Some perspective. Everybody take a deep breath. "They're just appliances," as willoughby said, not insults about your mother! This is re: jscout's comment about CC being more like a commercial range, but applies to the whole thread in general. I have not used a commercial range, but I've read posts by people who comment that they heat EXTREMELY well but can't simmer well at ALL. I imagine anything that has higher total BTUs will have a higher simmer as well, and in that sense, CC IS more like a commercial range than BS, though it is capable of a very credible simmer, at least from the videos I've seen (when adjusted properly). And like a commercial range, it requires more care at simmer than the BS. Needless to say, it sounds like CC owners who still get a rolling boil on simmer should have their burner adjusted, since it is clearly capable of better. But even at its best, CC burners will never keep things at slightly over body temperature (212F is boiling, so 112F isn't cooking, it's not even keeping warm very well!). I don't know if I will EVER need to do that, so I'm getting a CC (also, the 60" CC range will fit a full sheet 18 x 26" pan). For those who truly need to do that often, clearly BS is right for you. And for those who have either BS or CC, STOP FIGHTING! You BOTH have AWESOME gas cooking appliances and the BS vs CC arguments amount to splitting hairs. Incidentally, reintroducing your tasting spoon into the pot and then keeping it lukewarm for too long (yes, I'm talking to you BS 112F simmerers) will speed spoiling, as lukewarm temperatures promote bacterial growth. So pristine infection control is even more important at well-below boil simmer. David

jmith, Unfortunately our time was limited so I didn't spend time cooking, etc. With a properly powered hood and properly sized duct, however, the grill smoke/smell shouldn't be a problem. We decided to go with the grill so I can sear off meats, roast veggies, etc. w/o venturing outside in our cold winters in Vermont. There is a cast iron griddle that fits nicely over the grill so we don't feel the need to sacrifice two burners for a griddle as well. A grill pan is fine in a pinch, but IMHO it's not the same as grilling over open flame. We've contemplated a 36" as well and i'm not sure i'd sacrifice two 23K burners for the grill only to be left with four. Tough call. One thing i'll say, is we did CLEAN the grill with Trevor as this was definitely a source of concern. It comes apart easily and if you line the bottom with foil, cleaning isn't difficult. Check out Eurostove's CC videos on Youtube if you haven't already. Trevor walks you through the grill in action and the cleanup. Best of luck to you and post pics after your install! cheers

I went from a GE Profile Flat top to a 36" CC. I'll start with the look. I think the Capital is the best looking range I have seen. There shouldn't be any shame in wanting a good looking Range after spending a fortune on a remodel. As far as cleaning. It is much more work to clean the CC but I only clean it about every two weeks. I cleaned my flat top after every use to protect the surface. After cleaning the CC it always looks like a new range. I would not buy a range with any porcelain on the grates or top. It is almost impossible to keep them looking good. Now let's talk performance. The GE flat top outperformed the CC with boiling water on smaller pots about 8" and under. The reason is that even though the burners are 23k, there is no way you can turn up the flame all the way without making the pot handles smoking hot. I usually use the small pot burner for 8 and under so I can turn the flame up but it is still slower than the flat top. For larger pots or WOK cooking there is no comparison. The CC is great. Simmering is better on the flat top but the small pot burner or a diffuser works fine. The oven in the GE Profile had much better control and the oven height was much taller. The CC oven racks are the worst I have ever seen. When they heat up it is impossible to get them to slide without them cocking and getting stuck. If I did it again I would buy the CC range top and buy an electric oven to put beneath it. I do like my range and enjoy getting compliments on it.

Ok, so things have changed quite a bit since our trip to the appliance store. Convincing him to get the two dishwashers was a breeze. I'm pretty sure that's a done deal. One other thing that we both agreed on was to can the double ovens and get the 48" dual fuel range. It just works better for our scenario. Having the oven below doesn't bother me in the least, and i think it will work best for our situation and for making that wall the centerpiece of the kitchen, which is one of the things we really wanted to do. I am very happy with that decision. two other things we discussed: The second refrigerator in the pantry (similar to what you have...sort of. It would be right behind the one you drew, Rhome, in your scenario. I think this is a good compromise, considering we have such a large pantry. He's pretty indifferent on the layout, but he'd rather not have a prep sink in the island. It does seem like a logical spot for it, but I'm not sure it would be such a bad idea to put it to the right of the stove, next to the fridge. Thoughts? I will say that I generally prep while I cook. I'm not the type that preps everything, then starts cooking, so it might be a good idea to have it on the same wall. Currently I have my prep space between my sink and stove on the same wall and I love the convenience of that. Rhome (or anybody else who wants to play), you like your Electrolux Icon? I'm a little nervous with the not-so-good reviews, but they seem to be improving. Thanks for being patient while it took so long to get back to this thread. We had some very special people to honor this memorial day weekend and it was quite busy! On a side note, I know the linked words in a post are annoying, but I can't bring myself to intentionally type a word wrong so it doesn't link ;)