I had the 48" DCS in my last house. Overall we weren't impressed with the DCS, it needed service a couple of times in the first couple of years (we lived with it for 4). However, the griddle was great, we loved it. It was great for pancakes, toasted sandwiches and reheating pizza! We had the grill, but as vegans didn't use it much, maybe for veggie burgers etc. It did work well and seemed to get as hot as needed. I recently bought the 44" Aga Legacy for my real Victorian remodel. SOOOO unhappy with it that my awesome dealer (Yale Appliance in Boston) offered to take it back (long story). We picked out a 48" Monogram with the griddle today to replace it. We are very lucky that we can move a cabinet and fit the 48" in. I was sold on the Monogram by the chef who works at Yale. He is beyond knowledgable and has no incentive to sell me anything. He pointed out lots of features the Monogram has over the Viking, Wolf etc. I was also shopping ovens, and the size and rolling shelves of the Monogram sealed the deal. GE took the brand back from DCS and really put a lot of thought and engineering into the brand.

I think you can find people on either side of the cleaning preference. Some other considerations- The size of the griddle Add ons like Chef King are 23x14 or Royal aluminum is 23x15 Other add ons and built ins might be smaller, maybe only 11-12 inches wide. Many on this forum have the chef King and love it. You adjust heat for each half of the griddle separately with an add on You can choose your cooking surface- steel or cast iron-machined or textured surface, heavier but holds a lot of heat. Takes longer to heat and slower to respond to changes. Some have observed the heating to be less even but use that characteristic to their advantage. naked aluminum-lightweight and heats more evenly, responds quicker to changes in heat, takes a little longer to season. Nonstick aluminum-You have to consider it somewhat disposable. I looked at the Chef King locally but it was so heavy , but I liked the design. I have used a non stick aluminum griddle that "came with" and I love how even it is and how quickly it heats up. I ordered the Royal aluminum griddle today uncoated, so I will see how it is. I have also used an uncoated smaller vintage griddle but it fits a standard depth range. It seasoned well. Both the Chef King and Royal griddles are 7mm thick.

I have a 48" Bluestar with a griddle and a grill, so only 4 burners. In my prior house, I had a Gaggenau gas top with 4 burners, so for me, I wasn't losing anything. I hardly ever use all 4 burners at once. (In my new house, I also have a Gagg. combi steam oven and that can serve the function of a burner, especially in terms of things I might have done on a cooktop, such as veggies, hard-boiled eggs, etc.) I like the built-in griddle - it has seasoned up nicely and has developed a nice patina (much like a wok does). The heat source underneath extends continuously from front to back - there isn't a gap as you would get with a removable griddle set over two separate burners. Because it's built in, you can set the temperature - up to 550 F. (At least you can on the Bluestar, don't know about Wolf. You can also set the temp low - below 200 and use it as a warming plate. Clean up is easy. I use a metal spatula to scrape bits and pieces off, but since it's seasoned, I've had nothing stick. With the overhead fan running, I put a couple of water soaked paper towels on top before I turn off the heat - just turn it down a bit. Steam will billow up - that's why you need the fan running. With tongs, I swish that around to get excess grease. Wipe dry. Add a tiny bit of canola or peanut oil, rub it in, and turn off. That cleans it up and maintains the patina. Takes longer to type about it than to do it.

I have a 60" BlueStar with the big griddle - no grill because our 1970's house had one built in that works FANTASTIC! I LOVE my griddle and fix my full meal on it and especially with lots of people for company. Brkf: pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon or brown rice (already cooked - just reheat on griddle)fish, stir fried veggies with broth or asperagus with a lemon or orange squeezed over the top and lid put over them to steam and poached pears (same way). As for using the 6 burners - I seldom use all 6 at the same time but now that I HAVE 6 burners I am game to making sauces ahead of time and reheating them at the last minute before serving. It gives you a place safe to slide a really hot pot of food that you need shortly. It allows you to serve ALL food/dishes hot at the same time. I could write a book about my Blue Star. Just to put it in perspective - we camp out 4 days a week on our mountain property where ALL our meals are cooked over a wood burning open fire and for years I have cooked and baked in the smallest and cheapest of stoves and turned out FANTASTIC food - the Blue Star makes it easier to do more - lots more.