I wanted to share my latest range news. Sears approved a complete refund of my GEPBG975 and I bought an electrolux wavecontrol free standing range.(I wish I didn't have to have freestanding..but not enough money to gut my kitchen.) The switchover was today. I had to wait an extra 2 weeks as Sears had to order it. So far it looks like it has all the features of GE, but a few more bells and whistles, including more programing possibilities and very nice smooth sliding racks and a broiler pan and extra rack to be used with the pan for convection roasting. I like the rapid preheat and the instruction book is terrific and not made of newsprint.Also comes with a sturdy "quicklist" that is nice to put near the range while I'm learning the controls. I spoke to Electrolux beforehand...they sent me a cd to give me andvance instructions on how it works. A CD was also included with the range. It seems like a much sturdier and better made appliance than the GE. I like the center burner being an actual medium burner, rather than the oblong style of the Ge. The griddle can be used either as a grill or flat griddle on the left burners. I doubt I'll use that. One of the things I've noticed right away is that there is not that initial startup odor from the burners or the oven when the gas is first turned on. (Like gas logs.)I had that every time with the GE So,initially I give it a favorable report. I'll be doing a lot of cooking in the next few weeks, including making jelly, and will report back. I'm hoping for the best. It is wonderful not to be "shopping" anymore. Oh, the gasket seal seems very tight and the knobs aren't hot, (warm when the stove is on for a while, but that is expected.) Good luck! pdc

All manufacturers have production problems every once in a while, and you never know whether you'll be subject to one of those. So, teachmkt1's warning about the Viking recall should be taken with a grain of salt. Don't buy right at the time, when there are known problems, but also don't agonize over the fact that there have been recalls at some point. Having said that, I worship the day when we decided to retire that Viking that came with our house and replaced it with a Bluestar. They are not even in the same league. Viking is very flashy, but Bluestar cooks so much nicer. I feel, I am no longer battling my stove; in fact, the stove moves completely into the background and it simply seems to do what I want it to do. It's a joy to cook on. We have now had our range for a couple of years. We bought it right after the v2 series came out, and we were subject to the defective oven doors. Bluestar sent us a replacement free of charge, and I installed it myself. Also, a couple of years into heavily using the oven, the oven ignitor burned out. No surprised there. It's designed to be a consumable product. I found a compatible replacement part on Amazon, had it delivered the next day, and installed it myself within minutes. There definitely is something to be said about the simplicity of design, the use of standard components, and the ease of maintenance. Even if you don't trust yourself to do it, any local appliance service technician will be able to find their way around a Bluestar and there is a good chance they'll have compatible parts on their truck already. This was helpful, when we bought a floor model or a Bluestar cook top as a gift for good friends of ours. They had it installed in there mountain cabin, where there isn't any service around at all. Being a floor model, it had a couple of minor issues. I called Bluestar and they sent me the most likely parts. And next time I was at the cabin, I dropped in the parts and tuned the cooktop for optimal performance. It's been working beautifully ever since.

M - one of the reasons I am the one asking this question on this forum instead of my friend is that she posted on here a while ago (at my recommendation) when she could see that her range was on its way to failure from old age. She felt cyber bullied, with people telling her what she should have, that induction was the only way, or to hit the highway so to speak. Iinduction people here must not realize how they sound, they are so single-minded. That is why I added my P.S. request in the OP. She doesn't want induction because she doesn't want the expense of the electric line, and just doesn't like it. She does not want an open burner gas range because her exhaust is just middling and she doesn't need high power for her type of cooking. What is important to my friend is to find a 30" gas range, middle of the road pricing, with dual stacked sealed burners. We will check out the Fisher Paykel that Homepro1 recommended (Bertazzoni ranges seem to have a lot of bad reviews). The Fisher Paykel seems to be a do-able price point, maybe a bit high, I think she'd prefer to spend less than $3k if possible. I am respectfully asking this forum if anyone else has further response to the question in the OP. TIA.

maire_cate and Wekick Thanks both. I think I've watched Trevor's video before. the simplicity of the BS is very similar to my Russell range except everything in the Russell is stainless. (which I do like) I'm not terribly concerned about service as there is little that can go wrong. Having a high BTU kiln I'm used to taking he venturis apart and cleaning the burners. So I'm comfortable working with burners, cleaning adjusting. Unfortunately, there is no BS dealer close. I've watched all of the BS videos to ad nauseam drove to Las Vegas some months ago as I was told I could see one and try it out. They had a range which I would think is similar to a range top. They knew nothing about it. It was not live, disappointing to make a 5.5 hr trip for nothing. Next closest is Salt Lake city a 8- 9 hour round trip. Maybe when I get close to actually buying I'll make the trip and spend the night.. Trevor wrote his phone number on one of my posts suggesting I call him. Haven't done it yet and of course the paper I had has disappeared from my desk. Sales person also told me how wonderful Wolf ovens were. Yikes, I remember reading about your pain Wekick. When I mentioned the blue enamel chipping there was just a blank stare. I told him I plan on getting the GE French door wall oven as I have one in the FL house and like it. . When I asked if he can give me a deal on SZ (side by side and wine cooler) if I buy all of my appliances he said no they are sold at full price unless I purchse a suite of SZ/Wolf, which isn't going to happen.::(( There is a Ferguson in town as well. I don't think their set up is nearly as large but will head there one of these days. The only thing I'm still on the fence about is the dishwasher. Do I get another Bosch which cleans really well but doesn't load very well with my handmade dishes. Maybe by the time I actually get to remodel, Bosch will have improved their interior set up...I'm hoping. Inga