The 30" range will likely be more in your parents budget range. What 'style' are they looking for. If you want a 'Pro Style' range in stainless, you may want to consider the NXR. I myself have not considered that brand as I'm looking for a range that will come in white. I did look at a Bertazoni that seem very well made but the oven has some quirks (little smaller in size, also the lowest setting is 275). I think the stainless all gas version is a little above the $2500 mark.

Many of the higher end 'consumer' ranges retail for about $2000. Electrolux, GE Profile, Kitchenaid. Frigidaire has some that are a little less expensive that also have some good feedback. Some brands only have specific features in slide in arrangements (Frigidaire Dual Fuel as an example). But if you want a stainless finish more options will be open.

I think as you research ranges your confusion will grow (mine has) as you hear that all modern ranges with electronics can fail. I haven't gotten much feedback on my concerns in a post a few days ago.

It may be best for your parents to decide what features are essential and narrow down the brands from that list.

Thanks for the response! I have been cultivating a small passion (as an outlet to law school) by reading about kitchen designs and appliances on this website and others. Maybe I am in the wrong field.

It baffles me that the pro-style, $4000 and up ranges seem to have mechanical problems and customer service issues, despite their simplistic designs. Then, the $2000 and below have electrical issues. You are so correct, the more I research, the more I am confused.

NXR seems good, but I am a little concerned about their quality (no real history). I wish the blue star was at US costco, that would have solved all problems.

Im really thinking about a major appliance store (wished Expo was still here) and telling them to get the 5 year warranty and just save up for the unforeseen.

With that said, I have been impressed with two items. The Fisher and Paykel 36" range at lowes (waiting for the sale) and then the Kenmore Elite 36inch cooktop with the 18,000 btu burners. Its around 1198 and another 1000 could be spent on a solid gas oven. Nothing too fancy.

Thanks again!

I love the Bertazoni. Great seeming quality without all of the troublsome electronics. They recently had a $500 off sale and the self cleaning dual fuel was $2200. I like the smaller oven since I'm not planning to cook for lot's of people. Maybe me and a few friends once in awhil. They do make a 36". Anyone know more about them as? Getting service and parts? Problems.

I have a deposit on a Jenn Air Pro Style dual fuel downdraft slide-in, but am concerned that they are having a lot of trouble.

Read one post stating that parts are made in China now on most ranges. GE is an exception I believe, but still look lower end inside the oven. And of course Wolf is all American made. I missed a great one on Craig's List.

But I think the Wolf is a no frills solid work horse.

I'm in a small town and can't afford or justify anything over $2500, and then only if it will last at least 10-15 years or perhaps a lifetime and I'll take it with me.

I need either a slide-in or a free-standing range with a shorter back like the Bertazoni. Anybody have suggestions.

Frigidaire might still make their Professional Series of ranges, but I think they've upped their price. A friend got one at Lowe's that was a scratch 'n dent or return for $1100 and likes it just fine. Has a nice look.

You should be able to get the GE Cafe for $2500 or less if you shop around. Electrolux is European made which might be better quality. Very popular in Europe.

My Jenn Air was a floor model. Most smaller appliance stores are not carrying Jenn Air because they require stores to have a large display like the higher end brands. I was planning to get the 5 year warranty but am afraid of the electronics failing at that point.

What is NXR or Blue Star, are they commercial restaurant ranges? They can be gotten from restaurant supply stores and sometimes great ones used, but they usually require stronger ventilation and greater clearances, have to be lit with a match and of course aren't self cleaning. If the power goes out that would become an asset.

Bertazoni sounds great. I went to Sears (thought if they are going to get a range, might as well look at a 5 year warranty). The Kenmore Elite (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02275403000P) looks okay but in person, no offense to anyone, but it was flimsy. I didnt think it would have the heft of a wolf or true pro-style range but it was disappointing. Im going to check on Bertazni when I get a chance. I also wanted to know if anyone knew about the fisher and paykel (http://www.lowes.com/pd_285160-45535-OR36SDBGX1_4294858018+4294965345_40?productId=1080661&Ns=p_product_price:0&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__4294858018%204294965345_40_?identifier=). I saw a few five star ranges on craiglist. I am very close (this is pretty much on me for recommendations), to simply recommending a kenmore elite or another gas cooktop
(around $1100 after one of those major sales) and a solid convection gas oven.

I guess it will have to be a 30 inch range or the cooktop. Damn shame with all this information out there, it looks as if one cannot get a solid gas range with no bells and whistles that looks good under 2500. I understand that at this price, we cant get it all, but there has got to be a market for something like this that looks good and doesnt have a super self-clean feature or 5 convection settings.

I've seen a 30" Bertazzoni for ~$2300 at either AJMadison or HomeEverything. I've been looking at a 36" Fratelli dual fuel for $2500. Verona also has a 36" dual fuel available for about that price.

My quandary is that I've never bought a major appliance from an online vendor before. Online reviews, as you might guess, run the gamut. So I'm a bit nervous about going that route, but it's the only way I see to get the appliances that I want at a price I can afford.

Anyone have any experience with buying online?

Thanks again for the responses. We are going to look at a NXR next week. We saw a 30 inch gas range with a 5 year warranty online for roughly $2500 out the door. I am still wondering about the Fisher and Paykel, 36 inch at Lowes, but the NXR is starting to look like a great deal and a 6 year total warranty is not bad.

The 36" NXR is a very solid made range for it's price point. It is an all gas range with (6) 15,000 btu burners and a 22,000 btu oven burner. It has a 5.2 cubic foot oven capacity and a 16,500 btu infrared broiler. When my kitchen is done in (3) months I will own (2).

I wanted all gas ovens and sealed gas burners. I had a hard time finding what I wanted.

At first, American Range's free standing range looked like a winner. That was until I read too many complaints about it here on Garden Web. I don't want to see so many negitives from an almost $5,000 36" range. Same goes for the high end wall ovens from American Range, Blue Star and Viking. There were too many negatives for me to feel comfortable in purchasing them.

Then I saw some very good reviews on a range called NXR. I never heard of it before. It is made from the same parts as Wolf but is assembled in China. Hence, the reason for it's relatively low cost. So I get very interested in this NXR because it seemed to be just what I was looking for.

Eventually, I take my car along with an open mind and I drive 1 hour to look at the only NXR I could find in my area. I really wasn't sure what to expect considering how some reviewers said it was unattractive and cheap looking. Personally, I thought it was as well made if not better made than the more popular brands sitting in the showroom. I liked it. I liked it a lot.

The salesman was also pleasantly surprised. He admitted to not showing it much but was truly impressed as we both went through the features together. He noted the burners were made like the higher end ranges and he was shocked that a low cost range like this had an infrared broiler.

The sides of the range are strong and the door feels substantial. The 30" did not have a seamless cook top but this did not affect me since I was purchasing the 36" size. Overall, this is a range definitely worth looking at. Just try not to have any preconceived ideas about it so you can judge it fairly when you see it up close and personal.

I look forward to using my NXR ranges and posting on their performance.

Is anyone familiar with the fisher and paykal euro 36 inch range or even possibly the Ikea PRAKTFULL PRO A51 S? From what I understand, it is a slightly stripped down Fratelli Onofri evolution range.

I just wanted to put in a good word for NXR. We've had ours over a year and are very happy with it. We also considered the Ikea range (but needed 30"), the Bertazzoni (but the oven was waaaaay too small), the Capitol (NXR was much better than that one, side by side in person), GE Cafe (did not want the electronic module.) I spent under $2000 on mine and I really truly love it, especially for the price. I have some older threads on here you can find if you want more details and pics...
STacey

Why get a stripped down Fratelli with plastic knobs when you can get a real Fratelli with steel knobs for under $2500? Here are two:
http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/FREV905S.html (also see link below--I'm emphasizing this one because it has the larger oven of the two)
http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/FRPN365SS.html

I just ordered another Fratelli model myself--haven't used it yet, obviously, but I saw one in person and it was solid and beautiful, and you have to love those reviews (17 people giving it an average of 4.3 stars out of 5).

The big reason I got a Fratelli, apart from the looks (I got the Royal Chiantishire, a very particular look) and the great reviews... ok wait, there were two big reasons apart from those:

(1) It has almost no electronic parts. On these ranges I linked to here, the clock is the only electronic part. None of those fancy wave-touch control doodads that are 99% certain to break as soon as the warranty expires. Basically it's all mechanical, and I would expect that to be much more reliable, although having not even received the range yet much less used it for years I couldn't really say.

(2) It's got everything you would need, unless you are a professional chef or so close to a professional chef that you truly do need 18,000 BTU burners.

Personally I just saw no point forking over $5000-$10,000 for some uber-powerful range that not only has features I don't need (do I care that the spaghetti water boils 2 minutes faster than it will on my Fratelli? No, I do not) but also will force me to invest another $1500 in a range hood capable of dealing with that much power. Not to mention, another $1000 or so reworking my ventilation system to provide makeup air--my local building codes require makeup air for any vent hood over 400CFM. But add up the BTU's on the Fratelli and you find that you can get away with a 400CFM hood... which saves me not only the cost of the high-powered hood, but also the cost of reworking the ventilation system.

BTW, you may also be able to get a better deal with AJ Madison. I was originally going to order my Fratelli from them, but they're out of stock on the one I want. But when I was going to order it--and at the time it was $2999--the guy I talked to on the phone said he would throw in a free five-year extended warranty. So it's certainly worth calling them to see what they can do.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fratelli range, 36

eThanks for all the help and responses. After looking at the NXR (beautiful in person), berta, and even tracking down the Ikea pro range (a great range), m parents decided not to do a complete tear out and instead work within the existing layout by updating the cabinet doors and installing new granite. The original set up is a gas cooktop and an electric oven. After viewing several cooktops, my father, an avid believer in utilizing one's wok, is smitten with the capital maestro 36 inch. They thought about the DCS gas drop-in as well, but actually liked the quality of the capital and the great customer service options (and the 20k burner!).

Now all we need is a electric wall oven. I have heard good things about the bosch and electrolux, but I am just happy they found a gas cooktop!

Most of the other things are starting to fall in place...

Bosch dishwasher

Whirlpool gold, counter-depth side-by-side

Thanks again Gweb!All of your posts really helped convince my parents that at 65 you dont need to bend down for an oven (because of the wow factor of a range) when you have a perfectly good set-up already for thousands less. They were still able to get a high-end gas cooktop for more than half the price of a comparable range top or range.

As an update, they looked at AJ Madison, per your suggestion, and found the capital at 300 less than the local store. Your good reviews actually induced my sister and brother-in law Ilook at the NXR and they are getting ready to purchase the NXR 30 inch as well. No offense to anyone, but they were getting ready to purchase an electrolux gas range for 2400 from Lowes until I told them to look up this forum. I think the thought of replacing a large electronic motherboard and the heft of the NXR was the deal closer.

mtbt - which bay area store did you find capital maestro in? I am hoping to see it before I buy it.