There are slight width differences between slide-in ranges. The Best option is to be as forward thinking as possible. A replacement then may not be necessary for a longer time. Induction is likely to replace ceramic for cooktops over the next 15 years a tech service rep told me when I inquired about Jennaire products recently. Whirlpool is behind in this technology in the current marketplace and does not offer the more forward thinking technology.

We bought a Bosch free standing gas range a couple of years ago, got the model one notch below the top of the line. We're very happy with it, but I think if you're used to the power of a real commercial style range, you should consider the top of the line which throws off more BTUs than ours. We love the convection oven and broiler. The guy who installed the range for us said, "Wow, I've only seen this in restaurant stoves," when he looked into the oven gas jets. ONE WORD OF CAUTION: Make sure you get your measurements right. The Bosch is EXACTLY 30 inches wide. Many ranges for 30 spaces are actually 29 15/16 inches wide. If your space is exactly 30 inches wide, the Bosch will not fit. We had that problem and had to scramble around to get a Coran countertop guy come to shave off a little bit of the counter top so the range would fit. Plan ahead. You will get occasional morsels fall into the cracks between the range and countertop. The good news is that the range has really smooth feet, so you can pull it out without damaging your floor and clean up the space once in a while -- maybe once or twice a year. No big deal.

Pretty nearly all slide-in ranges have a (usually metal) piece available to use as filler behind them, for situations like yours. A piece of the actual countertop material looks nicer, but if you don't plan to do counters, the manufacturers have thought of that.

I think a free standing range would look funny from the rear of the island as you would have the top control panel showing. It seems as if the space was specifically designed for a slide in as there is no backsplash behind it to hide the panel of a free standing range. Good luck.