I'd suggest putting the $6K into cooking school instead of the drop-dead range...

A new, more responsive, high powered range can't HURT your cooking. :)

I moved from a small kitchen with builder's grade appliances to a large kitchen with a nice gas range. Do I cook more? Yes! Is it because of the new range? Only partially, I think the main reason is more overall space. I have more counter to spread food out, I'm not fighting mail and homework clutter on the island when I am prepping, and there is less traffic to trip over because my aisles are wider.

A new range will probably give

More Power
Lower simmer
better oven temp control
Larger Oven

The above will help you to improve your hit rate of success.

When I get asked that questions I always say

"if you drive a Ferrari you can go faster than if you drive a chevey not because you are a better driver in the Ferrari but becasue you have the tool to take you faster"

The answer in my opinion is yes.

I don't think my better range, in and of itself, has made me a better cook. But I do think that my investment in a better range has made me a whole lot more interested in cooking! Seriously. Once I plopped down the kind of money that I did for my range (a previously unthinkable "crime"), I became committed to ramping up my cooking game. Indeed, I became determined that this pretty little high-powered, high-end range would be much more than just a show piece in my new kitchen!

Among the things that makes my new pro-style range better than my former, greatly beloved antique range are all the things Trevor mentioned above -- except oven size. (Although, in my case, I have more ovens now than ever before that can do more things than ever before -- convection, simmer/warm and split broil.) No doubt having the right tool for the job now also makes me more curious, more adventurous and bolder to try new meals and cooking techniques. The more I cook, the more I improve my pratice. So, yes, I am a better cook. Because I want to be. And, while I honestly know I could have arrived at this place of becoming a better cook without the purchase of a high-end, "pro-style" range, the truth is, I was never as interested as I am right now in doing so.

Just a couple things that will help after you get the new kitchen with whatever range you get.

Do mise en place for every recipe you prepare. This means that you prep every single item that you are going to use in the dish...even the salt etc and have it all set out in an organized way. This prevents disasters that occur due to forgetting an item or mismeasuring an item.

This is also where the space you are planning for your kitchen comes in. As mentioned above , if you have room to put everything out then you are more likely to cook more often and with more success. You have to be organized. My oldest son and his wife are prof. chefs and believe me that are not scattered when they cook. They know what they are going to prepare and have it all laid out and keep a neat and clean space as they go along.

Also read the recipe you are going to use several times and then look up several more of the same thing. Compare them . Editing is a huge job and even if the person was really trying there are lots of mistakes in printed material. Go to Epicurious and look up recipes and read the reviews and make notes. This will give you an idea if a recipe is correct or not.

When you make something and it turns out well, make notes and then make the recipe AGAIN ,,,and again . Great cooking is not an accident. It happens because you pay attn and have experience.

If you have questions I would be glad to answer. Email me through GW. I can give you specific pointers and help with recipes if you like.

So in answer to your question...the equipment doesn't make the cook but a good cook really enjoys the equipment and will be more at ease and less apt to make errors if the basics are in place...that includes a good range/oven. c

Another tip if you don't feel you are a good cook, look for easy recipes such as those from Rachel Ray or Sandra Lee. They get some criticism from the "real chef" crowd, but making a simple meal that your family will eat will boost your confidence. Pick recipes that don't have eleventeen ingredients and a bunch of exotic spices. Build up a short list of easy things that don't take long to prepare and keep those items on hand. I always have boneless chicken breasts and ground beef in my freezer, for example. I always have pasta and rice in the pantry. Then practice those same recipes over and over. Er, not on consecutive nights, of course. :)

I recommend the cooking forum. :)

Forget the "better" cook. Just try to be a happier cook. A decent range (needn't be a $6K one) can save a lot of frustration.

But if you want to make better candy, get induction.

It's like any tools: A master can do excellent work with anything. For someone who isn't highly skilled, better tools tend to make for better outcomes.

Easy example: My father makes perfectly beautiful tomato slices just with his knife. I can slice a tomato, and usually just use my knife, but if I want perfectly beautiful slices I use a fine mandoline--something that's a waste of space, money and time to my father.

Another bit of cooking advice: There are some really bad recipes out there. Some are published in very fancy cookbooks. I've been known to laugh out loud reading some--yet have found good recipes in surprising places, like the insert that came with my kitchen scale. Until you get to the point where you can read a recipe and know whether it'll be good, I suggest that you try ones that have been recommended by others. Published recipes are better than home recipes for starting with, however, because the specific kitchen, including range, pots, etc., is going to have an impact on cooking times, temperatures and other variables. If a friend has a recipe you want to try, invite the friend to come over and show you, using your kitchen and things.

One caveat - initially a high powered range can make you a worse cook because you'll end up burning everything. One starts out with a tendency to crank up the burner to high like you might do on a regular range only to find out you've burned things. On a high powered range you'll have more flexibility but you'll need to learn control. I agree that initially you ought to take cooking lessons to improve your cooking. Also, rahter than a 6K range with all high powered burners you might do better with a range with one power burner, one simmer burner and a bunch of medium burners.

One thing I noticed after buying a somewhat better range, (DCS) is I enjoy cooking more and that is making me a better cook. Second thing I noticed is my DH's interest, he actually enjoys helping and learning more.

I'd say it gives you the ability to be a better cook, and with less effort than when you have to struggle with inadequate tools. I have a crummy range at present, and am planning double wall ovens and an induction cooktop in the new kitchen. Will I be a better cook? No. Will my skills increase? I expect that they will--I will have the ability to try techniques (like getting a good sear on a piece of meat, or stir fry) that I can't do now. I expect that my baking and roasting will be more even and accurate as well--and that will increase the quality of my food. But cooking is more than just that, it's knowing how to combine ingredients to achieve pleasing flavors, and use techniques to enhance those flavors. You get that by starting with easy recipes, then moving up to harder recipes, taking note of what works and what doesn't along the way and gaining confidence. Watch the chefs and cooks on the food network--ones that make things you would enjoy eating! You can learn a lot about technique from them--like, how to chop an onion, what a good sear looks like, how to properly make pasta, etc. Eventually (not that long, really) you start to get your own ideas of what to do with that chicken you thawed for dinner, and then you are there. Your skills and knowledge will take you anywhere you want to go, food wise. So, get a good quality range that won't limit you, and have some fun in the kitchen!

Cj

Truth be told, I don't think most of us are very equipment-limited.

That said, there are some dishes that are difficult to cook well (in more than micro quantities) if you don't have enough burner heat. There may be dishes that really need a good oven too (I wouldn't know, not being any kind of baker).

Anyway, liking your kitchen more often means you'll cook more and more enthusiastically, try more new things, eat less prepared food, etc. Which can lead to not only better eating but healthier eating. Put it this way, I'd spend extra $ on my kitchen rather than on my TV.

Trevor _ I agree with your premise however I think there is a very small % of people out there that get real benefit from a really nice tool, whether it's a stove, car, saw, or a set of golf clubs. Most improvement comes from upgrading one's skills.

A 200 MPH Ferrari is gonna land an inexperienced or poorly skilled driver in a ditch or wrapped around a telephone pole, I've personally witnessed such. A high powered stove may just burn a meal to a crisp if one's not careful.

If you are serious about cooking then a nice and powerful top/oven will help you on the road to improvement and be more pleasurable to use, but will not in and of itself improve your abilities.

I've always been a decent cook. My kids grew up with mostly home cooked meals, but I never really liked cooking. The less time I spent in the kitchen the better.

So when we built our next home (kids were teens) we designed a small but functional kitchen. Both DH and I liked it, but I was never tempted to do much baking.

However, then we moved again (post kids) and ended up with this old farmhouse. We moved the kitchen to the dining room and suddenly I had a large, open kitchen with lots of room. And in my upper 40's, I discovered I really like to cook.

Now I'm excited because my double wall ovens will be installed soon - I am thinking of all the ways I can use them, when 5 years ago I was sure that one $600 free standing range was all I'd ever need.

My cooktop and wall ovens are not real high end - but it was a huge step for me to spend that $5,500 when I have a fully functional 6 year old range that I bought expecting it would do all I ever wanted. My husband has been very supportive, he kept telling me if I didn't get what I really wanted now, I'd have to wait until we moved again, and we aren't planning on that until I retire.

I am fortunate in that we set up a temporary kitchen and then I discovered how much I like to cook. The kitchen I am putting in now is so much different than the one I designed 5 years ago when we started this house renovation project.

Cathy

Your question isn't as bad as it sounds. I do agree that great appliances don't make anyone a great cook, poor tools can sometimes impede the progress of otherwise good and rising cooks. I'll use skiing as an example.. I skied for over a decade on rented skis and felt that I had plateaued. Part of it is every time I rented skis they were different and not perfectly fit for my skill. Once I got new skis, the consistency and better quality/design allowed me to go from blue to black in one season. Part if it might have been mental but that shouldn't be discounted.

So, getting a new range will not automatically make you a better cook. If, however, you feel held back by your current range, it might help you get past the "hump". Also, there's the mental motivation of, "I spent xxxx on this thing so I better use it." In the end, the goal is to enjoy cooking and do it often. That's how you get better.

One other thing to consider.. If you are *not* ready, buying a new high power range might make things worse. It's a lot easier to burn food when you've got 22k btu under you compared 10k btu.

In general, if you are feeling like you're very comfortable on your current range but wish it would be more abc or wish it could xyz better, then it might be time to upgrade. If you still feel out of your element and not quite comfortable in your kitchen, then take more time and get the basics down before upgrading. Another way to say this is if you can come up with at least 3-5 specific things you don't like about your current range, then you can look around for one that fixes as many of those as possible. If, on the other hand, the things you cook just don't come out right and you don't know why, then you should stick with what you've got and work on your technique.

I don't think one needs a $6,000 range to make them a good cook. Half the price will buy a better range than most people have.

I'm a serious home cook and I feel like I get better results from my new appliances (6 burner rangetop and double ovens) than I did from my old basic range. However, the difference is not enormous - I turned out very good food with the old stuff. I actually find my increased prep space and better layout have helped as much if not more than the new equipment. You don't need a $6K stove to be a better cook - you may want to take some classes or have someone guide you to recipes that will be successful (as another poster noted, just because it is in a book doesn't make it good). As far as a range goes, I'd suggest buying the best one that will meet your needs - but be honest with yourself about what those are - if you aren't going to ever be using 6 burners then maybe consider a nicer standard size range with other features you want (convection, at least one high btu burner etc).

Thank you all for your comments. I guess I've still got some soul searching to do. I'm not a bad cook; the things I know how to do I do well. I think my main problem is that I don't have the time, therefore I'm rushed and cannot enjoy the process. DH travels a great deal, I run the business and we have a steady stream of hungry teenagers filing through the kitchen. At this point, if it cannot be cooked in 30 min. it's not going get cooked! It is my hope, that once our lives slow down a bit that I will have more time to enjoy the process and thus will need better equipment. However, I"m planning a kitchen remodel now wanting the small cooktop out of the island and new countertops. This is my one shot at upgrading, so I want to get it right.

I currently have a large kitchen, but my work triangle is tight. Any configuration I've come up with by adding a nice range (I'll need a 36" as I still want a grill) will make one leg of my triangle appx. 11 ft., no matter what I do. (You've probably all seen my request for help regarding the layout.) Finally I realized that first I need to decide on the equipment I want/need, before I decide on the layout.

Absolutely right!! Figure out your appliances first.

And go for the good range. Even though you don't have time now, just seeing it will make you happy. If you're happy to look at it, you'll combine the extra half hour that just appears on a random day with the half hour you usually have and make something special. Or you'll need some relaxing time and choose to cook something lovely as a way of relaxing because you're not fighting with your equipment and you're happy.

To the OP... This is like saying a better camera will make you a better photographer. Not really. If the skill isn't there to begin with, more pixels and better image quality will do nothing to make up for lack of composition skills or understanding of photographic principles. The same can be said for cooking. It's not about the tools, it's about the cook behind them.

If you only have room for a 30 inch range in layout that works in your kitchen, Lodge makes a reversible grill/griddle for two burners.

If you have a pro range, people will likely expect you to cook like a pro. That premise can either make you increase your cooking skills if you're willing to rise to the occasion, or be very intimidating if you're not. That's something only you can decide.

FWIW, I would have a hard time going back to a 'regular' stove. Occasionally, I help out in other peoples kitchens & the difference in my stove & theirs is like night & day; I feel like I'm cooking on a toy - but I can still turn out a decent meal!

The quick answer to your question is "NO".

Grill in the kitchen: in order to make the grill function well, you need a very good vent that takes all the smoke and fume out of the kitchen. My oven is very dirty right now. (no self clean on this Viking gas range oven). My smoke alarm is going off every time I use the oven! Egad.
My hood is only so so. 400 to 600 cfm or so.

The reason the built in grill is such a mess is that the fat drippings go right onto the burner mechanism, no matter how well designed it is. So you generate smoke. Not only that 12 inch grill is way too small to be useful, IMHO. Experiment by allowing yourself to only use 12 inches of your BBQ grill next time and see how useful that is.... You really can't grill items fast enough to make a meal in a reasonable time. How many pieces of eggplant can you lay out on a 12 inch grill?

I have my very well used beautious grill right outside of my kitchen and I use all 36 inchs of it year round.

The problem of powerful vent hood is that you need make up air, which really pushes the expense way up.

So your 6k range has suddenly bumped up to 10k for the hood and make up air kit that makes it useful....

Much cheaper option is a good cooktop coupled with a "middle of the road" oven....

Ranges can't buy quality ingredients, find great recipes, or mix them correctly. But, if you're talking about comparing a range with accurate and fine-tuned performance vs one with temps you can't count on and a simmer that isn't low enough, for me, the quick answer could be 'yes,' and I think it can be about the tools.

You can concoct the most amazing recipe to perfection, but if the oven temperature isn't consistent, the dish can still come out gummy, undercooked in the middle and burned on the outside. Of course, you can buy thermometers and take cooking classes to help you know how to make up for it, but why deal with junk and hassles if you don't have to?

I think money decisions are based on 'value' not price tag. Value takes into account the job it will do for you, and for how long.

I was always a pretty good cook and baker, but it's so much more enjoyable with excellent tools, and I'm motivated to try things new to me. They don't all take time. It seems the healthier options are often the simpler, faster choices.

The tools, though, won't make your life less busy or hectic. They won't GIVE you more time, but they might encourage you to make meal prep a bigger priority. Maybe on the weekends or some slower-paced time, you can create dishes you can freeze for the more hectic days.

It helps to have decent tools to do any job. Finding the line between 'decent' and more than you need can be difficult...and can vary from person to person. And price doesn't always reflect quality. Do a lot of research and get what you can feel good about...A choice with which you can feel assured that if you do your job well, it will do it's part well, too.

Remember a range is just a tool. Does a hammer make someone a good carpenter? A good carpenter could hammer nails with a rock. The Range is the same, it does make you cook better it just makes it easier to cook well.

To the OP: I would ask you - why are you looking at a 6K range? Is it because you think it will make you a better cook or is it because you think that's what everyone else is doing and you want something that looks nice in the kitchen? When you've looked at the range are you in love with it and excited to do all of the recipes you feel failed? If that's the case (and not the pretty range) then I think yes, a newer and better range will inspire you and you'll *probably* achieve a greater success in cooking. I also think you need to keep in mind the hood cost as kaismom said. Lastly, if you're unsure about spending that much on a range there are many that cost less and give you wonderful performance - Bluestar, NXR, American, Capital. Keep in mind I don't know what size you're looking at but I'm basing that on a 30" in range. Good luck!

I went from a cheap electric range to a gas cooktop and it made a HUGE difference. And my cooktop only cost $1000. I'm not sure you need to spend $6000, though.

I hated cooking on my electric ranges, and I had them for 30 years, in house after house. And I did a lot of cooking with three kids. When I remodeled, a gas cooktop was non-negotiable. I love it.

As others have pointed out, having better equipment makes cooking more enjoyable, and if you enjoy it more, you'll cook more and then you'll be a better cook.

Mom, I felt the same way when I got my induction range. Some glitches with oven flaking, but love that machine!

I said $6,000 cost for the range as that's the lowest I've found that includes a grill. I could care less about how the darn thing looks - hence keeping my 1990's cabinets. (I do draw the line at the bright blue laminate though - it's got to go!!) If I could find a 30" range that included a grill & four burners that would be fine, but I can't. I have thought if going with the 30" range and putting a grill somewhere else in the kitchen. I have room - I just don't know if that makes sense. I'd read here somewhere that people do put in a separate BBQ station, but cannot find any pics or thoughts on functionality. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!

As to just using the grill outdoors I'm a transplanted Texan living in the frozen tundra of WI. That WILL NOT be happening! HA!

Thank you for the comment about the hood being an additional cost - I had not gotten that far in the process! I also appreciate the comment about putting the money into a good cooktop. I will give that some thought!

Thank you all for your thoughts!

Capital makes a 30" range with a 12" center grill.

Here is a link that might be useful: Capital 30

Lets just say that putting 6 G's in to a stove and you cannot cook on $250 bare bone range will not make you a better cook, period! It takes trial and error to get up there with the best. If I had that kind of cash and want to improve my cooking skills, then divide the money for a decent stove and invest in a cooking class and a few books.

In order to be a good cook, you must love to do it. If you do it just to eat then you'll never improve. You must challenge yourself to improve the dish the next time you cook it again and remember when you put your hands in it, you will taste the love in it.

Momma was from the south and her food made people fight in the church as well as at home, so it shows that she loved to cook as well as I do!

I'd love to hear other people's experiences with the indoor grill. We have three friends with this functionality and all of them say they don't use it because the fan always has to be on the highest setting and it's too loud, still gets smokey, etc. I don't know how many CFMs they all have, but I recall one friend in particular doing a lot of research on the vent making sure they had enough power and went outside of the width of the stove, as recommended. Are there a lot of people here with indoor grills who use them all the time? Is there anything special you need to when planning for an indoor grill?

A better range won't make you a better cook. BUT a bad range will ensure your results are subpar, even if you improve your skills.

Think about it. Give a great chef an oven that doesn't maintain temperature very well, and cooks unevenly. Is the food going to be as good?

I cook in several different kitchens when I visit family and friends. I can make the same dish in my mom's oven (GE Profile), and it comes out better than I can possibly get it in my own oven (ancient, lousy broiler, no convection). My results will always be limited by my equipment until I upgrade.

I have learned to make really great artisan bread in my oven, but the top crust comes out with some spots that are too dark, so the flavor is not optimal in those spots. It's also ugly. If I bake it lower heat or not as long, the overall loaf is not as good. So there is nothing I can do about the uneven heat my oven produces. That's why convection was invented, to solve this problem for better food.

Adequate tools + great skills = great results. This is obvious in any endeavor, I don't know why it's even debated. A great tool alone is nothing without the skills to use it, but skills alone don't get great results either. A lousy old piano is still going to have lousy tone when played by a concert pianist, but putting a Steinway grand in the room doesn't give you the skills, either.

So it sounds like the main reason for your selection is the grill option. How often do you grill and how many people do you usually cook for? Have you thought of something like this:
Minden Master Range-Top Indoor Grill

Or, since you're transplanted from TX, do you prefer BBQ over grilling? :)
NordicWare Kettle Smoker

I know it's not as nice as a built in but you get to save some bucks and space. I've never tried these but I have tried a grill topper for a camp stove. Works ok but needs a bit more power. This might work if you pair it up with a high btu open burner 30" 4 burner range.

Wisconsin? Wasteland?! We grill out all year long here...never think much about it. Parka, flashlight (it's dark early in winter), good to go. True, there are some days when you just don't feel like shoveling the snow off the grill, or it's just too cold to keep the temps up inside, but other than that... But that's just us, and we grew up here in the frozen tundra. LOL.

Seriously, it doesn't seem that those little grills on the ranges are worth having. Messy, smokey and just not big enough. If you are serious about indoor grilling, and have the space and the budget, a real setup with a mondo powerful hood sounds like the way to go. I did a search on "indoor gas grills", they're out there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Indoor Gas Grill

CJ, I totally appreciate your points, but Kayl hasn't totally acclimated to WI, has been grilling on her old Jenn-air for a long time and is happy with the results, and is on a fairly tight budget. (I hope I got that right.)

Kayl, once you decide on a range, and perhaps a cooktop/oven alternative (rangetop with grill or cooktop with separate grill), why not take them back over to Kitchens for help with the layout? I think the range is going to give you the least expensive option for all three functions, but perhaps a rangetop and wallovens would suit you better. Building an indoor barbecue was done a lot in the '70's and '80's. It requires a lot of extra ventilation. For your purposes, I think putting in one good range or rangetop with one good hood will function best for you.

OTOH, I've marked Amcook's fancy stovetop grill and smoker. The latter, especially, might suit my yen for a smoker without having to buy a big ugly toy to clutter the yard. (I know one can do the same thing with ordinary pans and foil, but it's too much of a bother for me.) So thanks for that!

Considering how much Kayl grills indoors, I think her desire for a new built in grill is a big priority rather than a should I/shouldn't I.

Better tools equal better results. At whatever you do.

A better range will mean more hits and less misses.

If you are investing in a pro range it shows a strong desire to learn how to cook.

Cooking classes are the best way to learn.

But cooking books,watching cooking shows,and just doing it with trial and error you can learn as well.

Well said, Deeageaux! I second the recommendation for cooking shows...Very motivational and good for instruction on new methods. The funny thing is that it was my dh's addiction to cooking shows that encouraged me to try new things that seemed too hard, complex, or foreign to me before. There are ones I like and ones I don't. Like anything, find ones that you enjoy and 'fit' you.

Notice how the kitchens in the cooking shows all have island cooktops and no vent hoods or other discernible way to exhaust smoke/vapor?

I assume they just film the meat being placed on the grill/pan, replace it with meat that was pre-cooked off-stage, then resume filming the cooked meat being removed, plated, and tasted.

We use the Lodge Logic cast iron griddle on our large center gas burner on the Caldera 36" . You can't tell the difference at all from cooking a steak or fish or chicken outdoors and using this grill pan. It is so perfect. The only thing is that the taste is WAY better than outdoors if you use charcoal. If you have a gas grill they aren't as hot as the Caldera and so don't give as good a result. My son is a pro chef and he was astounded at the flavor of the meats that we do on the LL pan and the smoky taste is amazing.Way more tender and flavorful and no mess at all if you have a good hood ( see below)

If you look at the cost of the grill pan and then see the grill on the stove that is built in and also think of not being able to then have the burners to use for other cooking , then it makes way more sense to have the LL than a built in.

As to vents . You need to get more CFM than you need. I have 1400 for that reason. The laws of physics come into play and the turbulence in the duct -work when you use it on high sends the HOGS back at you ( heat,odors,grease,steam) . So you need to have more than you think you will need...allow for height of hood and width ( do not have to have wider than cook surface ) but allow for this in extra cfm and length of duct run.

I think that covers it. You have to think of your venting WAY before you look at the cook top...at the very least at the same time. Do not get a grill and then never use it due to the stink. Hope this helps. Look at the pro hoods from Tradewind. Google Tradewind liners...you will not be sorry. Mine is quiet and very efficient. c

This has been a great post. I think that all of us who have debated whether or not to spend a ton of money on a new range have wondered if it will make us a better cook. I've found that having better tools (including a new range) has made me enjoy cooking even more and as a result I've put more energy into my cooking. The result: better cooking. I've also found that following (to the letter) the recipes in Cook's Illustrated magazine is a sure-fire way to turn out delicious meals. It is a great way to learn about cooking technique and the chemistry of cooking.

Pllog, I didn't mean it to sound nasty or anything--I was pretty much just laughing at us here, shoveling snow off the grill...and yes, we do! And it's not for everyone, either, I do realize that. But, seriously--I did not catch that she's on a budget, and she did say that "I have thought if going with the 30" range and putting a grill somewhere else in the kitchen.", which made me think that she was probably OK with both space and budget. Sorry if I misunderstood, Kayl, but if you are serious into BBQ and have the space and the budget--I'd still say Go For It and have fun in your kitchen. :-)
Cj

Oh, no! Cj, I didn't mean to take you to task or anything. I just remembered that Kayl's point was liking the old Jenn-Air grill and wanting something like it on a tricky budget with reused cabinets. Otherwise, I'd be right with Trailrunner on the grill pan thing. It works for my purposes, though neither she nor I live in areas where people laugh about outdoor grilling in Winter.

To add to the car analogy, I knew a doctor that bought a fancy Porsche. But... he didn't know how to drive it because it had a clutch. If it wasn't for a steel curb rail, they'd both have launched into the harbor.

The recipes at epicurious.com have been rated by users. The comments are helpful, too, for suggested tweaks. I've only used two recipes from there, but both turned out perfectly and were huge "hits".

I think the flavor of something grilled over wood is so much better that it's worth waiting to do outside. To me, it's the same as the difference between no fat "dairy dessert" and real ice cream. However, things seared on an indoor griddle can be pretty darned good. I'd at least consider the pros/cons of griddle vs grill when picking out a range or cooktop.

I use to cook a lot when I was just out of school and could handle most "gourmet" recipes and create ones of my own. But in the decades that have since passed, I decided life was too short to spend it huddled over a range. I'll still do some holiday meals and occasionally make bread, etc., but the majority of the time you'll find me out in the garden or on the water. Thirty minute meals get a huge "thumbs up" from me.

My mother is an amazing cook and she has inadequate tools in my opinion. A gas stove with only one working burner (sometimes if she is lucky, a second will work), the oven works sometimes and to boot, she had the most ridiculous kitchen faucet ever, it had pressure issues and took her 3x to do dishes or fill a pot. Recently, we replaced the faucet, and she feels that her cooking has improved. She refuses to replace the stove, (waiting for it to die), but she still cranks out the most amazing meals. She will also cook for the local charities etc. How? I don't know. Do I think she will be even better with better appliances? YES.
As for me, I rarely cook, yet, with my new home, I have top end appliances (wolf 6 burners/second oven etc). I am most excited about using the wok ring and stir frying. I also bake but will these appliances make me better? NO, it just gives me more inspiration to try to be better. However, I am most excited for my mother because we have planned to have all the holidays at my house and she cannot wait to cook..with me helping of course.

My opinion is, when you love cooking and you do it well, it really doesn't matter the conditions. However, better tools certainly gives you more opportunities to try new recipes and speed the process.

Well, I've decided to go for it. I'm getting a GE Monogram with grill. I had the opportunity to cook on a friends over the weekend and I'm sold.

I do think my cooking will improve as I have the desire. Now, I just need to find the time!

Thanks to all with your suggestions. I had to laugh at all the suggestions of cooking school - I can imagine I came off as Julie from the Julia & Julie movie!! HA! Actually once my range is installed my friend, who has the same range & is an excellent cook, is going to spend some time with me in my kitchen. That will be even better than cooking school!

Look for my layout to be posted in the kitchens section soon. Now that I'm kicking the fridge out of its current location I need help finding it the perfect home!

Kay