It's hard to beat Bluestar burners, so that's what I'd suggest

Bluestar has the better burners, Wolf has better fit/finish/customer service. Go with the one that has whichever is more important to you.

These two entirely different burners. I would consider the features of both and how they relate to the way you cook and the cookware you use to see what is best for you. Marketing may tout certain benefits that are in reality limited or may not have any benefit for the way you cook.

Some will say that BS is a open burner and Wolf is sealed but this really refers to two different characteristics of the burner. I think it is better to refer to BS is a open, uncapped burner. Wolf is a sealed, capped burner.

Sealed actually refers to the "tray" under the burner. It will determine how the range top is cleaned. In the case of the Wolf range top it is made so that nothing can spill underneath. It is finished in black enamel. It is stationary and cleaned from the top. The BS can be disassembled. Spills go through the top to a tray below that can be covered in foil. The black enamel can be subject to stains or etching over time. The BS "tray" is cast iron and develops a seasoning over time. Another option is something like the American Performer that is semi sealed in that it has a lift off tray to prevent spills from getting to the tray. The tray can be washed in the dishwasher. There are videos that show how to clean the BS on YouTube. People can be very passionate one way or the other about which is the best.
The other aspect is whether the burner is capped or uncapped. The advantage here is that the capped burner can cause more flare to the side on the highest heat. The amount of flare depends on how the burner is engineered. Wolf has the dual stacked burners and I thinks that keeps the flare from being too wide on the high heat. They don't try to get too much range from one burner.

Another consideration is the shape and configuration of the burner. BS has a star shaped burner. The burner ports are oriented so that as you turn up the burner, the flare goes out from the rays of the burner. This keeps the heat at least from the flame tips in a specific area and spreads the heat over a specific area. This is significant if you cook with cast iron or steel pans that conduct heat poorly. In order to take advantage of this feature, you have to match the pan size to the burner. Wolf has a ring burner. If you cook with a pan that is heat conductive like heavy gauge aluminum or copper, the shape of the burner does not matter as much.

The first criteria some consider is which one has the highest BTUs. The benefits for this would be heating large amounts of water a little faster, being able to stir fry larger quantities at a time, faster preheating of a pan for cooking and faster recovery for heat in a pan after adding food. Some people consider the low end of BTUs. Wolf has two burners stacked to give a range of heat, especially the low end. While BS gives the high end range in BTUs they don't give the low end so you can't make a comparison with Wolf. They give a temperature which is a meaningless number. Subjectively people say BS simmer is good but no way to tell objectively.

Another thing to look at is the configuration of the range top. BS has different sized burners which you need if you are going to take advantage of the star shapes with cast iron and steel cookware. Wolf has all the same with one small pan burner. People have preferences about that.

I would try to cook on these burners if possible. That way you can see how the burners can adjust and what would work for you. If you can't do that there are quite a few videos on YouTube that can let you see how they work.

Service can be an issue. Wolf has excellent service for the first two years or for whatever time frame you can get a full warranty. After that you are at their mercy. You have to go with their service so no getting bids. They are pricey too. BS may not have as good as service, but would be easier to fix long term. With just getting the range top you don't have oven baggage like blue chipping with Wolf and any possible door issues with BS.

I personally have Wolf burners and they work great for me. I almost never have them going full blast. I sear steaks in cast iron and you can easily preheat that to smoking hot. I stir fry occasionally about a pound of ingredients at time. I use it for canning. I cook a lot with 12-14 inch skillets, so a little flare it good for me. The smallest pan I use on the bigger burners on fairly high heat( highest spread of flame) is a 7 inch pan. I use it to caramelize sugar and it cooks very evenly. It is an old Revereware pan with only about 0.5 mm copper over stainless steel so not all that great but it browns evenly. Anything smaller goes on the small burner I like the burners being the same and that they go super low to hold large pans of food for parties. A LeCreuset pot full of mashed potatoes will not scorch on low.

I could cook on either though. If I needed the super high heat more, I would get a BS but I use the low heat more. There are always work arounds for any shortcomings to either. It is important to understand the role of cookware as it relates to getting heat to your food and determine what features you use the most. There is not really an overall better or best but one will be better for you.

Understanding Stovetop Cookware

Thank you all. I've also read good things about the Capital Culinarian but I haven't seen that in person yet.

I'll cast my vote for the Capital Culinarian. We have a 48 inch rangetop that we enjoy cooking on. The burners are fabulous, and I believe the maximum high heat does make a difference.

Trevor Lawson on this forum is extremely knowledgeable in this business.

Billy

Many posts on Bluestar issues, including ones from me personally. Quality is a major issue for me. I am still dealing with door issues for months now. Had 2 sub par doors sent. Their answer to me was they are trying to get resolution from production. They must have no quality control engineer in their manufacturing facility. First door had loose class because of a trim piece not installed correctly. The second door had horrendous gaps in the trim. And they sent the wrong bolts with the door. Have not recieved the new ones yet either. Major eyesore. For the price of their stoves, really? Plus parts are a rob job. For an ignitor, not only is the price too high, they charge ridiculous shipping charges.

Thank you. From what I've read it appears that most of the issues stem from their ovens. We're just considering the rangetop.

I managed to see both the BS Platinum and Capital Culinarian today and was pretty impressed with both. Think the BS edges it right now but we still have a little time before we have to decide.