Hi Michelea! I'm actually new to appliances, since I just took a job in appliance sales here in Texas. I just got back from a GE Monogram training in Kentucky though, and one of the things they focused on was a feature comparison between their 48" range and a few others, Wolf included. We actually sell both Wolf and Monogram at my store, but not FiveStar. Basically what I've learned from our other salesmen here is that FiveStar will work, but it won't look pretty doing it, and its not worth the price. I'm told they're primarily commercial based, so you'll see them in a lot of restaurants, but because they're not seen by the customers they're not what you'd call "prettied up". As far as the other two though, one of the things it comes down to is the stylistic choice. Is your kitchen a place where company is going to be a lot? It doesn't sound like you'll be doing too much high level cooking, so while all those BTU's sound good and may be nice to have, it probably won't be fully utilized. Wolf is pretty well known for their big red knobs on the front, as well as the flip up screen so that you don't have crouch down to read or play with the controls. They do have the name as well which is usually synonymous with a high quality product. Personally though, I liked what I saw of the Monogram. It has a nice beveled finish on the front which I haven't really seen on any others, and you get more with what you pay for it with all the extras. For example, if you plan on having any large parties, the Monogram can fit a full size caterer's sheet in the oven, which is not something they all can do. Plus it comes with grill/griddle covers, a cutting board, and every grate on the top can be flipped upside down to accommodate a wok. Basically, they have it set up so that they're not bombarding you with extra costs, and their range tends to be cheaper to boot. As far as service goes, I can't really comment on how good/bad any of them are since I really haven't had to deal with it yet. Anyway, hope this helps a little bit! By the way, if you find out any of this is different, feel free to point it out. I'm still learning here, so I wouldn't call myself an expert! ;-)

The bigger question is what have you been cooking on/in? If you're going from your standard run of the mill electric coil, gas or even glass top range to a pro range you will notice a huge change in cooking performance no matter which brand you choose. When are you looking to resell? If it's in the next 5-7 yrs, I would go least expensive of the two as you likely won't get the difference in cost back out of it. Most buyers out there (not the buyer that frequents GW) will be thrilled to see a pro range no matter the brand. A buyer that frequents GW will likely be more picky, but then again they are not your average buyer. I have the GE Monogram rangetop and double ovens. I am very pleased with them. The Monogram has the double stacked burners like the Wolf and simmers just as low if not lower. My ovens bake and roast marvelously on standard as well as convection settings. I've got 8 settings on the ovens (not including Hi Broil & Lo Broil) and have found that we primarily use 5 of them--Conv. Bake 1 Rack, Conv. Bake Multi-Rack, Bake, Conv. Roast & Broil. I haven't made homemade bread yet, but I will use the Proof setting when I do. I personally would save the money and go with the GE Monogram especially if I wasn't planning on staying in the house & I didn't have a clear preference for either brand over the other. If you don't have any experience cooking with a Wolf or a Monogram (or any other pro range for that matter) you won't even notice any differences as you have nothing to compare your new pro experiences with other than your standard electric coil, glass top or gas range. And as stated above, either of these ranges will stand head and shoulders above those models. Hope this helps!

The buyer says it's "almost new" - I haven't seen it yet...

The Wolf gas range does not have the blue interior and does not have the chipping. We bought Wolf for their supposed "great service" but were very disappointed. There are definite differences in gas and electric ovens. Of course you can bake in both of them, but some people might have a preference for one or the other. Gas ovens produce water as a byproduct of combustion but they have more ventilation so moisture from combustion and what you are cooking vent out so gas is more drying heat. You also will get more heat and moisture dumped into your kitchen. Electric heat does not produce moisture but tends to hold onto humidity from what you cook so are more humid. This will have some effect on what you are baking. The added moisture promotes starch gelatinization so may allow a little longer rise in things like bread or cakes. It also affects the crust. The electric ovens will hold onto added moisture that you might add while baking bread. You can use a cloche to keep moisture around your bread in a gas oven. A gas oven because it is drying promotes the Maillard reaction and therefore browning. This is why many like it for roasting. Drying is also good at the end of baking so that you get that browning which contributes to flavor. If you have an electric oven with convection, you can use the fan when you need the drying effect of more air movement. Electric ovens are as freidajune says can be more complex. They might have additional elements that can direct the heat, more from the top(for roasting) or bottom and may have elements in the back that are in theory supposed to provide more even heat when the oven is full. Some ovens have a variable speed with the fan but very few actually mention this in their manuals. They can also have little oddities in the way they work. You might consider the broiler. Some gas ovens have an infrared broiler which can be very small. I tend to broil trays of things so like a wider electric broiler. Regular gas broilers don't get as hot because the heat goes up.