Venting straight up through the roof our straight out the wall or even a 90 degree bend and out a wall isn't a big deal. You should talk to a HVAC company about the venting.

If you enjoy cooking, don't limit yourself by purchasing something that limits that activity. Nor do you need to purchase a fire breathing dragon if you never sear a steak or do a stirfry. Analyze the type of cooking that you do, and the type of cooking that you'd like to do if you had the tools to do it. Then look at the tools that will aid you in that type of cooking.

The ILVE collection comes in at a depth of 27 3/4 in the Majestic (dual fuel) collection and 23 5/8" on the Nostalgie (all gas) collection.
The Majestic line has been sold in the US since 2008 and the Nostalgie line was introduced in the fall of 2012.
Good luck with your reno!

I'm the owner of a 1916 2 1/2 story facing some of the same dilemmas. Our current downdraft sits on an interior wall about 5' to 6' from the exterior wall. We are planning to put in a vent hood that will vent out through to the outside wall. We're lucky because our joists run parallel to the wall so it will not be terribly difficult.

I just returned from the appliance store where a saleperson told me that European brands are often what people with a shallow depth need to go with. He said Electrolux (the Icon maybe?) is shallower too.

We'd looked at American and were strongly considering it until we got to the dimensions and realized it is too deep for our configuration(an L shape where we will need a shallower range in order to be able to open a door and cupboard).

RangeGal has been on every vaguely-related posting today promoting several lines of ranges she mus sell.

I just wanted to post a follow up to this.

Because of the amount of love BlueStar gets, we spoke with BlueStar and they said unless we were going to make major venting changes, they couldn't recommend their range. (Props to them for their honesty!).

So, given our restrictions, we bought a Bertazzoni, and I've got to tell you -- we couldn't be happier. The only thing I had to do was buy a $7 oven thermometer. Everything is a pleasure. It takes a smidgen of time to get used to, but it is truly a joy. Meats come out of the oven succulent, casseroles are evenly cooked, baking has been a pleasure -- and the simmer and high burner both work delightfully. Regular stove-top cooking is nice and efficient.

I used to have a Viking, and I'd get a Berta over it any ol' time.

Thanks, everyone, for your help!

BluCasetta,

Thanks for the follow up. Glad to hear you like your Bertazzoni. I've been considering a 30 inch (or maybe 36 inch) dual fuel Berta. Did you buy an all gas or a dual fuel one? Also, apparently Bertazonni has made some changes in their ranges pretty recently; one of the Portland OR dealers mentioned to me that the ones sold after March 1, 2013 or so would have these new features. When did you purchase yours? Did the salesperson you bought yours from discuss any of these modifications with you? Not sure how big of a deal any of the changes are. I plan on emailing the sales reps at Bertazonni sometime soon, but thought I'd mention it to you too, in case you have any information.

Anyway, the best news is you're happy and found a solution that works for your space and cooking style. That's great!

Hi Pentimento!

There were so few reviews from people once they'd purchased their range, that's why I wanted to do a follow up. I had a heck of a time trying to find reviews from people who owned a Berta for more than a week or in a consumer test.

I got all gas. I had read a few negative things about Berta's dual fuel oven... how it really didn't keep as consistent a temperature as the gas ones and some "switching off" issues halfway through cooking. Again, from a round-up kind of comparison thing, so I don't know how much truth there was to it. Bertas can be a little um, finicky maybe at first...or maybe it's just a little time to get used to them...so I don't know how much credit I'd give some reviews.

Hopefully the new ones will address any issues there are for the dual fuel. I'm not sure about any of the changes and I probably got "last year's model" as I've had it almost 2 months.

Good luck with your purchase. If you want to ask anything, please feel free. I'm happy to help if I can.

Glad the Bert is working so well. We loved the look when we were shopping. Just installed the GE 30" DF Monogram last night. Flush to the wall, plenty of room for electrical and gas lines, vent hood works wonderfully. Now if we just had our counters!

Thank you for your reply, BluCasetta. You're right; there are very few reviews of the Bertazzoni range out there, especially from people that have had them for a while. Your taking the time to come back and share is much appreciated! Part of why I was considering the dual fuel is that I've read that the all gas only goes down to 275 degrees. There a couple of things that I cook that require a lower oven temperature than that. For example, the chocolate-espresso dacquoise from cook's illustrated requires a 250 degree oven. But I may go with the all gas rather than the dual fuel anyway; I'm just gathering information at this point. The reviews for the all gas have generally been positive. I think overall oven steadiness that equates to even cooking trumps any concerns I have about the lower temperature limit. Glad to hear your "Meats come out of the oven succulent, casseroles are evenly cooked, baking has been a pleasureâ¦". ItâÂÂs great that the simmer and high burner options and the range of heat in between are fine on your Berta, too. Some have expressed concerns about the fan blowing hot air into the room when the oven is on, but I think I could get over that since my kitchen tends to be a bit cold in winter anyway, and I use the oven much less in summer.

Hope you continue to enjoy your cooking in your little 1917 cottage. :~)

Whit461,
Your kitchen looks nice; you've accomplished a lot so far! Your GE 30 inch DF Monogram sounds like a great pick for you.

any follow ups to this one? Berta 30" AG with OTR?