In the interests of accuracy, I looked for some data about fuel efficiency for various types of fuel. Because it isn't just about the btu's produced from a gallon of one or the other. A lot depends on the efficiency of the furnace: my new propane furnace for example, has an efficiency of 95%, whereas the old oil one was only 65% if we were lucky. Prices per gallon will vary at different times too. Some years one will be cheaper, other years, another. The key is to get a really efficient boiler. Incidentally, when the OP calls the propane company, it's worth checking who actually owns the tank: in our case, they own the tank. If we needed a larger one, they would replace it. Also, once you've been with them for a while, they get a feel for how quickly you use it up, and may offer automatic top ups/refills, based on prior usage data. Here is a link that might be useful: fuel comparison chart

Sue- Is it the wisdom of the ages or science from the experts? This is what I've read from "experts" - I'm just the person sitting behind the keyboard typing after I've gathered a stack of books by my side. According to Shirley Corriher in "Cookwise", salt plays three roles in dough: It enhances flavor, controls bacteria, and strengthens dough by tightening gluten. She even suggests if the water you are using in your breads is soft (low mineral content), you'll want to be sure to add high-mineral salt - which are natural sea salts, not table salt. The minerals in natural sea salt also play into yeast activity. But what is too much salt... As little as 1/3 t. of salt per cup of flour can be enough to noticeably slow yeast growth. Salt can be added intentionally to slow yeast growth. More salt may be added to dough, such as in a bakery setting when you would want to slow down fermentation until the next shift of workers comes on. The small amount of salt we add to yeast and naturally-leavened breads doesn't really give a salty taste, nor does it contribute largely to the daily sodium intake in a normal diet or normal sodium amounts for people who aren't watching sodium intake, but salt helps to bring out the flavor of the fermentation. As anyone who has ever left the salt out of a recipe can attest, bread without salt is somewhat insipid - but that's because our taste is often trained to like salt and salty flavors. Then there's all the hub-bub about when to add salt. I wait to add salt towards the end of the kneading, along with the fat. I only add the fat early if I want a close crumb - or an almost cake-like texture (for sandwich bread as an example - breads that need to hold together when held in your hands and keep spreads from dripping through). The gluten will have an easier time developing, and will develop quicker (meaning you will need to spend less time mixing and kneading) when you wait to add the salt after gluten development. Once you add the salt, the gluten really tightens up. You can actually feel the difference in the dough. Peter Barham in "The Science of Cooking" says "...the salt acts to modify and control the action of the yeast. Harold McGee in "Keys to Good Cooking A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes" and "On Food and Cooking": Salt contributes to a balanced taste and intensifies aroma in bread, but it also affects structure and texture. Salt makes a dough less sticky, and gluten more stretchy, and the finished loaf lighter. In sourdoughs, salt helps control the growth of acid-producing, gluten-weakening bacteria. [So there's that bacteria mentioned by Shirley Corriher as well.] Salt isn't a leavening agent, but it helps control the leavening agent, as you thought. You can make perfectly good bread with very little or no salt at all (other than the naturally occurring salts in water, other ingredients, etc. - there is always a source for some sodium, even without added salt). But as one book pointed out, when it came to taste tests, people liked breads with more salt than less salt. As a person who doesn't use a lot of salt in their diet, I'd choose less salty flavor - so flavor is subjective. When using less salt in breads, you just need to watch the rise because it will be faster than normal. Peter Barham, in his book, intentionally made bread with lower salt amounts to see how little it could actually be, and he came to the conclusion you didn't need salt at all and that the bread tasted fine. "Fine" isn't what most people expect homemade bread to taste like, however. So you can use a long cold rise to develop flavors, instead of adding salt, or as much salt. And there is the old rule of thumb... If you reduce the salt in a bread recipe, be sure to reduce the yeast as well. So if you cut the salt by 50%, reduce the yeast by 50%. I was also taught in cooking and baking classes that a little salt makes sweet things taste sweeter, hence the ever-present "pinch of salt" in things you wonder what difference did that small amount actually make? There are a lot of factors to keeping bread fresh. Choose enriched breads and sourdough, instead of lean doughs. If you want your bread to stay fresh longer add fenugreek or rosemary because these ingredients are antioxidants, "they prevent oxygen in the air from combining with compounds in the dough, thus acting as a preservative by preventing chemical changes in the dough." I add an acid ingredient to whole wheat breads in the form of ascorbic acid, which is another antioxidant you can add to aid keeping bread fresher longer, but also counteracts the effects of Glutathione in wheat germ, which can damage the gluten strands. Yeast also works better in a mildly acidic mixture. But don't add an acid to naturally-leavened breads because they are already acid enough. My personal favorites for keeping bread fresher longer are coconut oil, agave nectar, and chia seeds - and you won't find these ingredients discussed in any books by "experts". Coconut oil was used in commercial baked goods until the mid-20th century because it helped lengthen shelf-life. As a medium-chain fat, coconut oil doesn't go rancid as quickly as polyunsaturated oils. When pressure was put on the market to use hydrogenated fats and polyunsaturated fats, the shelf-life was shortened, foods went rancid quickly, and they had to find new stabilizers and chemicals to use instead of coconut oil. Coconut oil was used for popping corn at the movies and sports stadiums. They popped large amounts long before it was needed and packed into containers to be used later, and using coconut oil in it kept it fresher longer. Nobody likes stale popcorn.... Coconut oil aids in slowing down mold growth as well. Agave nectar does an excellent job of holding moisture in baked goods, as does chia seeds. Both keep moisture in the crumb of breads from migrating through the crust, so they slow staling - which is an interesting read in and of itself. If you are going to freeze your bread, there is a lot of science about using honey in your breads instead of sugar. The honey will aid in keeping the moisture in the crumb, and I suspect agave nectar has a similar quality. Hope the experts have given you the answers you were looking for. -Grainlady

Don't be taken by the fifth burner. At 30", you'll likely never be able to use more than 4 at a time. Also, you mention a new hood. Do you have a ventilation system with make-up air? If not, there is a limit to how many BTUs you want to have. The Jenn Air 30" Pro-Style dual fuel range with multi mode convection has a lot of what you are looking for and is under budget. The Wolf, well the Wolf is like the adult version of the Jenn Air. All of its burners are dual stacked 20K burners and the broiler is IR. It is over budget, and there were issues at one time with the blue porcelain interiors chipping. I don't know how those were resolved, or whether they are ongoing. These are sealed burners whereas the BS and CC are not. This one will definitely need a hood with MUA. I used to research this stuff until I was blue in the face, hoping to find the best option, trying to figure out which would be the best one for me. Half of the meals I've cooked in my life were in rental apartments or in friends' homes. The truth is that a great range makes life easier than a crappy one, but OK appliances are usually just fine. You don't want one that needs to be repaired often. In my case, I don't want one that will need a ventilation system with MUA. My sincerest advice is not to break your budget, but to find something that is reliable and close enough. You're not choosing a spouse (something I also haven't done).

Have you considered an induction range? There is a lot written on this forum if you use the search at top. Adding a third element (Euro or True convection) does not guarantee even heating. If you have an all convection mode contrary to marketing it can make a hot spot. Dual fans can be good. Variable fan speed is good. A slow fan is less likely to create a hot spot than a fast fan. It is hard to sort out all of this because these things are not always I the use and care guide. The platinum has a back burner in the oven but no bottom element/burner. The convection fan runs every time the burner comes on. It is never off all the way even if turned off.