The venting issue is correct. You will need great venting for a 36” or a 48” range, but the 48” will almost certainly require make-up-air. May we see the layout of your kitchen?

@eam44 Ok, I know I'd read a bit about that here. Is that costly to do for new construction (in comparison to the 36" range)?

If juggling pots/pans on the burners are an issue, I'd seriously consider induction. You can "pair" burners together so larger pots can straddle the two heating areas. Pretty sure, however, that the largest size manufacturers make is 36", so you'd have to have wall ovens to make up the oven space you'd lose with a 48" range. If you cook a lot, I'd recommend a wall oven directly beneath the cooktop, with a second one stacked nearby, perhaps paired with a microwave or speed oven.

I’ve never built a home but my guess is this is the ideal situation for mua. Just make sure it’s included in the plan.

We built our home 4 years ago and our township required venting for MUA. Large homes where the standard range / cooktop was 36 inches, many choosing to upgrade to 48". If you are finding the 30" to be too small, I would think a 36" would also be a little tight. I'd upgrade to the 48" with double ovens underneath.

Get an induction setup where you can extend the size of the elements, essentially using 2 for a single pan (like an oblong roaster). And induction is a fabulous technology and the only way to have an electric stove......it has so much better control than radiant heat, and is easier to clean (and safer).

My issue isn't that one burner isn't big enough for my pan - it's that I can't use more than 2 pans at a time, so the double burner wouldn't be that much of an asset to me. I get that induction is easier to clean but I also am wary of glass cooktops. My mom has an electric cooktop and you can't stir anything without holding the handles because the pans spin. Not sure if that's a pan issue or a glass cooktop issue, but that's another of my reservations.

I'd go to a showroom where they have working models of these different options on display. It's really the only way to see for yourself how they operate and whether they will fit your needs. Then after you settle on a type, look at Consumer Reports or other customer reviews.

@Sabrina Alfin Interiors I do plan on doing this; I was just hoping to get some people to chime in who have either size and what their opinions are on how it works for them. If people think the 48" is too big, if the 36" is too small, if the ovens on the 48" aren't good sizes, that sort of thing.

Sure, but only you know how you use your kitchen. How you configure it and with what appliances is very individual, IMO.

@anj_p, I have a Lacanche, that has both induction (2 burners) and gas (5 burners), but it is larger than you're considering. I was hesitant about induction at first, until I learned how awesome it is. I am still very happy with my range and burner configuration, but I will say induction is efficient for boiling water, maintaining temperature, simmering, cooking at low temps, etc. I do agree with you, though, that the ability to bridge burners for larger pots and pans will not fix the issue you're talking about. Only so many large pans fit on a range (mine included).

I have a 36" induction range. Three larger pans easily fit but once you get a fourth large pan it can get a little tight though nothing is askew. The trade off is the HUGE oven. I went with the 36" for this reason then added a wall oven and speed oven on the opposite wall.

"it's that I can't use more than 2 pans at a time, so the double burner wouldn't be that much of an asset to me."

Me either, but some people like that flexibility. I've had induction for 3 years now, and my pots don't slide or spin -- see if you can try it out with your own pots.

@megs1030 that sounds wonderful! I don't think I'll have enough space for anything larger than 48" but I appreciate your views on the gas vs induction! Lacanche ranges are gorgeous.

IMO a 48” range is only neccessary if you cook for 20 all the time , even resaurants often do not have 48” ranges the venting is expensive and really loud . I run a catering biz from my home with a 36” 6 burner all gas top and oven then doulble electric wall ovens honestly more that enough for 95% of all home cooks. I do have a single burner induction that is portable and I use it for delicate sauces or melting chocolate.

@User @Patricia Colwell Consulting Thanks for that info! I'm not trying to be luxurious - just tired of feeling cramped on my stove. If a 36" is sufficient for most people then it's probably good for me. I was intrigued by the option of doing the griddle but I don't want to lose 2 burners on the 36" to do it...but maybe the single portable induction burner would help solve this for me. I was trying to avoid the wall ovens since I'd prefer to keep the space for cabinets etc. but there's been a lot of new tech (speed ovens etc.) so maybe i'll look into that more.

If you want a 48 ", buy a 48 ". Just spend the money for it to be done correctly, including MUA, a large enough hood, and may be more.

This said, it depends on how you cook. I cook everyday and cook on a 30" range without problems, even with 3 pans, so I suspect that a 36" will probably be fine for you, but it is a question of preference. Do what you want.

Given the paucity of 36" induction ranges and the fact that they are all weird brands, maybe go with a 36" induction cooktop (example: GE Profile PHP9036DJBB) with a wall oven (example: LG LWS3063ST) installed underneath or nearby.

Sorry, did not mean to imply that you purchase something larger than 48" or a Lacanche. Was just chiming in about induction.

I do agree with a previous poster, that you should get what you want assuming you can afford it and plan appropriately with MUA, etc. Good luck!

Here's our experience over the years. I used to have a 36" Thermador gas cooktop (circa 1993) with the griddle in the middle. Used it a ton when the kids were at home. I loved that I could take it to the sink and wash it. When we remodeled, I went with a 48" Capital gas range top - six burners and a 12" grill and two Miele 30" ovens. I purchased a griddle that fits perfectly on top of the grill. I went with this set up so that I could wash the griddle at the sink. We recently had a couple of friends over for brunch and I was making pancakes while DH handled other duties on the four burners to the left of the griddle. With a 48" surface there is enough room for us to work together. If I am cooking by myself, often times I will have the three front burners busy. At only 5'3" I don't have to reach over a hot pot to get to a back burner. I went with a range top so that I didn't have to stand in front of the ovens. Instead of stacked ovens this time, I placed the ovens under the counter. Pots and pans are under the range top and pullouts on either side - one for knives and utensils and the other for baking sheets which has a drawer above for oven mitts and potholders. Many don't like ovens under the counter, but it works for us. I like the space above for taking things out of the oven to cool. The long side of our island runs parallel so when l'm baking at Christmas with helpers we have space across on the island for working and don't run into each other at an oven stack. This was my inspiration.

Artful Sensibility | Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Kitchens · More Info

@wilson853 Thank you! That is a great inspiration photo and I really appreciate your input on your experience! That was one of my thoughts for getting a 6 burner configuration too - my front burners are the big burners, so they're usually the ones doing the water boiling or the high heat frying, and I really dislike reaching over those pans to get to the back burners. I also like the idea of a cooktop but I'll have to think about how I want to use my ovens. I've never had a cooktop with separate ovens so I'm not sure which I'd prefer.

Well, I've learned that the inspector will require a hood that can take the full capacity of the range, even though all burners would never be used at once. Makeup air is required at 300 CFM. The 48" wolf requires 1100. As far as wolf appliances go, this means the biggest I can get is a 36" gas cooktop (no range), or a 36" induction range, otherwise I'll need a makeup air system. That system (according to our builder) will cost between $4000-$6500 depending on required capacity.

That's a HUGE difference. I was willing to spend the money on the range, but add 50% to the cost just for ventilation...I think I need to scale things back. I'm bummed.

Anj_p, we are putting in a 48"gas range, a 1200 cfm 48" hood, and MUA. In our region, the MUA does not need to have a blower, and it does not need to be heated....waaaaay less money. Look around, your HVAC guy might be quoting you the best option...but not the only one.

I cook a lot-family of five and extras often-and am entirely happy with my 36” Bluestar. I rarely have more than two or three pots at once and it’s easy to space them out. I love the large oven-I wouldn’t give it up at this point-and on the rare occasion I need a second oven I just use my Breville. Way cheaper :)

We are very happy with our 36" gas range. It has a nice big oven underneath too. We also have a 30" wall oven. Between the three we feel fully equipped and don't want for more at all.

@Sara @A S
what I got from the ventilation guide from wolf's website was 36" ranges need 500 cm, which would require makeup air (anything over 300). Did you have to do that?

We don’t have a Wolfe just a lowly kitchenaid. We have the hood fan that was recommended with it. But I have no idea on the cm stuff 😬

it's based on total burner BTU, so it doesn't really matter how fancy the range is. the ge cafe is even worse since their burners are 18k each while the wolf is only 15k. looks like a 36" gas range is going to require makeup air regardless of what model I buy. so my choice is either go induction or get a cooktop with 5 burners and separate ovens instead, or pay for the ventilation.

"Plan to spend as much on ventilation as the cooking."

Live Wire Oak is correct with respect to high BTU cooking. Make Up Air is a serious business with many variables. Search these forums for lengthy discussions about hoods, venting, and MUA and you will learn that it's a complex engineering issue to balance the household pressure while removing air from the cooking area. You need to hire an informed HVAC person. Your quote may have been for a system that is connected to an existing HVAC system (which seems to be very complicated to someone like me with no experience). There are 'passive' options, not connected to existing HVAC, when properly configured, can work well and may have a lower price. To avoid disappointment, I am mentally budgeting $5k for an exhaust system for a $5k 36" gas Bluestar rangetop with the hope that it will be less for the ventilation.

You can get a griddle that spans 2 burners its cost is less than $30 put it away when not in use .

This is a picture of our DCS 48" range that we installed in 2006. It is a dual fuel with gas on the top and elecric ovens. There are five burners and a griddle on the right. The griddle is very convenient for pancakes, french toast, steak, and many other foods. The vent above it is a vent-a-hood that is rated at up to 1200 cfm, and it has quite a large vent to the roof. At the time it was installed there was no code requirement for MUA, so we don't have any system for MUA.

The two sizes of oven is really convenient because the small one heats really quickly when you come home and want to get something going quickly, while the large one has much more space, and ball-bearing slides for large heavy cooking pans and dishes. This range was about $9k in 2006, so I expect its quite a bit more now.

I was surprised to find that the griddle (its under the cover on the right) is very easy to clean using commercial non-toxic griddle cleaner from a restaurant supply. You just heat the griddle slightly, dribble on the cleaner and let it sit for a few minutes, and then squeegee/wipe it all off into the grease trap/drain on the stove.

Bruce

Anj,

I went with a 48" Blue Star RNB with 6 burners and grill, figuring I could use an overlay griddle when needed, but couldn't convert a burner to a grill. Have had it 2 years now and after the first year I kind of wished I had gone with a griddle instead. However, in the past 6 months I've been using the grill a lot, mostly for things like chicken breast, shrimp and vegetables. I wouldn't do red meat on it, too underpowered and the high btu burners do an incredible job of searing things like lamb rib chops or filet mignon.

It is the focal point of our kitchen with a stone surround, so that aspect also pushed me to a 48". Of course I could survive with a 36" just like every BMW/Porsche/ whatever owner could get to their destination in a Subaru, it just may not be as fun.

The double ovens are great, we are a family of 4 and surprisingly the small oven is adequate for 90% of our family meals. Love how quickly it heats and it perfectly fits a half commercial baking sheet.

MUA was a quite a saga with my builder and his HVAC people saying it was not necessary, my house was leaky enough and could easily be added after the fact anyway. I knew from reading these forums that was not the case at all, so I went to my long time HVAC guy for his thoughts. He had never done MUA in a residence but was willing to learn. I got a system made by fantech that automatically adjusts to my hood speed so it knows how much outside air to blow in. I'm in Chicago so it's also heated. The mua system was maybe $4k w installation plus $1200 for the hood, so your quote seems on target, particularly if in a cold climate. If you are in a temperate climate this can be far cheaper.

Keep in mind I only had to buy a hood insert since it is behind stone. A decorative one would be much more costly, and really I should factor the cost of stone into it all.

Overall I love love love my 48 Blue Star and the venting/MUA system is fantastic and worth its cost.... to me. 😀

Our hood fan is 600cfm so I believe is considered acceptable. I don’t remember there being any extra charge for venting etc. It’s also possible my city doesn’t have a code issue with mua. We haven’t had any issues with the fan and range

We have induction in our new house and I love it. Figuring out what level to use for various purposes is a learning curve, but I'm so glad we went with it over gas. We have a 36" cooktop and find it to be plenty of space. We considered the Wolf 36" induction range briefly, but for the cost a cooktop and wall ovens made more sense for us (and we really wanted a plumbed Miele Combi Steam Oven, which does live up to what everyone said about it).

That said, if you really want a 48" range, you might also check out Aga, which makes that size in an induction range with double ovens. Oh, and they're very, very pretty. That's about all I know about them, but could be worth investigating.

anj_p, you want double ovens and do a lot of stove-to-oven cooking. Be aware that double ovens in a 36" range are extremely rare and those are small ovens.

My current range (came with house) is a 36" Aga (discontinued Legacy model) dual fuel with 5 burner gas top and two ovens. The "big" oven is 24" and none of my normal half-sheet pans fit and neither does my 12" sauté pan--I got a 12" pan with small loop handles to be able to do those stovetop-to-oven dishes.

I was so excited by having the double oven when we were looking at this house, because the condo we were currently in had 24" double ovens and I thought I was moving on up :) to this Aga. The house before that had a 27" wall oven that I disparaged at the time and now wish I had that much room!

It appears that only the Verona brand now has a double oven in the 36" range, and its listed "big" oven is slightly bigger capacity than than my Aga. That may be because the Aga has a separate little broiler while the Verona's broiler is integrated into the "big" oven like a normal range.

On the other hand, I love the cooktop with the five burners. I previously had a 36" Monogram gas cooktop and have loved the room on both of these 36" cooktops. The most I've ever had is one 12" Dutch oven, one 10" sauté pan, one 1.5 qt sauce pan, and one 1 qt sauce pan and they all fit, though everything but the Dutch oven was on for varying times eg the one qt pan only for a few minutes.

I hope this is helpful to you, good luck! And oh, sorry for how big that photo is!

I had a 48” wolf df range and a Gagg combi in my last house. No problems whatsoever with my wolf range over a 15 yr span.

here‘s what I found that made me do things differently with this new house...

Smaller wolf range oven was rarely used.

I had the 24” Wolf griddle. Overrated and would not (did not) choose again.

The 48” range took up too much valuable real estate In my kitchen.

Got tired of bending over to use oven.

Would not give up a steam oven..priority item.

have you considered a 36” rangetop and separate wall ovens? Honestly, that 36” range has a great oven but do you really need an oven that big? My son-in-law has the 36” wolf range and the oven takes awhile to preheat. Oven size might be overkill but 36” /6 burner top is really nice.

We use the 36” oven when baking, keeping stuff warm for dinner parties, and Christmas etc. We use our 30” wall oven far more frequently for sure. But I’m glad we have both