I have the 36" dual fuel range and absolutely love the sealed burners. One of my friends bought the Blue Star and hates the open burners saying they can never get it clean enough. Plus, DCS offers 17,500 btu's as opposed to 15k with the competition. I really don't think you can go wrong with either one of your choices though. Good luck and happy cooking!

i think im going to go with the dacor.

there appears to be an online seller on ebay selling for 1399. this is ~200 less than I can buy it for locally.
There is also a seller that i've heard of on here called distinctive appliances. Their price is somewhere in between.

Should i just splurge for the extra 200 to get it locally or try an online retailer?

really appreciate your input...

I have recently installed a Dacor ER36D range and have had serious problems with the cooktop. The burners worked initially ( 2 days ), but after running a self-clean on the oven, the burners would not work. It has been almost a month and Dacor, the service company and the retailer where I purchased has been unable to resolve the issue.

I am at the point where I am going to have to call the credit card company used for payment and demand satisfaction. I tried asking for a new unit to no avail thus far.

The oven is electric and still functions and I realize that a self clean should have nothing to do with cooktop function. They tried replacing the regulator ( had to pull the range completely out to get to the back ).

I just want to be able to cook my family a nice breakfast on Sunday mornings and have been unable to do so since we started our kitchen remodel in May.

I hope Dacor steps up tomorrow ( Monday ) with a quick resolution.

3 Days of work missed to try to get this resolved so far. So much for investing in a quality piece of equipment.

illini, sorry for your troubles. I hope it gets resolved soon. Please report back and let us know how things work out.

I have the Dacor PGM365 drop in cooktop and have been very pleased with it. I like the "sandblasted" surface under the grates and find it easy to clean. I don't have to worry about scratching. It has plenty of power with even heat and great control, the layout works well for my needs, and I love the little blue lights on the knobs. They remind me that a burner is still on if I leave a pot sitting there and don't see the flame underneath. I have had no trouble at all with it. It is a pleasure to use.

thanks!
is it possible to email me a pic with the blue lights on?
ewarren423@gmail.com

i owe you one!
eric

Here you go, eric. 2 of the 5 burners are on. Hope this helps.

looks beautiful! thanks for the pic....i'm sold