I have the DCS and I find it easy to clean - I like sealed burners and find them easy to clean - others prefer open burners. The top of the DCS is stainless and it is easy to clean and stay clean. Mine still looks good after 5 years. No pro-style range will look pristine after 5 years - buy the range to cook and enjoy it.

I have had my Bluestar cooktop since December and have not had to clean the grates yet other than to wipe them occasionally with a damp sponge -- and I cook a lot.

They get "seasoned" like a cast iron skillet. Of course, a new cast iron skillet looks completely different from a seasoned one, so it depends upon what you want your range to look like.

But Weissman is right -- no pro-style range will look new after 5 years (or after 2 months).

I'm bouncing between the BS and DCS gas ranges too. My husband was concerned about the BS grates getting worn looking and had me inquire about getting extra grates, etc. when I bought the range, so we can "dress it up" if desired. Ask your dealer, but my dealer quoted me $63 each for the 2-piece grate set, $48 each for the extra burners, and $13 each for extra igniters (I understand they can break easily). -- I still may go with the DCS, however, because I think the sealed burners may be more suitable to my messy style of cooking, and the glides on those oven racks are oh-so-smooth.

We have the BS and really liek the open burners as any spills, etc go into the drip pan. We line the pan with foil and just remove it when necessary.

I am pretty fussy and have found the DCS very easy to keep clean. I usually just have to lift a corner of a grate to wipe spatters.

Thank you everyone for your comments. It still looks like a toss up with two different schools of thought.I like to use my stuff but also like to keep everything looking new as well.I will probably go with the DCS because of all the issues I have been reading about concerning the Bluestar. It's too bad, because I really liked the Bluestar. But, the DCS is a beautiful unit as well.Hmmmmmmmmm.......

We've been using the Bluestar 36" rangetop for over two years. We cook hard and aggressive and are not particularly concerned with being neat cooks. We find that the Bluestar does not need to be pampered and continuously kept after. Basic spills and errant ingredients drop past the open grates into the drip drawer. Splatters go unnoticed. A drip of pancake batter on a hot grate easily flicked off. The industrial BS cooking surface is a dream for those of us without the time or inclination to constantly clean.

I've cooked on a friend's high-gloss black Wolf range. A single session with a fry pan left the glossy black surface visibly splattered with small specs of grease. Yes, after taking the grates off the surface was easy to wipe clean - but the point is that it visibly needed to be cleaned. My friend says he needs to clean the Wolf daily.

BUT (always a tradeoff), when the Bluestar needs to be cleaned, it's a bit of a project. The grates and bowls are heavy- so be prepared for that. They can be placed in the dishwasher - but for best spacing in my Bosch DW it takes two cycles. I typically wash by hand but it is a bit of project. And because I live by the ocean, the grates can get a few spots of light surface rust if I don't take the time to lightly oil them. But man, when I take the time to clean them well and do a quick light oil, the rangetop looks pristine and brand new.

I only find it necessary to do a thorough cleaning every few months (call me a slacker if you must). It takes two or so hours, but I suppose if I compared that to a few minutes a day on a traditional stove top style, it would be a wash (no pun intended). One piece of advice is to wipe the SS backsplash regularly. Because of the intense heat of the rear 22k burner and even the 15k, splatters can really get baked on and require serious elbow grease if allowed to accumulate.

The Bluestar is an amazing cooking machine. Good luck with whichever range you decide on and once you do, don't look back or second guess - simply cook and enjoy.

That is some great info!! I was wondering how the BS would hold up. Thanks!!

By the way, what do you oil them with?

Vegetable oil is what I use but I don't know if the manual specifies a specific cooking oil.