Need more information on the other elements in the room.

The griddle is very handy if you actually use it.... I rarely use all six burners on a range... If you really entertain a lot, or have a large family, you may need a larger unit.

The griddle is hard to clean. I used it twice in my last kitchen in 7 years. It's much easier to get a big pan that can be easily washed. And my next kitchen I think I will find a cooktop that has fewer burners but more spread out so you can actually use them at the same time.

I'm thinking that I like the flexibility of 6 burners. I suppose that I could get a nice griddle pan that covers two burners for when I want to griddle. What about the grill option? I know that it is an infrared grill. Any experience using it? I will have a blower that vents outside.

Yes. I had the griddle for 7 years and didn't think it was as good as a pan and much harder to clean.

For grill or griddle you will want really good vent, so be sure to work out ventilation while you are planning. I opted for griddle, since for us the outdoor grill is very convenient for year round access so I didn't feel need to be able to grill indoors. We use griddle at least a few times a month, for veggies, fish, meat. I don't think I would need 6 burners more than once or twice a year, so it has been a good choice for us. Think through how you like to cook, if you would use the six burners more often, that would be a solid choice and you can sear on a regular pan or griddle. Enjoy your new kitchen!!

Oops. I didn't have the grill. Sorry.

You can always buy a griddle and lay it on top of the burners.

I have a 48" thermador with a grill and griddle. Love the griddle and use it constantly. It's way more space efficient and easy to clean than a pan so I'm very puzzled by the it's-hard-to-use comments re griddles. Also, a built-in griddle heats the entire area evenly whereas a griddle on burners will obviously have much hotter spots over the burners.

Conversely, the grill is completely useless as it is extremely hard to clean with the grate, as well as the metal pieces over the heating element. Used that exactly once. .

My new cooktop at a different house will be a 4 burner plus griddle. I love to cook and have never even come close to wanting to use more than 4 burners.

While it is rare that I need more than 4 burners, I do like the idea of being able to spread my pots out a bit on the range when I am using 3 or 4. If you get a really good griddle pan, wouldn't that help alleviate some of the hot spot issues? Also, I heard that these burners can get low enough to be able to use them to keep food warm. The other burners would come in handy then too.

@armygirl

What other elements do you need to know about?

I see that you have another dillemma going with the other items in the room but I really read the dilemma wrong but I got some responses for you. Lol.

I also have a 48 inch thermador with 6burners and the griddle. I use the griddle a lot and it is very easy to clean plus heats very evenly makes great pancakes and tuna melts

I have a DCS and my griddle is a royal pain to clean. I don't use it. I do like having a space in the middle of the stove (ie the unused, covered griddle). I think I'd use a grill and have wondered if I could replace the griddle with a grill. I'd find some site with reviews and look carefully at what people say.

Well now... I guess I am glad I didn't go for the griddle on my new stove recently. I was torn between well spaced burners, and that. I actually use the outdoor ( real fire-wood w/smoke chunks) when I grill. You can get a nice cast iron grill/griddle that is easy to clean and use for the stove top.

You made the right choice. I have a Wolf 48" 6 burner with griddle, double oven stove. I have used the griddle once in 4 years. I like the stainless top that covers it, as it is nice to have space on the stove, but I hate seeing all the scratches on it. It definitely wasn't worth the extra money. Wise choice on your part!

I also have a 48" Wolf with 6 burners and the griddle. I LOVE IT!! I was told by my appliance guy not to do the grill and it is messy and even with the best vent is still smoky. Yes, the griddle is dirty but a well season griddle is the best thing ever (have you seen the flat tops at restaurants). Don't ever use soap and clean it while it is hot. I just clean it and cover it.

Doesn't this depend entirely on what kind of cooking you do? Would you use a griddle or grill often? Would you use extra burners? The answer to this will be different for each cook.

Try an induction cooktop. Puts the gas to shame. Little cooking smell and doesn't burn food. Faster boiling. Was going to put gas in my new kitchen. Faster controlled uniform heating. Try a nuwave or berghoff plug in. I bet you won' t turn on the gas.

Get the 6 burner and don't mess with the griddle. It's messy and hard to clean.

I considered griddle on my 48" range...but opted for 8 burners instead. You can always throw cast griddle over 2 burners.

I'm planning on a nice range or range top when we redo the kitchen and I'm going to go with the extra burners plus a nice griddle pan for when I need that. I just prefer the idea of having more flexibility in what different areas are used for. Also, I don't really do a lot of stuff where I think 'oh, I wish I had a griddle!' regularly.

Maybe try making a list of the things you cook regularly or would like to be able to cook regularly, and see how much you'd benefit from one option over the other? It really does come down to what you need to be able to do in your particular situation.

I had kitchen aid. I think I used it twice And never really used all the burners. This will definitely be your preference The griddle just seemed like to much to clean for me

Cleaning is the only issue...but i like having the griddle...I love my kitchen aid products.

jUst bought this stovetop.Has anyone found a 2 burner pancake griddle for it???

Old discussion and a bit of a necro post but I wanted to add a few points that have not been mentioned. A lot of people commenting on 6+griddle, sure thats a great choice but not what was asked.

We went with a 4 burner + griddle, considered the 6 + griddle but opted for more counter space. Do not underestimate the importance of counter space.

We cook dinner with regularity and rarely have need for a 5th burner. Maybe a few times a year for holidays and large dinner parties but thats it. Design for what you have need for 95% of the time. Not the once a year Thanksgiving feast.

Another reason we chose the 4+griddle was because it simply performs better than the stove top versions.

Griddles/flat tops are awesome!

If the griddle with a cover on it and is in the middle it does get dirty and scratches Looks good , and potential homebuyers love it. Practical ? Only of you use it. 6 burners ? Only if you will use them .

Having a grill. I would stick to an outdoor grill / what the men prefer ! And less cleaning for sure

We have 36 inch Wolf store with griddle, used it twice. We seasoned it twice to help with sticking and STILL can't cook pancakes on it, just impossible and difficult to clean. We end up using a teflon griddle over the burners, just easier. If I could go back I would go with 6 burners. Even if we rarely use all burners, the option is there.

I have the Viking version of this and with the griddle and use the griddle several times a week and you can use the griddle with pans on it as a lower temp burner if in a crunch for needed space or to keep things warm. I think it works really well.

I have the DCS version and it is great. Cleaning is not an issue. I scrape debris into the hole located in the front and it is collected by a remove able tray you just slide out and scrape into the garbage. I use a sponge with regular dish soap and a green scruffy back to clean the surface. If there are hard black spots I sprinkle on some baking soda and spray with a vinegar water solution. After I wipe clean with paper towels I spread a little veggie oil lightly over the clean surface and cover it up. It's never rusted and it's as nonstick as any Teflon pan I've had. When we have a crowd for breakfast we also have a cast iron griddle that we use on the burners but it is not as good the griddle.
I would never have a grill in the house. Been there done that and even with a professional range hood you had smoke in the house. I put a cast iron grill pan right on the griddle and can sear the meat then finish in the oven. A lot less smoke and works like a charm.
I like having the 4 burners separate enough that 2 people can actually work at the range.

@Becky Bishop - what kind of spatula are you using, having trouble with cooking on the griddle? We were at one of those Japanese hibachi restaurants where they cook on the not table right in front of you. I watched the chef closely, and got some good ideas about how to use my griddle and how to clean it. Sounds silly, I know, but it was helpful to me. After I saw what he used to flip things on the griddle, I went out and got a couple of really nice, long, stainless steel spatulas, one with rounded edges, one with straight edges. These are a good 6 or 7 inches long and also have nice long handles. With these nice spatulas, I found cooking on my griddle much, much easier. It is not a non-stick surface, so even with some seasoning, I still use some sort of butter or oil when I cook things.

So, treat yourself to a fun dinner, and be a student of hot surface cooking.

`

I have the 48" wolf with 24" griddle and four burners. I absolutely love it and use it several times a week. its easy to clean, and i never need more than the four burners. I have seen people put pots right on the griddle and use it as a burner as well. Before my remodel, I had 6 burners and used a nice cast iron griddle on top of two burners. I left it there all the time because i used it several times a week. It was messier and uglier. I love the wolf griddle in comparison and would recommend it any day.

I just looked at the Wolf griddle and was surprised by the surface texture, the care manual says to season, so it is stainless steel, but it's got that weird textured look that they said was bead blasting. How do y'all find the texturized surface to work in real life?

We have the 48" Wolf with 4 eyes, grill, & griddle. The salesperson tried to talk us out of the grill, but found a pre-owned at a steal. But he was right- it causes a lot of smoke, especially with anything fatty. It takes a while to cool down, so you always leave it dirty overnight, and you'll smell it in the morning. I do use it more in the winter for steaks as too cold outside- but don't cook ribeyes or such. My largest issue with it is it is on or off. When on, it can sear a steak well, and cook it well. But it is too hot for many things. When I tried to grill chicken I burned the outside before I cooked the inside. If I could get it variable- I'd be a much larger fan.

I went with the 36" center griddle option I had wanted and we are quite happy with it; as I thought, we use the griddle all the time. All I do to clean it is pour hot water on the griddle when I am done and after most of it steams, I use paper towel to wipe up the surface dirt. We do not clean the griddle to be shiny and silver, it is nicely seasoned such that we can cook fried eggs, no problem.

I've previously had 36" 6 burners with a griddle that fit on top of the burners, for me, this is perfect, exactly what I wanted. Caveat, I used to work in the food industry and we cook all the time, it may not be right for your use.

Griddle is a waste of space. Impossible to clean. Does not “griddle” well I wish I had gone with burners. You can always get a top griddle.