Stainless heat transfer: True Sierra Club cups are bi-metal. I believe they are aluminum clad on the bottom, so that they will cook more evenly (yes, they are supposed to be able to be used as a little cooking pan). So when a cold cup is filled with a hot liquid, the bottom of the cup will feel hotter than the rim. Cheap imitation Sierra Club cup clones are often just stainless, which seems to transmit heat to the lip quicker than the originals. I don't think stainless transmits heat any slower than regular steel, though. And heat transfer is really not an issue with a grill grating. The flames will get it plenty hot despite its composition. In fact, I think it's better that the grating be heavy gauge like the Virco. It will hold heat better. I did have a problem with the grating with the notch in it warping in the middle. I requested a replacement with no notch (as I reasoned that the notching caused uneven stresses) and Virco sent one promptly for no charge. In/with regard to the burners, I don't have an issue with the Virco's heat distribution, but some people feel it less even than desirable. Some have retrofitted their grills with porcelain briquettes, and claim that works well. Three vs. four burners? Look at the total BTU. The Virco has three 18,000 BTU burners. I'm sure this is equal to if not more than that on the others you are considering. Lastly, please do not discount the Virco infrared rotisserie burner. It is really an excellent feature, perfect for roasting poultry and other meats, with a minimum of cleanup afterwards. Also, if you have a Sam's Club nearby, I suggest you also look at the $599 Members Mark.

I was so on the fence between Gaggenau & Miele; both are amazing appliances & I don't think you can go wrong with either one. Now that we've used our Gagg for 6 months, I am so happy we chose it. The side opening door is WONDERFUL and there is so much choice on the heat sources (top, bottom, both, with or without convection, broil, rotisserie, probe, even optional heated baking stone). Have you ever "grilled" your turkey? We much prefer it roasted that way. We brine our bird in advance, set the grill up for indirect heat with the cover on, & use pre-soaked wood chips in our grill's smoker box (or on the charcoal) for a great smoked flavor. The recipe & technique from Pam Anderson's book, The Perfect Recipe, is wonderful. We don't stuff the bird but place chopped onion, celery, & carrot inside the bird and in the pan below the bird with some water. You should use either a V rack or place the bird directly on the vegetables, breast down to start & rotating breast up after an hour. I usually use a disposable roaster pan for easier cleanup, & use the drippings to make gravy (inside on the cooktop). Afterwards, be sure to save the carcass for soup!

Ok, I'm confused. Your kitchen currently is at the FRONT of the house, facing the street (from the sink) and the living room is at the BACK - with the large picture window with tree view? And you are going to add onto the BACK, so a new room will be behind that big picture window? Do yourself a favor - if you REALLY WILL be adding on anytime soon, do not waste any money in the current kitchen! Just leave it as-is (as bad as it is), put on the addition, which if it ends up anything like mine will be the biggest mess in the world, and THEN, after the new addition is DONE (basic framing and electric), decide if you want to move the kitchen. The way I imagine it you WILL want the kitchen facing the BACKYARD! And YES - I would then, AFTER the new kitchen is FINISHED, turn the current kitchen into a hallway / laundry room with a play area / den in the breakfast nook area. That is similar to what we are currently in the middle of doing. The benefit of doing it this way is three-fold: 1) You have an actual working kitchen WHILE the back is under construction, and ALSO while a new kitchen is being built back there. 2) You get to really feel how the ENTIRE layout will work - you can treat the current kitchen as a hallway, imagining the sink wall is now where your laundry will be, and how when you enter the house from either the front door or garage this new hallway will influence traffic patterns (like, you won't have to walk THROUGH the living room to get to the back) 3) You can carry the costs of the remodel over a longer period of time - pay for the addition now, and wait a year or so to do a nice kitchen. Because you will have the existing functional kitchen you will not feel "rushed" to get everything done at once. As for the fridge, what I would temporarily do (if planning a demo anyway), is put it right next to that mini peninsula on the sink wall. Yeah, it will partially cover that window and deaden off some cabs, but for now it's a lot better than having to go all the way across the room / table to get to it. What is under that peninula that jets into the living room anyway? It doesn't look like cabinets - maybe you can rip out the drywall and put in a beverage fridge for now. That is by far the weirdest layout I have ever seen! Totally 1970's Bachelor Pad, wet bar vibe!

There is nothing wrong with junction boxes so long as they are done properly and not hidden. In old work it is sometimes easier to do what he did to avoid cutting open more walls than necessary. The extra wire usually is cheaper than the extra labor needed to do it as if it were new construction.