Jakvis - thanks so much for responding. I am careful to size my pan to the flame and burner so that the flames aren't spreading. I really think something is wrong with the cooktop or the gas line, but am at a loss to figure it out. I need to find an appliance store that has one of these cooktops live (the appliance store I purchased from does not at present) and do a direct comparison. This cooktop is supposed to be more powerful than my old GE profile range and it just isn't... ugh.

I really want a double oven and dont have room for wall ovens. My current broiler is on the floor, basically, so that is a feature I am willing to live with. The new oven has a broiler in the top oven so that will be am improvement. I am not going to make a turkey every day. Re availability, Chicago-area ABT electronics has them in stock, acc to their website. I am going to order in a month or so.

Joe, the three I'm looking at are the GE Profile, GE Café, and the Samsung. All are in the mid $2k range. The Samsung is so interesting because it can be one big oven, but reviews are mixed...apparently if you're using one oven, the other one gets hot too and therefore the cooking temperatures need to be within 150 degrees of each other..but as I think about it, I am really never cooking anything outside the range of 300-450 degrees. Of course, bottom oven in all of these ranges is essentially on the floor, but I would use top oven 95% of the time. I want the griddle too, but I guess none of these ranges' griddles get hot enough for searing/blackening, or even burgers...so would be just for pancakes and toasty sandwiches. Will probably end up going with one of the GE models.

Well, in the end we went to an appliance store in Boston which had oh-so-many ranges on the floor. After comparing several models we ended up jumping up our price bracket to the professional lines. Our top three were the SKS, JennAir, and the Thermador 4 burner. I can't believe I did it, but I bought the Thermador and I bleeping LOVE it. I'm more of a cook than a baker (although one daughter's a culinary student, the other bakes all the time). If I were a baker I probably would've chosen the JennAir - they have an amazing rebate right now. I NEVER thought I would have spent so much on a stove, but I did -- and incredibly -- I don't regret it. Best of luck in your searches!