Make sure you get adequate venting for your 60" rangetop. You have to do the math yourself, but you probably will need on the order of 2000CFM. That's going to be one huge and expensive vent hood, and a very elaborate and expensive make-up-air system.

As far as cleaning is concerned, I find that most days I just wipe the grates with a damp cloth and I am done cleaning. Takes a few seconds. But that only works because I seasoned the grates when I first got them, and I don't mind them developing their own patina over time.

Once a month or so, I replace the aluminum foil lining that I put into the drip tray. And every couple of months I think about pulling up the grates and cleaning them more thoroughly. Overall, this is the easiest range I have ever had with regards to keeping it clean. On the other hand, I have used the semi-open burners in the cooktop (doesn't have a drip tray), and those are much more difficult to clean.

Our Bluestar range is now getting close to 10 years old. I have replaced one of the ignition wires and venturi tubes. Not because they were used up, but because they finally had gotten so dirty that I wanted a new one, and I felt replacement was easier than me trying to make the old part pretty again. Once every 10 years is IMHO acceptable.

We have a Miele CSO (that appliance rocks!) and a Miele Speedoven as wall ovens to complement our 30" Bluestar range. I am extremely happy with this choice. Most of the time, I use the wall ovens rather than the in-range oven. The only exception is things that splatter a lot or when I need a good broiler. It's hard to beat the amazing broiler in the Bluestar oven.

If I was going to install a rangetop, I'd probably get the Bluestar wall oven (for it's good broiler) and the Miele CSO.

M, Thank You! Originally, I wanted the Platinum 48 inch. But I prefer the stainless steel type griddle and that I can do the 24inch all in one piece rather than a lip between the two 12 inch pieces. I‘m certain I would regret having less than 6 burners though...so that leaves me with the 60” RNB. Yes, I will need a huge hood. I thought that there was a drip tray under all the burners. Good idea on lining it with aluminum foil! My mom was convinced that oil or whatever would splatter everywhere else. I kinda feel the drip tray makes cleaning easier than the built in the Wolf has under the grates. (Wolf doesn’t even have a 60 inch Rangetop only option)

I am thinking Double ovens with a CSO in addition. I love the heavyness of the Bluestar wall ovens.

Yes, the rangetop has a drip tray. And that's exactly what you want. It's a crucial component that makes open burners so easy to maintain. The cooktop is the one that doesn't have the drip tray, and of course the sealed burners wouldn't have one either.

I hear you on wanting the RNB instead of the Platinum. I understand why you prefer that griddle design. If I was in the market for an integrated griddle, that's probably what I would look at as well.

Please note that a griddle can often be used as a make-shift flattop or French top. So, you might not necessarily need six burners in addition to a griddle. You can always place your pots onto the griddle. Personally, I have learned to used my ovens in favor or my stove top burners. So, it's a rare day when I actually need more than two burners. But I do use the ovens a lot for things like slow cooking and simmering. That's why I like having a total of three ovens. And why I like that two of these ovens are only 24" wide. That's perfect for my style of cooking. And the few times that I need a full size oven, the 30" Bluestar oven is amazing -- and I can't stop raving about the high-power broiler.

Several people in the Houzz forums have gone through a similar though process to yours, and quite frequently the suggestion is to buy an after-market overlay griddle instead of getting a 60" range. There are pros and cons to this decision, but I understand where both sides come from. Personally, I found with the awesome burners in my Bluestar, I prefer using thin cookware (such as rolled carbon steel) over having a griddle that takes a long time to preheat evenly. So, while I do have a small overlay griddle, I haven't used it in many years now. I use a griddle at a friend's house every so often, though, and while I like it I always find it's a little more hassle than it's worth it. But your cooking style can very well be different. Only you would know.

I don't have a rangetop but do have a Bluestar range. Cleaning it is not an issue. We just use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe up drips, spills and crumbs on the top. Every so often I will remove the trays and wipe them out. 2 x a year I'll remove everything and vacuum the innards below the burners. Very simple.

Vinmarks-Thanks so much! I don’t care much for cleaning, but sounds like her concerns don’t reflect reality!

M-Good points. I was actually very distraught the evening I saw the 2 Bluestars in person (Platinum and RNB). The Wolf is a very close comparison. I had a griddle that lays over burners at our last home and also 2 electric griddles for pancakes and such. We used them all the time! (Not much kitchen space in our temporary home). I also intend to do a lot of canning, so that is my biggest reasoning behind the burners. I’ve been weighing this decision for 5 months now. I know I won’t regret going larger, but think I would regret going smaller. My mom is doing the 6 burners and 12 inch griddle. A 12 inch by 24 inch griddle just doesn’t get me what I want. I’ve always wanted a Japanese griddle in my island....so the 24*24 griddle is a close comparison. (And still may add a overlay griddle sometimes).

I don't do much canning, and when I do I think I am breaking all of the rules. But from what I have been told, a steam oven works really well for canning. So, you might discover that you are really happy with your choice to get one.

M-Interesting...I haven’t heard that before! I’m super excited to have a kitchen that can handle everything I want to do the next 20 years!

There is a really nice discussion on using a CSO for canning at this website: https://www.chefkoch.de/forum/2,15,531666/Einkochen-im-Dampfgarer.html

Unfortunately, it's in German. No idea how intelligible it'll be after Google Translate had it's way with it.

I have the same question as we're now torn between a 48 inch Wolf with a wok burner vs 36 inch BS. My concern with Bluestar is cleaning on a daily basis. I feel when you do anything in a pan (eggs, stir fry, steaks, chicken, etc), you'll have a lot of splatter and i was wondering how easy it is to clean up the whole area without removing the grates all the way down to the burner to wash them (i know i wouldn't want to be doing this daily). Any insights? Thanks!

larazb I'm confused. How would you clean the Wolf range top without removing the grates? I had a Wolf Range in my previous house. It was an older model so I don't know what the newer Wolf range tops are like now. Mine had grates and a big black enamel pan that covered 2 burners. You needed to remove the grates to clean the enamel pan around the burners. The enamel never looked clean. I find my Bluestar Range much easier to clean. We just use a damp microfiber cloth and it cleans up easily.

@vinmarks the grates on the wolf are one piece, you remove it then clean the enameled base. With bluestar it's individual grates on top of bowls and I feel you'd need to remove each piece separately to clean well. Otherwise it's a lot of compartments and angles and grooves, no? Am I mistaken? Is it easier than I'm imagining?