I appreciate all the replies on this thread. I liked the Viking 'designer' line gas cooktop, but it's performance specs are not as good as DCS or Monogram. Oddly the specs on their "professional" cooktop weren't any better. I want power and simmer. The dual burners on the DCS and Monogram seem to offer that the best. Also their burners have cast brass instead of steel. Even the pricey Thermador doesn't use brass, and it 'clicks' the burner on and off to maintain a simmer. So now it's down to choosing DCS or Monogram based on their layout, reliability and customer service. This is where I really reply on the postings here. I'll take some of my big pots to the good store next week and verify I can use them with both. I'm going to have double ovens installed next to the cooktop. I want big drawers beneath it. I'm planning on the Electrolux (not ICON) ovens because they have the best mix of features I really want, and I like its styling better than Monogram. I also looked at Viking "Designer" ovens and a Bosch. I really like them for their looks and using knobs instead of an electronic interface. They have the features and power that I want, but I'm too concerned about reliability. I haven't heard ANY complaints from the owners of Electrolux ovens! So I chose better reliability over knobs. Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm still in "planning" phase with my remodel. Tear out begins in a week. It will be about 8 weeks (I hope) before I installed mew equipment and test it out.

First, I wouldn't put a ton of stock in CR reviews. Also, my impression is that negative Bluestar reviews tend to focus on ranges b/c of oven issues. Since you are looking at a cooktop and not a range, they aren't necessarily relevant. Instead, I would look at reviews on sites like abt.com and ajmadison.com. I find they are pretty accurate when combined with the threads here. Just take your time. My Bluestar is the 30 inch cooktop. They only sell one, so it will be easy to find. I paid standard price - $1574. It has 2 22K open burners. I am still in the throws of remodeling (currently tiling floor) so I can't give real feedback yet on use of it. But with that said, $2600 seems high for an Elux cooktop. I do like my 27" double ovens. I paid about $2075 for them, which I thought was a good price. Again, I have only used them once to reheat something. I would suggest buying the same brand oven and fridge so your handles match, assuming you aren't installing a paneled fridge. The other suggestion I have is to consider your venting and if you will need make up air. Venting is expensive and island venting even more so. Six months ago I was in your shoes. The people here are a great help and with hours of research on your own and pounding the pavement to showrooms, you will learn a lot and be able to make the right choice for your home.

Thanks for the links. Those are interesting. The Wolf burner is a different design from those videos, but I don't know if it is now better or worse (although it does seem to address some of the complaints). I also don't know how different the cooktop burner on the bluestar is from the range burner shown in the video, but my hunch is they are the same. The idea of an open burner being more even has always made sense to me and appealed and the videos seem to confirm one's intuition on this. As for the Capital on the website mentioned above, they do have a rangetop, but I don't think they have a high end cooktop in gas which would work better for our current kitchen (although their rangetops would look better here than the rivals rangetops from what I can tell because it seems to be a little more slim). In any event, we don't have a Capital vendor here and so even if it were the best product (and it sounds like many feel it is) and it matched, service would be enough to scare me off probably based on where I live. Thanks again to everyone for your input! ps for Miele reliability, it is only one datapoint, but my mother in law's works hard and is like new. She is going to be appalled that we bought something else. (And given how nice hers is, I thought that would be the direction we'd go, but my wife surprised me by picking the Wolf and I felt like given that each one had strengths and weaknesses I felt like this was a good choice, but I also felt any of the three she'd picked I'd have been able to say that about).

Bluestar. And don't forget the $$ for a good vent to go with it.