Hmm... Seeing the Bluestar RNB with a rebate is just under $6k and the American Performer right around $5500.

Guess I'm probably needing to pick between either of these.

I'd get a Bluestar of those two. You might need service. I've been mildly irritated--nay, thoroughly pi$$ed--at AR's unwillingness to assist me.

If you care about performance, don't get a range, get a separate cooktop and wall oven. Multi-tasking appliances (such as a range) are always better at one particular task. With the combo, you can select the best of each. What I have is a Bluestar wall oven and a Wolf 36" induction cooktop.

I would go with the BS RNB. I like the way the performer is designed with the semi sealed burner tray but not sure about the simmer or how much control you have going through the range of the burner. ForI and others have had issues with the service end of things.

I would recommend separate wall ovens and rangetop for many because you can pick best component as Jerry says and sometimes there are ergonomic considerations. You might save money by putting money in the rangetop and getting a much less expensive wall oven. On the other hand if you have the hole for the range in an existing kitchen, I don't think you can't go wrong with the RNB range. I think the oven will work well for your needs as stated and even beyond.

Yeah, no spot for a wall oven.

A Miele 36 induction cooktop can go over a wall oven, no problem.

I would recommend induction and then sort through the various options. After a lot of consideration, my wife decided on the new Bosch range. For various reasons the others were scratched off the list. I think the Bosch is rather homely but my wife is ok with the looks and she wanted digital controls for the easy cleanup. The Elux slide-in is made for right handers and I am left handed. The Miele is way over priced for the features (unless you are buying for the M-Touch and for status), the induction unit is out dated. I love the looks of the Fulgor Milano but it is a rather ordinary range beautifully designed (if looks are the only consideration get one). The KA is not much better looking than the Bosch (it is cheaper though) but doesn't offer FlexInduction so the Bosch won. In a few years, we will revisit the range offerings and maybe Fulgor Milano or some other aesthetically superior range will offer a more updated functionality.

Interesting suggestions.

Let me reiterate:

I have a hole for a free-standing range. Wall ovens or no, this range will have an oven in it. I don't care how well the oven works as long as it works.

Six burners. Gas, open burners, as powerful as I can get.

I'm a cook. I won't go near induction, don't care about digital controls, or appearances or anything like that. I'd buy a commercial unit if it were legal and it didn't create so much heat running the pilots continuously.

I've cooked a fair number of times on a commercial range and that's the thing I'm looking for.

Being a cook doesn't make induction off limits. However, I have not seen an induction with 6 hobs. If you like power, an induction delivers about 3x the power to the pot as a gas. A 3700 watt induction hob would be equivalent to 30,000 btus gas. And the 20000 btus that don't end up powering the pot do end up heating the kitchen.

While I agree that induction trumps gas often, you have specifically said you want a gas range and there's nothing wrong with that.

Fori said in brief what I might have taken three paragraphs to say.

Have you looked at FiveStar? We've had a few people come by here who have gone with that and were very happy.

Or have you thought about shaking the money tree a little harder? You sound like the perfect candidate for a Capital Culinarian. It's almost to the top of your extended budget, but it's worth checking out thoroughly. Go watch the Eurostoves videos. Search all the old threads here for the good and bad (many of the really bad things in the older threads have been improved, so if you see something worrisome, do look for the changes--there were a lot of early adopters here and they went through some first to market growing pains with the company). Talk to Trevor from Eurostoves.

I didn't mean to imply that there was anything wrong with induction. I'm aware of the capabilities. I just absolutely don't like cooking with it. probably, I could get used to it, but I'm accustomed to varying the heat input by lifting the pan off the fire. My instincts are so tightly wired to gas that I'm disinclined to change for this purchase.

On the next one? Maybe.

Good point on being handy. If I can get parts, I can fix anything that fails on a gas range.

Sounds like you are pretty fearless. I'm going to suggest the BlueStar. You want big fire and simple engineering, BS is your stove.

I've got the range top and it's a delight.