Sans Souci (or Honorabile - probably the same thing) dependable for something like 170 years. Shorter and never needed staking that I ever heard of and adapted to just about everywhere. Pretty good track record that.

Hi, We just recently went through this same thing and purchased a DCS. Love it. If you go to the bottom of the page on the main appliance page you will find a search box. Put in DCS and my posts on findings etc. using it should come up. We seriously looked at an AG Wolf, but were put off by all the problems reported here with the latest models. Search for Wolf and hours of reading should come up. Anyway, for our timing we didn't want to chance it so went with the DCS. Really love it. The extra room of 36" with 6 burners is really nice. Didn't have to buy a seperate back splash as the island type one that comes on it was fine for us and has a really large oven with roller racks and convection fan. Another contender for us advertised a similar square foot rating for oven size, but we took our pans in and we were shocked at how little actual cook space it had. The DCS will fit full sheet pans in. Hope that helps. Cheers

I run into this issue frequently. It seems that a rash of local builders 15 years ago got really good appliance package deals with drop in ranges. And when they die, folks discover that they are pretty pricy to replace and that there isn't that much choice even for a higher amount of money. It's sometimes complicated by the fact that there are some 27" drop in ranges out there as well, so be sure that you are measuring correctly! What most people end up doing is removing the cabinet piece at the bottom (where the platform is that supports the drop in) and removing the laminate countertop at the rear (along with the attached backsplash) and putting in a free standing range rather than replacing the drop in. It would work to do a slide in that way too, except that the countertop to the rear would probably not need modification. Granite is, of course, harder to deal with and not DIYable for 99% of folks. You do need a 30" "clear span" hole from cabinet to cabinet and from counter to counter (no overhang on the sides) to be able to replace your drop in range with most freestanding and most slide in ranges. That size is fairly standard in the industry. Since you have granite, you need a professional to come out and modify your counter openings to 30" in order to replace your range. It probably won't cost you more than a couple of hundred dollars, which is still cheaper than the cost difference between a drop in and any other type of replacement range. You can probably do the cabinet modifications yourself if you have a few tools and are handy. If not, then it's usually much too small a job for a local cabinet guy, so your best bet is a "handyman" type person who can do decent finish carpentry. Those can be pretty hard to find for small jobs as well, so you might ask around to family and friends for a recommendation.

Thanks for the suggestions. hvtech42: There is not a lot of pro ranges that I can find that are under $3000. I've seen the NXR online only and read mixed reviews about it. Can you recommend any other others? Joe: I've seen the Bertazzonn and it's a nice range. The free hood helps since I'll need one too. Too many decisions when remodeling a kitchen. Still need to decide on counters, back splash, hardware and flooring. I already have a Kitchenaid fridge which is a couple of years old that I'll be using that replaced a Montgomery Wards one. Probably will go with a Bosch or Miele dishwasher. I like some of the American brands , but depth is an issue because of the inset cabinets. Keep the suggestions coming.