I know! The appliance sites all have rave reviews of it..but then I read actual testimonials that are very negative. I don't know how to reconcile that. I'd be getting a floor model, so @ $1K off the retail price, but even that is a lot of money for me, so I want to feel confident, but right now, I'm not feeling that way. Just doesn't make sense to me.

I had this 40-inch Frigidaire range with gas burners and electric / convection oven: http://www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center/Product-Support--Manuals/?productCode=FPDF4085KF

It was by far the best range I've ever had, very simple and wonderful to work with. I'm dismayed to see that it has been discontinued (mine was only a few years old). If you can find one out there, though, I'd highly recommend it. Mine cost about $2400.

http://www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center/Product-Support--Manuals/?productCode=FPDF4085KF

My DB and SIL remodeled their kitchen 8 years ago and got a Dacor. They don't like it...it is unreliable. The second TG they had it the kids ended up carrying a half cooked turkey to the next door neighbor's house to finish cooking it (neighbor's were out of town). Had the repairman out several times. I'll ask them Thursday how it's been the last few years.

I've given up on the Dacor, precisely because of what joanie has written. I'm hearing that too much, and I cannot understand all the five-star reviews. I called Dacor, and of course they told me they've not heard of these problems, which is utter hogwash. Reminds me of when Toyota told me they were not aware that their lower-end cars were losing hub caps left and right.

I cannot stand people and companies that not only don't take responsibility but will lie in order to not do so, especially after charging people a lot of money for their product!

I'm also very tired of the American bells-and-whistles-over-quality nonsense in manufacturing. I don't want five burners, but all of the lower-end ranges have five. Notice professional ranges have four or six or eight - one over the other. None of this cramming burners onto the stovetop nonsense.

It's making me nuts, in case you can't tell.

Now I'm leaning toward a FiveStar, but the price....ugh.

I loved the look of my Dacor range - the understated style & heft of it. But it was the most unreliable appliance I've had in 38 years.

I thought I had a lemon but researching to get help for some of its problems I discovered I was not alone.

(When it worked..) the oven took forever to preheat and its fan was louder than my hood vent and droned on for a very long time once I turned the oven off.

Ugh! I hate thinking about the issues I had with that range. But it sure looked good. When the oven died for good and before we could schedule our remodel my DH referred to it as our "kitchen sculpture" because it sat there for 2 yrs. looking pretty while I used our countertop Breville.

We just got a new range a month or so ago. Dacor was high on the list. We searched reviews for all the brands and I was totally confused. After a new roof and converting to a gas heating system, spending 10k on a stove seemed silly. I ended up getting a Capital culinarian floor model (at KAM in Hyannis) for a good price. Ugh. Our old stove was a Vulcan, true restaurant stove, probably 30 years old, we had used for 25. I miss it. No

electronics, no broiler. The one we got has a gas oven and the thermostat seems sensitive. Open the door and the next thing you know it is cranking to catch up. With DS gone I haven't had much time to play with it, but so far I don't love. Mostly I think it is me though, I was just so used to my old beast of a stove.

I guess that isn't much help...but the floor model deals at KAM are good. :)

I can't comment on the range but I've had a Dacor Epicure gas cooktop for 7 years and I love it. All 6 burners have the same range - low simmer to 18,000? - don't quote me on that because I'd have to look it up and we're away on vacation.

We also have the Dacor double wall oven - electric with convection. When our first Dacor wall oven was installed it seemed to get excessive condensation between the glass on the doors. I called and Dacor sent a tech out to replace the insulation and gas pack. It didn't make a difference - still had the excessive condensation.

I called Dacor and the customer service rep said that they had the same problem with several other customers and offered to either buy back my wall oven at full price ...or....give me their newest model which was nearly $2000 more than the ones I had.

Even though it meant having my cabinet maker make some adjustments in my cabinet I went with the new ovens.

Obviously this is comparing apples to pomegranates but i thought I'd add my 2 cents.

I have a FiveStar. It is, indeed, a very simple workhorse. I purchased it off ebay. It was drop shipped to me from the factory, but cost several hundred dollars less than if I'd purchased through the FiveStar Direct Program.

amck - what did you get to replace the Dacor?

Bethpen, I was at KAM in Hyannis yesterday. Couldn't find anything. The Dacor was a floor model, but I'm steering clear of the Dacor at this point. Do you like the Capital Culinarian? What does your "ugh" mean? Yes, they used to make great 'work horse' appliances, (which were also energy hogs!) that lasted forever.

gracefullyaged, that is what I"m looking for, a "simple workhorse". I looked on eBay but so far, nothing is there. Also CL.

I found something called Premier Pro, which aside from the plastic knobs (prefer SS) seemed like a nice, simple range. But then I read reviews, they were terrible.

Very happy, though, to hear a nice testimonial about a stove, the FiveStar.

gracefullyaged, a question about your FiveStar: Aside from the price, my only concern about the FiveStar is about the size of the burners. I would want sealed burners, and it looks to me like they're all the same size. Does this make it difficult to use small pans? I use small pans a lot, and I'm concerned these burners are too big.

We are empty nesters, so I use small pans a lot as well, and it is a non-issue. Flames don't go up the side of the pans or anything. My FiveStar is an open burner range, but the burners are all the same size. The pan I use most frequently is a 1.5 qt calphalon SS if that helps. I bought our range in May 2013. The ebay vendor also has a website: http://www.buy-appliances.com/. It looks like they still sell FiveStar, so you might want to contact them to see if they can give you a better deal than you're finding locally.

Wow. Thank you so much, gracefully. I spoke to someone at FiveStar directly, and she told me the width of the burners is 6 inches, which is really big! I put my small pan and even the next size up on my measuring tape, and they both sat well within the six inches.

I'm so frustrated by this whole thing. A bazillion choices out there, and really NO choices!

I really hope you find the magic unicorn Tibbrix. If I could find a reliable, 4-burner gas stove, 30", reasonably nice looking, for $3-4K, I'd jump on it.

But the reason I've kept my very modest $500 white Kenmore is that it's reliable and never given me a moment's trouble in the 12 years I've had it. In fact, it's such a sweetie that I've grown attached to its homeliness.

I went induction (and love it so much I would never go back to gas!) but have you looked at the nxr ranges? They seem to check at least some of your boxes, have some fans on the appliances forum, and Costco used to sell them. If they still do, you get the awesome Costco return policy.

Linelle, I've looked at vintage ovens on eBay esp. since I"m a big believer that stuff was made much better "back then", so I"m not surprised you have a 12-year-old range you love.

I called the link gracefullyaged gave me. Very friendly, and he's going to check on the burner sizes on the FiveStar for me, so I'm not giving up on that one yet.

crl, I've noticed the NXR ranges and did see them on Costco. I'll take another look. I'm remembering Costco didn't have the 30" I need, or something like that, or they had a fifth burner...can't recall, but your comment will spur me to action again!

As an aside, the kitchen floor tiles are just about done. He'll finish with that today and come back and grout On Saturday. It's gorgeous. Interesting, it is a kitchen floor that looks like you'd be crazy to eat off it! Lol. Based on brick from Chicago, so has all the authentic soot and grime and dirt look of city brick! Lol.

Induction...maybe I should consider that.

follow-up on induction: Occurs to me, I wouldn't mind an induction cooktop but I don't want an electric oven. Electricity is so expensive here.

Also, those smooth glass cooktops make me nervous as far as keeping them clean and looking good. Any issues with yours, CRL?

I replaced the Dacor with an Electrolux 30" slide-in induction range. I used it for the first time almost a year ago to this day - Thanksgiving dinner for 18!

It was an easy learning curve switching to induction as I'd bought a single burner induction unit (Max Burton) to accompany the Breville while we waited to remodel.

Regarding clean up. Very timely as DH & I have been tag teaming since 7 a.m. cooking and baking for tomorrow's feast. We've done everything from homemade stock for the gravy to orange caramel sauce for the bread pudding and throughout all of it all I need to do is swipe the glass top with a damp microfiber cloth and it's like-new spotless.

I cook on it nearly very day and bake often and it's been a pleasure using this range.

Induction is amazingly easy to clean. That's one of the main reasons I love it. Because it doesn't heat the cooktop, food doesn't get baked on. I clean mine using a damp microfiber cloth--it takes less than a minute. I have very occasionally used some cermabryte, but since I switched to microfiber instead of just a dishcloth, I haven't needed to use the cermabryte

As far as cooking goes, it heats faster than gas, changes temperature faster than gas, and holds a low temperature so well that you can melt chocolate without even needing a double boiler. Lots of induction information on the appliances forum.

Good Luck Tib! I know what you mean about the choices, I'd get my mind made up and then read 10 bad reviews. Finally price won out.

The Capital oven is the part that is giving me fits. LOVE the top. Very nervous about cooking Thanksgiving turkey today, but I will just really watch it closely. The oven seems to be fickle, heating up quickly, then cooling down. The good news is my guests aren't picky.