We tossed Viking from consideration early in our search.

Bluestar platinum has only a burner top griddle, not thermostatic. If you want a decent griddle then you need to go w/ the RNB. Also, I believe the oven and broiler on the platinum don't work as well as on the RNB. The broiler on the RNB is rather small so consider that.

I don't know why you'd want a sally for a home kitchen. They're great in a commercial kitchen preparing hundreds of meals per day but just don't make sense, to me anyway, for home. I just hold stuff under the broiler in the oven when necessary.

BS has better burners than Wolf. Wolf has a better griddle (more even temp range, more even across the surface, better recovery). I'm not sure how the ovens compare, still working on that.

We've had 2 Wolf's that we liked but both had the older semi-sealed burners. We're likely going w/ a 48" BS RNB w/ 24" griddle in our new house.

Better figure in ventilation and make up air into the bill. It will cost as much as the range. Or more.

Dont do Viking. Do BlueStar, Capital, or American. If performance is more important than a beauty contest. Which it should be.

Most of these things are covered in depth in previous threads but this is the short version. What type of oven do you have now, gas or electric?

" I use a wok on occasion and sear a lot, so having serious burners is important, though not sure how much difference there is between 18k and 20k and 23k BTU..."

The difference in BTUs is one thing but the biggest issue is the configuration of the burner itself. The BS has no burner cap so the flame goes straight up. The way the burner ports are aligned on the sides rays of the stars, keeps the flame with a smaller area. This useful for stir frying because you keep the heat to the middle.

https://youtu.be/MZdZxyOUX58

Viking and Wolf are capped ring burners so have more flare and increases the diameter of the flame quite a bit as you increase the heat. Wolf has the dual stacked burners so may be a little less flare so but you have to use wide pans on these burners on high heat.

"Ovens: I am okay with either gas or dual-fuel. Wondering about broiler quality. "

Prostyle ranges have infrared gas broilers which are very hot and even but may be smaller. You say you are ok with gas or electric ovens so I would say if you wanted electric, I would go with a rangetop and pick the ovens separately because electric ovens vary tremendously and you could get the features you like. I would seriously consider a combi steam oven. Gas, except the platinum is pretty straight forward. You might consider the size of the broiler and usable space. BS holds a full sized baking sheet or two half sheets side by side.

"So Bluestar Platinum, Wolf, or Viking."

I would get a BS RNB over a platinum. For one thing if you want a 48" griddle, the Platinum only has a 12" overlay not a built in griddle. The platinum oven also gets all its heat from the back, none from the bottom. Because of this, the convection fan can never be turned off all the way. It always runs when the pow'r burner is going. Many baking recipes were developed with heat coming from the bottom.

Prostyle ranges have infrared gas broilers which are very hot and even but may be smaller. You say you are ok with gas or electric ovens so I would say if you wanted electric, I would go with a rangetop and pick the ovens separately because electric ovens vary tremendously and you could get the features you like. I would seriously consider a combi steam oven. Gas, except the platinum is pretty straight forward. You might consider the size of the broiler and usable space. BS holds a full sized baking sheet or two half sheets side by side.

So Bluestar Platinum, Wolf, or Viking.

I would get a BS RNB over a platinum. For one thing if you want a 48" griddle, the Platinum only has a 12" overlay not a built in griddle. The platinum oven also gets all its heat from the back, none from the bottom. Because of this, the convection fan can never be turned off all the way. It always runs when the pow'r burner is going. Many baking recipes were developed with heat coming from the bottom.

Capital is ok for an all gas but I don't think it has a 24" griddle. I personally would avoid their electric ovens because the work in a different way. There is an extensive discussion about that and their engineer contributed and while some people like theirs, the way it works you cannot open and close frequently without losing heat. The American performer is a good idea but service for that brand seems to be nonexistent from what people say on this forum.

Beware of the term "open burners". This is a very ambiguous term. It really refers to the burner tray and has nothing to do with the performance of the burner. An open burner tray breaks down for cleaning. The burner cap is what makes the biggest difference. At one time you could say open burners and that usually meant uncapped too but now there are so many variations, you want to be specific. I think manufacturers still like a little confusion.

American Performer uncapped, one piece lift off burner tray(called emi sealed) that comes very close to burner.

This is a Viking "open burner" which is capped.

The Bluestar will be as close to what you used in your restaurant experience that you can get for a residential range.

I want to echo what Sophie said about the ventilation needed for a 60" range; it will need to be a beast. Your ductwork from the hood to the outside will also need to be the correct size, which for a 60" range, is a 10" diameter duct. Do you have that already? Or if not, are you planning to open the wall behind the range to upgrade the ductwork?

Sophie, you don’t like Bluestar? Can you share your rationale with us? I thought you liked that range in the past.

If I could only have one oven it would be gas. The moist environment is better for all around cooking and in particular roasting, baking bread, etc. Also works when the power is out.

An electric is better for cakes and other things that need a dryer environment. You can add a pan of water but this is still not the same as gas.

However, electric combi ovens that can provide some moisture or steam can possibly give you the best of both worlds.

FWIW, we currently have a 36" Wolf AG, Miele Masterchef electric wall, and GE Advantium MW/Fastbake. We've overall been quite happy with this. We do a lot of cooking for ourselves and guests.

New will be: 48" BS RNB w/ 24" griddle, Miele Masterchef w/ moisture, GE Advantium MW/Fastbake, Miele combi/steam. I am curious to see how the new Miele Masterchef does with breads and stuff.

"Sophie, you don’t like Bluestar?"

@Zalco - I am not Sophie, but since she frequently recommends Bluestar, either you may have misread what she wrote above, or she had a typo in it and later corrected it to "Do Bluestar".

Friedajune, I misread! Apologies. Thanks for setting me straight.

Among all the brands mentioned, the Bluestar has by far the best burners. During our ongoing kitchen remodel I am temporarily forced to use an older Viking. I hate it every single time. It's useless for stir frying. If you do occasionally use a wok, do yourself a favor and get a Bluestar.

I agree with other posters, that you are probably better off with the RNB than with the Platinum -- especially if you want to use a griddle. But that's a decision you have to make yourself. The extra BTU for the Platinum is very nice. But that's really the only upgrade. Everything else is more of a downgrade compared to the RNB.

I also recommend getting wall ovens. Two full size gas ovens are a lot less useful, than one full size oven and one smaller combination steam oven. The extra features are awesome, and so is the fact that smaller ovens pre-heat much faster. See if you can incorporate that into your design.

Miele makes a great 24" wide CSO that is surprisingly spacious for most everyday use cases.

I don't think I personally would have any use for more than 4 burners; that's doubly true if I had a 24" griddle that could double as a French top. But if you think you have the space, budget, and need for a 60" cooking surface, then by all means go for it.

There have been numerous discussions on here and elsewhere about changing out one or two burners on an RNB for the higher BTU burners from a Platinum.

A griddle will double as an admirable flat-top (constant temp across the surface for direct cooking or pans) but not necessarily a french top (highly variable temp across the surface). Though with a 24" you can turn one side to xxx°f and leave the other side off or lower temp and perhaps get a pseudo french top capability. If you're use to a true french top then just remember that sliding a pan x distance on the griddle will result in much less temp change than on a true french top.

About 36 years ago, I had the opportunity to buy a 60" O'Keefe & Merritt stove with a salamander. Oh, how I wanted that stove! Oh, how I wanted that salamander (I used to make creme brûlée often and also pies with meringue and lots of gratinee dishes (I was in my early 40's and still doing Julia Child style cooking). There was no room for this monster in my kitchen and so I bought a 38" O'Keefe & Merritt with a built-in grill, instead. I still have that stove and love it!

Unless you are running a catering business out of your home, you really don't need a 60" stove. Even doing the kind of cooking I once did, 38" and 4 burners was adequate nearly all the time. I love having that griddle space to set a pot on, instead of on a counter.

As for the salamander, yes, it would have been lovely and if building a new kitchen, if there were room in a good location, I'd have gone for that - I would have used it in those days. I would rarely need it today, all these years later.

I had many friends when I lived in LA, who invested in those early Garland ranges that were 60" wide. They all loved to cook and entertain, but they quickly realized that they really didn't need a range that big and all the headaches that went with it. Most got rid of theirs in a few years and went to a 36" range - 48" tops, and only then if they did tons and tons of large-scale entertaining.

Just think long and hard about this. It's a huge expense, does require a different kind of vent hood and air-makeup, and takes up a LOT of real estate in a kitchen. In all my years with this O & M stove, I've never found the burners to not be adequate for any task I gave it; the burners are 14,000 BTU. I think these burners with super-high BTU's, are like using a blow torch to light the candles on a birthday cake. Perhaps in a commercial kitchen where time is everything, they might be needed, but not for home cooking, even done by someone who truly "cooks".

If you live in So CA, look into buying an old, restored O'Keefe & Merritt! You'll love it! And it has SO much character. Here is my store - 1948 model.

If you go Bluestar, (as I think you should) go with the RNB over the platinum for the reasons opaone states above.
And great idea on the 24" griddle, ...if I only had room

"Unless you are running a catering business out of your home, you really don't need a 60" stove. Even doing the kind of cooking I once did, 38" and 4 burners was adequate nearly all the time. I love having that griddle space to set a pot on, instead of on a counter."

If you want a 24" built in griddle that leaves just 6 burners. I use 6 from time to time. Some kitchens might be big enough to call for a 60" range. It also depends on how you cook and for how many.

" I think these burners with super-high BTU's, are like using a blow torch to light the candles on a birthday cake. Perhaps in a commercial kitchen where time is everything, they might be needed, but not for home cooking, even done by someone who truly "cooks"."

I have 15K and it has been adequate for me but if you stirfry, the more heat the better. I can do stir fry in smaller batches but if you use that technique much, the higher heat is nice. Some people do want the speed of more BTUs for heating big pots of water quickly. Speed can still be important if you are trying to get dinner on the table after work. You will also get a faster return to temperature for something like fried chicken as you add chicken to the oil.

Cooking appliances aren't always about need but "it would be nice to..."

Agree w/ @wekick.

I try, not always successfully, to be cautious to not presume what others need or want except to point out possible alternatives. Some people like the look of 60" and some actually need or want the functionality. Both are legit. Many people do entertain frequently and this can be similar to catering. And it's often not the number of people but the number of elements in the dinner that calls for a large number of burners.

A good thermostatic griddle can also function as a flat-top for cooking directly on it and with pans do some of what burners can do. This latter especially for sauces. Seeing 7 pans of various things simmering away on a griddle is not unusual. This is why we are going with a 24" griddle and 4 burners.

Sear & sauté are other bits that are sometimes much better over very high heat well beyond 15-18k.

FWIW, we went with the 60" RNB rangetop (24" griddle, 12" grill, 4 burners) and love it. For looks and performance we went with the Miele convection oven, combi steam oven and warming tray.

If the range operates as well as our range top, you'll be very happy.

@Anglophilia, your O'Keefe and Merrit range is gorgeous! Those ranges were built to last, too.