There is no consensus on what's best, unless by "consensus" you have in mind a plurality of people posting on any given thread.

You mention mixed reviews for Wolf. I've actually seen very few negative reviews of Wolf ranges -- negative opinions from folks who don't have them are plenty in number, but reviews seem very favorable. Customer satisfaction numbers from, e.g., JDP, are very good. These are sealed burner ranges -- and some come in an "open" burner option that one might not consider a true open burner. One thing that might be a limitation to watch on some models: the smaller range (30") and the cooktops seem to be limited to lower output burners than their other products.

For open burner home ranges BlueStar (all of their ranges) and Capital (their "Culinarian" model) have fans on the board. These offer direct flame to the pan and higher output than most of the sealed burner options -- maybe all of them. I'm one of the people on the board who is a happy BlueStar owner -- great burners, nice solid and stable grates, a good big oven with terrific broiler -- but that's me. I know why I think my range is terrific, but I've got no particular conviction that it's the right purchase for everyone.

I consider dual fuel an unnecessary expense and complication in a range -- one can always add a separate electric oven -- but some people love them. I don't know that there's any consensus on this. Not an option with BlueStar and I don't think it is with the CC either, although I'm not positive about the latter.

There are fans of this, that, the other thing. Some long, long threads in praise of French ranges. I've read some very thoughtful reviews on this board, but I've read other kinds too, and in the end we're talking about the opinions of small numbers of users.

You talking replacing your "Cooktop" with an actual "Range"?

But in general NO I doubt there will any actual consensus, and really I doubt there is an overall "best".
It mostly depends on what YOUR criteria is.

For instance if you want a "30" Gas range, stainless steel, with an infrared broiler and want it for $2000 or less" then I doubt anyone could beat an NXR stove in that category.

But that doesn't mean the NXR is "THE best" just means it is probably the best choice using that criteria.

You might need to get quite a bit more specific in exactly what you want/need and then you might get a bit more of a consensus.

dawgtirednc writes: "My electric cooktop gave up the ghost last night. ... I would like a gas range... ...is there a general consensus on what's best?"

As djg1 responded, there are very few opinions as to which you will find consensus. However, as close as your are ever likely to get to consensus is that, among those who have long experience cooking with both gas and induction, they love induction and never would return to gas.

Induction has limitations working with woks and there are some pots and pans (mainly aluminum) that will not work directly on an induction cooktop, but there are easy workarounds for the incompatible cookware, and even some partial solutions to the wok issue.

Beyond that, induction is pretty much superior to gas across the board -- more powerful, faster, more finely adjustable, better low simmering, more easily repeatable settings, easier cleanup, even of spills while the food is still cooking, lower heat leakage to the kitchen, lower chance of burning yourself, no carbon monoxide emissions, etc. And your existing electrical connection will serve induction, whereas you would need to get a gas line installed for gas.

The herring maven might be right about this but it's hard to tell:

"As djg1 responded, there are very few opinions as to which you will find consensus. However, as close as your are ever likely to get to consensus is that, among those who have long experience cooking with both gas and induction, they love induction and never would return to gas."

Certainly, many people have been happy with a switch from gas to induction. I'm just wondering about selection bias. On this board, I'd guess that the overwhelming majority of folks who have long experience with both gas and induction are home cooks who replaced gas with induction. That most -- the large majority -- are happy with the switch is good to know. But if I'm right about the direction of the change, then it's a population of folks who were interested in switching to begin with, tried it, and then liked it or loved it enough to jump to the new (to them) system. That's not to say that they were wrong, or that induction is not great stuff. But it's not the same as, say, a random sample of experienced cooks who had to switch to induction for a year. Fold in the folks who tried it and thought, "not for me" or some such, and you might very well weaken the apparent consensus.

I'm comfortable cooking with gas and find that it's as finely adjustable as I'm able to notice (and am not at all worried about CO, or burning myself, and find cleanup of my open burner range mostly a breeze -- a quick wipe of the grates or bowls). But induction has lots of fans, and by all means check it out if you're interested.

I agree with dig1. Wolf does have an excellent repuation, very few problems, just not as much power as a BlueStar or Culinarian 16,000 vs 22,000 - 23,000. I have the Culinarian, The BlueStar would also be an excellent choice especially now that their customer service has vastly improved according to this forum. Nobody in our area seems to have them, but I looked at one several years back and was impressed. If you like to do some serious wok cooking or searing or charring vegies on the stovetop I would recommend one of those two choices, no Capital does not offer duel fuel either. If you do a lot of pasta or simpler fare an induction may be for you, certanly easier to install as you already have electric. But those two powerhouses will bring a large stock pot of water to a boil very quickly as well. Good luck!

djg1 speculates, provocatively: "I'm just wondering about selection bias. ...[I]f I'm right about the direction of the change, then it's a population of folks who were interested in switching to begin with, tried it, and then liked it or loved it enough to jump to the new (to them) system. That's not to say that they were wrong, or that induction is not great stuff. But it's not the same as, say, a random sample of experienced cooks who had to switch to induction for a year. Fold in the folks who tried it and thought, 'not for me' or some such, and you might very well weaken the apparent consensus."

If one could locate just one individual of the "folks who tried [induction] and thought, 'not for me'," the case would be interesting. But no such person has presented herself or himself to my (admittedly limited) circle of acquaintance.

In my case, it was hardly self-congratulatory bias (cognitive dissonance?) that moved me to induction. I grew up with gas and -- although having very little experience with alternatives other than campfires -- always "knew" that gas was best. Then -- I was an experienced (gas range veteran) cook who was closer to 40 than to 30 at the time -- we purchased and moved into our present home that had no gas connection at all, and had to live with a (pretty good for the genre) coil-top electric range for a number of years.

I always disliked the coil-top, and was certain that someday, after the bills for our child's college education had been paid, we would pundle up the considerable sum it would cost to have a gas line run to our house, and the additional price for a real gas range, to which I dearly longed to return.

Then, in 1999, our electric range descended into the progressive throes of an irrepairable death; and, while looking for our long-desired gas range -- we definitely were looking for gas, not an alternative -- we came across a warranty-return induction cooktop in a local appliance dealer's showroom at an incredibly low (under $500) price, and we decided to defer the big gas line expense and take the plunge to induction, knowing that if we did not like induction, we had very little money sunk into the experiment and could resume our deferred quest for a gas range whenever we wanted.

Of course, just like every other person whom we ever have met who was exposed to induction, we were instant converts and became proselytizers, as you see me today.

Most people have alot of experience cooking with one high-end residential range at most. Some two but rarely three. I don't know anybody that goes through high-end ranges like a pair of shoes. So the "but they don't own it" critque of complaints does not hold water. If you have to own several of the ranges or somehow find an alternative rout to being a heavy user of ranges/cooktops to be considered a valid commentator then almost no one qualifies.

I have tried induction (Wolf) although I have never owned one. Hated it and will never buy one unless I find myself living somewhere with neither natural gas nor propane are an option. It seems "plasticy" and "inorganic" to me. I like cooking with fire.

I have also cooked on BS RNB. Don't notice any advantage in power or control with induction.

I would go with 1) Capital Culinarian or 2) Bluestar RNB if you have the means.

There are certainly many choices but no one best range.
Consider how you cook and use your oven and prioritize your needs.

budget-how much will you spend?

how much you bake, roast vs broil
Do you need the ability to utilize various oven modes and direct heat from top or bottom? This is a feature I've not had before but LOVE now. Do you bake multiple racks of cookies or fill your oven. Someone recently explained that even baking in these situations is a benefit of third element convection. Is an infrared broiler important? I actually use my oven for art projects so need really low heat with a fan so the dehydration setting on my wall oven gets used frequently.

Is self clean important?

Do you have a preference for open or closed burners(just for the sake of cleaning)?

Is the temperature of the door to the oven important with little ones around or standing in front of the oven to cook?

As far as the burners for cooking, do you cook a lot with your burners now at the highest heat? If so you may want to consider the highest BTU burners. I cook more with lower heat and really like the low simmer of the Wolf DF-on all burners. I've never felt like I didn't have enough heat for what I wanted to do. Would you consider induction?

Is the ability to get service important? Try to read online about your local retailers.

I would try to cook/bake on the range you are considering. It is really the only way you can tell what you like.