I used to have the 30" AG version and when making my original decision, suffered from the same cash shortfall you do. I purchased the AG version in late 2004 and it performed extremely well in all aspects (as described in detail in other discussions). The oven required nothing more than an occasional wipe down after doing some messy baking (roasts etc) but I had not used any cleaner. Gas ovens perform differently than electic. It's a moist heat which is great for meats and casseroles. When baking, you will notice a slight difference but it's really not noticable, unless you're a bread person. They tend to notice the difference more. I left that stove at the old house (and my brother is enjoying it now!!) as I was fortunate to find a prior year's 30" DF model for LESS than I paid for the 30" AG new. While you won't regret the purchase, check outlet stores and what not. You will be happy with whichever model you purchase.

How exactly does the self-clean in an AG work that's different from just cranking it up and leaving it there a while? That's how I clean my gas grill and it seems to do the trick. I'd guess that the self-clean feature works the same way in a range oven. It's just super-heating the space. Does it get that much hotter in self-clean mode than if you did it manually? Is it just that there is a door lock mechanism or some safety feature? I only clean my ovens every year or so at most so I guess I'm not as clear on the importance. Anyway, just curious about how self-clean works here and if it's really a deal killer.

If you have not already read them, you might find it helpful to review these threads on American Range stoves: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4413373/american-range-36inch-gas-or-miele-36inch-dual-fuel http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2343973/american-range-performer-experiences-of-recent-buyers With Miele, are you located where the company has factory service? Again, if you have not already read it, you might find this thread on Miele DF stoves helpful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2812367/new-miele-dual-fuel-gas-range-experience

Oh geeze, here is my anal retentiveness rearing its ugly head again but here we go again. Hang on... Probably due to the terrible review that Consumer Reports gave Bertazzoni years ago on an older model people are shying away from the new model. Does the new model make up for the sins of the last model? So how about this comparison, The Bertazzoni MAST366GASXT vs. the Fisher & Paykel OR36SCG4X1? Off the top, I can get an extra burner with the Bertazzoni. The Fisher & Paykel offers only 5 burners. The Bertazzoni has better btu numbers, going from 750 btu's to 19,000 btu's. Fisher & Paykel goes from 1,000 btu's to 18,000 btu's. One of Bertazzoni's burners goes down to 750 btu's but the rest of their burners have higher btu's. What if you want to simmer more than one sauce at a time? Fisher & Paykel's burners only go down to 1000 btu's but all of their burners go this low. I am not worried about the btu's at the high end but the low end I am worried about. Are Fisher & Paykel's 1000 btu's low enough for a gentle simmer? The Betazzoni doesn't have a storage drawer. The Fisher & Paykel does. The Betazzoni seems to have a thin rubber door seal which can wear out faster than Fisher & Paykel's more robust woven door seal. Also, on the Bertazzoni, I can easily see sauce spilling into those rear air vents at the back of the oven. Is there a way to clean these vents if this happens? The Fisher & Paykel doesn't have this problem. The Bertazzoni has a 11,000 btu infrared gas broiler. Is it similar to the ceramic infrared broiler in the BlueStar Pro range? Though infrared broilers are preferred, is Bertazzoni's 11,000 btu broiler better than Fisher & Paykel's conventional 13,000 btu gas broiler? I finally found a stat that is the same on both ranges. The baking/roasting power on both ranges have a maximum 17,000 btu's. The difference is that Bertazzoni's oven is always on and kept at a constant temperature. I've never cooked with a range like this before and I wonder how much of an advantage it really is over conventional oven that turn on and off to regulate the temperature. Finally, at least of this writing, Fisher & Paykel is offering an extended 5 year warranty on all of their products, unheard of in the industry. Bertazzoni's warranty is the conventional two years so you will have to purchase an additional warranty for peace of mind. There are other questions I have too but this is a start. The problem with appliance dealers, blogs, and reviews is that no one really seems to be a consumer advocate. Has anyone addressed the issues I brought up here? I think potential customers would like to have answers to these questions.