I bought a PGB910 model last November and I am absolutely thrilled with it! The 910 is very simular to what you are looking at except that it has a warming drawer rather than a second oven which is really an electric element in the warming drawer. I didn't see the need for that. The 910 also has a full SS cooktop which gives it more of a "pro" look. Might be harder to clean, but I haven't found that to be a negative so far. The smooth shape of the SS cooktop has no nooks and corners that are hard to get at like my old range. The 910 is also several hundred $ less. I understand that the burners on either the 910 or 918 and "guts" so to speak are same as the Cafe models. I do love the heavy cast iron full width grates. Oven is hot and stable with in 20 degrees (I have checked it with a laser thermometer). Simmer burner is really nice, as is the 17,500btu powerburner. Only negative so far are the burner knobs, we do pizza (Neopolitan -- thin and crispy) a lot and run oven at 500 degrees for over an hour at a time. The SS covers over the plastic knobs have warped or kinda wrinkled a bit. Too much heat I think (and I haven't contacted GE about it yet). We do a lot of cooking too. I would buy it all over again without hesitation.. Price was really attractive. Originally I was going to buy a Bluestar (for a new home) but plans changed and we are still here. I could have bought 3, maybe 4 GEs for the same price as a Bluestar. Someone will get a very nice range when we sell the old place in the future. BTW these are built in Mexico... don't let that stop you I think the fit and finish is very good.

A free-standing range is fine - in fact, if you got a slide-in, you'd have a gap behind it that you'd need a filler for since slide-ins are not as deep as free-standing.

Jennymamma - I'm glad you brought that up! I also wanted a convection microwave, which the Bosch isn't. I wanted one with at least one rack (not a rack turntable). I bought the JennAir, my husband installed it before the range was here. Once the range was here it did NOT match (even though I was assured it would). The microwave had a blue hue to it while the Bosch has no blue to it's stainless. It drove me nuts! I told Lowe's about it when I was shopping for something else and they said "no problem, just take it down and we will exchange it for one that matches." I was shocked since I had had it for 26 days already. They gave me a full refund and I got the GE Profile Convection (I think 1750 or 1740), not the Advantium. They look great together!

"What is the back of a slide in range like? Is it designed to fit flat against a wall, with some kind of recess lower down for the gas fittings?" All of them have a recess of some kind, but the positioniing will vary between models and brands. Some will work fine with your existing set-up, some will need a different location. Warming drawers and lower baking ovens can complicate things. Only way to find out which is where to download the installation instructions for each stove you consider. It is good that you have the non-flammable backsplash that you do. Flat against the wall? Some do, some have oven bump-outs in the back. A good clue is if vendor sites like AJ Madison, Lowes's etc. list rear trim pieces as accessories. Again, you will have to view them in person or read specs and installation instructions to to know for sure which do and which do not. Also, some slide-ins have cooktop extensions to the sides to cover the gaps between stove and countertops. Some do not. Gotta read the specs. Basically, if the width is listed as over 31" then the stove is one with the cooktop lips on the sides. If the specs say 30" or 29 7/8" then that slide-in is one that does not have the lip that overhangs the gaps. Hope this helps.