We've had our 30" RNB for two years. The oven gets used a lot, as often as 4 times a week when my wife is baking all of our bread. During those two years we had periodic troubles with the door sticking, so I greased the hinges frequently. Finally the door stuck so hard that getting it open damaged the inner panel. Unfortunately, it was essential that it be opened, because it had our Thanksgiving food in it. That sounds grim, but Michael at Bluestar service responded promptly to my email, ordered a new door (reportedly with design fixes), kept me informed as to when to expect it to arrive, and, most importantly, came through exactly as promised. The new door was very easy to install and it works great. I can't say I was thrilled about the hinge problem, but I was very satisfied with the way that Bluestar remedied it. Apart from the hinge issue, the range remains a joy to use.

When new and relatively new, they do tend to rough up the sponge and leave bits behind. Good News... as the range gets older and "broken in" the linting almost completely disappears. The dishwasher method never worked for me as the job gets prolonged longer than I like and the results aren't any better than doing it by hand- maybe even worse. When I get around to a major cleaning, every few months, I wash them in the sink and let the pieces air dry on towels on the counter. In between the major cleaning, I hit them with a dishwater soaked & squeezed sponge and crank then the burners for a minute to speed up the drying. For two years this process has worked fine for me. If show quality is your requirement, the big clean will need to be done after each moderate usage. I don't mind the commercially rugged look of a well used range so a surface wipe is typically sufficient. michaelp

I have a 30" model and the oven door and knobs do get hot when the oven is in use. You aren't going to fry yourself but it will be hot enough where pressing your hand on it will be "uncomfortable." Since hot air rises, and you should have a vent pulling the heat up, you can stand in front of it with no problem -- which is good since it would be hard to cook on it if you were standing somewhere else. You just won't want to lean on it. I would say this is one of my very few peaves about my BlueStar. I've only had mine about 3 weeks but so far we love it.

I purchased two basic 30" Bluestar ranges on special sale, for $1750 each, for my sister and her best friend about a year ago. They do a lot of wok cooking, roasting, and very little baking. One is a DIY, the other less so, and yes, they've had to replace most of the igniters. They are also chefs, and accustomed to taking extra care with professional equipment. Verdict? You might as well take their right arms off at the elbow than get them to switch ranges! Foremost on their list of "pros" is flame and temperature control, specifically high heat wok cooking. Both claim professional results, as confirmed by many on this site. If you are crazy for Asian cuisine, you've found your mid-priced range. My sister, Ann, also loves the broiler, which gives her meats the sear she loves to put on her dinner table. They do not recommend any professional range to beginners, unless you are willing to go to cooking school, and I agree. I chose to go with a little Capital 24" range, which I hope to have up and running soon. I am more of a baker than a wok wizard, and not much of a housekeeper, so sealed burners (easy cleaning) and precise, even oven heat steered me towards Capital. The Bluestar's open burners are the secret to high output flame control, but they don't wipe clean the way sealed burners do. My sister says it's no problem at all, especially for her new best friend... Research shows the designers at Bluestar and Capital have historically produced commercial ranges only, making inroads into people's homes just for the last few years. The reverse can be said of residential brands such as Kitchenaid, Whirlpool, Thermador, etal. I think it's important to remember the difference, since form follows function in so many of our choices. Commercial ranges have less to do with stylish appearance than durability, high heat, and precise control, all of which comes with costly maintenance (including replacement parts and repairs), and of course, astronomical prices. That said, the Bluestar is a very stylish package that satisfies in both commercial, and residential, applications.