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!

I'm in somewhat the same boat and the advice I've received is it all depends on the type of cooking that you do. For your cooktop, gas is the way to go if you're already piped for it. Better heat, better control, less wait to come up to temperature, unless you consider an induction heater. IMHO, I'd not go to electric from an existing gas cooktop/rangetop. For the oven, you have a different animal. I agree with the previous poster that says gas ovens have made great strides in temperature control, and both do a great job cooking nowadays with all the brains and chips that help you. However the difference is in type of cooking -- if you do a lot of baking, pastry, etc. then definitely go with an electric oven. Electric ovens provide more of a dry heat than gas ovens, which makes for much better baking conditions. If you do more roasting and baking of casseroles, etc. then you want to go with gas, which is a more "wet" heat. Not to say a roast in an electric oven will be too dry or cookies baked in a gas oven will be soggy, but if you want optimal conditions for baking you'd want dual fuel. With modern convection options, I'm told the heat flow in a gas convection oven isn't as even as an electric convection oven, as the elements in a gas oven are in the top and bottom while electric has top, bottom, and behind the fan. Just what I've learned -- we are also in the same boat of looking at high end consumer ranges, but I believe we have decided to go with a Jenn-Air slide in (all gas), just barely ahead of the Electrolux (all gas). Of the brands you named, I would go with the Electrolux, for the gliding shelves. :o) And yes, there are self-cleaning gas ovens. Another feature we would not want to do without.

The Café definitely has 2 ovens and comes in either duel fuel or all gas. There is an optional "back guard" which I thought was silly  but "to each his own" I guess. It also has a long middle burner and comes with a griddle made just for that burner  not that you canÂt use it for other things. If you could use a second oven but only have room for a 30" unit  this is definitely something to considerÂ

Your decision of slide-in vs free-standing will impact the counter installation. Counter material will not impact selection of range style. I switched from a free-standing to a slide-in range a few years ago and the range came with a little strip to fill in the gap behind the range. If I'd installed new counters, I would have had the counter fill in that space instead. The way that my slide-in installs, it may also have been beneficial (though not required) to notch the counters slightly in order to snug the range closer to the back wall. So when you've selected your range, make certain you have all installation instructions available prior to installation of the counters. A 30" range should be just that: 30" wide. You can usually check out installation instructions and specifications online to make certain, but as long as you currently have a 30" range in the space, the wide should be perfect for any other 30" range. Personally, I like the look of no built in backsplash on the range. That was my primary reason to switching to a slide-in. However, I've since found several ranges that are free-standing and have no built in backsplash. So, make certain you look at all of your range options before you make your decision on slide-in vs free-standing.