Which one has better reviews and repair records?

Who will be using it the most?

I think those two things would play into my decision. I know someone who has the GE Cafe with the two ovens and is very happy with it. I do not know anything about the Fratelli other than what it looks like

I will probably be the only one using it, save for the times DH is trying to make up for something by cooking me breakfast.
I actually have seen very few reviews on the cafe, and more on the fratelli (which has good reviews).

We were on the edge of buying the GE Cafe 30" because DH wanted the center griddle and I wanted the bottom warming drawer.

Prior to that we'd been sold on the idea of the Bertazzoni pro 30". My best friend has had one for several years and I like cooking on it when I visit her.

Friends had the GE Cafe - and I talked to them both (both mom and dad cook - but different things.) They both complained about how the griddle on the cafe pushed the burners too far to the edge - so large pots didn't fit well - overlapping onto the counter. And they both said the center griddle was underpowered... didn't work well for pancakes or quesadillas. (Both are important if you have kids.) They said it works ok since it's what they have - but they would not recommend it to us or buy it again themselves if they were doing it again

After talking to them, and testing out the pot placement on the Cafe, we opted to go back to our original decision on the berta.

That said - the Berta oven is small. We have a big roasting pain with a lid that we use for cooking 2 chickens and for turkeys at the holidays. We have to remove one of the racks to get the height needed.

I love the look of the Fragelli - but we were limited to 30".

I am confused why the 36" range has a small oven...my 36" KA dual fuel has an enormous oven. Does it have 2 small ovens or something? I like having a 36" because I like having the griddle in the middle, plus bigger looks better in my space.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not quite sure why the fratelli has such a small oven, maybe it's because its Italian? I also looked at the Smeg and Verona 36" and they both have small ovens also. I would go for a larger capacity 36" but we are on a budget. DH's argument is that we can always upgrade the fratelli 36" to something better later on. My concern is what is best for us right now. The whole back wall layout will be determined on this range decision.

Happy here with the GE Cafe. Use the griddle every weekend albeit just for pancakes. I always store the griddle pan in the warming drawer when not in use to avoid the pushing out to the side problem and because I like to be able to slide pans around the stovetop. A friend of mine always thought her mother's Cafe griddle was underpowered until I showed her that you need to remove the center rack when using the griddle pan. I've had all four burners going many times with 13" fry pan and stockpot on the front burners. Warming drawer takes forever to warm up because it's 110, but works fine when up to temp.

Italy based Terim, maker of Fratelli Onofri brand appliances, which are widely distributed in North America, has shut down its 2 Italian factories and layed off 400 employees. Other sources inform us that the Turkish plant is also effected / closed.

The secondary cause of the factory closure is a failure to pay its suppliers, so reports Mappa dei Conflitti a communist newspaper. Other sources inform us that the debt to suppliers is 35 million Euro.

Primary Cause..........hmm, gross incompetence, market collapse.....we do not yet know

The paper reports that the Italian workers are staging a sit-in to thwart any possible plans of Terim for the midnight removal and transport of production equipment to Turkey where Terim has already positioned a production location for its low end products.
Will Terim survive the current crunch?

It looks like the Fratelli Onofri range could get orphaned. I have an orphaned range hood with external blower.I could always get another blower if it fails. Parts for this range could get tricky. Keep that in mind when making final decision.

Here is a link that might be useful: LINK

I will make a case for smaller ovens. They are fantastic for smaller bakes (think lasagna, chicken, pasta, cakes etc..) Much more energy efficient and comfortable. Other than cookies and cupcakes, large baking is usualy not the norm. I think people are more likely to bake main courses, or start on the stove and finish in oven if they did not have to preheat the big cavity.. Just my 2 cents. Have you looked at Capital, Berta etc? I have used the GE cafe and found the top layout somewhat limiting if you use a large pot and the oven was inconsistent (cookies crisper on one side of the oven than the other)

I myself would vote for more burners/larger cooking surface every time. And I would love two smaller ovens, but just got a steal on a single oven range so I will eventually look at installing a small wall oven somewhere or a countertop convection oven. Could that be an option for you?

The fact that I couldn't fit my 12" skillet and a 3 quart pot on the same side at the same time made me c.r.a.z.y.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not quite sure why the fratelli has such a small oven, maybe it's because its Italian? I also looked at the Smeg and Verona 36" and they both have small ovens also. I would go for a larger capacity 36" but we are on a budget. DH's argument is that we can always upgrade the fratelli 36" to something better later on. My concern is what is best for us right now. The whole back wall layout will be determined on this range decision.

I was extremely displeased with the build quality of the GE Cafe that I saw at Home Depot.

Used a 30" GE Cafe for 10 days over Christmas through New Years in a brand new condo. It took forever for a small pot of water to boil! Grill worked ok for bacon & sausage. Very crowded cooking space.

Love the look of the Fratelli Onofri. Great reviews as you have found. More space to work with on the top--big plus in my book! I think that you will find that the extra 6" lends greatly to the function. The smaller oven may not be a bad thing--think less time to preheat + less space to continuously heat = lower power bills--did you know the oven and the dryer are the 2 appliances that make the power meter zoom around at nearly the speed of light?!?. Besides, think about how much space is not utilized when you have something cooking in your standard size oven. It appears that what the Fratelli Onofri "lacks" in height as compared to the GE Cafe (-4"), it makes up for in width (+5"). It's only 2" shallower than my GE Monogram ovens and I know there is at least 2" of wasted space on the racks depth-wise even with my wide cookie sheets. The icing on the cake? It costs less!

I know of at least 3 people who have the Cafe and all are perfectly happy with it. I would not try to shoehorn in a 36" into a kitchen where space was a premium. Nor would I ever want a range that I couldn't cook a turkey in or had to guess about product support.

Hi, I am also in the middle of the "great range" debate. Cabinet maker made an error and now need to decide btw. losing 3 inches of much needed cabinet space or move from a 30 inch Ge Cafe (which I 've basically been happy w/ for two years now) or 36 inch Fratelli gas. Wondered what decision you made and where you found that great price on the fratelli. Also any input on Verona, NXR or Berta welcome... we are getting gas on the street so it will be my first purchase in this form of cooking!

Cocokey...

I ended up with the 36 Berta Master series. I have not used it yet because I am also still waiting on the gas line from the street. But it does look sleek and beautiful. Everyone oohs, and ahhhs as when they walk in the kitchen.
While I had my heart, and pocket set on the fratelli, I heard they were on their way out. I decided that it was not worth the risk.

I can't reccommend enough my appliance guy. They are located in NJ, but they do ship nationwide. The prices and service were fantastic. If you decide to call them, mention that I recommended them. Paul's appliances - 973-344-3228

Good luck with your decision and your remodel. I'm sure you would love any 36" range... It really makes such a statement and in my eye looks more high=end. (says the girl with ikea cabinets)

Stacy