About the only things I can't do on an induction that could be done on gas is roast peppers and tilt the pan to pick up flames for flambe. Otherwise, induction is superior to gas IMO as I can get the heat lower and higher than I could with gas yet have as much immediate control as I had with gas, and at more energy efficiency.

Wolf also has gas and induction modules

Here is a link that might be useful: Wolf gas & induction modules

We have at least one gas burners aficionado and at least one forward thinking induction interested cook in our house. We loose electricity at the drop of a summer or winter windy snow storm, often without it for many long days. Hence can't give up gas.

This combo cooktop or modules sounds like a viable option. I've reviewed Wolf's modules, but don't like how they sit separately in your counter top. I can't imagine the fabricator's job if I understand their placements.

Does any one have either the Wolf, Berta or Gagg modules/cooktop and willing to weigh in? If you do, are you pleased and would you buy them again? Pictures are welcomed. Thanks so much.

Hi, MarinaGal. I realize this is an old post, but I'm wondering how your combination has worked out for you. I want to combine an induction and gas cooktop, side-by-side but am having a hard time deciding which modules will give me the best of all worlds. I'm currently leaning towards the Thermador 36" Freedom Induction alongside the 15" Wolf multi-function/wok module. I'm also curious to see how you laid yours out - and if it was on an island, which hood you chose...

I don't want to get into the discussion of which fuel source is better. There definitely are pros and cons to both options -- assuming you compare equally high-end appliances.

But I am curious why there apparently is so much of a need for more burners. We have a 30" gas range with four burners. And I honestly never needed more than four burners at a time. What I do need more of is: additional ovens, preferably both large and small cavity; additional space to park things; and as a bonus, space to permanently leave a high-quality griddle. So, I can somewhat see the need to upgrade to 36".

And I would also be partially be helped by having both fuel sources. But in the big picture of things, I don't believe I would get my money's worth from it. On the other hand, I am installing two additional wall ovens (one CSO and one SpeedOven), and I think I'll get a lot of use out of those. In addition to the things that ovens obviously do (e.g. baking), they are great for slow cooking roasts, stews, vegetables, ... All things that could be done on a stove with much worse results.

I am sure, your cooking style and needs are different from mine. Just curious in which way and what prompts you to want so many extra burners and two different fuel sources.

I've never had an induction cooktop before - but I think about the way I cook, and I think the induction would really suit me. (The main reason for looking at the 36" induction is that the smaller inductions don't seem to have the flexibility in burner sizes that would suit me. I can't find ones that have the flexibility for both extra large pots and also really small pots - and the full surface inductions can accommodate that - plus allow for large pancake griddles and teppanyaki grills.) That being said, I'd like to have one powerful gas burner for wok, fish boil, etc. I like that the Wolf multi-function gas burner can be used without the middle piece for wok - or with the middle piece, just as a gas burner. Yes - it's "want" vs "need" - and I like the idea that some have suggested about just having a high power grill outside - but then, for us, it's weather dependent. And I really do like spending time in my kitchen.

It's good to have your input about the extra oven - as I was considering putting a range in (vs cooktop) to get a second oven - but I am a little hesitant to take up more aisle space between the peninsula and the island - plus I don't think my induction/gas combo cooktop would look as coordinated if I did that...

Funny that you would mention the wok :-) It's one of my favorite pots. I use it all the time. It's probably the main reason why I originally decided to buy a BlueStar (range or range top, not cooktop!). It's unique in the way how it fits both regular pots and round-bottom woks. Of course, now that I have had the BlueStar for a couple of years, I wouldn't want to give it up for all the other nice benefits that it has.

Our carbon steel round-bottom wok has the oil smoking within 20 seconds of being on the stove. It isn't as powerful as some of the crazily strong outdoor wok burners, but 22kBTU is awesome for most home applications. For the type of cooking that I do, I would never want to go back to something lower powered.

The wok has a huge capacity, so I use it for both Asian and Western cooking. It's super easy to clean (as all carbon steel is) and it's naturally non-stick. Because of the large overhang, it avoids most fat splatter. And it's overall just a very immediate-feedback type of cooking. I love it.

I suspect, you'll get something similar out of induction. But you'll have to spend more thought on buying appropriate cookware to fully reap these benefits.

Funny that you have a BlueStar. That was the original range that I fell COMPLETELY in love with and was totally planning to buy - for weeks, I was completely confident in my range choice. We went back to the store to look at it, again, and ask some additional questions (especially about customer support if the BlueStar was not working correctly) - and the salesperson I had been working with was not there that day. A different salesperson talked us out of it, with his explanations about how it's meant more for someone who has restaurant/chef experience over an open flame and how non-chefs are unhappy about the lack of simmer function - and how Wolf has really mastered the "simmer" and also really stands behind their products, etc. So the seeds of doubt were planted, and we walked away from the BlueStar. Ever since then, I have been in flux about which cooktop or range I want even though I know we can't go wrong with a Wolf. Prior to "seeds of doubt," had I purchased my first love, I would have been very happy with it...

How long have you had the BlueStar - and have you had any issues with customer support?

You will find plenty of posts where people have zero issues with Bluestar simmer levels. My understanding is that it depends on the adjustment (which is apparently easy to do yourself). If it's not adjusted correctly... I have a Bluestar Wall Oven and it's been great. I've had no service issues, and roasting peppers in it is far easier (and less messy) than any other roasting technique I've used (and it takes a very short time because that broiler is the best). Wolf has issues with the blue enamel flaking off in the oven that they've never been able to correct. I have a Wolf 36" induction cooktop and no complaints about that either. Note that I have little trust in what some salesperson says (good or bad) as they generally say what gives them the most commission that day.

We have had our Bluestar 30" RNB for about 7 years now. It replaced a crappy Viking wannabe range that came with the house. I couldn't say enough good things about this stove. It's the only stove I have every cooked on that comes with a "telepathic user interface": It's so intuitive to use that anytime I want it to do something, it simply does it. At this point, it is increasingly painful to cook on other stoves, because they clearly aren't as well designed.

I love it so much, I actually gave a floor model Bluestar cookstop (n.b. range tops are much preferable over cooktops!) as a gift to friends, when they were remodeling their mountain cabin.

We replaced the rear simmer burner with a second 15kBTU burner. So we have two 22kBTU and two 15kBTU. That works really well for us. I made the change myself, but you could also order your stove in that configuration. I usually use the 22kBTU front burners for simmering, simply because I am lazy to push things to the back. I can boil beef broth, make stews or prepare sauce Hollandaise from scratch. It is extremely rare that I would miss a dedicated simmer burner. But that might be just the way how I am used to cook. For things like stew, I usually bring it to a boil on the stove top and then move it into the oven.

Bluestar gas appliances are built like a rock. Super simple technology that any technician can service easily, even if they have never seen this particular brand before.

I mentioned the floor model that I got our friends, since it was heavily discounted. There was a reason it was discounted so much. It was missing a bunch of parts, others were broken, and the rest was misadjusted. Bluestar sent me the missing parts and I fixed everything myself ... and I am just a regular home owner.

My own range had the oven glow bar burn out at one point. That's expected. It is part of normal wear and tear for ovens. The nice thing about Bluestar is that they use standardized parts. I looked the part up and ordered it on Amazon. It was trivial to replace and only cost about $30. I am sure, I could have scheduled a technician to do the job, and they probably would have even had the part on their truck. But that would have cost more time. As is, it only took less than 24h -- and now I always have a spare part on hand.

Also, right around the time when I bought my range, Bluestar had problems with the hinges on their oven doors. This problem has long since been fixed. But when I mentioned to their customer service that I still had an older model, they immediately mailed me a replacement oven door free of charge -- even though this was about 5 years after I had originally bought the range. Instructions were straight forward and it literally only took a minute to install the new door.

Recently, I again had to contact up Bluestar customer service for an obscure request. For our kitchen remodel, I needed a way to raise the stove by more than 2 inches. I left a message in the evening, and within a few hours, I had an e-mail that looked as if it was sent from somebody's cell phone. They reassured me that they had a solution for me, and told me to expect a call in the morning. That's outstanding customer service!

My only minor misgiving is that Bluestar somewhat artificially splits their market into different models. For example, while it is technically possible to install the new 25kBTU burners in an RNB range, Bluestar won't sell the parts to you unless you already own a Platinum range. This is fine, if you actually want a Platinum range. But if you don't want the PowrOven and the new griddle/grill, you are kind of stuck. I wish all their products were fully customizable without artificial restrictions.

Having said that, I would always buy my stove again. It's a joy to cook on.

Wow - thanks for the detailed input! Reconsidering the BlueStar range - planning to go back to the store to measure how far the handle sticks out beyond door... What does PowrOven do?

The RCS and RNB models have a traditional burner below the bottom of the oven floor. It works very well, but because of the large oven cavity, preheating can take between 20 and 30 minutes. The Platinum model has a novel burner at the back of the oven that blows super hot air throughout the oven.

This reduces preheat times, but it has its own sets of interesting challenges. Some people prefer this option, whereas others prefer the more traditional design.

Other options to consider are the different design for the grill/griddle of the Platinum range. And the choice between open and closed burners (I think available for both RCS and RNB, but I might be mistaken).

Personally, I'd very strongly opt for open burners. So much easier to clean. And they also work better for wok cooking.

I wouldn't want to pick an RCS, but I could defend either a RNB or a Platinum with maybe a slight preference for the former.

Both range and range top are great choices.

Thanks - really helpful! I'll do some more reading on the differences between the two ovens.

One more question about the Bluestar oven. If I have it located between cabinetry on a peninsula, will everything on either side get hot (when the oven is on)?

I don't see why It should. Mine (Bluestar wall oven) is surrounded by cupboards and nothing in them gets hot.

Ovens naturally get warm on the outside when in use. But residential ovens are all rated for safe installation directly next to combustible surfaces.

I wouldn't store unrefrigerated ice cream in the cabinet right next to the oven. But other than that, you should be fine no matter which oven you pick.

M - you mentioned that the Platinum version's oven preheats faster but has its own set of challenges. I've been doing all types of searches, but I can't seem to find info regarding challenges / downside to the Platinum's power oven. Any input on this would be appreciated!

When Bluestar initially released the Platinum range, there were a lot of reports of very uneven heating. The heat was dramatically concentrated in the back. So bad, that not only did food get burned, but the oven racks got damaged by the heat.

Shortly after, this problem was addressed by adding a heat shield over the burner. That seems to have drastically reduced the complaints, but on and off you still read on Gardenweb that users complain about having to rotate cookie sheets.

On the other hand, with the RNB oven design, the heat source is at the bottom. My own oven is extremely reliable, accurate, and even. I really enjoy baking with the RNB oven (it's the nicest oven I have owned to date) and the longer pre-heat times don't really bother me. I also find it very re-assuring that if I ever experience uneven heating, I can easily address the issue by placing a big cookie sheet or baking stone on the lower shelve. That option isn't really possible for a rear heat source.

Maybe, I am just paranoid, and the Platinum oven would work just fine. But given how great the RNB oven works for me, I'd be hesitant to experiment. Pre-heat time isn't a compelling factor for me. For others it might very well be, though.

Also, the RNB oven is a damn simple and stupid design. Very easy to fix, if anything ever breaks. The PowrOven is significantly more complicated and a non-traditional design. It is less likely that a random service technician would know how to work on it.

Thanks, M. A long pre-heat is not a deal-breaker for me - but I did like the other perks on the Platinum unit (25 BTU and the grill/griddle that can be placed on any two front/back burners without being fixed there and losing two burners)... But I like the sound of "simple & stupid" design. Some good things to think about. I'm sure I could find an after-market griddle/grill that would probably make me just as happy. Too bad they won't sell the 25 BTU burner to put on the RNB.

I wish Bluestar was willing to let their customers completely spec the range according to what they want. It sounds as if most of their components are pretty interchangeable already. So, it's not a technical but rather a business decision.

Just keep in mind with the Freedom cooktop that you are limited to 4 pans at once. The way the tech works, the cooktop has two zones (left and right) and you can have two pans in each zone. So if you put a large pan in the middle and it straddles both zones, it counts as two. Similarly, if you put a pan in one zone that takes up the whole zone, you can only have two other pans going in the other zone. Also, while it is marketed as a 36 inch cooktop, the actual cooking surface with the induction magnets is closer to 30. The technology is so cool and I really would like to see more zoneless options that are more flexible.