Earlier today I was at a small appliance dealer who carries Wolf, Bluestar, Viking,Thermador, Bosch and a few others. I went specifically to see Bluestar ranges, yet quickly found myself looking seriously at the Wolf ranges as well. We did discuss Viking and spoke briefly about the Thermador (and I am sorry, I don't remember the specifics of what was said about the Thermador ranges, other than people had purchased them and there were no extraordinary claims one way or the other, ie not bad, not outstanding either. It just wasn't on my radar today). Right off the bat, the salesman admitted that he was totally smitten with Wolf. In his experience, the company stands behind their products and he gave them highest marks for both quality and performance. And Wolf had me with the sassy, high-tech-yet-intuitive knob controls and fold-out display in the front of the range - this is significant because I'm normally not an electronic gizmo type of gal. Also, the big, heavy oven doors are tops (I prefer stuff that's built BIG, yet, I understand others may not) and I appreciate Wolf's reputation for their excellent ovens. The burners have plenty of power for my needs - as long as the simmer stays low, I'm happy. Overall, the Wolf ranges are beautiful pieces of equipment. FWIW, the salesman said his Wolf sales had GREATLY increased since they made the change from open to sealed burners. Unfortunately, this is not my preference, but I'm glad everyone else is happy, lol. I asked about the chipping issue with regard to Wolf oven interiors and the rep said he'd had a couple of customers encounter problems awhile back, yet the issues were resolved quickly and did not reoccur. Also, he gave highest marks to Bluestar products and company, although he admitted that he'd not carried the brand as long as he's offered Wolf. Lots of people are asking for the Bluestar ranges, he said. I LOVE the all-gas Bluestar's open burners, single grates, and the pull-out metal tray underneath the cooktop for cleaning. I also COVET Bluestar's awesomely heavy, easy-to-glide, extension racks. They are to die for, and are more substantial than the Wolf racks (which are substantial enough). Having a wealth of colors to choose from doesn't hurt either! Also, in my experience, living on a farm, stainless ranges and hoods are dirt magnets. The non-stainless option is significant. For me, 22K burners are great to have, but I don't need THAT kind of power - just means we've got to accommodate and pay for more venting and maybe visit the MUA issue. The fact that the burners provide a great simmer is more important to me than the extraordinarily high power. Overall, Bluestar appears to make a more basic machine (ie, without the fancy electronic do-dads) than Wolf, but they are incredibly substantial. I imagine either, Bluestar or Wolf, could provide decades, if not a lifetime, of service. As I mentioned Viking's reputation for poor service, the sales fellow shook his head in agreement and said it was a shame because the ranges are beautiful and were once something to brag about in terms of performance. He said he'd be happy to sell me a Viking range, however, he could not stand behind it today because they'd had so much trouble with the company not responding to service issues, for both customers and dealers. However, he added that the Viking issues that he knew of were most often about the gas-over-gas ranges, not the dual fuels, and if I wanted dual fuel, it could be worth the risk (and savings compared to a Wolf of the same size, for example). He also mentioned, as others have here, that Viking is going through some changes now and company reps are indicating that they are working to do better. Of course, only time will tell! I'd hoped to see a DCS range. I guess that's for another day ... Just some food for thought as you whittle down your choices. Hope this helps!

My hood install looked alot like the one pictured above. Couple of pointers: read the installation directions OVER and OVER. Be prepared for lots of "dry fitting" before the final mount. Some unexpected "things" that came up during my install. 1)If your putting in a stainless backsplash that runs from the range up to the hood...put it in before you mount the hood..you can hide the upper and lower ends of the stainless behiond the appliances that way. .BUT be careful when putting up the hood, cause stainless scratches REALLY easily when your pushing sheet metal around. I purchased a brushed stainless steel panel, cut to size from a local sheet metal (HVAC) fabricator..cheaper than buying from Viking..be sure they cut it with a machine cutter, and not by hand..cutting by hand leaves a "wavy" ripple in the stainless panel. Only the machine can cut it flat, without distorting the stainless. We remodeled, and had custom cherry cabinets built. The carpenter put them in square and plumb...but the wall behind the cabinets WASN"T plumb! So I had to get some cherry colored silicone caulk to fill in the gap behind the cabinets. Then, when i mounted the hood, plumb with the cabinets, there was a 1/4 inch gap between the backsplah and the hood..oh well..it's not really noticable. when i created the appropriate cutouts in the cabinetry above the hood, where the right angle duct work ended up, it was a very cramped area to work in. I found a cheapo mini-sawzall (Handisaw by Black and Decker http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=15523) that was critical in cutting out the cabinet, drywall, and plywood sheeting behind the wall. It was small enough to fit inside the cabinet, and allow me to get the cutting done. I also used a chisel and a drywall saw to get the job done, but the Handisaw made life much easier. i placed a 90 degree angled vent pipe directly to the top of the hood, and ran it straight out through an exterior wall. I was lucky because I did not have any wall studs in the way..if you run into a stud..i'm not sure how best to proceed. I cut out a circular hole through the drywall, the exterior plywood sheet, and ran into the exterior brick. I drilled a hole through the mortar to the outside. stuck a piece of paper over the brick marked the location of the finder hole (which was off center, and marked out the circumference of the duct on the paper. I made a mark on the paper to indicate which end was up. This allowed me to outline on the brick outside, where i would have to make a hole. I had never cut brick, so i hand a neighbor do it for me..he basically used a small circular diamond blade (3-4" i think) on a small handheld saw, and cut out the brick. it wasn't very pretty, but it was all covered up by the exterior vent hood. Duct tape to connect all the pieces together. i finally used some expanding urethane foam to "caulk" around the duct to seal off the exterior from the house. Be sure and buy the foam that has "low expansion" and use it SPARINGLY. The foam expands LIKE CRAZY and can actually distort or collapse the vent pipe!! Put i WAY LESS than you think, and give it 24 hours to stop expanding, then add more foam with a second application, if you must. when you cut the brick, tape off the inside of the tunnel you've created to the vent hood, because brick grit will rain into your new appliances, and you will have a hard time getting all the grit out of your hood/vent/range... good luck and god speed!

I have a 1200 cfm hood over a 60inch Wolf range, and I too was very concerned about the noise level. I did not use the vent in my previous kitchen because it was too loud.We had to make 3 turns (yes 3) before a 10 ft run to the outside wall. The blower is mounted outside. I am happy to report that the noise is minimal. As a matter of fact, i sometimes forget to turn it off because i dont hear it anymore. I use in on medium most f the time. It is louder on high, but I only turn it on high when I am trying to clear smoke or frying fish, and even then it is not unbearable. It is truly one of my favorite things in my new kitchen. The baffles are easy to clean and it does an incredible job venting!

Thanks for the moderately dreadful tip! To be honest, I do not know if the Ontario building code or if the City of Toronto has a by-law on this ( I know there are noise restrictions in the city of Toronto, I think measured at or about the source/ external vent/ external blower) . I suspect, but do not know, that as there is a 'wee bit' of a condo boom, with some condos using gas stoves as a selling feature, the building industry has been successful in keeping these air replacement devices out of the building code- does not mean that it is not a good idea. It is possible (but I do not know) that the forced air HVAC system has a built -in pressurization equalization device. . . . trying hard to not make this a $10,000 project. Oh well, beats dying of carbon monoxide poisoning!