I haven't posted about the LuxAir brand before, but they have a black steelhood. My sister, in London, recommended this company to me: they're Italian and actually DO manufacture IN Italy (not China, as many of them do). She has a glass hood from them. I tracked them down in the US, at Rangehoods.com, a Brooklyn NY company, and have a 40" stainless steel hood. Their prices are incredibly good value, and the quality is excellent too. My GC confirmed this, and he's installed lots of very high end models. Here is a link that might be useful: Rangehoods.com/Luxair black enamel hood

I've had an Adv 240 for two years now and use it every day. I am an enthusiastic and adventurous cook of many years experience and I wouldn't want to have a kitchen without a 240 in it again. It's not that it cooks a chicken so fast (more than 10 minutes though, lol!) but that it eliminates many steps you would have to take with other methods of cooking for the same dish. For instance, I throw a cut-up whole chicken plus all the other ingredients for chicken cacciatore in a casserole at once, (well, not the pasta!) put on the lid, set the 3 Adv controls, press start and have a finished dish in about 30 minutes. I do stir it a couple of times but that's the sum total of my effort. It's tender, and browned and delicious, just as if I took two and a half hours to saute it stove top and then braise it in a conventional oven, the way I always used to do. It can cook filet mignon and paninis with equal ease. This morning I made a frittata and didn't have to flip it to brown the top. It does microwave and reheat as a separate function, which is no more difficult to use than a plain mic of any brand. On the negative side, the vent fan is noisier than I would like. Another big negative is the price. My dh nearly passed out when I insisted on this model. Can you get a look at a 240 cookbook somewhere (maybe there are some excerpts on the Adv website)? That will give you the best idea of how it works and what a time and effort saver it is. If you have any more ?s for me, I'll be glad to try to answer. I don't have any info about the Bertazonni, but it's gorgeous!

I agree with the sports car comment, especially since the range was painted by Ferrari, which is just down the street from the Bertazzoni factory. I was told that Ferrari does all of the colors for Bertazzoni. Since I cannot afford a Ferrari (plus that would be too dangerous), at least I can have a sporty range. I plan to bake this week-end, I used the stove top last night, and I should have adjusted the low setting on the burners first, which I know I need to do. The installers were unable to do that, but it is a simple adjustment using a screwdriver. I do plan to give reviews once I have used it sufficiently. I could not find enough reviews myself before getting it, but the color options were the clincher. I do like the way it fits in the space much better - it does not stick out from the counters the way my previous range did, and I like the low back, which makes my own one look very obsolete, although it did require me to put up the back splash.

Indeed, the hemlock wooly adelgid is a terrible evil. Those tags look nice! I've considered getting some, but they'd be more for the infrequent guests than myself. @Paul, how many references would you like that flat out state eradication efforts directed at black currants were part of federal and state efforts? I can understand that it's something that wouldn't be as prominent knowledge in the west, but so much information is available to us, I most definitely don't appreciate your claim you "can't find anything to support" that and I seem to be detecting some attitude which is so unfortunate! eradication- the complete destruction of something From a nursery: http://www.twisted-tree.net/white-pine-blister-rust-and-ribes From Missouri Department of Conservation: https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/american-black-currant UofMA: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/white-pine-blister-rust-ribes-species http://landsteward.org/page.cfm/8886 There are plenty of references that cite the fact that state and federal government were involved in the planned eradication of ALL Ribes species in the east. CANADA did not participate in the madness from what I've gathered. Also, just in case these other facts are needed for an educated opinion: Ribes are NATIVE to my area and if I wish to grow natives in the interests of the natural ecosystem because I want to, I will. White Pine are native, but NOT naturally occurring in my area but exist only as ornamental plantings (too far south). These efforts were more to protect an industry that brought this disaster than to protect the magnificent Pinus strobus itself. This isn't about being "that guy" erroneously "railing" against anything in a self-idealized notion of what I've imagined. What you've done in my mind's eye currently is equal to telling someone they're directly responsible for a RRD infection happening because they planted a Knock Out despite feral R. multiflora all around (and it's not even responsible itself!) and that's tragic to me. I'm sorry. Steven