar - open burners, large oven. A local dealer has this floor model available - never used but based on price, you may be able to get a BS in your area for ~$6K. I would have snapped it up but we are going with a 60" range in a new build.

BLUESTAR - $5,999.00 Now $2,549.15
Cooktop : Gas
Model RGTNB364GHCSS-NG

Don't discount the venting you will need with a more powerful range. That ups the budget. For a 36" range, you should do a 42" hood and for a 48" range, a 54" hood.

Boy oh boy.... I know the feeling. We spent hours on the internet looking at ovens. I didn't have a budget for a Wolfe or Viking, but I wanted something that would be borderline commercial. I came to the conclusion that although I like to cook, I'm not a professional chef and don't need a professional oven. We settled on the GE Cafe and so far love it. Powerful burners, griddle, and lower cooking draw that we used on Christmas and worked well. We got some stainless steel cleaner and it's actually easier to clean than our old enamel kenmore range.

Sounds like your kitchen is a glorified restaurant on the weekends. I've often thought I'd put 2 30 inch ranges next to each other instead of paying the high cost of those large ranges.

I have an older (18 years +/-) Jade/Dynasty all-gas 48", double-oven range. (The brand went through some changes when it was acquired, then turned loose from Amana.) I have no idea what is available from them now, but I do know that I can can still get cheerful and useful help (and parts) where necessary from Jade. That's important as no one in my area services it - not even the orginal dealer even though he is still in business.

Anyhoo, my comments are more about the size than the brand/model.

I really, really adore my smaller oven (they are side by side). I use it more than 75% of the time. The larger one is gas/convection and I have never really made friends with it, although it works just fine. I can use it with or w/o the convection. The smaller oven has the infra-red broiler which is fantastic. (Although we have replaced the unit once, probably due to corrosion from being left unused when we were living out of the area.)

With so much top-side real estate I allowed myself to be persuaded by my husband that we "needed" the two-burner gas chargrill model. I would never waste space on one again. Huge PITA to clean, requires outrageous amount of ventilation, etc. If I want "grilled" food I can do that outside in a grill, thank you very much. In the end I had the gas-supply lines to the grill burners capped; removed the whole burner assemblies and substituted a slab of granite over space that gives me a middle of the stovetop plunk space for hot pots - which turns out to be extremely useful. I now have two pairs of burners on the left side of the stove, the space with the granite and another pair on the right, which is where I added the simmer-burner when it became available. My grates (except for the granite slab part) are all contiguous enough that I can slide pots around w/o lifting. I do a lot of canning and this is a very useful feature for that.

My BTUS are not as high as can be obtained now (12K - downgraded a bit because I have only propane), but I find they are beefy enough to do more than what I need. And they were light years ahead of my previous range with normal consumer power. I definitely improved my cooking and had an excellent excuse to purchase some heftier cookware, though I still use all the old stuff, too. The heavier cookware combined with the higher BTUs allowed me to really use the pot as more than just a containment vessel.

The other thing about my range (and this may be something not on others available now) is that my ovens seem to be mounted higher above the floor than typical so I don't have so much bending to do somehow - or at least I don't find it onerous. And, of course the broiler unit is in the ceiling of the left-hand oven so not low-to-ground like some.

My range has legs (adjustable) so I have space underneath which needs careful vaccuuming and occasionally something will roll underneath. I plan to lower the whole range an inch or two when I change to the new kitchen because I think I'll like it better. (Going to do a live test on that first, though.)

Now the downside(s): I think the biggest one is the sheer size of a 48" range. It really constrains your design, particularly if you, like me, want to be sure it's on an exterior wall for easy venting. Venting is definitely mandatory and much more expensive due to size and capacity, and depending on where you are and how your house is set up, possibly needing a dedicated make-up air system. (I don't need one as I have an outside-air fed heating system and anyway my 175 year old house leaks like a sieve so it has a "natural" make-up air system!)

If my range died (and couldn't be fixed), something I never expect to happen, I would consider a smaller (36-42") model but I think I would miss the two-oven set-up. If you're set on a range (rather than cooktop with double wall ovens) I think there's much to be said for a 48"-er. I have cooked a fair amount recently on an induction burner which I like for many things but wouldn't want to be w/o at least a couple of powerful gas hobs.

My range is not self cleaning, but I can completely disassemble the interior wals and extract them from the oven for scrubbing when necessary. Most of the time I get by with periodic steam cleaning, however.

I wish my range had oven windows and a light (not available back when I got it). I also covet the Thermador actual oven temperature gauges - in addition to the thermostat/ controller knobs. I am planning to see if I can figure out a Rube Goldberg that uses those gauges in the places where the knobs of now-removed chargrill unit are.

My DH (who is not a professional appliance repair person) reports that the maintenance and repairs on my range are pretty straightforward, but I realize most people don't get that intimate with their stoves.

People do get pretty passionate in their opinions about the "best" range. I think it's important to consider which aspects are important to you, and to stand and play around with at least a set up model - better yet, a live stove. It would be worth a trip to showroom to play with a live one, IMO. CC, Blue Star, Thermador, Dacor, Wolf all have their advantages, and partisans. Since this is a big purchase - and its size drives the design of the room., I'd make this decision first, at least as far as model. You can obssess about the color farther down the road. (Mine is black enamel and I have found that the black has worn well as a design item over a long time.)

As you decide, be prepared to find that small detail(s) really stick in your mind. I partly chose mine because I liked how the oven door handles rotated - and how the knobs looked. Back in the day there weren't as many choices, either.

The prices of the 48" ranges seem quite high. I think we paid @ $5500, but that was in 1993. Given my range's long and mostly trouble-free life (and continued life-expectancy), I don't think it seems as costly as it did then. New 48" models appear to be $6-10K, which seems to be in line.

HTH,

L.

The more I think about it, I don't want to rip out half my kitchen cabinets just to accomadate a larger range. I would prefer a 30" that has a better cooktop configuration so I can fit 3 large pots on it at once. I really would love a BlueStar, because of the large capacity oven and powerful burners, but I don't want to have to clean the oven. The Capital looks good too, but only comes in stainless. I know I'm in the minority, but I'm not that crazy about stainless. I would like to see the Ge Cafe with two ovens that may work but not sure if it has enough power. And I would love a Cluny, but that won't fit in my budget or the new size constraint. Why is this always so darn hard?

I have the GE Cafe all gas with the small baking drawer and am happy with it for the most part. I have a very small kitchen and just couldn't justify the space for a double oven anywhere. We didn't have $$$ to spend on a range and the Cafe fit most of our needs. The warming oven is nice to have but takes a while to come up to temp. It has been great for casseroles, but I don't know if I'd trust it for baking. I haven't tried so can't say for sure. I know two others who have and like it, and someone else who liked it enough in their old house to put it in a new build. Loud fan when the oven is on high temp/broil is my main complaint. Like the power burner and the low simmer is great. HTH

I have the 30 inch Blue Star range (RNB). I was anxious about choosing it because it had some start up issues (you can read about this at the Appliance Forum) and because I had never had a gas oven. Decided to go ahead because after seeing the range live and comparing to others I was convinced this was what I really wanted.

Can report that the Blue Star has been great, customer service has been excellent, and the gas oven, especially the infrared broiler, is really a wonderful surprise.

Liriodendron, thank you for your report about the 48 inch Jade. I chose a 30 but was always wondering if I should have gone for the 36 or the 48. But the 30 really does meet my needs and seems right for my kitchen.

What I love: the burners -- how powerful, controllable, and how easy to take apart and clean. The cast iron top is so much better than stainless steel and the open burners are wonderful. The burners really sold me on the stove. I wanted those star shaped burners from the old Garland range.

Also love-- the simmer, the different size burners. The huge oven. The roll-out racks in the oven. The looks of the stove-- just fit with my twenties house and kitchen. The big beefy black knobs. The squareness and spareness of the design. And the color! Mine is bottle green.

When I bought mine there was no local dealer. I love the Blue Star so much that I convinced the guy who did my bathroom to become the local rep.

I have a bosch dual fuel.
I love my range.

Why???????

1 Quick Heating with Large Flame and the gentle Simmering
Diffuser Cap
16,000 BTU, 12,500 BTU, 12,500 BTU, 5,500 BTU burners

2 warming drawer

3 the oven racks pull out further than you can fathom
which is perfect for those of us who have back issues.
Love this. and they don't tip or anthing silly like that

4 sealed burners.
Sealed burners means when something boils over like melted
cheese it does not jam your burner. Hooray for Bosch

5 Grate on the top of the stove all match so it is like
cooking on one level. I can slide my pot onto another burner
without having to lift it onto another grate. Just slide it.

6 The grates are heavy, solid and yet heat quickly.
The other plus I can toss these into the dishwasher
and they come out looking new. Love that since I am
a lazy cleaner.

7. Self clean oven. Love this. I think every stove
in the free world should be self clean.
: )

A few things I do not love.....

The top of my stove is gas on glass. This means that I
need to take the grates off to wash the glass. This can
be bothersome to some but for me it fine.
If you love induction, this feature is not a problem.
And it is even easier to clean. I like the feel of
heavy grates, makes me feel like I am a REAL cook.
I chose the grates.

My only complaint about my oven is that it makes a fan
noise when I use it. It is not super loud but the other
bosch appliances I have are silent as the grave so this
fan noise is a big surprise.

Would I get a Bosch again?

Yes, In fact I want to take all my applainces with me
when I move.
~boxer

DCS all gas, brushed stainless top very easy to clean. Love that all the burners are dual stacked. The simmer is really fantastic if you do simmer. 3 Racks roll perfectly & the convection fan works very well and quiet. Infra red broiler is great. Manual clean hasn't been to much of a problem.
3 - 17,500 BTU and 2 - 12,500 BTU burners.

jkoebnick, what's your Kenmore model #?

cluelessincolorado, how loud is that fan? Only when you broil or use high temps? How high?

boxerpups: Bosch model #?

I'm wary of reviews from random people on Amazon, etc. I trust my GW peeps infinitely more. :)

We have a Fridgidaire Gallery duel fuel with a warming drawer. We bought one in our old house and liked it so much we bought another for our new build. The grates continue so slide from on burner to another. I use my large soup pot and my large skillet at the same time and they fit fine. Power burner is amazing. We had to convert to propane but we discovered that you can adjust the flame so we set them to our liking.

It also has the split racks for the oven so you can put taller things on one half and still use the other side as usual. The bottom rack pulls out when the door opens so you don't have to pull the rack out after the door is open. The warming drawer gets really hot so I have to be careful no to set it to high for warming!

Another point is the hidden element feature in the oven so the self cleaning is easy.

My Bosch is
30" Dual Fuel Slide-in Range
800 Series - Stainless Steel
HDI7282U

I bought mine three years ago... wait maybe two.
Anyway, the series I have was an upgrade to 800.
I do not know if they make the 800 anymore. I think
they are now 700.

You might visit the Bosch.com website

~boxer
Oh we found all our appliances special order through
Lowes.

Linelle, it is quieter than my range hood on medium. I have been roasting chickens at very high heat lately (450 degrees for 90 mins) and it will stay on for 15 mins after the oven has been turned off. If I use the broiler for less than 5 minutes it won't come on. I'm very sensitive to noise, but it's one of those things that doesn't really bother me often, except for when I read about it here :-). I really enjoy the center burner, not necessary but a great bonus. HTH

clueless, thanks for explaining the noise. Noises bother me greatly (barking dogs, nose sniffing, my neighbor's Harley) but I'm fine with my noisy DW. I think when I know the noise is limited in length I can tolerate it better.

Linelle, I got a little AR tonight and timed the Cafe fan. I preheated the oven to 500 degrees for pizza dough. Fan kicked in at 450, stayed on until 15 minutes after I turned off the oven. Sorry for taking this OT. Pizza was great!

clueless, thanks for the details on the fan. Does it only come on at 450 or higher? Mmmmm, pizza.

Here I go again, I went and looked at the Blue star, the GE Cafe, Dacor, Thermador, Viking and Capital, and even an AGA. One thing I liked about the Dacor was the lighted knobs to let you know if you've left a burner on, which I tend to do! I thought for sure I'd want the Capital, but it just did not ring my bell, I liked the look of the Dacor more then the Capital.

I can't believe it but I'm leaning towards the Blue Star. I really wanted a self clean oven, but I can just imagine searing steaks on those beautiful open burners. Blue star kept calling me.

I have a Zephry Hurricane under cabinet mount range hood, and it works really, really great with my current GE 12,000 btu burners, it has 650 CFM. Will it work with the 22,000 btu Blue star burners? I'd rather not replace it if it will be OK and still suck the smoke out. I really like it, very easy to clean. Thanks for all your help! I know it takes time to answer all these silly questions.

Susan

i have a 30" wolf AG. love it. beefy but not too big for my small kitchen. burner very response. bought it on sale at scratch and dent sale!

I have the electrolux 30" dual fuel slide in range with wave touch controls. It is a double oven. The bottom drawer can be an oven or a warming drawer. I have only had it for a couple of months but so far I am loving it.

susanilz5, I've never heard of Zephyr range hoods, but since I have a cat named Zephyr, it might be a sign. My local appliance store sells them so I'll check them out. I'm specifically looking for an under-cabinet mount design.

I have the BlueStar 36" RNB, and chose it primarily after reading about it on GW! Then I went to see it at our local dealer, and fell in love. I've had it for about 7 months now, and I am still in love with it.

It cooks flawlessly. The simmer burner lets me cook soups and stews for hours. Omelets are perfect. Love the broiler, love the oven capacity--we had a 26-pound turkey and an 8-pound breast at Thanksgiving that were on the smoker outside, then my husband panicked and put them in the oven. They both FIT!

It's easy to clean--I just take out the pans and wash them.

I am just thrilled with this range. I like the fact that heavy pots will slide easily from one burner to another. Water boils quickly.

Previously, I had a horrible, old, malfunctioning Jenn-Air four-top electric cooktop. I HATED it. The BlueStar more than makes up for those years of suffering :-)

hey susanilz5, just bought a Zephyr Breeze range hood at my local appliance store. It's a lower-priced model than the Hurricane but is so much nicer looking than a comparable Kenmore. I think it'll work fine for the stovetop cooking I do.

linelle, I think it was fate, especially since it's the same name as your cat. I love my Zephyr.

I'm going to go back to the appliance store with my big pots and see if they will work on the 30" Bluestar.

What did you end up purchasing? We're thinking of building again. When we built this house, almost 9 years ago, I put in a Thermador Stainless Pro 48" dual fuel range with 4 burners, grill & griddle. Love the range... but hate using an indoor grill. It's just messy no matter what the type. The titanium griddle with removable debris cup is amazing. I want a 24" griddle next go round. I wish Pro ranges had timers. Installed Zephyr Tornado III hood... or insert into my custom hood. Love, love, love this hood. Amazing air movement. Even though this kitchen is 9 years old, appliances look great... run well. Will buy again.

I'm not the OP and I know this thread is old, but I'll chime in anyway! I love love love my induction range from Electrolux. It heats soooo quickly, cooks evenly, is highly responsive, and, my FAVORITE thing, is the easiest thing to clean in my whole kitchen! I would never go back to gas!!!!