We went from a 30" range to a 36" range. This includes buying a 30" DCS off of CL to use in the renovation (and then selling it again when I had a change of heart). I felt if we were to ever want the larger range, this was the time to do it, not in a few years.

I don't think the 36" range looks all that much bigger than a 30" range, but you are right, it does give it just a little more oomph, being wider.

I might not have all 6 burners going at once, but to be able to use all of my larger stock pots, and saute pans that never really seemed to work together on the 30" range makes the larger stove worth it. I do have all 6 going sometimes, though. And in my opinion, you do seem to have the room for a larger range (our kitchen is only 12' wide). Once you have a larger range, you will not want to go back. In fact, I'm dreaming of a 48" range so that I can get two ovens....next reno.

Here's my range, you can see it doesn't look that big, and my room is only 12' wide.

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Based on the size of your kitchen and the fact that you have a kitchen island, I would recommend going with the 36' range.

It will look better in a larger kitchen, plus, you don't seem to have a countertop space issue that couldn't stand to sacrafice 6'...mainly because you have the kitchen island.

The backsplash space won't matter, shapewise. It's more important to get the range size that works for you...the backsplash will look great either way!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Design Tips

I went with a 36" mainly because I wanted a Bertazzoni and the oven of Bertazzoni's 30" is a little too small for me. The wider range does seem to fit my kitchen, though, a long and narrow 25'x11'. The house, a bungalow, has similarly low and wide dimensions, too.

I think your kitchen is large enough that a 36" won't look out of place. A couple things to think about: Some 36" ovens are said to take a long while to preheat. Would you want, and do you have room for, a smaller oven also (I got a convection toaster oven for this purpose) for baking small items more quickly and efficiently? Is the house big enough that it could support a good-sized family, for which a larger stove makes sense? Will the lost 6" of storage and counter space be missed? Is the extra cost of the range (and corresponding vent hood!) something that your budget can handle?

Our kitchen is a 16.5 x 8.5 foot L shape. The fridge and range are on the long run, and the fridge is in the middle of the run. I contemplated a 36" range... but we would have had to move the fridge to the left and that would have interfered with the breakfast nook...and for the size of the room and the length of the run, I felt the 36" wouldn't have worked. And that extra 6 inch loss of counter and cab space would not have been good. Plus, we saved a bit of money not stepping it up to 36.

With that said, we got the 30" AG Wolf range and a 36" hood. I have never looked at the Wolf and thought it looks too small. It's a beefy lookin' range, and I think it's perfect for the space, and the 36" hood over it bulks it up a little as well. Sometimes I wish I had a bigger oven but that would be my only minor regret.

So it really does depend on your space and your needs.

My dear friend convinced me just before we signed off on our plans to bump up the range to 36" She is an architect with a keen eye for detail - Our family size, size of the kitchen, symmetry, resale value (most have 36+ in our area) etc helped drive the decision - that was over 5yrs ago & we are very pleased we went that direction.

Thanks to all for your help!

I think that 36" wide ranges do look better -- they look less like cubes. But, I wonder if our sense of aesthetics isn't shaped by the fact that so many of the beautiful, designer kitchen we see on the web and in magazines have 36" ranges. They have almost become the visual norm for high-end look.

When I was trying to decide 30" vs. 36" a year ago I decided that I didn't really need that larger size for my family of four and that I didn't want to waste energy heating up the larger oven. I have been completely happy with the 30". Instead of spending more for the larger stove I spent the money on dual fuel and a good 36" vent hood.

The 30" looks fine in my kitchen (I hope) because it is on a relatively short 8" leg of my kitchen. If it were on a longer, grander run of cabinets and was the central focal point of the kitchen, perhaps I would have succumbed to the allure of the 36" range.

Sorry for the late reply. I really appreciate all your opinions.

At the end I decided to go with the 30 inch. With the 30 inch I was able to keep symmetry on the wall, I couldn't really justify the added expense since a 30 inch more that meets my needs for cooking and baking. I do however think the 36 inch adds a great look but I am at peace with the decision. Thanks again!