<p>I have a twenty some year old Viking that doesn’t have much if any electronics…an igniter that is super cheap and easy to replace yourself and if it goes out unexpectedly you use a match until you can get to the store and get the part. Everything is heavy and solid. At one time I coveted a “newer” one that was dual fuel, but at this point, I wouldn’t trade my old Viking for anything. Every appliance we own with a circuit board and/or touch pad has been replaced at least two times…</p>
<p>I got a 36" AGA Pro which has almost no electronics (just the clock) and is fabulous dual fuel range. It replaced a 12 year old Thermador which electronic motherboard burned out and could not be replaced because they stopped manufacturing them. It also has a cool feature for empty nesters as the oven can be divided in half for when there are only 2 of you at home. When the kids return, pull out the oven divider panel and the full oven is big enough to cook 6 pizzas, or pretty much anything else you want, at once.</p>
<p>For the fan, we got a Vent-a-Hood. The filter is really easy to remove and clean, it’s really powerful but not loud. We haven’t had the smoke detector announce dinner yet! They have both ceiling and attach to cabinet units (we don’t have an island so we have the cabinet unit).</p>
<p>Ah, Chedva (@17), I long for a Capital Culinarian. Want the open burner to concentrate the heat instead of having it go up the sides with enough power to stir fry instead of stir steam. I also like the option of self-clean and rotisserie. When the time comes, we will also investigate the Bluestar RNB. I can’t see ditching a perfectly good range, so I guess that dream will have to wait, at least until college is paid for.</p>
<p>I have friends who got this and love it: [Amazon.com:</a> Bertazzoni : Professional X304GGVXLP 30 Pro-Style Gas Range: Appliances](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Bertazzoni-Professional-X304GGVXLP-Pro-Style-Range/dp/B001A5B346]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Bertazzoni-Professional-X304GGVXLP-Pro-Style-Range/dp/B001A5B346)</p>
<p>They got a great deal on it on a going out of business sale. They particularly like the simmer vs all stops out burner.</p>
<p>
That’s exactly what we did - DD graduated in May, 2011, and decided not to go to grad school (at least not yet). That’s when the renovating started!</p>
<p>We just got a new DCS range and so far I love it. DCS started out in the commercial biz, and they seem to know what they’re doing! I have a Thermador currently (moving to a new house) and it has been great. Thermador overs, however, not so much.</p>
<p>Have to put my vote in for induction cooktops. Clean, simple, and as responsive as fire.
Not very expensive, certainly more than electric, but probably cheaper than many gas options.</p>
<p>I must be the only one on this site who buys Kenmore!</p>
<p>I have 2 Dacor wall ovens which are now 10 years old. When they work…they are amazing. However they have had continual problems over the years. Luckily at the time of purchase they came with a 2 year warranty. That was the good news. The bad news… no one in my area serviced Dacor. I found their customer service surly and condescending. After threatening a small claims action they finally replaced one of the ovens after 3 years. This was after 8 service calls which included Dacro CS telling me it was perfectly normal for the steam to flow out of the door during the steaming of salmon. And, since the steam took out the mother board, maybe I should just not cook in this manner. </p>
<p>The glass door on the second oven shattered. Dacor said this was due to grease splattering. When I ordered the replacement part from the local supplier they mentioned the fact they sell a large number of these…they seem to shatter often!</p>
<p>On the other hand, my Dacor gas (converted to Propane) 5 burner cook top is trouble free and performs great.</p>
<p>If I remember right, there are 2 types of convection (this was 10 years ago, by now there maybe even more). The ‘true’ convection warmed the air before recirculating it. The 'untrue(?) convection simply had a fan which moved the existing air. I’ve found the true convection to be very nice. Cook time is cut by about 25% and I can use all the racks when making cookies and all turn out just right.</p>
<p>I dis*like my GE Profile (though I like the continuous grates). Two of the burners do not heat evenly; the oven calibration is off.</p>
<p>That is interesting about the convection, dietz199. I used to cook professionally and I have found the “convection” in the Profile to be frustrating at best; I don’t use it.</p>
<p>I am intrigued by the induction cooktops. We have a building lot that does not have gas service and my engineer husband thinks they’re nifty. OTOH, I do like to see the flame and tend to think of the range as the real hearth of the home.</p>
<p>There is a lot of range discussion over on GardenWeb.</p>
<p>Can anyone comment on the pros and cons of putting the range/stove top against a wall vs. in the island? We are noodling over that as we contemplate our kitchen remodel. I’m pretty sure I’d like to have a gas range - at last five or six burners and double wall ovens. Someone mentioned thermador ovens are bad. That’s too bad – they are well priced here right now.</p>
<p>A friend had a Dacor oven and it was always on the blink. She also had a kitchenaid gas range and electric oven underneath. She generally used the kitchenaid oven because the dacor oven was always broken.</p>
<p>In our old house, the burners are in middle of the kitch, in a U shaped counter. You can speak to the guests sitting on the other side of the isl and cook the same time. The cons of that arrangement is that the hood is in the middle as well, with an 8 feet ceiling, a tall person my runinto the hood.</p>
<p>Our new house the burners are against the wall. less chance to run into the hood. Not as convinent, but still ok.</p>
<p>Its the cost of move the burner on to the island you have to consider if you had the burners against the wall. And some times individual don’t want the hood in the middle of the kitchen, so comes Janair surface vent./</p>
<p>Of course you should have ovens separate from the burners if you put the burners in the island.</p>
<p>I like the cooktop against a wall. In my dreams of many grandchildren gathered around the island eating breakfast it just seems safer. Also, I don’t like the look of a hood over an island. (I don’t think the down drafting exhaust systems are as efficient.)</p>
<p>I always wanted an AGA, if my Viking dies before I do (fat chance) I’d replace it with an AGA.</p>
<p>sigh – I know it’s most sensible to put the cooktop against a wall but I just feel as if I’m in timeout when I’m cooking facing the wall.</p>
<p>It may depend on the kind of cooking and entertaining you do, but I find I spend a lot more time facing the island prep sink/ prep area doing last minute prep, assembly, cleaning as I go etc rather than facing the stovetop, which is directly behind as I’m facing the prep sink. That way I am also right across the island from guests, who can hang out on bar stools and visit with me. </p>
<p>I would be nervous about safety with a cooktop on an island in a house where young kids live or visit. From a looks POV, I happen to like the look of a hood on the wall as a focal point in a kitchen. Some people do downdraft ventilation to eliminate a visible hood over an island, but they are not supposed to work all that well.</p>
<p>2boysima, I have Kenmore appliances, but I lust after something fancier. If I ever redo my kitchen I’ll get a new range since the current one doesn’t have a broiler. It was going to cost $600 to replace the computer (which I did because nothing turned on without it) and another $600 to do the broiler which I didn’t do. Since then I’ve also had to replace the ignition - but that wasn’t too pricey.</p>
<p>Last year, during Ds Freshman Thanksgiving, we realized we needed to replace a 14-yo JennAir. We selected the gas, 5-burner, 2-oven 30" Kitchen Aid range. (We also replaced the Maytag over the range microwave that died the month before!)</p>
<p>We had always wanted a double oven, but didn’t yet want to remodel the kitchen. </p>
<p>While we haven’t gotten a lot of use out of the 5th burner, we have used it, and the continuous grates are helpful when moving pans across the burners. </p>
<p>Our oven section has the smaller upper oven and larger w/convection lower oven. The smaller oven is perfect for the times you only need one shelf, such as brownies or a something for a smaller meal. The big oven will handle the turkey easily. I really like the Keep Warm and Slow Cook functions also.</p>
<p>With the two ovens, we can cook several items at two temperatures. The microwave also has a convection function to 400-F. So, really that makes three ovens.</p>
<p>A couple of weeks ago, we hosted D’s college sport team, with 29 including the bus driver. With a little planning, we had no stress over getting all the food on the table!</p>
<p>There are days I wish I was home with a toddler again so that I could spend all day cooking – alas, there’s tuition to pay.</p>