Have you seen the Blue Star in real life? For some reason, I don't have a clue why, that range looks much better in person than in pictures. I was pretty surprised when I saw the difference and the sales guy at the shop said I had a common reaction. It might have to do with how good all the cast iron look on the cooktop part. But don't discount the Blue Star's looks before seeing it in person. (In the end, I went with induction, so no Blue Star for me.)

I have seen all of them in person.

I have a 36" BS RCS. I've had it for two years now and I love it. It is a joy to cook on and you will not feel underpowered at all. About the only time I wish it had more btus is when I'm in a hurry for a pot of water to heat to a boil. But rarely do I ever use a burner on high for very long. My food will burn!

Searing and sautéing, stir frys and carmelizing all are a breeze. Simmering works well too, but I do find it's best to turn the grate so it sits above the burner another half inch or so, to really help with simmering.

The oven bakes and broils well. I'm not a huge baker, but breads, cookies, roasted veggies, lasagna, etc... all come out great.

The RCS is easy to clean too.

Thanks for your comment. Can you tell me what the knobs are like? The ones in the store didn't seem very solid...kind of plasticky...

The ones on my oven are metal. I'm pretty sure that Bluestar uses the same knobs on all their products.

Oops! I read the comment from malabacat as the DCS...sorry. The Bluestar knobs are pretty solid. Jerry - that oven is beautiful!

Thanks! Since I only got the copper trim on the knobs and handles, the price was pretty reasonable too.