What type of cooking do you do? what type of cookware do you have?

Have you looked at BlueStar rangetop?

I cannot comment on the gas cooktop, since I have never owned one, though I have had good experience with several Bosch appliances. I just wanted to point out that Thermador and Bosch have the same parent company and have a lot of cross-manufacturing. For example, Thermador dishwashers are just Bosch dishwashers with extra features. Not sure how much the cooktops overlap (possibly not at all) but maybe you can do some investigating before buying yet the same brand.

I have cuisinart cookware, stainless steel mostly. I have looked at Bluestar but I am not sure about the cleanup. I understand it's just a different cleanup but I was looking at a sealed burner. I've read Bluestar has great output and temp control, though. I'm also concerned with my kids cooking with that open flame.

I know that they are related companies. Other than my one main center burner rusting out I had little complaint about Thermador except my appliance guy told me that he sees a lot of issue with Thermador parts being cheaply made or rusting. I was hoping to get the max use of my cooktop before replacing after 5 years! But for the price of the Wolf I could replace 2 Thermadors for the price of a Wolf. I was wondering if getting the Wolf range top would be worth it.

The wolf range tops are great. Just know that with a range top your ventilation system may need to change as I believe they are more powerful. However the wolf products IMO are much better made than the Thermador And it may be worth the investment. However you should also consider the cutout on your countertops. You may need to stay with the same brand

Every gas burner has an open flame.

The term “open burners” gets tossed around pretty loosely by manufacturers and can be used in different ways. It refers to the burner tray and It is a matter of preference about how easy it is to clean. This is shows how it is done. You can put foil on the pull out tray.

https://youtu.be/3K2DR2ub1sA

I asked about what type of cooking because the BS star burner is great for high heat. The burner has a couple of characteristics that keep the high heat more to the middle of the pan. There is no burner cap so the flame goes in more of a straight up direction. The cap causes the flame to flare as you turn the heat up. The BS also has a star shaped burner but it is different than the Thermador. As you turn up the heat, the burner ports are along the rays so it keeps the heat more within the burner footprint. Thermador has more flare as you turn it up which might be worse for kids than the BS burner. Induction would be the safest for kids as far as a heat source goes but you still can get burns from the pan or food. This shows BS with the French top but not too many get that. It shows what the flames look like.

https://youtu.be/MZdZxyOUX58

I have a Wolf range. It has some flare as you turn it up but it works OK for me as I use the highest heat on wider frying pans. It has very fine control of the flame and the simmer is similar to the Thermador in BTUs but stays on vs clicking on and off. Most people say BS simmers ok but BS will not say how many BTUs on the low range of their burners. I think the dual stacked burners that Wolf has keeps the flame from getting as wide on high heat and allows the simmer to be as low as it is. My DIL has a Bosch gas range and the burners are OK. One thing is to check the burner placement. The Bosch she has pushes the burners to the sides a little to allow for a fifth burner in the middle.

This shows the different types of burners. The bottom L is a Capitol triple ring burner but they have had some issues as a company recently and were just sold.

Thermador and Wolf, capped burners

Capital and BlueStar, uncapped

You can see that the BS distributes the burner ports over a greater area. If you have cast iron or steel which do not conduct heat that well, this applies heat more evenly to the bottom of the pan. If you have heavy copper or aluminum, the pan will even out the heat. It is hard to tell with stainless. The stainless itself is the worst conductor of heat but most companies use some aluminum or copper sandwiched between the layers to improve that. Some use more than others. If you use a wok, the heat to the center like the BS is a good thing.

I like the rangetop vs the cooktop because it has more room front to back. For BS, the cooktop seems hard to clean and I would only recommend the rangetop. The knobs are on the front on rangtops. It does sit proud of the countertop.

Are you considering a griddle?

thanks for this. I have looked at BS since your comment and it seems like a great stove to cook with. Know anything about repairs/reliability? I've been "burned" (haha) by Thermador a few times (oven and now cooktop) because of motherboard and rusting issues way too early in the expected life of the product. With your Wolf do you have any issues? they say they are supposed to last 20 years. I liked the look of the range top too but I was wondering if it was worth it. double the price....

I wasn't really looking at a griddle either. I suppose that would be a great feature....not sure of the cleanup though....do you have one? I had just been using an electric griddle!

Design girl

We are considering either a cutout or range top. new cabinets! but we have an oven we like so we are just looking for a either the cooktop or range top. Hoods are another thing we are looking at. We had a Best brand that seemed to work fine with the Thermador but I'm still trying to decide on the stove! Any problems or issues with your Wolf range in the time time you've had it?

I am going with an induction cooktop and Wolf had a promo for a while in my area where you save the tax (which was approx 14%). So I put a deposit on one. The price is actually less than the Thermador units, but more than Bosch. However, after reading about so many induction units on this message board failing within 1-2 years, I figured the extra money is well invested in peace of mind, knowing they are a solid company to deal with.

If you can afford it, and love to cook, I think a cooktop/range is a good place to splurge.

BTW, did you have issues with Thermador wall ovens? My good friend has the steam oven, and raves about it. She has had hers for approx. 5 years. I am close to ordering one because it's cheaper than the Miele and has a large inside cavity. I would be curious to know about your experience.

I don't have the Wolf gas cooktop but my brother does. I'm in the planning stages and think I'm going with the Blue Star induction as I am lazy and like the clean up aspect. I also like that it is as precise as gas. I would have gone with the Wolf induction, but I really want to have knob based controls. My brother and other friends that have the Wolf love them and haven't had any issues.

I love my wolf, the simmer settings are a dream and the controls overall are great

@wingskings

”Lasting 20 years”😬

That is iffy and doesn’t mean without repairs. . If you notice the warranty is two years or in some circumstances, 3. Believe that. We bought Wolf for “their great service”. Due to my own experience, I would not recommend any Wolf ovens(Wall, DF range or induction) with a blue liner. They have a chipping Issue that has been going on for 10+ years. My oven chipped @4.5 years but others have chipped much sooner and some have had multiple ovens that chipped. If it is out of warranty, it is a revenue stream for Wolf. They won’t tell you how much it is to get the liner fixed but I have read of people paying $2500 to have it fixed and they will only guarantee the new liner for a year. Mine is only usable without convection and with covered dishes to avoid glass chips in your food. They have talked people into paying to upgrade their chipped ovens only to have those chip. The rangetop is much simpler than an oven and does not have that issue but that tells you what their service is like. You have to use Wolf techs. @jabaz, I would buy the longest extended warranty that you can on any induction cooktop.

The BS can be fixed by anyone who understands ovens and some fix their own. The BS is not for everybody though. Some are put off by cleaning around the wires and the more commercial feel.

There is no perfect option, you just have to go with the one that makes you feel the most comfortable.

For a griddle, I use an overlay. The built ins are nice because you can consistently get the same temperature but BS and Wolf are both steel which does not heat all that evenly. Some people like having cooler and warmer areas though. Wolf tries to help that by using and infrared burner and thick steel.

Wolf infrared burner vvv

BS griddle burner vvv

The thick steel takes longer to heat and change temperature. Thermador uses aluminum for better heat conduction. Your countertop griddle most likely does too.

I prefer an add on especially with 6 burners. Your burners are available if you need them and the overlays are inexpensive. You can use one made of steel or aluminum. The one I use is aluminum and comes uncoated which seasons after awhile like cast iron or Nonstick. The aluminum heats quickly and pretty evenly. I use the 15x23” which gives almost 50% more cooking area than the built in Wolf griddle.

http://royalindustriesinc.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_22_48

This is a steel add on.

https://www.dvorsons.com/ChefKing/Griddles.htm

Using an add on gives a lot more heat than the built in. 30K BTUs or more vs 15K for BS or Wolf built in.

If your countertop griddle meets your needs, I would just stay with that.

@wekick - You seem to be very knowledgeable - So, the Wolf ovens blue interior chips. People on this forum hate Viking. I've heard bad things about Thermador. The BlueStar ovens fan runs the entire time, and it's loud. What's left for those of us who would like a higher end oven. I have no idea what to buy.

@Design Girl I was looking at a Wolf all-gas range, that doesn't have the blue interiors. They are also a lot less expensive than the dual fuel. BlueStar is not an option in my area since no one has one in their showroom, and I am not buying it sight unseen or without a demo.

@jabaz - I'm looking at the electric double wall ovens as I am getting an induction cooktop. There is no gas in my area and I don't feel like cleaning the burners. I wish there was an option of ovens without the blue interior. No one really sees the interior and I'm sure everyone would rather have an interior that doesn't chip instead of a blue one that may.

@Design Girl Same. I am looking into double wall ovens right now (or two separate ovens), including one that is steam. Is Miele in your budget? Buying pairs is a lot less expensive. My friend has had her Thermador steam oven for years, uses it daily, and loves it, for what that's worth. I don't think she's had any issues with it.

@jabaz - Miele is in my budget, but it's a bit too modern for the kitchen I am designing. The Thermador is too modern as well. I'm going for a more classic, timeless style as this will most likely be my last remodel. I may just take a chance on the Wolf.

@design girl

Miele, Bosch and possibly Monogram. The Monogram has the direct air which is air flow from the top on some modes. Gaggenau is a consideration if you have warranty service.

@wekick - Thanks. Miele and Bosch are too modern looking for my kitchen, as is Gaggenau. I will either have to go with Monogram (although I prefer to buy American), or take my chance with a Wolf.

@Design Girl

If you buy a Wolf, get the longest extended warranty that you can get, don’t run the self clean and periodically wipe the bottom with a white paper towel looking for small blue shards. At least if you have issues the sooner you know it the better. The E with the dual fans has more oven modes including a convection bake Mode which for me is the most usable mode because of the slower fan. The M was built to deal with the chipping and has a bottom that can be removed by a Wolf tech for easier repair.

the corner fans set up air currents along the side. Look at the thread on M that someone commented on recently.

@wekick - It's so upsetting that Wolf can not make an interior that won't chip. Who cares about the blue, just go back to black. I'm sure with the lawsuit, changing the interior would be admitting the problem. I have many friends that haven't had any issues with their ovens. I have a bit of time so I'll do more investigating and if I do pull the trigger will make sure to push for a long warranty. Thanks.

I saw that Wolf only has the warranty for the 2 years! I thought I saw it as 5 years. That's troubling. My appliance guy says they seriously don't make anything to last that long anymore. I had hoped there would be certain brands that would and I thought that'd be Wolf. Sounds like the Wolf ovens aren't that great, but I wonder if the range top only would last without much maintenance. I am also seeking longer warranty. Seems like the system they have set up is a cash cow. Pay high price, get extended warranty and make more money.

just a word of caution on wolf: i'll never buy a wolf gas cooktop again! they make cheap plastic knobs that break and they don't guarantee and their customer service ignores you! replacement knobs are $200. insane---NOT a high end product.

I totally disagree with oneverdun. I have had outstanding customer service from Subzero/Wolf. My appliance store ordered the wrong refrigerator and wouldn't do anything about it. I called SZ and they got me a new fridge in record time. The store also ordered the wrong color knobs for my ovens. Wolf sent the correct ones free of charge.

Love my Wolf cooktop! The only issue I had was a couple of the rubber grate pads came off after 4 years of hard use. I called Wolf-they sent new ones with the cement at no charge.