IMO, what is most inmportant to you is the most important decider. For example, if you *really* hate a noisy dishwasher, concentrate on getting a quiet one and make cheaper choices on less important things. Or if you are a baker, the oven or range; or you want good venting; or you use a lot of fresh vegs. Let the rest fall in behind what you care about.

Hi weissman--thank you for the clarifications. No, my cooktop doesn't have a built-in grill--but I have a cast iron grill I'd like to use. Every time I have used it so far my wimpy current vent has been ineffective and the smoke alarms have gone off. Do the higher CFM vents typically have the blowers separate? hope not. it seems like that is what I have been running into but I should do more research. We have a leaky old house and I also have a window right near the cooktop which I can open for makeup air, so hopefully that will be sufficient. thanks again--now--recommendations, anyone?

I have a viking 30 inch vdsc that has been installed for about a year and a half and am happy with it. I chose this range because I wanted a black range and I wanted dual fuel, we have to use a lp tank and did not want to have both the range top and oven dependent on the tank. I am a cook-something-quick-and-easy-that-my-picky-kids-and-picky-husband-will-eat-5-days-a-week cook so did not need a super high powered cook top, I almost never go above med-high. I do use the simmer a lot and it is not the best so I bought a simmer plate to help get an evenly low cooking surface. The burners are closed and have been very easy to clean but I have not had any overflows or cooking mishaps that would get anywhere near that part of the burners. The black, shiny surface that is below the grates of the viking does show every little bit of dirt and I do clean it frequently using soap and water and a dry rag to buff out water streaks. The oven seems to take a bit longer to preheat than my old stove and because it uses the broiler to help preheat you cannot stick items in before the preheat is done or you will burn the tops (I still sometimes put items in early but keep them on the bottom rack.) The oven also cooks a little differently than I am used to, cannot really explain how or why but it does leave most items moister which is nice. If you have concerns with how a viking cooks I would recommend finding a dealer that offers demonstrations, the dealer I bought from had demos all of the time.

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned in this thread yet, is that the phrase "recirculating kit" could refer to a couple of different things. Some range hoods can be ducted outside or set up as recirculating "out of the box". If you want to duct it outside, you only need to buy the actual duct (from Home Depot > Ventilation aisle). If you want it recirculating, you have to buy the appropriate charcoal filters ("carbon filters" - from the hood manufacturer). These hoods will typically have a series of slots or holes at the top of the chimney, so in a recirculating installation, the air can come back out into the room. Here's an example: In addition to the slots on top, there's also a provision to mount the charcoal filters somewhere on the bottom of the hood. In the case of a hood like this, the "recirculating kit" is only the charcoal filters, typically in the $ 20-70 range. ----- However, some hoods do NOT have a provision to be recirculating, unless you buy a special piece that will let the air come out (the slotted piece above the hood in this picture): ...and THEN you can buy the charcoal filters. So in the case of the Viking "recirculation kit" above, there's a $ 390 upcharge to make the hood -capable- of recirculation, and -then- it's $ 79 for the filter. So, be sure to find out what the phrases "recirculating kit" or "capable of recirculation" or "ducted/ductless option" refer to - different manufacturers will have different interpretations.