I've been there - just a few days ago, in fact! I started with the Berta, moved on to AGA then Ilve then Capital...every time I went into the appliance store, I'd come out more confused.

Bottom line for me ended up being budget and getting back to basics - what did I REALLY need. I'm not a chef, but I do a lot of cooking and wanted the 6 burners and maybe a griddle. I don't need a rotisserie, even though it would be cool. I loved the Berta and went back to look at it again. I've sold myself all over again and will be ordering a 48" soon. The fact that the hood comes free until the end of June is a nice little bonus as well.

What bad things have you heard about the Berta? Most of what I've read has been pretty positive. Every range is going to have *something* that someone isn't going to like. I stopped striving for perfection and the question answered itself.

Good luck with your quest!

Vinogirl,
We have the 36" Wolf gas range with 4 burners and grill. We are serious cooks. We adore our range. The oven is wonderfully spacious. The grill is marvellous and opens up all kinds of culinary possibilities, but does require a powerful exhaust hood. We also love the open burners and small inner ring which allows for small pots and a truly low-heat simmer. Our neighbours have Agas and La Cornue ranges, but we wouldn't trade the practicalities of the Wolf for anything. The model hasn't changed in many years and is about as solid and no-frills as you can get.

I have a LaCanche Citeaux. Looks were very important to me, especially as I installed it freestanding, but I also wanted function. For that reason, I did not get a La Cornue, whose ovens are simply too small no matter what anyone tells me.

As you know from their website, LaCanche offers many configurations. Our Citeaux has 4 burners and a hob, which i have used as a 5th burner once so far. I don't often need six burners, but you could use it that way. I have a simmer burner that i really like, I have an electric oven, a gas oven, and a warming cupboard and SS work surface. One downside - the electric oven is small. I had to buy smaller broiling pans. Otherwise, i love everything about it, including the high performance. My former range was a Viking, i never owned a Wolf.

I think the only thing LaCanche cant do on your list is grill. Actually, I may be wrong about that ... my model didnt offer it.

Here is a link that might be useful: an example of configurations

If you want outstanding looks and excellent function for a reasonable cost, I second the Lacanche. I've owned mine since 2005 and love it. One caveat: As mtnredux mentions, the ovens are on the smaller side. I have a Cluny and do not have convection in the electric oven, so while it is fine for lasagna, quiche, etc., it's not so great for multiple layers of cake or sheets of cookies. So I would recommend getting a configuration that gives you a larger electric oven that you can opt for convection in.

One thing I will mention about the LaCanche, on the off chance there is someone else like me who is installing it freestanding. If you go to their website, the first range they show is freestanding.

But when you install it, the sides look like this: (ignore the installer with the potfiller coming out of his nose in this shot)
{{!gwi}}

We all thought the side looked a little odd, being exposed. Hard to tell in this shot, but the gas line and electric are visible.

My GC says well, "you can 'just' go to a metal fabricator and have him make you two pieces of stainless to cover that". I'm sorry, I thought LaCanche was the fabricator and that, having paid them $14,200, I should not be scurrying around trying to find someone to custom make a panel.

So I called LaC. They were very nice, even sending me a detailed email about what I should ask a fabricator to do. But, you know what, I still think that is the wrong way to treat a customer. They should either just do it for me (if it is so easy to "just" find a metal fabricator, then they should) or, at the very least, offer it for sale.

When I told them as much, nicely of course, they pulled the ultimate. They said this was never a problem in Europe, but for some reason the (crazy, shallow) Americans are bothered by it. That really shut me up. Every time I look at this, I remember how authentically French I am, and pat myself on the back.

{{!gwi}}

Vous etes vraiment francaise, Mtn!
Vinogirl, truth be told, N (the husband part of our duo) determined the range. He had a strange affinity for the Wolf that could not be shaken. He's a bit of an anomaly in terms of not loving to barbecue outdoors (especially when black flies or mosquitoes are at their peak, which seems to be most of the summer). Now, thanks to the indoor grill, we can have seared steak anytime, oysters sigh themselves open (no shucking required), N never turns down an invitation to cook, and we can plague the neighbourhood with the smell of grill cooking in the dead of winter. I will be eternally grateful to N. The Wolf is a perfect cooking machine. And to think I once plotted to get rid of those red knobs I've come to love.
But, I agree, the French ranges are beauties...
Bonne chance!

I'm getting a Capital Culinarian rangetop. So excited!! I hear their oven is great too, but I need two so I bought Wolf Series L ovens. Have you considered a CC? I'm sold on their ease of clean compared to a Wolf.

Have you checked out the Appliance Forum yet?

Side note to mtnrd. That's a crazy story! I don't think we Americans are strange for having that exposed look bother us. To me, it also looks like a safety hazard with little kids running around. They should at the very least sell side panels for those that want them.

My suggestion is that you go see them, live. I had been fairly sure I knew what I wanted but the experience of seeing the two alternatives I was considering and being able to actually see the flames, take the burner grates off, open the oven, etc -- changed my mind. Don't make your decision based on spec, speeds and feeds as they say -- go see and touch.

Side note to mtnrd. That's a crazy story! I don't think we Americans are strange for having that exposed look bother us. To me, it also looks like a safety hazard with little kids running around. They should at the very least sell side panels for those that want them.

There is nothing unsafe about an exposed gas pipe or electrical cord, presuming the little kids aren't carrying metal shears or a Sawzall. Still, a metal piece fabricated to cover the gap could also provide a small landing shelf on either side of the range, which could be a safety and convenience plus.

The difficult thing about ranges is that there's no one perfect solution.

If you're wanting French/trad style (Lacanche, Cornue or Berta Heritage) you get ample power on top but smaller ovens; some not lighted.

Then there's the all gas option where the Wolf, Blue Star and lately Capital Culinarian come in. Those have the larger ovens and power on top.

Most refined are the pro-style dual fuel (which as mtn points out you can get on the French-style ranges) and there Wolf seems hard to touch.

In this area though, you pay for style and the combi fuel. Price points on those is way beyond something like the Berta, which is a basic range with electric ignition.

The big advantage on Wolf dual fuel is the digital oven readout and they are great ovens. Now if you live in a place with a lot of power outages (I do) that can be an issue.

Bottom line: you pay quite directly for your features on a range so determining priorities can be really helpful.

One question to ask yourself: Are you a top cook or an oven cook? Many people want high powered ranges for wok and browning. Some want giganto ovens that hold a full sheet pan.

With me, just as a f.ex., I don't care about maximum power on top as I don't use the wok. I don't saute very much (unless I'm making cassoulet or a stew in the winter). I use my bbq a lot. I'm an oven cook who usually roasts and uses the oven for for many things folks do on top of the stove (rice, veggies). I use an electric steamer. But I want a precise (electric) oven because I bake a lot -- breads, pastry.

So for me, the ideal solution would be a dual fuel range. Having had a rotisserie, I'd want one etc.

People buy ranges with features they never use all the time. Good intentions, aspirations, whatever. That's fine and why not. But it's a bear to get a range that gives you something you don't need vs what you do -- why the analysis is useful.

Mtnredux - very helpful info - thanks! BTW, your kitchen looks awesome! What kind of flooring do you have? It's beautiful! Breezygirl...I may have to take another look at the CC. I'm impressed by all the options. Sayde...i hear you. I've had many opportunities to see a Wolf in action but not much of anything else. Probably should figure out a way to look at a couple of others. Rococogurl...i love to cook everything. so i'm a big top cook and oven cook. I'm also hoping to have a small home catering business so am trying to do some forward thinking in regards to that. I know there are plenty of people who have these gorgeous ranges with numerous features and basically just use them as showpieces, but for me, this will be something I use everyday. Out of curiousity, what range do you have?
Thanks everyone for all your help!

Vinogirl,
If I were doing catering, I think I would insist on double wall ovens. Until we totally revised the PO's floorplan, I was putting in double french door ovens. You may want to look. Bluestar makes them too.

Here is a link that might be useful: french door ovens

Mtnredux - very helpful info - thanks! BTW, your kitchen looks awesome! What kind of flooring do you have? It's beautiful! Breezygirl...I may have to take another look at the CC. I'm impressed by all the options. Sayde...i hear you. I've had many opportunities to see a Wolf in action but not much of anything else. Probably should figure out a way to look at a couple of others. Rococogurl...i love to cook everything. so i'm a big top cook and oven cook. I'm also hoping to have a small home catering business so am trying to do some forward thinking in regards to that. I know there are plenty of people who have these gorgeous ranges with numerous features and basically just use them as showpieces, but for me, this will be something I use everyday. Out of curiousity, what range do you have?
Thanks everyone for all your help!

Vinogirl, what are benefits/drawbacks of french door ovens?

Another thing to think about is the other cooking appliances you will have. For example, some people feel a dual fuel range is a great idea, but many like gas ovens. But if you get a gas range and also get a speed oven you will have "dual fuel" -- electric wall oven plus the gas cooktop (and the gas oven as well, of course). Gas ranges tend to cost less than dual fuel (depending on brand) so the savings can be deployed to the speed oven. We have the Blue Star range with a Miele Chef Speed oven -- this is a popular combination and there are some informative threads about this topic on the Appliances Forum.