That article does a good job of describing the traditional features of slide in ranges (strip of countertop behind, side lips that cover cracks, unfinished sides, and front controls). The trend now though is towards full depth slide ins that are designed to replace freestanding ranges and don't have that gap in back. Some of them are even eliminating the side lip, so the cracks aren't covered, and adding finished sides, so they're really just freestanding ranges with front controls. Look at the specs and make sure you know what you're buying.

Try to be a bit more specific. One would have to write a novel to give a good answer to this thread as it is now. What is your budget? What features do you want? Now that you know the difference, do you want freestanding or slide in? How do you cook?

I prefer a slide-in because my kitchen is very small, and I'd like to create a recessed cubby behind the range to hold olive oil, spices, etc. can't do it with a free-standing range.

I'd prefer four burners. If I have to have the fifth, I'probably go with GE profile, since they have the griddle burner. I don't need a fifth round burner. Also prefer a storage drawer with no handle to a warming drawer. I suppose my "budget" is whatever the right range is, esp. since I don't want a pro range.

I can't really help you on a range recommendation, except to say I agree with you that the 5th burner isn't a good option. It makes the other 4 burners more cramped too. But you mentioned a niche behind the range, and I wanted to relay my experience with the recessed niche behind the range that I had in my last kitchen.

I disliked mine.

First, it was one more thing to clean, because it, and its bottles and jars, collected the splatters from cooking (vs. a smooth backsplash that would have been just a wipe to clean).

Second, it was not really that convenient to reach across bubbling splattering pots and pans to pull the spice or the oil from the niche.

Third, spices and oils are destroyed quickly by heat. Once your oil goes rancid, or your spices retain no flavor and are just dry bits floating in your pot, you will not want to store things in the niche behind the cooktop again.

I realize others may totally love their niches behind their ranges. I am just saying what my experience was.

I store my spices in my current kitchen in a drawer with a Rev-a-shelf Spice Drawer Insert - got the idea from Cat_mom. Thanks Cat_mom!

Thank you, Sahmmy! Very insightful and helpful. I'll pass on the cubby, which saves me a lot of trouble.

You're welcome Tibbrix. I know we are straying off-topic, but I wanted to link a "classic Gardenweb" thread about spice storage. Peoples' ingenuity is amazing. As I mentioned, I copied Cat_mom's drawer spice storage which is in the thread - I liked it because it meant I did not have to transfer any spices to specialty jars, but could just keep the store-bought bottles. Everything is visible; there is no "hunting" for that particular spice.

Big Thread about Spice Storage

Well, after I posted my last comment to you, I saw a pic of a kitchen that has the recessed shelf behind the counter, not behind the range. That might do the trick here! My kitchen is tiny and I have very little drawer and cabinet space. And since I rent my house out to travelers, esp. in the summer, I try to not accumulate a lot of cooking stuff since I have to move it all into storage when the house is rented. But since the kitchen is small, I like the idea of being able to keep the olive oil, salt and pepper, etc., off the valuable counter space!

Recessed spaces above a countertop and making use of funny small spaces is what kitchen planning is all about!

On the stove I can recommend for its usage the Frigidaire, for looks, you have to decide. I don't recommend getting an enamel finish because they rust- I think this is true for almost all of the manufacturers. I would take the time to read the warranty for the stove that you are thinking of buying because almost none of the stove manufacturers warranty against rust. You can easily remove the rust (which appears around of the burners due to the combustion process which generates water which gets into the enamel there) with barkeepers friend. But who wants to spend their life using barkeepers friend on the stove? For this reason, and this reason alone, going with induction has looked increasingly attractive to me. However DH really does not want to go to the cost of paying for another 240 V line into the house ( and there may not be space on the service panel), little less the new stove...

I wouldn't change from gas anyway, but I recently used a top-of-the-line induction cooktop in a client's house...and I hated it. It was a royal pain and I felt I had a hard time controlling the temperature.

Well, not sure what "professional gourmet hoity-toity ridiculous thing? 30"." means since I plan to buy a 48" "professional gourmet hoity-toity ridiculous thing" for my kitchen...

But, that being said.. I loved my last stove which was a double oven I thiiiink Maytag.. had the burner and oven knobs on the top right. Home Depot has them. I did not find it on their website, but that thing was awesome. Might check with the local one. Get the extended warranty. I think mine was like $1250-ish.

Russ