How many do you cook for? Do you bake alot? How important is a big oven? What type of design statement? What is the style of your kitchen?

Unless you are seriously into baking cakes and pastries, get the AG and save money there. Not only are the ranges less, installation is less too, as you don't need a 240 volt circuit.

As to good AG ranges, Bluestar, Wolf, and DCS are my favorites. Wolf probably looks the best, Bluestar outcooks the others and has the biggest oven, and DCS is a goos choice and made in California.

We have a family of 4 (2 small kids)- We use our oven approx. 5x a week - less in the summer, etc. We do make cakes and cookies often- but it's your basic tollhouse type cookies and angel food or bunt cakes. Nothing fancy. I had a gas convection in my last house-- noticed it really heated up the kitchen-- but hard to say if it was the ranges fault (I had an interior kitchen with no windows to the outside)

How important is a big oven? Hadn't really given it alot of thought until I looked at the Aga's- I love the 6x4-- but at 39"- it is probably too large for my space. I also worry about the odd size-- say I got it and hated it-- I would be stuck. I saw the Legacys- and that does remain a viable option-- but it "didn't stop my heart" like the 6x4. I've read alot of the Aga posts-- and the ovens seem to concern some- others like the size. I haven't measured my cookie sheets- but I don't think they would fit. The option of multiple ovens is appealing though-

My husband and I are usually really decisive-- but this house has stumped us. We (finally) worked out the remodel plans after 18 months of "spinning"- and now I'm stuck on the range. It's starting to lose the "fun" already!

I'm planning painted maple cabinets (creamy white) with a wood floor. Sub Zero 700 and Miele Incognito dishwasher - both with panels. Still undecided on the color of the granite countertops- I want to pick the range first.

Thanks!

Will you have a wall oven or will this be your only oven? I would probably go with the 36" range if this is your only oven so that you have the larger capacity for those times that you need it. You are only gaining 3" on each countertop by going with the 30" and the extra burners/grates/landing space on the 36" are really nice. It also may look more proportional under the large arch you are describing. I have the Wolf AG and love it; I looked at the DF but went for the simplicity and economy (if you can call it that) of the AG.

Just remember a 36" oven takes longer to preheat than a 30", and you'll be fine with the bigger.

Remember too that even the 30" four burner Bluestar range has the largest oven for a 30" range and takes full restaurant size sheet pans.
Also they come in many many colors and they have a new shiny burner option, [though I like the Matte myself]

I just installed the new Dacor 36 Duel Fuel. I love it. It has a bigger oven than the Wolf (full sheet pans) and looks better. Having said that if I had done a complete kitchen remodel I would have gone with the 36 Wolf cook top and the Dacor double oven. Not having the oven under the cook top is the best design IMHO.

If you don't need more than 4 burners, then IMO you can never have too much counter space.

The only other question is oven size which, as has been pointed out, is a double edged sword. The more you can fit, the longer it takes to heat.

That's why I eventually decided on 30" for myself.

Thanks all - great food for thought. Unfortunately- we have no room for wall ovens (which would have been my preference.

Millej- what 30" range did you buy?

One thing to keep in mind is that you have extra room on the stove itself if you go with the 36" unit. It is unbelievable how much more enjoyable cooking is on our 48" rangetop. We both cook and now we are not in each other's way. Also there is spare space to slide pots around or we put them on the griddle. At any rate, it makes the amount of counter space on either side of the stove less critical.

I'm going through the same decision. I was considering a 30" or 36" and thought I would go DF. I'm also in CA and want a brand that is easily serviced here. I'm considering the Dacor DF, Viking and Thermador AG. I'm leaning toward AG and definitely 36". I like the larger oven for those occasions because I won't have wall ovens to supplement. Hope you get more posts!

We were debating this same issue about a couple of years ago, and finally decided on the 36" 6-burner Wolf DF. I'm glad we did, as we all really enjoy have the extra grate space and burners. A 36" oven does take longer to heat as was previously mentioned. But the oven is also more shallow because of the convection fans, so I think the extra width might pay off as compensation.

One thing I'll add, and I've mentioned this to others who were deciding between this kind of range and whether to go 30" or 36"--if you decide to go with a 30", I would give serious consideration to the Dacor DF. Unless they've changed the spacing recently, theirs was the only range we found that had the burners set far enough apart both front to back and side to side, so that you could have large pans on all 4 burners at the same time.

Love my Viking 36" all gas 6 burners -

Glad my architect friend convinced me to go with 36" - can't do that after the fact.

Sorry about that, I didn't notice the question above. My new condo won't be available until November so I haven't actually made the purchase, but I've pretty much decided on a 30" Bluestar RPB (since I think 18K is sufficient for the type of cooking I do and I can't have outside venting). I'm now trying to decide on a color for the range.

My only remaining big choice is the cabinets which has to wait until I get a sample chip of my granite so I can carry it around and hold it next to the doors. And if cost starts piling up I might downgrade from the Liebherr fridge I have my eye on.

This is always a question. I love having 36 inches and 6 burners. Yes, the cabinets on either side are slightly smaller, but I wonder what use 3 inches on each counter would actually be. Where I yearn for more counter is in a long run.

I'm in the middle of the same decision--ugh!!!! Thanks to all who chimed in. I am leaning toward the Wolf 36" AG range, for the extra stove top space. We area family of 5, so may not use all 6 burners at once, but will definaitely need the space for multiple large pots going at the same time. We will also have a 30" electric wall oven.

Does it really take that much longer to heat the 36" oven. I am debating between a 30" or 36" all gas open burner Viking. I don't need the extra burners but I'm afaid the 30" will look too small in the open space I'll be using.

Hi, We just recently went through this same thing and purchased a DCS. Love it. If you go to the bottom of the page on the main appliance page you will find a search box. Put in DCS and my posts on findings etc. using it should come up.
We seriously looked at an AG Wolf, but were put off by all the problems reported here with the latest models. Search for Wolf and hours of reading should come up. Anyway, for our timing we didn't want to chance it so went with the DCS. Really love it. The extra room of 36" with 6 burners is really nice. Didn't have to buy a seperate back splash as the island type one that comes on it was fine for us and has a really large oven with roller racks and convection fan. Another contender for us advertised a similar square foot rating for oven size, but we took our pans in and we were shocked at how little actual cook space it had. The DCS will fit full sheet pans in.

Hope that helps.

Cheers