Still seeking any advice....

We bought a 36" 6 burner all gas pro harmony range and installed it last October. We adore this thing. I have not had problems with simmer -- the two leftmost burners do cycle on and off to get ultra low heat levels, but all four of the burners have a continuous simmer mode that really does deliver consistent, simmer level heat (in fact, it takes a little too long to slow cook garlic and often needs to start off a little higher before being turned down to simmer). The major liability of the oven is something that has been mentioned on this forum before. For some reason, Thermador opted to have a cooling fan kick on to preserve the electronics when the oven is on, rather than putting in enough insulation to protect the electronics. It's not obnoxiously loud, but you are constantly aware that it's there, it stays on for an extra minute or two after the oven is off, and you notice just as much when it turns off. Cleaning the star burners does take some doing, and anything that gets trapped in the nooks and crannies does need to be cleaned off before it gets burned in. We can get most of it off, though it does take some elbow grease. But I do like the fact that it heats in a star shaped pattern rather than a circle. For the price point, it does remain tough to beat, though I suppose if you have budget for a more expensive stove, you could look at Dacor, Capital, Wolf, et al.

reliable and value ?

This is the griddle assembly. the burner is #258. I would also look at the metal making up the griddle and the material making up the cooking surface. Wolf is rolled steel So it can be seasoned. The Monogram is stainless over aluminum similar to a clad pan. Thermador is aluminum with a nonstick surface. Not sure how long that would last. I use an add on with my range. It has almost 50% more cooking space over the two burners. You can use aluminum for heat conductivity but nonstick or bare(seasoned). You can also get steel if you want to. You will have a lot more heat if you need it. You also can have zoned heat. Some people prefer the thermostatically controlled griddle because to can turn it to 350°F and it will be the same each time. You have to adjust the heat with an add on like you would a pan. I have picked up the whole griddle and put it in the oven. http://royalindustriesinc.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_22_48