I just got back from looking at the 30" model. It was hooked up, so I saw the burners in action, but there was no hood so I couldn't actually try it out to cook anything. I have attached a link to some pics of the burners, drip pans/tray, etc. My initial thoughts, in no specific order... 1. As with all the American Range ranges, it is very well put together. Seams and corners are finished nicely. Understated look, less industrial by far than bluestar but not overly softened...just really straightforward pro-look. 2. The approach is a little different than bluestar, there is both a drip tray under everything and also separate drip pans under/around each set of two burners. More like the Bluestar drop-in cooktop, less like the range. Reminded me a bit of the Jade residential open burner ranges. 3. The drip pans are black enameled steel, and are very deep - seems like the likelihood of things actually making it to the drip tray is pretty slim. They also, however, don't seem to have any obvious way to get a grip on them to remove them...it was a bit fussy when I did it. 4. All the burners click when you ignite any single burner. 5. The center area on the 30" is a removable stainless steel piece...I don't know if they are going to offer an optional grate, but it seems like it would be really simple to get something to work even if they don't. 6. Unlike the other American Range ranges, the grates are free-floating...there are no "dents' for the feet to rest in and hold them in place. AS a result, the grates move around a bit more, and are noisier...this is especially noticeable because of the other "moving parts" (i.e., the drip pans and tray)...its a little "clanky." 7. My big reservation...the grates are really, really high. Pots are going to end up really far above the flames, which kind of seems to defeat the purpose of having super-powerful burners. I would be concerned that in the real world a lot less heat would be transferred to the pan on this than on, say, a bluestar (or probably a culinarian, but I haven't actually seen one of those in person yet). I may be wrong about this, but it worries me...I hope somebody does do some real world comparison testing soon. That's it for my iniitial thoughts. If anybody has any specific questions, feel free to ask and if I can answer it based on my look today I will. Here is a link that might be useful: pics

Wow! I had been ignoring this post because as beautiful as the sconce was (and it would be PERFECT in our house), I have all our light fixtures sitting patiently in our dining room and am out of money, but I missed out on so much fun! That's what I get for trying to stay on task! I must say, you are lucky to be able to barter sex for something so beautiful. Lately, I've had to be 'nice' in the bedroom so that I don't get kicked out of the house over the cabinet fiasco! I'm sure they will be worth it though. I'll have fond memories every time I retrieve a piece of china from the corner curio, brush my teeth at the bathroom vanity, pull the broom from the broom closet... Huh. This isn't actually working out for me. It would be more worth it if I could stare at those beautiful sconces. Maybe over our nightstands? ;-) j.

I would stay away from ANY Electrolux regrigerator! I was told that Electrolux products were good quality. How far from the truth! My refrigerator (3yrs. old, model:E23C75DSS4) has been a major disappointment. Many of my problems started right away. 1. The seal on the freezer must not be tight, because shortly after I bought it a had a pound of dead ants on the bottom shelf of the freezer. 2. It is very loud and runs almost constantly. My 30 year old GE was less noisy. 3. The coating, that is supposed to make the stainless steel mudgeproof works very well, but shortly after we bought it it started to bubble up. 4. The doors are not aligned. One is higher than the other and sticks further out. 5. It is supposed to a counter depth. That is absolutely not true. When the doors are opened all the way they will hit the edge of your counter top. 6. The doors are supposed to have a mechanism that prevents them from flying open past a 40 degree angle, unless you want them too. That "stop" does not work anymore. Now we have to hold the door in a position that will keep it from hitting the counter top. 7. By year two some sticky bron fluid had leaked out of the bottom right door hinge, causing it too creak very loudly when being opened. I get sick to my stomach when I think that I paid $2000 for this. It is not worth more than $500. Unfortunately due to the reputation of Electrolux in Europe we did not think that we needed to buy the extended warranty.

When I visited a yard sale, a Mom and about a 15 year old young man were in charge, and when I asked the price of a radio (I'm addicted to our national radio: have one in almost every room, and haul one on a long cord out into the garden), the young man said "$2.00". Making no reply, I don't remember whether I looked at another thing or two, but he piped up with "How about a Dollar?". So I spread my hands, and said with a joking lilt in my voice that he was doing it wrongly, that he was supposed to wait for me to make a counter-offer. If I didn't make one ... maybe he'd get the $2.00 ... but if he reduced the price to one dollar ... he wasn't going to get any more (from me, anyway - and if I agreed ... from anyone else, either). If I offer "$1.50" ... he has a choice: he can accept that, or spend a while to give it some thought, maybe point out some of its good points, how new it is, etc., then suggest "How about split the difference - at $1.75" ... ... and if I agree to that ... he gets an extra quarter. Which he was in no way of getting anything like that figure, when he took the initiative to drop his price, without hearing my counter-offer. After his initial offer ... the seller shouldn't speak next unless the buyer appears to be about to walk away from the deal ... and then it may be a good idea to let him do that, if it's early in the day and the seller may feel that there's a good possibility of getting his asking price, later. So ... one needs to be more or less an auctioneer. His mother gently suggested something along the line of that being a good idea, didn't he think ... I don't think it was along the line of "I told you so", if I recall correctly. After some more rather light-hearted conversation, we each went our way. I think that I bought the radio ... don't remember whether I more or less split the price between his offers (which would have partially blunted my message). ole joyfuelled