So I'll update this, as we still haven't made a decision. Induction: I bought an induction burner and like it, although it isn't as life-changing as I sort of expected. (I realize the power is much lower than a range or cooktop would be.) We also had an electrician examine our house, and he thinks we can put one in. My dad (also an electrician) and husband agree we should do a max load test before we put 40 or more amps on the panel, though. (Long story short: we have a 200 amp breaker but 100 amps coming into the house, so we need to put in a smaller breaker.) So it's still a bit up in the air. Gas/dual-fuel: I went to look at the Aga Legacy today and really liked it. I'm also going to look at a Lacanche soon, at a Lacanche ambassador's house. Both of those are, frankly, more than I wanted to pay, but I really love the looks and some of the features a lot (ovens on the Aga, simmer plate and large burner on the Lacanche). I've also considered a BlueStar or Big Chill Pro Style (rebadged BlueStar), but there isn't one local to me. The price, features, and availability of the color finish are good, but I'm a little nervous about all the issues people have had. I think I've looked at nearly every option out there, but I'd love to hear more if anyone has ideas!

When I started my research for my kitchen remodel (about three months ago), my initial thoughts were strongly towards Thermador (for the range and refrigerator), and Wolf (I eliminated Viking due to quality concerns, and I hadn't yet heard of many others like BS, American, DCS, Aga, etc.). Then, I noted that Thermador doesn't offer all gas or open burners, and I better understood that my use of the oven didn't require the electronic functions (nor did I want the risk of having them burn out), and I thus eliminated Thermador even though I love the look (but function is much more important to me than style and looks) and it's star-burner shape does make it probably the best of the sealed burner options (ignoring output) IMO. If one wants to be a better cook, and understand the need of function over looks, then I can't see how one can pick Thermador, given the choice. I would pick BS or Wolf all gas instead. I think you might benefit from watching some of the Bluestar cooking videos Trevor has made (http://www.bluestar-ranges.com/Home_Page.html) - even though they mostly compare BS and Wolf, they serve as a nice educational source for learning more about what to look for in a range.

I considered Five Star while researching my cooking choice for my kitchen remodel. I was set to buy one based upon reading their literature. I called the Five Star company and discussed my questions with one of their people. They referred me to a cooking school in my local area that had Five Star ranges where I was able to see, test drive and discuss the performance with the cooking school staff. The ranges are owned by Five Star and provided to the cooking school for display, "test driving", etc. since they do not have a distributor in the area. The report from the staff was not great. They said the ranges (they have two) all too frequently required burner and oven repairs on both of their ranges. The day I was there, both ranges were waiting for repairs--one oven wasn't heating sufficiently and a total of three burners on the two ranges were not operating. Most of the time they have to use long reach butane lighters get the burners going. Service is difficult to get even though they are in one of five largest cities in the country. Their opinion was the Five Star is impressively marketed but cheaply built and problematic. They said the burner performance stats are impressive in the literature but performance is weak in practice. They said if they were buying for their homes they would spend a little more and get a better built range. And that's just what I did thanks to their advice. Hope this is helpful to you.

sabjimata, who posts here occasionally and in kitchens has 2 Five Star ranges side by side in her kitchen. Don't know whether they are DF or AG but here's a link to the before & after story on her blog. She's a caterer, bright and knowledgeable and you might try emailing her about the range Here is a link that might be useful: Sabjimata's kitchen