I haven't seen one, but just looked at a website and they appear to be the same open burners. I got this pic from a retailler, but I'm sure there's a pic at Bluestar's webpage as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bluestar drop-in pic.

I just clicked on the "technical specs" tab on Alexr's link, and it states "open burners". Many on this forum strongly prefer open burners to sealed.

Thank you. I confirmed, the BlueStar cooktop does have open burners and the whole top lifts up to clean. Not too easily I suspect. It also has two 22,000 burners, two 8,500 and one simmer. It seems like more than enough power but other "rangetops" and cooktops offer more power. Is it really necessary?

hull-o, I just saw one today. I do think it will be a challenge to clean. It's very low-tech inside. Lots of sharp edges and fussy bits.

The bowls can be removed and I assume washed in the dishwasher, but there wasn't much in the way of design to prevent a messy spillover from going all over the place.

It definitely gave me pause until I saw the burners lit. Sigh, they're really nice.

The wok ring was a disaster - I wonder if a different manufacturer's ring would work.

Thank for for your input. I guess I need to see one in person. Low tech is good for me, but sharp edges and fussy bits for things to get caught on or in is not good. I understand the bowls can be put in the dishwasher just not on the dry cycle.
Did you have to lift the whole top to clean underneath the burner?

I assume that under the cast iron bowls, one puts down a sheet or two of aluminum foil to catch the crumbs or spills that fall through the burner bowls- nothing about the bowls is difficult or sharp to clean. Underneath the bowls and the burners are supports that may have an an unpolished edge or screw point. This is so far below the heat of the burners that the aluminum foil should only have to be replaced about once every 6 months.

alexr, do you have the cooktop?

I'm curious how people who do have the cooktop lay foil down, the surface seemed difficult to lay foil out on as it's broken up by lot's of different bits and parts. The easily removed bowls as designed will leak liquid into the second platform bowl and these are more difficult to get to. To get underneath, you have to remove the grates, the bowls, the knobs(!) and lift the "hood".

The bowl design is controlled from what I can see by the burner design. The burners are what make Bluestar so great in my opinion, so I think it's just something to live with.

One thing I was surprised by was that all the burner igniters turn on when you turn the knob, only the burner with gas catches.

When making an investment in an appliance, you must consider what your number one objective is. While Miele is a fine manufacturer (I own a few) their niche isn't range/cooktop/rangetop.

A simple metaphor to use is; would you go to a steak house and expect excellent seafood? The answer usually is a resounding "NO". You would go to a restaurant that specializes in seafood.

The old saying, "Do one thing and do it well" is the word here. When purchasing something as important as a cooking appliance, you want to try and stay away from manufacturer's that produce a myriad of products.

When making a decision about a range/cooktop/rangetop there are many things to consider. First do you want a professional look or a professional result? This may seem like an odd question to ask yourself but it is paramount to making an informed decision. Many home "Chefs" are after one thing and that is appearance. If this is your goal, then any one of the manufacturers' you have mentioned will work just fine.

However, if you are an above average cook or even a professionl Chef, then the only decision you have to make is which manufacturer "Performs" the best. For this purpose WOLF or BLUESTAR are the obvious and only choices.

Wolf offers a high BTU of 16,000 with a 500BTU simmer. Bluestar offers an unpresidented 22,000BTU and an incredible 300BTU simmer. WOW!!! Any professional Chef would not be caught dead with a cooktop or rangetop with "Sealed Burners". While it is true that a sealed burner is easier to keep clean you will never obtain near professional results. The reason for this is that a sealed burner cannot truly get as hot as an open burner. The surface area the flame comes into contact with a pan also becomes compromised. It is a simple matter of physics.

Bluestar does not offer sealed burners due to this fact. Wolf however does. Wolf began as the only commercial maufacturer that modified their range/cooktop/rangetop for home use but now they offer sealed burners which do not comply with any restaurant standards. Bluestar however is the ONLY commercial maufacturer to offer a 22,000 BTU burner for home use in an Open Burner for home use. A truly professional appliance. Period.

So when all is said and done ask yourself which is most imporant....Professional Appearance or Professional Results? If you choose the later then the obvious choices are BLUESTAR and WOLF. My personal preference is BLUESTAR because it comes as close to professional results without stepping into a commercial kitchen. If what you are after is appearance then any number of ranges/cooktops/rangetops will do. You can also save yourself a lot of money if all you want is a "nice" looking appliance.

Unfortunatley a lot of people who are remodeling their kitchens only dabble in cooking and do not really understand the importance of the specifications outlined above. They end up purchasing an expensive range/cooktop/rangetop merely for the status of a name and not to use it to it's full potential. They purchase for the wrong reason(s). This becomes evident when someone doesn't understand the importance of sealed burner versus open burner.

I hope this helps you to ask yourself what do you really want out of your appliance and what kind of a cook you are. Only you have that answer, but hopefully you have been armed with enough facts about the features that will help you to make the best decision for you and your family.

Warmest Regards

Thank you so much for all your sage advice. Aesthetics and 'status' are of minimal if any concern. Performance is of upmost importance. I am not a professional chef, but I LOVE to cook. I actually find I use my cooktop more than my oven so it is really important to select the right one. I have decided to go with open burners for all the reasons you, Angelita Hibiscus, and many others on this website have pointed out. I do believe my two best choices are the Wolf rangetop and BlueStar. However, only BlueStar offers a drop-in cooktop vs. rangetop with open burners. I am driving to Reading, PA to see the cooktop "live". With all the positive feedback on the BlueStar I am really excited to see those beautiful blue flames in action! Thank you again to one and all.

You get all the status you need just by participating on gardenweb.com's forums.

You can do a sealed burner cooktop if you have plenty of time to kill.

You bet. I'm glad it was useful.

By the way, Both WOLF and BLUESTAR offer a "Drop in Cooktop" and a slide in "Rangetop" in the Open Burner. Only BLUESTAR does not offer a "Sealed Burner" as I had stated earlier. So if you want an Open Burner, BOTH manufacturer's offer one. There is a lot of misinformation out there.

It's good that you are going in person to see the BLUESTAR. It's the only was to make an informed decision.

Good luck.

For those interested...I went to Reading, PA to see the BlueStar drop-in cooktop at the factory. It was great to meet some of the knowledgeable people behind the scenes - an engineer (John) and a service person (Matt). I was a bit disappointed with the drop-in cooktop. The pans beneath the cast iron grates are black enamel, not cast iron like the ranges. From what I can gather from this website, these black enamel pans can be difficult to clean. These pans are the same material as used by Wolf. Like the open burner Wolf, they can be easily lifted out to take to the sink or dishwasher. The other drawback, mentioned by ehaberlin, is that to clean underneath the burners, i.e. if there was a spill not captured by the pan, one needs to remove all the grates, all the pans, and the 5 knobs. The top then easily lifts up for cleaning. I did not notice any sharp bits and pieces, just the mechanicals for the cooktop. I was told it is very unusual to have to clean this way, however, the burners are not sealed so food and stuff can fall down below. I was also impressed by how easy it is to change the ignitor, which again, after reading this website, noticed the ignitor seems to be a common repair. I think I've settled on a BlueStar 36" 6-burner rangetop...but boy those color ranges in the showroom were gorgeous!

Although I am not a regular responder on this site, I do read everything. I thank those who share their insights! I feel I am a much more savvy consumer as a result.
HULL-O :)

hull-o, I somehow missed your post and was interested to note you had the same reaction I did to the cleaning process.

I'm conflicted about whether I want the drop-in cook top vs. the range top. I noticed in one of those Bluestar videos that the wok was set directly on the flame without a wok ring, my impression with the drop-in was that a wok ring is required. The wok ring did not impress me. I wonder if there are any other disadvantages to the drop-in.

I also prefer the cast iron bowls to the enamel ones.

ehaberlin - The only other possible drawback to the drop-in cooktop, other than those already discussed, is the power of the burners. The 36" drop-in has two 22,000 btu burners and two 8,500 btu burners and one simmer. Although this seems like it would be more than enough power for me, I wanted to point out that the 36" range top and range offer two 22,000, two 15,000 and a simmer burner.

stahlee - It's great to hear that you love your drop-in cooktop and that the enamel pans are easy to clean. I too did not see any sharp edges on any of their cooktops or ranges, even when I opened the top. However, I am not sure BlueStar manufactures a 48" cooktop anymore. Hmm. Something to investigate. Thank you for sharing your experience!