It was closed. I sold the house so I don’t have the range anymore. I looked at prices after I linked above and I know we paid $5k for the range and their super duper hood combo way back in 1998. Their prices have gone up but not by too much.
I would avoid GE. They have been trying to get out of the appliance business and aren’t giving the division much support.
I bought all GE Cafe top of the line four years ago. The performance has been great but the reliability is awful. I had the DW repaired twice. The third time it wasn’t able to be repaired. The repairman said GE doesn’t even make replacement parts for some models.
I have a Wolf 6-burner range and previously had Thermador 4-burner plus griddle and grill. I like both equally, although, if I were to do it again, I’d probably drop down to the 4-burner; I don’t cook as much as I used to!
A tip…before purchasing brand new - ask around your local showrooms to se who is ‘selling off’ display models - the display models come with complete manufacturer’s warranty and are often less expensive.
Based on your feedback, I think I should drop my cheap-out GE Cafe option …
Compared to other brands, 5-star is less available in my area. I may be ok with manual clean oven - I hate heat and smell that self-clean emits. And, tbh, I only clean oven once per year, aside from quick spill wipe ups.
So … considering low end BlueStar open-burner range (I’m a little intimated by crazy high burner outputs) vs. Wolf, probably gas. I need to look at a Miele in the showroom. They do have some innovative features.
Torn between the 36" for six burners (although I have never needed more than 3 at a time) vs. 30" for faster pre-heat time and to reduce size of hood. Glad people mentioned hood size - if I move up to 36 inch range + 6 more inches for hood, I’ll be losing a foot of cabinet space.
@momo2x2018 Very good suggestion to find a discounted display model. That could save money and force me to make a decision!
If anyone has thoughts on quiet dishwasher, I’m all ears. My Bosch has been a disappointment performance-wise.
There’s no way I’d go under 36" for the cooktop.
Are you planning on having a wall oven in addition to the range? Lots of people use an wall oven for “clean” baking and the like, and use their big gas oven mostly for things like broiling meats, turkeys, things that cook on full-sized sheet pans, and so forth.
The other thing many recommend is NOT to get a double oven where one is regular and the other is the microwave. Microwaves conk out much faster than regular ovens, so you can easily find yourself having to replace the whole thing when one part is working fine.
Have you considered KitchenAid?
My contractor recommended Kitchen Aid and I have seen some nice stuff in neighbor’s home. Looks nice and substantial, but prices aren’t that far off pro ranges. He said clients have been very happy with Kitchen Aid, though. And two professionals told me to go KA over Bosch dishwasher.
I am not doing separate wall oven so range is it. Although I will replace my convection microwave that I use a lot. I’m hoping the latest models will be even better than my 10 year old model.
If I do cooktop, oven, microwave I’ll be looking at major remodel, and since I already like the way my kitchen functions, I’m not sure it’s worth the money. Although nearly every other kitchen in my neighborhood has that layout …
Hated my KA appliances (fridge and dishwasher) in my last house. The interior fridge doors all chipped and cracked and the dishwasher required servicing multiple times and really wasn’t cleaning all that well. Would not recommend.
I love my dual fuel Wolf range. Totally agree that a strong blower is necessary and that may require you to provide make-up air in the room to run properly. Yes, the ovens can take a little bit to preheat but they are rock solid once they reach temperature. I learned a little trick to speed up the preheat. I always start the oven on convection roast and then switch over to the desired cooking method after the temperature is reached. Convection roast will preheat quicker because more of the elements are on plus the convection fan is running.
We had to replace my mother’s wall oven and built-in microwave last year after an electrical surge fried the old ones. They were separate units but installed together, so to speak. We decided on a KitchenAid oven and its matching microwave. I’ve found their racks to be sturdier and smoother sliding than others. The exterior style of the pair is very handsome. And I have to say that although I know it is totally frivolous, I love the blue interior! 
Another vote against GE. We have a GE electric range (House is all electric, sadly). It’s just slightly flaky. A few times since we bought it several years ago, it just shuts off in the middle of baking. As in totally off, displays and everything. I don’t trust it. And the GE fridge and dishwasher, especially the dishwasher, have needed several repairs. Next time we will go with a different brand.
We have a Kitchenaid 36” dual fuel. My DH was convinced we needed a super high BTU burner for stir-fry. I like it well enough but the two biggest burners don’t work with mos pans…the flames hit the walls more than the bottom of the pans.
@momofsenior1 How old were the KA appliances? Wondering if they have improved brand
@Consolation You’re talking to someone who is wowed by red knows so no judgment on blue interior! My crazy picky in-laws installed a full suite of KA and I think they look good. Based on local recs, I will look at their dishwasher. My Bosch has been total disappointment
@GRITS80 That’s another thumbs up for Wolf. I gotta figure out how much more dual fuel will set me back from an installation perspective as well as appliance upgrade.
@Parentof2014grad My GE has been fine, but based on input you an others, I won’t consider range. Do you have microwave as well? I really like their convention microwave with drop down door. It will fit well in my cabinet. I like and use the convection feature so drawer-style microwaves won’t cut it.
I went to appliance store - again - decided Dacor & Miele are beautiful, but I think I like brawny look of Wolf and Bluestar, better. Thermidor just didn’t speak to me. However, there was a Capital range that looked fab. A little afraid to check price… Sadly, no floor model discounts on the good stuff.
Another place to find good discussion of kitchen appliances is Gardenweb. Last time I looked, people there were in favor of the Capital Culinarion cooktop.
@houndmom We had 11 year old KA in our old house but then our newer row house had them as well (less than 3 years old). Still didn’t love the quality or cleaning power.
Is your current built in microwave a dual-duty oven? If not, you might need to consider electrical power requirements. I am a huge fan of Miele ovens for baking and other things, but they need 220 V instead of the regular 110 typically used for microwaves. Have you considered adding a steam oven?
I like the cleaning power and the quietness of Miele Futura dishwashers. We just installed one and it does an “express” wash in 30-40 min that cleans dishes just as well as the longer regular wash. It is a tiny bit noisier than the regular wash, but still super quiet. Keep in mind, dishwashers are nowadays built to self-destruct after 8-10 years, so no matter what you pick, it might kick the bucket in that timeframe. We think Miele appliances are very easy to install, so it would not be a huge deal to swap out the dishwasher if it dies in 10 years. 
We just remodeled our kitchen!
We splurged on the 30" dual fuel wolf. So far we love it. I am going to a free cooking class at the Wolf showroom next month. I’m not sure we are using it to its full potential. The difference on the stove power is unbelievable compared to the 20 year old GE we had. The oven is so much bigger than my wall oven we replaced.
We installed a zephyr hood that was recommended by the appliance company. Last night we blackened fish on a cast iron skillet on the front burner. Had to open some windows too! The smoke detector didn’t go off but it was close I’m sure.
PM me if you want details of the other appliances we selected.
I would highly recommend the Miele dishwasher.
@houndmom we have a GE microwave. It’s a low end over-the-range model that we bought at the same time as stove and dishwasher. It works fine but we only use it to defrost, reheat, make popcorn, melt butter, boil water. We haven’t had any trouble with the microwave. I think all those appliances are 6-7 years old with the fridge being a few years older. The dishwasher needs replacing at this point. The range, as I said, I don’t trust it.
@Sally22, I think you will really enjoy the classes at the Wolf showroom. I’ve been several times and always learn something new about using the equipment.
I have a Wolf range and a wall over, neither has required repairs since we installed them 16 years ago. I love my Miele dishwasher–it’s incredibly quiet. I have one in my kitchen and another in the pantry that II had to replace a few months ago. The new Miele is very quiet (sometimes I’m not sure it’s on) and has a setting for a “quick” wash (55 minutes). My old model didn’t have that setting.