I had a Blue Star RBN. I cannot imagine needing any more BTU's.

If you were looking at ranges, I would say pick the RNB. I believe the Platinum oven burner is intended to address the long pre-heat times. But I actually prefer the more traditional oven burner in the RNB, as the oven is very reliable, predictable, and cooks very evenly. Having to wait 20min or more for preheating is not ideal, but honestly, that's something I can fit into my workflow with a little planning. And I do have small wall ovens preheat within minutes, if I do need to do so.

Since you are looking at the rangetop, the answer isn't quite as obvious, as the differences aren't as substantial. But then, that also means the price difference is harder to justify.

If you stir fry regularly, the extra BTU will make a difference, but it's probably still only a "nice to have" feature. You probably only need a single 25kBTU burner. And if you are good at DIY and scour the internet a little bit, you can find the parts to upgrade your RNB yourself. In fact, if you have a good dealer, they might even be able to help you out. You need to replace the burner head, which should run you about $150 and you need a new Garland-style orifice. No-name parts cost on the order of $10. You might need to buy a deep socket wrench if you don't already have it or if you can't persuade your dealer to swap the part. That's maybe another $20. So, all in, you are looking at maybe just under $200 (assuming you actually can find the part, which is not always easy). And you need to watch all the Youtube videos explaining how to adjust your new burner.

That leaves the question of whether you prefer the RNB or the Platinum griddle. I don't have a very strong opinion either way, as I am not convinced that a built-in griddle is all that useful unless it is at least 24" wide. And that means getting at least a 48" rangetop, and 60" would be better. But that makes it very challenging to install a functional vent hood. There are just too many ripple effects to this decision.

If I had to make this decision all over again, I'd stick with a 30" or 36" range(top) and get a quality overlay griddle. As is, I find my carbon steel skillets and my carbon steel wok work just fine for things that I would otherwise use a griddle for. I do own a small griddle, but I think I should just throw it away. Haven't used it in at least 8 years, and last time I did use it it was a pain to clean up afterwards. But then, everybody has different cooking styles. So, you might very well love getting a good griddle.

Among the people who have a griddle for their Bluestar range, I think a lot prefer the RNB design over the Platinum design. It's been a while since I looked, but I think only the RNB griddle has a thermostat. I could see how that would matter if you do a lot of cooking on a griddle. On the other hand, a griddle has the same problem that the oven has, it does take a good while to preheat before it becomes usable. That's why I prefer my carbon steel cookware, which is ready to use within about 30 seconds.

Am I correct that the only differences are the btu's and accesories?

I have the Blue Star RNB. Love it. 8 burners, and when I want to use a griddle, I bought the plancha ( for
$1000) and worth every penny

You can get a thermostatic griddle / flat-top w/ the RNB. You cannot with the Platinum.

More: https://bamasotan.us/griddle-faq/

Opaone - what do yo mean by ’bricking’ your griddle? Also, for someone who has a 30” BS, hence no option foe the thermostatic griddle, would the baking steel work? i did read the linked article from the blog article, utilizing the steel to give french top utility to a smaller stove.

A steel or griddle will sort of work but not nearly as well as thermostatic. While a thermostatic will stay with ±30°f a burner top can see swings of ±200°f or more and is more uneven across its surface. A burner top is more of a low heat plancha than a griddle or flat-top.

You can buy a griddle brick online. They work well for cleaning. In the restaurant industry this is called bricking.

@Craig D I am facing the same decision. To me, the decision is fairly simple. If you plan to use a griddle and have room for at least a 36" range top, RNB. If not, Platinum. @opaone explained above how the RNB griddle is superior, and I think you need at least 4 burners, hence my 36" criterion. Note that there are some fairly minor cosmetic differences between the RNB and Platinum. I actually prefer the looks of the RNB better.

Or u can buy the plancha and remove 2 burners and then when done, u can put back the burners i bought the plancha so i didnt los my burners i love my Blue Star RNB

Thank you for great info!

I really like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-E7951364-Anodized-Nonstick-Dishwasher/dp/B01L1V78PG?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

It's 11" square, so it fits perfectly over a single Bluestar burner. Really robust non-stick finish.

The long handle allows easy, one handed, wiping of the surface over a trash can while the pan is still hot. Can orient it so the handle is sideways to prevent it from blocking other burners. Allows use of multiple griddle pans at different temperatures.