Trevor would never say this himself but forget any other online dealer if you decide to go with Bluestar and just buy from him (http://www.eurostoves.com/). He's extremely active on this forum and has come to the aid of many here to solve their problems with a manufacturer even though they didn't buy it from him. With regard to the burners on the Bluestar vs Viking.. One thing you should also consider is that the combination of the star design and being open produces heat that is extremely even. AFAIK, Viking burners, even on their open models, are the traditional cap design. There is no center ring or even center air flow opening which would help to pull the flames towards the center. That means on the larger BTU burners, the heat is still more towards the outer edge rather than in the middle. Granted this is much improved with the open burners but in my experience, Bluestar still wins on even heating. Add to that the higher BTU, you've got a cooking machine. Now I've never owned a Viking open range and only cooked on one a few times at a friends house but I did cook on a restaurant range that supposedly used the same burners as the Vikings back then. Comparing what I remember from then to what I have now, I actually like my Bluestar more than that restaurant range. Bluestar is an absolute joy to cook on. Good luck with whatever you choose and have fun with it.

I cook scratch meals every night for a family of 4 and lots of breakfasts and lunches too. I love my 30" Bluestar RNB. I do like having the unheated space between the burners for warming plates or resting a spoon on a plate, etc. I could not pull off managing stuff on more than 4 burners - hats off to those who can! I also use all-metal pots with lids and I have gotten into the habit of putting items that need a slow simmer into the oven - that avoids scorching if I am not paying enough attention, and it frees up burners on the stovetop. Another consideration is that - ideally - range hoods should be 6" wider than your range width for optimal function. Pro-style range hoods are expensive and huge...so IMHO that should be a major consideration in range selection. I would pick the range size that your family needs, but I would never pick a larger range just for looks - JMHO.

And, for my part, if I had a client who insisted on micro-managing and second-guessing everything I did, I'd walk, or not take on the job in the first place. Was this comment directed at my post? If so, I want to explain: the very reason we chose the CM route was because the CM said, this will be a partnership. I'll guide you in everything but we will work together to realize the architect's plans, which is your (our, the clients') ultimate vision. You won't have to release control; you can get involved in what you want to get involved in, and I'll handle the rest. You defer to my expertise in management, and I'll listen when you raise concerns or have questions about anything you see happening. You have a painter you'd like to use? Fine - we'll get bids from him and two guys I know, look over the numbers together, and decide which way to go. You want modern fixtures in the bathroom? Fine - here are some places I know, check them out, bring me what you've found online and we'll number-crunch together. Et cetera. Our CM's primary responsibility was to make the job run smoothly - line up the trades, schedule them, give us deadlines on choices to be made to keep on schedule, let us know when things were behind and what could be done, if anything, to keep work going. It did not happen that way. Unlike Worthy, our CM did not have adequate management experience in anything to handle construction management. I'll agree with Worthy in that construction management is 90% straight management - getting the people you want in the place you want, ready to do the job you need with the correct materials/resources at hand. The combination of poor management and the lack of financial incentive has been problematic. We are paying a fixed fee but it's not directly linked to the CM's salary from the architect. It's not like Architect says, you're another two weeks behind so I'm docking you two weeks' pay. CM gets paid his regular salary and ambles along overseeing our job and we have no way to make things move faster or more efficiently. And if Worthy's comment wasn't directed at me.....(*channel Gilda Radner's Emily Litella character here*) never mind.

Funny, I think I've finally figured out why my kids want dinner at 3:45pm...I guess the food at least smells good!! So, I'm not going to cry over not having a proper vent, and needing to settle for an OTR microwave, as it's a step up from what I currently have! I'll watch out for the grime (I clean compulsively when I cook, and I only let the backsplash go when I'm 7-9 months pregnant and can't reach since I'm so short and too lazy to get on a step-stool). Davidro1 - funny you say that...the only thing I don't cook at home and usually try to get in a restaurant is something grilled, since food cooked on a true grill is so much better than food cooked in a grill pan, and I live in a rented apartment, so no BBQ yet....(looking forward to finally having one in the house!!). And yes, I did swoon over the 48" ranges that offer the grill option, but I simply can't afford the space, or the appliance for that matter! Thank you all for your input!