Stove/Range brain dump

[freakshow]

So I've spent way too much time looking at ranges recently, and I thought I would give a small brain dump of all my research in case it helps anyone out. Feel free to add to or correct any of the things I say below..

Criteria:
Gas range
$2-6K
User is a chef (my wife, worked at Ciopinnos, Diva, Observatory, Cannery, etc)

Size:
Based on our cabinetry, we decided on sticking with a 30", which would replace the electric range in our house. We debated a 48", but the added cost of removing the floor cabinets and then also removing upper cabinets plus the cost of a new, bigger range hood turned us off. We didn't want this to turn into a full kitchen reno.

Convection:
A convection oven was a must-have, and luckily, almost all of the ranges we looked at included a convection oven.

Dual-Fuel:
A dual fuel range uses gas burners and an electric oven (as opposed to a gas burner and gas oven). This is generally considered a bonus, and is roughly a $800-1500 add-on to the range you're looking at.

Since a dual fuel range produces a dry heat, it's way better for baking, as you're producing more even consistent results. An all gas range will produce a more moist heat, which is better for things like a roast.

IMO, unless you're a serious baker, or you have ~$1K burning a hole in your pocket, don't bother with the dual fuel.

Self-Cleaning
This is personal preference, again, you're looking at about a $1000 increase in price if you choose a stove with self-clean. We opted out for this, we'll clean it manually.

Burner BTUs:
The biggest difference between high-end ranges and the ones you find in Future Shop are the burners, in particular, the flame shape and BTU output.
A lower end range might have 4 burners that are 8K, 10K, 12K and 14K BTUs. This means you need to shift your pots around based on your max heat you need.

The higher end ranges will have either all the same BTUs, usually all at 14K+, or they might have one simmer burner that goes extra low, and 3 high BTU burners.

Generally, a normal person would be ok with something in the 15K BTU range. You really only need 21K+ if you're going to be doing Wok cooking, or want a really professional looking sear.

Burner Style:
Most companies make open and sealed style burners. Sealed burners generally go higher in BTUs, but might cost a bit more.
Some people might be concerned with the look as well as sealed burners look very different than open burners.
It's debatable which one is easier to clean. It's hard for drippings to get into the sealed burner, and you can just remove and clean the heads.
However, open burners have a drop tray that you can just pull out.
You really need to think about the BTUs and see the style in person to decide for yourself.

Oven Capacity:
Most high end ovens have ample capacity, however, ironically, Wolf actually has one of the smallest capacities because their oven walls are much thicker for better insulation.
I would take your biggest pan/sheet with you into the store and do test fits. Remember to test for height as well to see the maximum number of pans you could fit at once

Broiler:
Check for where the broiler is. Some ranges have a separate broiler drawer, and do NOT have a broiler in the main oven. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but FiveStar does this, and the broiler drawer is fairly small, and right at the bottom, making it harder to access.

NG vs LP
I don't know anything about the differences between Natural Gas and Propane. We had a Natural Gas fitting, so automatically ruled out all LP ranges. Many NG ranges have LP conversion kits as well.

Brands:
Wolf/Viking: Great ranges, but are severely overpriced. They might have a higher build quality, but you're partially just paying for the name. If you can afford it, I guess, go for it. The 30" ranges we looked at were about $5K+.
They seem to be around the 15K BTU range for all burners.

DCS/Thermador/Dacor: Not bad, quality was noticeably lower than Wolf/Viking, but you also save a little bit of money. Again, BTUs were in the 15K range.

Capital Culinarian: I heard GREAT things about this brand but only after we had made our purchase already. If I was to do it again, I would give CC some serious thought. They have super high BTU burners, but I'm not sure who supplies them locally, or what the cost is.

Five Star: Not a very common brand, but very underrated. Their biggest attraction is that they're way cheaper. Probably about 60% of the cost of a wolf for 90% of the functionality. Our only gripe with Five Star was the broiler drawer which was low and hard to access. Their sealed burners reach 21K BTUs which is awesome. The only local supplier for FiveStar is Coast Wholesale.
We almost bought a Five Star, but the deposit down, but due to some complications with Coast, ended up going a different route.

Blue Star: Blue Star is also an under dog in the Range world, partly due to their crappy distribution channels, however, the open burners look the most industrial out of all of the ranges. All of their ranges have one simmer burner at 9K and the rest of them at either 15, 18, or 22K.
They're a bit more expensive than Five Star, and the only dealer in the lower mainland is in N. Van.
Occasionally, maybe once every 6-8 months, Costco will stock these ranges as well. They stock them at a great price with free shipping.

Research:
Aside from Google, two websites in particular helped me tremendously:
AJ Madison: I didn't want to purchase such a big item in the states, but the filtering capabilities on their website are top notch in helping you narrow down your choices.
The Garden Web: The Garden Web has some really knowledgeable people, and many people with different brands of ranges to share their experiences. If you have a question, they can probably answer it.

Conclusion/TL;DR:
Based on the price, we picked up a Blue Star range. Our model, the RCS was bought from Costco for $2300, free shipping, and the unbeatable Costco return policy. It has:
- a high BTU broiler and large capacity oven.
- IMO, most even burner heat distribution
- 1x 9K simmer, 3x 15K open burners (upgradable to 22K at about $100 per burner)
- Gas convection oven

[Culverin]

I did a bit of research and came to the same conclusion.
I will probably use my 36" Wolf for another 2 years before I replace it with a Blue Star.

The ability to "overclock" the burners to 22k was a big selling point for me.