It's actually a very nice range but it's not going to give you the same BTU output that the more American Pro ranges will give you though.

"Professional" is more of a marketing term than a real descriptor here. It doesn't measure up in the muscle department at all. It is very pretty!

These replies are very interesting as the specifications for this range claim 18000 btu output. Have either of you, or someone else actually cooked on this brand of ranges? And do you have a favorite or one you have cooked on regualarly that you think is worth considering for a remodeled kitchen?

Thanks,
Judy

18k what? Burner? That's news to me. Even so you probably wouldn't get more than one of those burners. I have yet to cook on one. For me I think the Bertazzoni's BTU output would be fine. Not sure I need the muscle of an American Pro Range and would prefer the styling of the Bertazzoni.

5 burner 36" dual fuel model:

1 Dual-Wok Burner - from 15,000 BTU on high, down to 600BTU; 400 BTU with Simmer Plate
1 Rapid Burner - 11,000 BTU to 950 BTU
2 Semi-Rapid Burners - 6,500 BTU to 900 BTU
1 Auxiliary Burner - 3,400 BTU to 750 BTU

6 Burner dual fuel:

Triple Ring Power Burner - 12000 + 3000 Btu/h
Rapid - 11000 Btu/h
Semi-rapid - 6500 Btu/h
Standard - 3400 Btu/h
Simmer - 750 Btu/h

No mention of any 18K BTU. And there is only one 15K BTU burner and their "regular" burners are only 11K. Even a 30" GE will give you 15K for the regular burners and 18K for a power burner. And the oven is almost double the size of a Berta's 30" oven. If you want "pro" you don't want a Berta. If you want regular to low grade performance in a very pretty package, Berta will suit you fine.

BTW a 36" Berta only has a Oven volume of 4 cubic feet and they say that only 3.2 cubic feet of that is usable. A 30" GE Cafe dual fuel with a 20K power boil burner has a 5.4 cubic foot oven, a 1 cubic foot secondary oven, and a center oval reversable griddle/grill. All for $2600 while the 4 burner Berta with less BTUs, less oven space, and no second oven will run you $5200. Half price. That $2600 can buy you a heck of a nice ventilation system to go over the GE to make up for the 6" of underpowered uselessness that you lose.

I have a 36" 6 burner Bertazzoni cooktop, and it has an 1800 btu ring but, confusingly, I see on their website that the 30" freestanding ranges don't have the same power. So, some Bertazzonis have the higher btus and it's certainly worth checking.
I'm very happy with my cooktop, but I can't speak to the oven, because I wanted a separate electric oven and bought a Bosch for the capacity.

Currently Bertazzoni puts the 18,000 BTU brass burner on their cooktops and rangetops only. All Bertazzoni ranges have one triple ring 15,000 BTU burner. One interesting note, however - the Bertazzoni 15,000 BTU is much more efficient than 15,000 BTU burners on other pro style ranges because it is situated closer to the bottom of the pan. They can do this because they have smaller burners where you can attain very low simmers. The Vikings, Thermadors and Wolf's of the world have only 15,000 BTU burners (no smaller ones) and must place them lower (farther away from the pan) in order to maintain any semblance of a simmer. The result is the Bertazzoni will bring a pot of water to a boil much considerably faster than the 15,000 BTU burners on these other brands.

I am considering the 36" Bertazzoni 6 burner cooktop for my kitchen remodel, coupled with a Dacor ventilation unit. My designer/contractor, who is also an appliance specialist likes the Bertazzoni for performance as described by lloyddoolittle. Will post once installed to provide further update.

I have a 48" all gas Berta. We have had it installed since September. I am not a professional chef, nor do I cook like one. Instead I am a mom who would like to be more adventurous in my cooking, but am not there yet!

The burners have been more than adequate for our purposes. We make a lot of pasta and the high power burner does a great job bringing a large pot to boil in a reasonable amount of time.

Because we have a 48" range with two ovens, I don't know exactly how the sizes compare with the single 30 and 36" models. The cubic feet measurements are much less, however, most of it is lost in the height of the oven and has not been a problem for me. My large roaster fits in the larger oven without a problem. The smaller oven easily accomodates my 9 x 13 baking dishes and I could have several casseroles stacked in the one smaller oven.

Because I have never cooked with gas before, it has been an adjustment. My biggest problem has been getting used to the way the gas ovens cook without burning the bottoms of dishes, but if you are looking a duel fuel, that wouldn't be a problem.

I agree this is not a "professional" range in terms of performance, but it is great looking, good performing and was very reasonable in cost for us. I couldn't have afforded one of the other brands and still stayed with the 48" model, which was important to me. I have never cooked with a higher btu burner and don't miss it, but others might.

Bertazzonis seem to be quite popular with their owners. I think they are some of the most lovely ranges on the market, design-wise. Their ovens are smaller than American equivalent ranges, so make sure the cavity will be large enough to handle your roasting and baking needs. Other than that, I would not hesitate to select a Bertazzoni. They are eye-wateringly beautiful, particularly in Ferrari Red.

Fratelli Onofri and Smeg are a couple of Italian competitors that you might take a look at if you want to view something similar but perhaps a bit less expensive.

Thank you Westiegirl !