Sheeeshhh, MSRP of $13,995 !!!!! Drain out half the water in your car, then start here up. You will get all the steam you might ever want and at a hack of a better price---even assuming you "Blow the Motor"! Gary

We went with the 48" Electrolux range with a Monogram 240V Advantium and a monogram Warming Drawer. Our house is still under renovation, so I can't give a first-hand account, other than to say I'm excited! Our reasoning for our choices are as follows: We don't use the oven that much... neither of us bake, and we mostly use it to roast veggies, make a turkey at Thanksgiving, roast an occasional chicken, make lasagna, etc. For our needs, one oven is basically all we really need, so a range / wall unit was overkill (we are replacing a range and single wall oven... very old and outdated). The selling point of the 48" Electrolux was that it had 6 burners. Yeah, I know 36" ranges do too, but man, the 48" gives you some real estate to work with. That is why we preferred it to the 8-burner 48" or combo ranges we looked at. We use some large Le Creuset dutch ovens, and some big "everyday" pans, so the extra 12" of space will be a great luxury. We use a Big Green Egg and / or a Weber gas grill for our meats, so an indoor grill was unneeded. A griddle always seems messy to me... I know some love them. The small oven in the 48" ranges is perfect for our needs. Big enough for a lasagna / pie / casserole. The large oven on the 48" is perfect for a turkey or full-sized roasting pans, etc. The Advantium 240 gives us the great speed-cook option, along with a really snazzy microwave. We didn't really need the convection feature of the 120V... both ovens in the range convect. That leaves the warming drawer. If we ever decide to bake, it has a proofing feature. It will also serve the normal WD functions. I didn't really think we needed one, but our in-laws have one and we use it all the time, so I'm sold. All in all, I feel like we've covered our bases. We have lots of ways to cook and keep foods warm, we didn't spend a fortune (shopped around a lot!) Oh... one more thing... the 48" ranges look really cool. I know that is a silly reason to get one, but they DO look neat in a kitchen.

I would if possible choose a range top and separate wall ovens. That way you can choose each component rather than picking the burners you like and having to take the oven. I think that people have a bad opinion about Viking due to past problems. Middle by bought it but I have no idea if it is better or not. I always liked the look of them too. There was newer poster yesterday giving her opinion about Viking. Scroll to the bottom Viking vs capital As far as simmer Wolf and Thermador are very low BTUs and I would ask Viking what their BTU rating is if not listed on the website. Just as you compare the high end BTUs it is the same with low end. There are usually some kinds of issues that can arise for most brands but you have to look at how pervasive the issue is which is very hard to determine but when one person has the same issue with three of the same appliances it gives you an indication. Look at how the company handles the problem. There are all kinds of reviews here. In the end can you stomach the issues if you have pay yourself? Consider an extended service plan but read the terms carefully noting exclusions. As far as an oven, that to me seems to be the difficult thing to get right. I would try to bake in the ovens to see which bakes the best. Take an oven thermometer to see how close it keeps to a set temp. If you have a gas oven it can be on the "requiring more frequent tending" end of things anyway. Look at the size of the broiler. As far as a griddle most are steel which by nature are uneven. This is not all bad as many people like zones of heat. Some are thicker which makes the heat more even but they take longer to heat up and cool down. They should be able to tell you the thickness. I use an add on heavy gauge aluminum griddle when I need even heat, like for a large amount of grilled sandwiches because it has much better heat conduction so much more even and heats and cools quickly. It is also 15 inches wide so a lot more room. There are add on steel and cast iron griddles as well. You can even buy them that are fitted. Even if you like the built in, you can add an overlay if you need it, as they are very inexpensive. Cathi33 is right in that you have to look at how you cook now and consider what interests you will have in the near future. Some might tout something as a feature but it might not have any meaning for you and vice versa.

Actually MUA is not required by Code everywhere, only some areas. Regardless of Code requirements, the OP needs to do MUA with 1200 cfms because that much suckage carries with it the risk of sucking back CO into the house, i.e. backdraft. It's a serious risk because with that much cfms pulling air out of the house, other exhausts will be pulled in, like from the water-heater, furnace, chimney and dryer vent. That backdraft is bringing poisonous carbon monoxide into the home. You can get away with no MUA with an exhaust that is 400-600 cfms and if your house is drafty and not a newer super-insulated house. But not at 1200 cfms. At 1200 cfms, cracking a window will not be enough. You will need to install an MUA system. Either add that to the expense of your renovation, or choose a different cooking setup. People not willing to install MUA is a main reason why people forego the 60" ranges and their exhaust requirements, and opt instead for a 36" rangetop and separate ovens.