I'll share my experience with a 800 series Bosch 5 burner cooktop. Although mine is a 30 inch but, hopefully some info will help. My salesman told me that Thermador was the same as Bosch in the engineering (same company) except of course those star shaped hobs. I have two 5500 BTU burners (simmer) and that is what they are mostly good for or reheating something in a small pot. Two 10000 BTU which are fine for most everything and one 16000 biggie centered in the middle that requires a large pan even on low or the flames are licking up the side. But it is wonderful for bringing large pots to a boil or anything else you might wish to do in a large pan or pot. Being that mine is on a 30 inch platform the control knobs are kind of close to the two front burners. Perhaps that won't be an issue with the 36". I find that the stainless finish cleans up best with those clorox (or store brand) kitchen wipes, great for baked on mess and grease. The grates are continuous and wash up in the dishwasher wonderfully. I didn't go with a super huge exhaust like some will recommend over in appliances. My three speed Zephyr 290 CFM is more than I need even for frying probably because it is vented to the outside (only way to go). I rarely use the highest speed.

One thing I do regret is not making the capture space (distance between cabinets flanking cooktop) wider, but didn't find the info until it was too late). There was a pro on these boards (wish I could remember who to give credit where it is do) that said a 30' cooktop requires minimum 36" space and a 36" would require 42" and so on. Hope I got that correct. That is not a direct quote, but you could probably search these boards and find it. I realized how much nicer that hearth area would be AFTER my install.

So back to the Bosch. I've had it for going on two years now and love it. I use it everyday for meals and lots in the summers for blanching veggies to be frozen. I've used it a few times for large gatherings and the burners can get a little crowded but handle placement is key. The price difference was the clincher for me as the Thermador was way more money. The only thing I don't have are those fancy star shaped hobs.

Thanks for the input, Sumac! I'm glad to hear you like your Bosch. Now perhaps I'll do what misformink suggested and post this at the Kitchens forum.

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I don't own a Wolf cooktop but I've cooked on several. They have very good control, especially on low settings. Their reputation is to be more or less trouble free. They aren't the most powerful but they have enough power for most. That cooktop has a continuous grate, which is a #1 or 2 requirement for a cooktop IMO. That allows for stability while cooking and to slide something off a burner easily. The model you're looking at has a new feature -- has a single very powerful 18,000 BTU burner which I believe is on the front left. Wolf has 3 - 9.2BTU burners, a 12, and an 18.

The Miele has a 15,000 BTu burner in the center. Their other burners are a 1.1 to 6, a 1.8 to 9.5, a 650-3.9 (dedicated simmer burner), a 700-15,000. The range shows the lowest setting for each. Some might consider it underpowered. A friend of mine, who cooks and entertains a lot, had it in her kitchen and had no complaints.

Thermador has a difference shape burner cap, which they market as
special but it's essentially the same sealed-burner system as the other
two. Their center burner is 18,000 BTU. They have two 9Ks, two 12Ks and
18K. They will have a different service situation IMO.

All have closed burners, which means that the cap in the center blocks direct heat in that spot but they offset that with the way the burners are made. The only other issue I see -- and it would be for you to determine -- is whether you like the control placement. I don't like reaching across the controls to get to a back burner.

What you need in terms of burner power depends on how you cook. The big burners are geared to wok and bit pots of spaghetti, soup or stock or sauteeing in large pans. The smaller burners are more everyday utility. And on those I always want control.

Some go for rangetops vs cooktops to get the controls on the front like pro ranges have.

Wolf & Miele are known to have excellent service if anything goes wrong.

Hope that helps.

Yes, that was helpful--thanks!

I think in my heart of hearts, I want the Wolf. But based on the counter cut-out size it is the largest, and I'm a little worried that will mean I lwill lose the function of my utensil drawer right below due to interference from the gas or electrical connections. The specs available online are not specific enough to tell. So I need to decide whether getting the Wolf is worth losing the drawer.

kristine, I don't think you will lose the drawer with the Wolf. But here's a link to the specification sheet that will tell you exactly. If you are retrofitting I would call and ask them about it with exact measurements on hand. According to the specs, you need 3-1/2" clearance below the bottom. That means the utensil drawer needs to be close to 4" deep. A modification made to the back of the drawer if necessary to accommodate a different gas connection point.

we had a DCS cooktop in our previous house- really excellent control of burners- lots of btus, great simmer, closed burners and I liked the grates a lot better than the grates on the bosch and thermador. it's another brand you could look into if you are still in the measuring/comparing stage... (sorry- haven't owned any of the other cooktops!)

We have the Thermador 36" pro-harmony range and I love it. The only thing I would want to make you aware of is that the burners are all high BTU which means that it is mildly difficult to sustain a high heat on a small pan. So if you like to sear alot and you are constantly cooking for only one, or using a tiny pan for another reason, this may get tiresome. If you are usually preparing in a 12" or greater piece of cookware, you won't notice it at all. Also, the extra low burners haven't been very useful to me. I get along just fine with double boilers or manipulating the controls to sit between off and on to get a really low flame. All in all I have had no maintenance issues on the range.