" But these ranges are built to very different specifications and they wouldn't make sense in a residential setting. " Not just nonsensical, but illegal. That is, they would not pass residential code (clearances to combustables). And they would be hot as hell.

My dd has a 30” kitchen aid dual fuel range from recent remodel. enjoyed cooking dinner at her house recently. Nice burners and center removable griddle for fairly nice budget appliance. It’s really attractive.

knobs turn on too easily imo in a home with children. You don’t even have to push down and turn. She ordered the range without trying it out and would not have ordered it if she knew about the knobs.

as a housekeeper for many upscale homes, I've cleaned dang near every brand of stainless steel appliances. in my opinion, I love kitchen aid stainless the best overall for cleaning fingerprints and such. unless they have changed in the past 5 yrs, Viking rates as my least favorite for several reasons. one, the stainless is dry and streaky, definitely stains rather than less. two, the cooktop designs are rife with crack and crevices that are impossible to clean and no way to dismantle. some have the handy crumb/spill drawer as shown, but others do not. regardless of the brand, the kitchen aid cooktop design shown here ( seamless under grates) is going to be your best friend to keep clean. Another reason I definitely would not pay a premium price for Viking is the availability of certified repairmen are limited compared to KitchenAid, to which I've seen customers need more frequently with Viking vs all other brands. good luck with your new kitchen appliances!

I would save my money and economize elsewhere in the kitchen to own a Bluestar rangetop. Even though it will cost more, it won't cost that much more. It's worth saving up to get it right the first time.

Bluestar!!!

Just make sure you get the open burner rangetop. The cooktop is a very different design and not nearly as easy to clean nor as nice to cook on

I can't speak to Viking except the hours of research that I've done on brands and models for my own remodel. And, it seems to have more problems and bad ratings than most. I have had two "regular" KitchenAids. One double oven dual fuel and one full oven all gas. Both were freestanding with controls on the raised back panel and closed burners with SS top. Zero problems, easy to use and clean, decent BTUs and burners. It's not a pro style, but I've been generally happy with the brand for an average, serviceable stove.

But, this time, I am restoring a 120 y.o. cottage, and I wanted a vintage look. Figured out I can't spend $$$$ on a 30" range. Rats. So, I decided to look at prostyle ranges in my price range (~$5k). Prefer slide in, open burner, counter depth. Customizable trim colors a plus since I really didn't want SS but am now going with that.

Long story short, the KitchenAid pro range models fell a little short in a couple of areas for me. I'm going with BlueStar RCS open burner. If I decide I'd prefer a higher BTU burner that is on the upgraded RNB (+$1k), I can swap out a burner later.

For what it's worth, Consumer Reports rates the Viking cooktops fairly high (75/100) and KA cooktops low (50/100) but they are ranked in reverse order for the prostyle ranges.

A special shoutout to @M for being so helpful and informative on other related threads, and input to my decision process. I'm very happy with where I landed (not installed yet). Still dreaming of a Lacanche or La Cornue range for their beautiful style... but that will be in another life. :-)

If you're looking at Viking (which I would not recommend based on the countless poor reviews I see on here), take a look at Lacanche. I love mine and highly recommend! The company is a dream to work with.

I was also looking at Kitchenaid but then after discussing options at appliance store and reading reviews, decided on Thermador. They are having a great promotion.