I am considering this range as well if I decide to cut back on my appliance budget. The saleswoman with whom I am working has the first generation in her home and is replacing it with the new one. She said she is disappointed that it won't have the baking drawer, but likes the overall range and has been happy with her old one.

Why not get the double oven version--CGS995xxx series?

She said she is disappointed that it won't have the baking drawer

I think it does have the drawer, that's a priority for me. Yes, it's SLOW to get to temp, but I used it quite a bit for side dishes around holiday meals.

Why not get the double oven version--CGS995xxx series?

I really like the idea of the double oven, but for my back, I'd need the larger one on top. the thought of hauling out a loaded dutch oven from ground level makes me wince. I should probably try it out though!

I would try it somehow. I'm physically challenged somewhat myself and I am pleased that I thus far have not had any issues. Depending upon height of your dutch oven, I suggest adjusting the level of the rack the said dutch ov3en would be sitting on. It has helped me. I've only used the lowest level and 2 levels up for baking to sheets of cookies and the lowest level sheet wasn't that difficult for me. I had a loaded dutch oven fit safely on the 3rd level from the bottom and didn't have issues.

Oh no Marilena, I think you are correct! They are calling that a warming drawer. Thanks for pointing that out

BUMMER

:(

I'm glad she mentioned it! They have a floor model for sale, and I am considering it for the oven drawer. I also wonder if 6 burners is too tight to actually be useful on a 30" range. I am pretty happy with by GE Profile now, just looking to change from bisque in the new kitchen ;-) I have dreams of a fancy 36" range, but it's probably an unnecessary purchase for my actual cooking needs.

You'll probably have people tell you it's too tight, but I often had most of the burners going on the 1st generation. I actually liked the oblong burner because I have an oval dutch oven.

cluelessincolorado, would you get another first generation if you could get it new? The one I'm considering is "new" but not the latest model. Or go for the second generation one?

I'm looking at this range as well, but I have serious doubts about the 6 burners. My old stove had 5, with the oblong one in the center, and I never used it because I couldn't fit any of my other pans on the other burners correctly with a dutch oven on the oblong. I tend to use big pans when I cook, though - dinner almost always involves my 12" cast iron skillet or 14" All-clad. I would also vastly prefer to have the two smaller burners in the center and the two matching medium-powered ones on the left, since that enables one to use a two-burner griddle/grill pan and heat it evenly.

A couple of thoughts after Thanksgiving. Dinner at a dear friend's with multiple families and multiples casseroles plus birds. One bird on the grill, the other and everything else in or on a 30" range with a warming drawer. I don't think I want the double oven anymore because I really can't imagine hauling a 15-20 pound anything out of a shelf near the floor. The warming drawer was great for keeping something warm, but not cooking it. I really liked that stupid baking drawer in the previous Cafe because even though it took an hour (slight exaggeration) to get to temp, once it did, it held and was a reliable second appliance. I guess I could get a larger toaster oven, but if I had space for that, I'd keep the wall oven.

Marielena, I would and did consider getting another 1st gen, I was looking at them when I realized that they had changed. I'm leery of getting product that's no longer in production though. The prices sure have dropped though!

Fun fact, my current Jenn-Air cooktop is 36", the distance center to center of the exterior burners is 20" and the GE Cafe 30" is 19.4". From the side to the center of the exterior burner is 8" on my Jenn-Air and is 5.3" on the GE Cafe.

Interesting to know that the spacing on the burners is that close to a 36" cooktop. I am considering this range as a short-ish term replacement for what I have now (a useless old Frigidaire) with the ultimate goal of making space for a 36" when I fully remodel the kitchen (likely 5 years down the line), but who knows, maybe the spacing on this will be sufficient so I won't need a 36".

BTW, the stove in my old home was a GE with the baking drawer and you are right, it was very useful. The double oven arrangement on this new one doesn't bother me, but if I could get the large oven with baking drawer underneath I would go back to that in a heartbeat.

I went to the store today to check out these ovens - no one had the Cafe Series on the floor, but they did have the Profile model with the same double oven. The edge-to-edge cooking surface looks nice - you can see how much more space there will be for large pans. However, I'm not sure about the double ovens. The fact that the large one is at floor level doesn't bother me, but the split makes both ovens feel REALLY small. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but I'm not sure it's worth a $350 premium over the single-oven model. The single oven looked positively cavernous in comparison and it is tempting to save the money!

biondanonmina, what are you thinking two months in? Are you still liking it now that the honeymoon is over? Any cautions or world of warning?

Still in love! I did have a small issue last night that was slightly annoying - I made a frittata using a large, deep skillet with a slightly arched handle and discovered when I went to stick it in the top oven, the handle made it too tall to fit. The shelf in the top oven is fixed, so no way to make more room. Not a big deal, just something to keep in mind. The lower oven heats fast so it didn't delay me much to move the frittata down there.

The other thing I have noticed is that the top oven bakes less evenly than the bottom, but since it doesn't have convection that is to be expected. I use it mostly for roasting vegetables anyway, and it does a great job there.

I love the powerful burners and use the front corners more than anything else. However, the center burners get good and hot too, and the included griddle is great for burgers, etc. If you frequently use small (8" or less) pans, you might find the burners unwieldy because they are all fairly large, except for the back left simmer burner, but this doesn't bother me.

I was sensible from the beginning with my KitchenAid in regards to the upper oven. Knowing it does have some size limitations and it being new, any dish I wanted to use in the top oven, I would see if it would fit before I began the whole process. With that sensibility, I've never encountered the last minute uh-oh I have to use the other oven. And my upper oven bakes just as evenly as the lower oven.

Thank you for the input!

I don't mind the stainless thus far but blondelle is right in that it does show scratches. I have put several on the top bit in front of the burners just by moving the grates. To me it's part of the eventual patina, but if that sort of thing bothers you, it could be a factor in your decision.

I remember those scratches! The first time DH scrubbed off a boilover I just about had a fit, then I forgot about it :) A lesson I did take from that top was to pour a small amount of boiling water on to the top before I do any hardcore scrubbing. We are a patina kind of house!

We’re close to pulling the trigger on the Cafe slide in because of the six burners—it seems much more functional than the 5 burner configuration on all the other 30” ranges. Sounds like others here have liked the 6 burners and don’t find it too crowded? We’ll go dual fuel since we already have a 240v outlet. Any thoughts or updates from user experience appreciated (and yes, we’ve taken a good hard look at the induction options and have decided it’s probably not for us right now). Thanks for any feedback:)