I have a Wolf AG range. I like the burners on the AG, and I like having the ability to remove the burner pans for cleaning if/when I want. For smaller cleaning, I'll spot clean using paper towel and Perfect Kitchen (blue bottle) from BB&B. It was recommended at the Wolf showroom in NJ. They don't seem to carry all the "Perfect" cleaning products in all the BB&B's (they make Perfect granite, Perfect Bathroom, etc.) so you might need to look for it. For a more thorough cleaning, I remove the grates and the burner pans and scrub them in the sink. I don't always clean the grates when I clean the pans as they don't always need cleaning. The pans I can clean pretty quickly using a blue scrub sponge, a small squirt of dish soap, and a sprinkle or more of BKF. If the pans are really grimy, or have caked/burnt on crud, I'll spray them with Dawn Power Dissolver and let them sit for awhile before scrubbing (don't let it drip on HW flooring though, it eats through the poly, as does Easy Off, I think). I like that I can scrub the burner pans in the sink and then rinse them off with the spray, rather than trying to rinse/clean off soap and cleansers when they are attached to the range. I dry the pans while they are still "hot" after rinsing using a dishtowel (FYI, I use Ritz Wonder Towels--they absorb a lot of water, continue to dry things even when very damp, and don't leave lint behind). If there are any smudges after you've replaced them on the range, you can buff/wipe them off with a dry microfiber, dishtowel or paper towel if they bug you. I promise you, it sounds more complicated and time-consuming than it really is. Yes, more time than cleaning the old white 4 burner rangetop we had before, but the trade-offs are still well worth it! Also, after you've done it a few times, you get youre "routine" down and it goes pretty quickly. For the record; I am far from "Sally clean" and I certainly don't clean my range every day (or even every week, though some weeks I should!). I'd go with the AG burners again in a heartbeat.

I get where you are coming from, flashfryer. I have only a mid-range Frigidaire, but I too wish that I could swap the stove's burner for a more straight up one. I can say that the KitchenAid Wok Ring (8284965) is genius for fitting a wide range of stoves ... but yeah, the flame is still the same shape.

I cook my bacon in the oven. Very little mess if you cook it between two trays. The best griddle? There are some differences but they do not arbitrarily make one better than the other even though they are often pitched that way. Wolf has a 3/4" thickness compared to BS which has both 3/16" and 3/8" reported on this forum. Not sure on the American Performer, you would have to ask. The thicker griddle takes longer to heat and change temperature but holds a lot of heat. It can be more even. Wolf also has an infrared burner which heats more evenly. Wolf also said they changed the surface of their griddle in 2016 but it would be just the same after seasoning.-Not sure what that means. They also redesigned the grease trap so you might want to make sure you get the new design if you go that way. Both Wolf and BS have 15K BTUs to heat a 2 burner size and 30K for 4 burner size. It isn't just a choice of built in or no griddle. There is also the option of an add on. It is a personal preference on which is easier to clean of the two types. Some advantages for some would be that you can have a choice of metals for different purposes. Heavy aluminum heats much more evenly than steel or cast iron so is great for pancakes and sandwiches. These also come in nonstick and are priced reasonably. They only come in 2 burner but you have about a 50% bigger cooking area than a built in 2 burner. The bare aluminum seasons eventually too. This is from Royal Industries. You can also get something cast iron or steel like this Chef King. It is a little bigger than the built in. It is a beast to lift for me. I have a a few 12"-14" cast iron skillets instead. You might need to find a place to store these if you take them off, but you gain flexibility if you want a 2 burner size, (2)two burners or 4 burner. You can also have a lot more heat with an add on as the built ins only have 15K between the two burners. You could have 30K or more with an add on but it is a little more trouble to adjust as the built in is thermostatically controlled. There was someone here a year or so ago who stir fried on their griddle so that might be a consideration for some. Occasionally someone complains about the 15K being anemic. Only the BS and AP come with all burners on the 48" rangetop. I know you can order burner sizes where you want them on the BS but you would have to ask about the AP. The built in has more stability unless you can find an add on like this that fits. ________ "you'll get equally vociferous opinions on the open / sealed burner debate" This happens when people insist that one type of burners are best for all cooks in all situations and if you don't have them you are somehow not a real cook. This goes back to some marketing you see. There are seriously, appliance blogs from appliance companies online right now that claim more oxygen can get to the flame on an "open" burner so you get more heat. Most touting an "open" burner are not even referring to the open vs sealed burner but rather to the higher BTUs, capped vs uncapped burners or some other aspect of the burner. Burners have evolved so in order to really compare you have to look at the characteristics very specifically and evaluate how they fit with the way you cook and your cookware. For instance in this discussion you have- American Performer which is a semi sealed, uncapped, 25K BTU star shaped burner. It is semi sealed because the burner tray comes close to the burner, containing messes but lifts off for cleaning. Wolf is a sealed, capped, up to 20K but can go less than 300 BTUs for simmer and has a dual stacked ring burner to provide this range. They used to make a semi sealed or semi open burner but it was still capped. The dual stacked burner keeps the flare smaller than it would be with a single burner that has a big range of BTUs like 5 star's ultra hi- lo burner(350-21K). BS RNB which is open, uncapped, 22K, star burner. or the RCS which is the same but tops out at 15K. They also make a sealed, capped ring burner that is rated at 21K on the biggest burner. The star burner disperses heat better if the pan is sized to the burner. If the pan is too big, you wind up with heat in the center. The star is useful if your cookware is cast iron, steel or stainless. If you have heavy gauge copper or aluminum the pan disperses the heat. Plied cookware varies depending on what the layers are. There is a lot to consider picking a rangetop but at least the OP is not trying to pick a range and have to consider the oven.

M - one of the reasons I am the one asking this question on this forum instead of my friend is that she posted on here a while ago (at my recommendation) when she could see that her range was on its way to failure from old age. She felt cyber bullied, with people telling her what she should have, that induction was the only way, or to hit the highway so to speak. Iinduction people here must not realize how they sound, they are so single-minded. That is why I added my P.S. request in the OP. She doesn't want induction because she doesn't want the expense of the electric line, and just doesn't like it. She does not want an open burner gas range because her exhaust is just middling and she doesn't need high power for her type of cooking. What is important to my friend is to find a 30" gas range, middle of the road pricing, with dual stacked sealed burners. We will check out the Fisher Paykel that Homepro1 recommended (Bertazzoni ranges seem to have a lot of bad reviews). The Fisher Paykel seems to be a do-able price point, maybe a bit high, I think she'd prefer to spend less than $3k if possible. I am respectfully asking this forum if anyone else has further response to the question in the OP. TIA.