If the 30" fits into your space and you're not wild about ripping apart said space, then the 30" it is.

If you need auxiliary cooking power, you could use a portable induction burner.

Under what circumstances do you wish you had additional firepower or space?

Thanks, I had been thinking about a portable induction burner for the occasional overflow.

Once in a while I have not just 3 or 4 pots/pans going, but want several larger pans and feel crowded. Last weekend I was doing risotto for 10, searing shrimp in a second large pan and scallops in a third -- all had to happen at once, that sort of thing. Frankly, I managed, and that sort of meal, even with a cooked vegetable, would do just fine with the 30" BS.

Much larger dinners are much more occasional. A holiday or two. Something comes up -- folks in town, etc. Thanksgiving wants who knows how many dishes, for example. Once a year I cook a holiday meal for 60-70 people and go a little mad.

Well, just to clarify, I think the 30" cooktop is too small, but the 30" range is just fine. The placement of the knobs make all the difference.

There are other ways to accommodate your extra entertaining needs: a warming drawer, a double oven one with warming capabilities, a portable induction cooktop (or a double version)... Personally speaking, I would design a kitchen to meet most of my cooking needs, and think of creative workarounds for the occasional event. Cutting into your granite is like opening a can of worms.

Also, depending upon your cookware, couldn't you sear the scallops or shrimp, and when they are done, cover them to retain the warmth? Because searing goes so quickly, I would think that you wouldn't need to do them concurrently.

I have the 30" BS rangetop. And it is plenty big for me, and I cook a lot, entertain a lot. In fact, had they sold a two burner unit 30" wide , i would have gotten that. I dont like so many burners. i have probably used all four once in 5 years. I would rather use that as counter space.

I find the space on our 30" BlueStar to be plenty for me, but if you could go with a larger surface area without too much trouble, I would say why not! We don't have that luxury in our small kitchen, so I have to work with what I have. But thanks to the layout and heat capabilities of this range, I wouldn't say that I feel at all restricted by the layout of our RNB304BBS V1. :o)

I'm not into tearing up perfectly good kitchens, so all of these ideas about accommodating a 30" range with alternative cooking assists sound fine to me. Let me play devil's advocate.

What about the oven? I have a friend with a 36" ordinary household range, which she loves. Nowhere near the power of a BlueStar, but the size serves her well. The oven capacity makes it possible for her to cook whole meals for a dozen or more people, including heating appetizers and breads while the mains are cooking, and starting pies as the first sides come out.

Are you gaining any storage if you have to devote it to extra hotplates and warming devices? OTOH, will one 36" range be enough for your 5-6 dozen people meals? Will you need the extra devices anyway?

And why are you getting a BlueStar? Because you're happy with the way you're cooking now? Yes, you're managing. I managed to cook and bake with an underpowered cooktop and an oven with no temperature control. I managed to cook and bake with two gas rings and a wonder pot. But how do you want to cook? Will having a larger range just plain make your life easier? Will it help cut down on the logistical planning of what your kitchen can do, rather than what you want to do? Or will you feel restricted with anything short of a hotel sized kitchen?

Yes, cutting down the cabinets to accommodate a larger range and hood is a big mess, and once you start cutting up existing cabinets/counters you open yourself to potential problems. But is it worth giving up your desire for a larger range because of lack of will to go for it? A lot of people talk about putting in their interim best and never actually get the kitchens they really want. It's not worth ransoming your future for, but if you have the disposable income, is it worth forgoing a vacation trip for?

I knew I had to redo my kitchen when the house was bought, but put it off for a few years to grow the money, and then a few more because of other life stuff. Looking back, though I'm thrilled with my new kitchen, I realize that I gave up an awful lot of stuff settling for the old one and being practical. I really did have the money before (just not so much liquidity, which could have been fixed), but didn't have the will to be less practical. Can't get back the lost opportunities and meals not cooked. Sigh.

All good thoughts, folks, and all appreciated. 4 burners is enough most of the time -- probably the large majority of the time.

The thing is, the tearing things up is a bit of a pain but sort of not as bad as one might imagine -- it's the bad, but not so bad that has produced the hemming and hawing. We are gaining back some storage space and then some. There is a 3 foot cabinet wine rack that was put in before we bought the house. Not a good wine rack and not a good place for a wine rack so cabinet doors finally are going there and the lattice is coming out. Also, we are moving the fridge and gaining 36" of pantry.

Alterations would have to be made to one base cabinet and one wall cabinet. The smallest piece of granite in the kitchen, which is 30 inches wide, would need to be altered. There could be a straight cut eliminating the last six inches of that piece, or the piece could be removed and replaced with something else.

None of this is about need, obviously. The GE has served us well, with zero problems over the years. Everything I know how to cook, I know how to cook on that range. Here and there I have wanted more flexibility, more heat, or a touch more control at the bottom end (not bad as is) or more space.

Do you use the oven frequently?

Something to think about: a 36" oven will take longer to preheat than a 30" (if the 30" and 36" have the same size burner, which they probably do).

"Something to think about: a 36" oven will take longer to preheat than a 30" (if the 30" and 36" have the same size burner, which they probably do)."

That's a good point. I'm more focused on the top, but we do use the oven, of course, and pre-heat time is likely a bit longer for the oven in the 36" range. It might not be a huge difference. The BS 30" range has a relatively big oven (for a 30" gas range) and the difference in size between the two ovens is not as large as you might think. Still, with a 30" oven that accommodates a full sheet already, this might be a point in favor of the smaller range.

I would consider if you want grill or griddle with your cooking style. If those are desired, I would go for 36 inch with those options. You can't really have built in grill or griddle unless you go at least 36 inch.

If space is not a huge issue, I'd even consider 48 inch with possible grill/griddle or wok burner in the middle. You don't gain that much between 30 to 36 inch. 36 inch is really too crowded to have all 6 burners going at once if the pots and pans are large. But you get a bit more room on the top to move things around while you have 4 burners going. I have 30 continuous grates so I will move hot things around in between the burners even though I have all 4 going at once.

I kept my 30 inch range, thus not losing any counter space. I added a second oven by replacing the MW with a speed oven. This has helped me tremendously in that now I can have two ovens at 2 different temperatures.

I also use my outdoor cooking capacity to augment if needed, which is just outside of my kitchen door. This has a built in natural gas (not propane bottles) high powered BBQ/rotisserie and extra burners. Since I have access to grill and burners so easily, I did not want an indoor grill.

Thought I would share my rationale to help you with your decision.