Anne

Christmas
Exterior outlets (preferably switched from near the front porch)
• On either side of front entryway for Christmas lights.
• Under roof eaves
• High on each porch
• Around perimeter of wrap-around porch
• Near the top peak of gable so there's a place to plug-in the Christmas Star
• Place exterior outlets along driveway and access point on main arterial
Inside (preferably switched) outlets
• At preferred location for Christmas tree
• Under inside of front windows for 'candle' light (www.windowcandles.com) (Stillites)
• At front of main staircase for a lighted garland up the staircase.
• Fireplace outlet on the mantel for decor items
• Outlet over the kitchen cabinets (if they are open to the ceiling), to plug-in Christmas lights to highlight decor. In this way, you don't actually see the wires...just the glow.
For heavy decorators, consider one or two separate 20amp circuits
Outside
Landscaping
• Pillars/posts at the end of my driveway
• Uplight landscaping lights
• Wiring or conduit under your driveway/sidewalks, for later landscaping
• Garden accent lights and fixtures
Outlets
• strategically in yard for electrical mower or weed eater
• one on each exterior wall

wiring for a tv outside up in a corner of my lanai pool area;
wired for two lights in my swimming pool;
wired all four corners of the home with motion sensor lighting;
wired for an irrigation only well;
Wired for motorized awnings
Foot lights (attached to light sensor outside)
Placed an outlet next to our dog's outdoor kennel for a heated water dish.
ceiling fans outside
Allow electrical runs for 'future' buildings or storage sheds, as well as possible motor home hook-ups.
Don't forget to provide electrical package for cooking and barbecue area (and, place it adjacent to the gas supply line).
Include outdoor lighting for stairs, steps and walkways.
Will there be a gazebo in your landscape?
Be sure to design an electrical package for this area!
If you're including a fountain, spa, pool, wading, or hot tub...be certain to remember electrical service for pumps, lights and outlets.
Include electrical service for future shop or work area.

Entertainment
wired for outdoor speakers/indoor theatre system;
Speakers in ceiling
Speakers in eaves outside
For an entertainment center, include 2 quad outlets on center of that wall!
Where your TV is located, don't forget the DVD, VCR, CD, cable, satellite receiver

Kitchen
TV/Cable in my kitchen;
Low voltage-xenon undercabinet lighting;
Above cabinet rope lighting.
Switched outlets above all cabinets (rope lights, Christmas lights)
Outlet above kitchen cabinets to put rope lights (on a timer).
We don't plan on having a TV in the kitchen, but we wired the tall storage cabinet with power and cable for the "next" owner.
Under sink dishwater outlet
Disposal outlet
If you have a glass-fronted cabinet, you probably will want a light source in there.
GFI outlet under the sink for the instant hot water dispenser and garbage disposal
In kitchen walls, place outlets for under- or in-cabinet lighting.
Outlet for my mixer under the countertop in the cabinet the mixer lift is in, that is the only one I wasn't able to do.
Place outlets on both ends of the kitchen island.
In the kitchen we'll have a 12 foot island and also a 3x4' moveable island. That island will be wired to connect with a floor outlet for use while in the kitchen and also have a side outlet connection so I can roll it into the GR for Christmas or even outside on our porch for Margarita parties :)

Utility
added a transfer switch into my fuse box to add a generator safely;
Wired for carbon monoxide sensors
Wired for weather station
If your new home is located in an area where power-loss frequently occurs, be certain to install a sub-panel for electrical generator, or a future alternative energy source.

Security
Alarm system to include the fire sprinkler system
Alarms in window screens (so windows can be left open without breaching the security)
We've wired one loop of exterior security lights on one of the generator's circuits that will totally illuminate the entire yard on all four sides of the house. We have a manual switch in the bedroom, another at the front door and an automatic relay that will turn the lights on if the security system is triggered.
Switch next to bed in Master Bedroom that can turn on/off all exterior lights (yep ... those "boogieman lights").
Bedrooms
built-in ironing boards in laundry and master closet
Laundry/Mudroom
Outlet in the laundry room for iron.
built-in ironing boards in laundry and master closet
Outlets in the top "cubby" of each mudroom locker for charging cell phones.
In the laundry room, provide electrical service for clothes iron (and, don't forget service for a built-in ironing board with a light).

Bathrooms
Chandelier over my bathtub in master bathroom;
Outlets near toilets (Toto washlets)
Outlets inside bathroom cabinets for hair dryers
Water sensors in all bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchen
Dedicated circuit for whirlpool heater
tv behind mirror in master bath
telephone in master bath toilet room
Place outlets in convenient locations at bathroom vanity, especially if there's a 'his & hers' side (off the sink counter and out-of-site is always nice).
Phone jacks in the bathrooms.

Living Space
outlets placed in the floor of my family room so I could have a light placed behind the sofa on my sofa table;
Outlet on fireplace mantle.
switches for gas fireplace starters
wired for plasmas above 2 fireplaces
In addition to the normal wall outlets we're going with 2 floor outlets in the center of our greatroom and also in the center of our gameroom. They'll come with wood covers for when not in use.
Garage
Wired the garage for a workbench complete with cable, phone and internet connection
phone in garage
Place outlets in garage where car will be parked for a car battery charger.
Also, include outlets at workbench height for power tools
(check amperage requirements of tools & equipment).

wired every room for tv, internet, phone, security;

Wired for Cat 5e ABus whole house audio.
did double tv/phone wiring in bedrooms to allow for flexibility in furniture placement

Rope lights (cove dining rm, under toe kick in bath/kitchen)
Automatic pantry lights - turn on/off when door opens/closes
Inside cabinet outlets in for toe-kick rope lights which was mentioned above.
Small things you recharge, like flashlights, dustbusters, cell phones, etc.
Wired our closet light to be auto on when the door opens.
Created a niche in the wall (could also do a drawer) with a outlet that has a surge supressor plugged into it for plugging in chargers for cell phones, pda's, walkie talkies, flashlight, etc. etc. etc. Over the niche is our message center...

Dimmer over desk in kitchen/living area as I like to surf while DH is watching TV. The dimmer is to keep bright light from "interfering" with DH's shows.
I put in all the outlets and spent alot of time visualizing various furniture placements, xmas decorations, and how we live (where to plug-in the fax/computer/printer/cell phones/answering machines/digital camera/etc).
220 in my closet for a tanning bed
lighting in all niches

outlets in cabs for chargeables

wired for under cab, drop-down, flat screens in kitchen and craft room

low lighting at stairs
floor outlets in den and study
"telephone in master bath toilet room

I also double-wired for tv/phone in every bedroom figuring furniture placement may change. I put a phone jack just inside the rear porch door, in the garage, and in DH's basement workshop area.
3. Here's the interior UTILITY ELECTRICAL PACKAGE:

Place several outlets inside walk-in closets for charging...batteries, pagers, cell phones, cordless flashlights...and those worthless, every-home-has-one, dust busters!
Place an outlet adjacent to telephone jacks for caller ID boxand your cordless telephone base.
I
Don't forget wiring and supports for ceiling fans.
Should radiant floor heat be incorporated into your new home, be sure to include electrical service for this system.
Place outlets in the hallway and entryway.
Sometimes it's hard to find a place to plug in the vacuum cleaner.
If you are putting in a security system or intercom (or are just pre-wiring), be sure to provide
electrical service to these areas.
Closely related: Run two cat5e (or cat6) and two (paired) shielded coax lines (RG-6 not RG-59)
to each room of the house, coming from a central wiring box.
Install a whole-house surge suppressor in your main breaker box.
In the attic and crawl space entries, place outlets near the access hatches.
This will be useful for a light and to plug-in an extension cord!
Think Ahead: place conduit in the ground to accommodate future el runs.

4. Here's the LIFESTYLE ELECTRICAL PACKAGE:
During the design process, review your floor plan using your furniture layout. Think about the lifestyle you want to create within the homestyle.
During the build process, do a walk-thru as soon as possible.
Re-think your electrical layout. Measure. Measure. Measure.
Mark locations of cabinets and furniture.
Define your electrical services based lifestyle needs.
Place outlets and switches in locations that are convenient for you.
Remember: Too many switches in one area looks ugly.
Place lighting fixtures in locations that will benefit your lifestyle.
Be sure your electrical contractor reviews electrical layout with you.
The National Electrical Code determines minimum requirements, and you'll want to meet this standard while also addressing your needs.
If your ground floor is a concrete slab-on-grade,
be absolutely certain of your cabinet and furniture locations so the electrical service layout serves you best!
For furniture placed in the middle of a room, place outlets and fixtures directly above or below exact location.
This includes the locations of chandeliers, table lamps, or reading lights.
Don't rely on anyone else to fully consider your lifestyle...prior to concrete pouring or final framing, be certain to layout your home based on electrical service required for your lifestyle and homestyle.
For a home office, fully consider computer, scanner, printer, answering machine, lamps, chargers, radios...need I say more?
Do you need a plug-in for a laptop computer? Where?
In a bedroom, don't underestimate the number of plug-ins at your bed stand: alarm clock, cordless phone, lamps. A quad outlet may be needed.
In hallways, place small, theater-style foot lighting in the walls at knee level controlled by a switch outside each bedroom doorway (a great idea for getting up in the middle of the night, teenagers coming home late, or subtle mood lighting for a party).
Consider every room in terms of its current and future use...what is now a kid's bedroom, may become a home office or exercise room.
It's a lot cheaper and easier to place wiring now rather than later!
If you intend to include an exercise room, what are the equipment needs?
Consult with your vendor for security or audio system to determine low-volt requirements.

DH had them add an outlet and ethernet above the great room soffit so he can put a wireless access point up there. It's central to the house and won't be seen.

We had dimmers on every entry point,
Outside closet light switches.

Home runs for all TV (A must for satellite) & Phone jacks. Quad outlets located kitchen & bathroom counters,computer/office area,night stand area in bedroom.

I don't think that anyone mentioned theses--outlets in appliance garage in kitchen and outlets in the pantry.

If you have a dustbuster, include an outlet for wherever you will keep it--in our current house that was in a kitchen cabinet, but will be in the pantry in our new house.

We're using recessed lights in our finished basement, but we put in a box for a ceiling light over the area where we would put a pool table so we can add a ceiling light there in the future if we do get a pool table.

Some people put an outlet inside a kitchen cabinet for recharging things so that they can keep phones, etc., out of sight while they are being recharged.

I recall one person on another post who didn't like the big plug that you get with cordless telephones so she put the outlet for the phone in a pantry cabinet and then drilled a hole in the side of the cabinet and ran the cord through the hole to the adjacent counter where she kept the phone.

We also will probably put a motorized rollup hurricane shutter on our master bedroom window so are pre-wiring for that.
We put an outlet about 70" above floor in the pantry because "through the wall" from that is where we're hanging a special painting that we'll put light on. We're not sure exactly where the light needs to be so we can punch through the wall later and plug into the pantry.
We put an outlet whereever we want a phone rather than a phone jack (although we have lots of those too just because). We use a wireless phone system where all the extra handsets just plug in to power - no phone cable needed.

I wish I had thought about the placement of the china hutch with an interior light. There is an outlet to the left and right of the hutch, but that would mean exposing an extension cord.
Also make sure outlets are where the night stands are going(to avoid seeing electrical cords).

OMG, stevia, that is brilliant!! I wish I'd thought of that when we were in the process!! I don't know how many times I've had to crawl under the sink with a flashlight or hold the flashlight for someone else who's under there.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE:
1. Peninsula - so functional, lots of space to work
2. Full extension drawers with blumotion brakes - absolute neccesity to me!
3. Deep & wide base drawers - I have 8 of these and use them for my pots & pans, cake pans (I have a TON!), small appliances, Tupperware and platters.
4. Instant hot/instant cold filtered water
5. All drawers in base cabinets (except sink, super susan, and a narrow 6" cabinet)
6. Subzero fridge - BIG splurge, but so worth it!
7. Advantium microwave/speedcook 240 - once you get over the learning curve, this thing is awesome!
8. Dish Drawers - LOVE 'EM!
9. Tray dividers over oven and in the top of dish cabinet - the only cabinets fully used to the ceiling by me. I'm too short to reach the tops of the rest of them.
10. Lee Valley dividers used for my 2 utensil drawers makes them organized and easy to use at last.
11. Hardwood floors - the denting/scatching drives me crazy, but I just adore the way they look!
12. Beverage Cooler - love the functionality of it. We have it on the opposite side of a blind corner in the kitchen, so that it faces the family room and it keeps everyone from getting underfoot for a drink. Holds everything from DH's wine to DD's soda to my bottled water.
13. Integrated Panels - we did them on every appliance we could - dish drawers, refrigerator and trash compactor.
14. Tapmaster - another frivolous item, but I so enjoy it!
15. My Cabinet People - Finding a small Amish company who builds wonderful custom cabinets for not too much more than HD or Lowes - priceless.

Regrets (most due to compromises with DH):
1. Wall Oven - went mid range here and completely regret it. Takes forever to heat up and doesn't fit an unbelievable amount of items even though it is a full-size 30" oven. :(
2. Toekick drawers - didn't hear about this until after my cabinet order was in. :(
3. Stain color - major compromise w/DH
4. Countertop - really wish DH would have considered granite. I love the movement in it! That's exactly what he hates about it. The Silestone is great though.
5. Beverage Cooler - I love the cooler, but wish I had not let DH "browbeat" me out of the one I really wanted that would have allowed for a wood frame and our own handle over stainless steel and would have black interior so you couldn't "see" into it so clearly (only $100-150 more). This one just doesn't go with our style.
6. 6" Narrow Base Cabinet - wish I had come up with something better to do with it as it's pretty worthless as it is. Just saw someone who did it as a cleaning pull-out (ranchreno?) - awesome idea! Wish I had known that before.

The only other regrets are due to lack of funds to carry out my dreams. LOL!

Marie

Here is a link that might be useful: BasketChick's 95% Finished Kitchen

Fast forward to 2002, a virtually identical (same mfg and same features) sealed burner gas range. It is post-Prop 65 which in CA mandated taking the lead out of consumer goods, including the use of lead in porcelainizing appliance finishes.

This stove is impossible to keep clean. Everything burns and fuses into the finish, even soap from the sponge when you wipe it down. You have to scrub furiously, then rinse, rinse, rinse, and dry it with paper towels. Mind you, this is a BISQUE gas on glass range, not stainless steel!

I am so disgusted with this stove, I intend to replace it. It is a shame because it performs beautifully and does everything I want -- I LOVE to cook and do a lot of it....but it is simply impossible to keep it looking clean. After reading a lot of threads on the sealed vs open debate, I have decided to go with open again. I had them on my old O'Keefe & Merritt ranges in the '60's, and don't have a problem with lining the drip trays.

It's funny how things come 'round again in our thinking!

Do a search for someone's comments on ShelvesThatSlidie--great quality, but the mechanism itself took up much more space than expected.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen accessories at OrvisOnline.com

Go and buy a small/medium sized rubbermaid storage bin. Label it "Product Manuals, Paperwork & Small Parts" or something like that. Keep it on the jobsite for:
-product manuals and warranties
-touch up kits
-misc. cleaning kits (sent w/ products)
-decorative hardware
-Final layouts and Elevations
-Any and all important paperwork (ie. copies of contracts)
You might even want to get a small binder to keep all the paperwork together.

This will help from things getting lost, throw out or even spilled on.

Kompy

Here's a Clive Christian install on an Aga, another smart way to go IMO. The niche has the tile liner and perhaps you can see the range is on a low plinth.

There are no musts here and no need to change selections. As someone said, the ranges are approved for home use.

All I'm urging is caution and good sense -- nothing flammable too low, too tight into/over the burners. Stainless can be used for good measure.

I feel both these kitchens are good examples of the right ways to go with powerful ranges.

they are 3M SandBlaster pads in 400 and 180 grit

I got them from my appliance store with my new appliances

i have used them

you use the 180 with the grain to remove the major scratches and the 400 also with the grain to polish out the finish

Works well

Had the granite drilled for 5 holes... (I have 1 1/4 - 3 cm granite) BUT it turns out the Kohler Revival won't work with a counter thickness of more than 1".

SO -- wheres a place to look on the internet for possible choices (I will probably try to buy local). I need a 4-hole faucet, + soap dispenser --

Only seen Moen Waterhill line online, Price=Pfister has Treviso, but there has to be an easier way to search for faucets! (I'm looking for a "transitional" or traditional style, in brushed nickel or brushed chrome, preferably with a hi-arc goose neck faucet)

THANKS.... (and look for my Kohler Revivial on ebay once the new faucet is here ...ha!)

Pete

Pete

Here is a link that might be useful: Rejuvenation's fluorescent options

So today I had a guy installing the lights and as we were unpackaging them, one was broken. I'd never ordered from this company before so I'm thinking - on ya, how long is it going to take to get another one of these, gotta ship it back, etc. etc. etc. So I called the company and of course I got a voicemailbox - on Saturday. Then I emailed just to be safe.

Well, someone called me back within about 10 minutes. He knew what my order was and told me he would have the mfg(Kichler) send a replacement piece of glass and that I should have it by Friday. I was SO impressed - and so was the guy installing my light fixtures. He couldn't believe I got that kind of service - and frankly neither could I.

Ordering was great, they responded to some email questions quickly and the lights arrived in less than a week. So anyone looking for an online lighting source, this company is excellent - IMHO.

As for repairs, these units approach (or are) the design of commercial units and are very basic. Most any qualified repair person should be able to work on them. Like another poster said as well, BS has independent repair shops all over so I wouldn't fret.

As for drip pans/open vs sealed burners, sealed would scare me to death. Having sealed burners is not going to eliminate boil overs/spatters etc...they happen. Unles you stop cooking immediately, let the top cool and clean it up, some food/spatters, will get cooked onto the top. With the open burners, I can take the tops outside and scrub them down and still end up with some residue. With sealed burners, no chance. As to the drip tray, it is indeed a large pull out on most (incl Wolf and BS, but very little ever makes its way down there. The most I have ever done in 4 years is use 409 to wipe down the drip tray.

Lastly, I agree with others here and encourage you to call the BS distributor in your area to see who is an authorized service center near you.

Detail of the valance.

Detail of the corner cabinet.

I discovered a drain pipe running above the sink when I ripped into the soffits. Here is my solution. The pipe comes down at the left next to the dish cabinet and runs across the wall to the right corner where it goes down inside the wall to the basement. I had to also design a corner cabinet with a dropped down ceiling to clear the pipe as well. This led me to find Scherr's, a custom cabinetmaker, that could make the designs to fit for me. We are really happy at the way it turned out. Good luck. :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: More photos of our kitchen

Also, finding a KD that I could work with & that knew his cabinet lines very well. I brought him the outline of what I wanted, he improved upon it's storage without changing the layout and I absolutely love cooking in my kitchen. Love it! It's everything that I wanted and the small oopses or should have thought of's amount to nothing in comparison to the end result.

Also taping the appliance specs to the walls for the plumber & electrician to reference and leaving notes & the cabinet sketches taped to the walls where things were supposed to go. The workers must think that I'm a nut but every last outlet is where I want it.

Honeyb2, I visited the dumpster at least 3 separate times during the remodelling saga. I've become quite adept!

Nina

But keep that in mind re the toekick drawer.

I think the Rose City might be a bit big - how high are your ceilings?

I'll be putting a Rose City in a stairwell where the larger shade size won't be such and issue, but since my kitchen is small, and my ceilings only 100", I'm doing smaller pendants (Skidmores) with either a Jefferson or a Thurman in the center.

To figure out how long to get my pendants, which are much smaller than a schoolhouse fixture, I've got plastic 16 oz. cups on kitchen twine taped to the ceiling. My initial thought was too low, so I'm glad I mocked it up! I raised them up by 4 inches (total 24" length)

We also narrowed our choices down to the DCS or the GE Monogram, and chose DCS because we thought it was much better looking - LOL! Beauty is in the eye and all.

From what I understand, having had open burners forever and now going to a closed burner by choice, the main difference is location of the flame. In the open burner, the flame goes straight up to the pan, and in the closed burner, the flame goes out to the sides a bit more. I was told to buy larger pots and pans with thicker bottoms for both the DCS and the GE Monogram (burners are exactly the same on both.) That's great, because now I have an excuse to buy new pots and pans! ;-)

I'm also looking forward to closed burners, because, though open burner advocates say "all you have to do is put aluminum foil over the drip pan...etc." I hate the foil over the drip pan thing - been doing it for years, and don't like it. I don't know about others, but food always seems to get under the foil unless I press it on the drip pan just so, and even then some food still seems to seep under the foil, it gets cooked on, and then I have to soak and scrub, and... Maybe it's just me. I want it easy. I just want to wipe up the spill and go.

Wolf and Viking are obscenely expensive.

Bluestar offers a basic open burner range design, which shouldn't present much of a challenge to an experienced repair-person, plus, it seems the company is motivated to keep customers happy. From a number of posts here, it's said they walk you through troubleshooting, sort of what Apple does with it's iMac computers.

The number one problem on all these stoves seems to be keeping the igniter clean, other than that, it's correct installation (using the correct gas line attachments). Otherwise, there are really no electronic parts (motherboards) to replace, the knobs are mechanical (thank God!), which is an inexpensive fix compared to touchpads and pushbuttons.

If you want to save $800 bucks on a new one, Google Airport Appliance in Hayward, Ca. I just bought mine today for $1795, the latest model with window! At $300 shipping (to East Coast), you're getting a professional stove for less than $2100 (add California state tax if necessary).

Sure beats the $3000 price tag from Eurostoves!

Don't bother with the extended warrantee. If it's going to break down, it will be in the first year of warrantee.

Cheers!

Thank you again...

I have a very small kitchen (10X10ish). I love my one board. I will be adding one next to the stove to perch ingredients on that I need for sauteing, sauces, etc.. And one under the above-the-counter microwave so I can slide out hot dishes onto the board.

I actually put a thin plastic cutting sheet on TOP of my pullout when I cut so I don't have to wash the pullout.

Carpenter $50/hr
Assistant carpenter $40.
Second assistant carpenter (his nephew, a college kid who helped with demo, loading dumpsters and the like): $20
Electricians: $70 for main guy and $40 for assistants
Plumbers (I kid you not): $97 per man per hour
Sheetrock, tiling and floors were bid as a "job", not per hour.

We didn't pay any markup on any parts, whether we bought them or our subs bought them -- they gave us the invoices and we reimbursed them the amount on the invoice.

I had put some lines on the subflooring where the island would sit. When the electrician asked me where I wanted the wires to come up on each end I told him to put them just inside the lines. Later I realized that if the island had to move one way or the other just a bit, I might end up with an exposed hole in the floor. So I asked the carpenter to make a notch in the subflooring so I could pull the wires a bit closer to the center of the island about three or four inches. On the first side he notched, he also notched the wires. I had to have an electrician come in and splice the wires which required a big hole in my finished basement's ceiling.

Then when the raw red oak was being installed I explained that I wanted the wood to completely cover the edges where the island would be and I watched carefully as they installed the wood. Even so, one side was done properly and the other was not, which meant that the island's placement could be adjusted a couple in inches in one direction but not in the other. Fortunately the island is lined up correctly with the wall cabinets, but one of the holes made for the wires is just barely covered--by about a quarter of an inch.

If I had just known what I was doing I would have had the electrician put both holes about four inches inside the lines and the floor people wouldn't have been confused and I wouldn't have had to fret so much or patch a huge hole and repaint my basement ceiling.

Our GC gets 12% when final inspection is completed and a final approx 2.5% when the last punch list stuff is done. Those percentages are based on the total including the materials he is supplying - cabinets, sinks, double ovens, etc.

I like that most of the payments are for concrete events - not things like "substantial completion" where it would be possible to disagree.

I like baffles, they look more professional.

The mesh filters are hard to clean and easily damaged, which is why I think they are going away.

However, both baffles and VAH system have one drawback compared to mesh-airspeed. The mesh system is effective at very low air flows, whereas baffles are not. The air just sort-of meanders areound them at low speeds, so they trap little grease. Both baffles and VAH rely upon grease hitting something (the baffles or the fan housing wall for VAH), collecting, and falling out of suspension to work.

While the latches are a bit of a PITA, the rest just plop into the DW and come out clean. My F&P DishDrawers hold both filters (in one drawer) and both shields (in the other drawer) so that in less than an hour, they are ready to reinstall. Pretty simple, I like it.

And every baffle system has to collect the grease somehow, so I do not understand the 'containers of grease' comment.

Lastly, I believe that VAH has their system tied under a lot of patents, which is at least in part why commercial systems don't use it.

I spent the day scoping out the range and cooking on it. Because so many other people here have helped me by sharing their first-hand impressions on various products I’m interested in and can’t test myself here are mine on the Bluestar, take them for what they’re worth (simply my personal opinions) …

After spending time using the range (the one Eurostoves had hooked up was the 30' 18K-max burner model with 6' backsplash), I’m 95 percent sure I want a Bluestar. This thing is a cooking machine, and works (and looks) like it.

We made pasta sauce, boiled a big stockpot of water in nine minutes—uncovered, did rice on the lower-power burner (toasted and then steamed, covered), seared steaks and finished them in the oven (also made a pan sauce), broiled garlic bread, made cookies and, finally, stir-fried (got so hot with the wok set down in the grate didn’t even need the full 18K power, let alone 22K).

The good …

The flame adjustment/heat change was instantaneous. This is a not a Bluestar exclusive, I know, but for someone stuck cooking on an electric smoothtop the past eight years it was a real treat. As the pasta sauce reached the splatter stage (just as a big ole’ bubble started to break the surface) I was able to adjust the heat and it reacted fast enough to keep that bubble from breaking. That’s fast action. Not a single pasta or pan sauce splatter. Awesome.

Even the 'big' burners had very low levels and seemed quite generally useful. The burners are so hot and work so well, even with large pans, that the high setting was rarely needed on any of them and all went low enough to simmer sauce, rice, etc.

The flames never went out, no matter how you much I mucked with the dials or put them through their paces. They would light on low (a little bit more slowly, but they’d still ignite) as well as high, or anywhere in between, and if you blew them out yourself they’d re-light instantly. There’s also a minimum of clicking upon ignition (or re-ignition) and that constant flame is really nice (no on-off for simmer, or constant clicking on low).

The Bluestar broiler is a thing of beauty, no doubt about it. When I went I didn’t think I’d want a range, but was considering the Heritage cooktop with broiler/salamander. Now, I’m thinking of the range simply to get that broiler (though I’d assume the Heritage salamander works similarly, though it’s quite a bit smaller) and, of course, have that extra-large oven as a 'bonus' to my planned wall ovens.

Speaking of which, the oven interior is pretty much the exact size of a restaurant-size sheet pan (full size, not half). Very nice. I doubt there’s anything you can’t in this sucker.

Loved, loved, loved the removable center ring for wok cooking directly on the flame. If I get this bad boy I see a lot of stir-fry in our future. ?

The So-So …

The oven door window is very dark and hard to see through, even with the light on, meaning you have to open the door and sneak a peak to see when things really are properly broiled (bubbling garlic bread) or the cookies were done. A little inefficient as the heat is then constantly being let out.

The Bluestar is a cooking machine and definitely isn’t as 'pretty' as some of the other professional-style stainless steel ranges—no getting around it. The fit and finish details just aren’t quite there. It’s not ugly by any means, but it just doesn’t have the same polish and pizzazz of the other restaurant-style ranges I’ve looked at (Dacor, Wolf, Jade, Viking, even Thermador).

The simmer burner, advertised at a constant 130 degrees, seemed hotter than that (and measured 250+ during a quick Thermopen test). That’s a big difference and could be an issue for delicate things.

The knobs turn past the 'high' and 'low' settings and, occasionally, seem to lose their 'place' and have to be turned all the way up or down to reestablish gas control. Another minor annoyance is that the knobs aren’t marked (or at least aren’t marked well) for what burner they control so, until it becomes second nature to you (or if someone else is cooking on your stove), you have to actually duck down and peak under a pot to look at what flame you’re controlling. (The high and low settings were also backwards—the opposite of what I expected—but that could just be me.)

The knobs also seemed to pull off easily; too easily, as I pulled the stove control knob off and it was hard to get back on correctly. The feel of all the knobs was bit 'loose-y goosey' for my liking, making precise control a bit difficult (the oven temp was pretty much a guesstimate; a oven thermometer would be a must with this one). Not sure if that’s a Bluestar issue or just the fact that this particular model has been heavily used.

The Bad …

Heat. Wowsa does this thing get hot. When using the oven and cooktop simultaneously on the range the oven heated the metal knobs so much they got uncomfortable to turn. The oven door also heats up a good bit so that it too is uncomfortably hot to the touch. The whole thing gives off a great deal of heat. This could be a real bummer to use in the summer (especially our 100 degree-plus Oklahoma summers that last forever).

Not a true convection oven. It has a fan, but no separate convection element. (If I’m wrong about this, please correct me.) The cookies had to be turned half-way for evenness. Since, if I do get a range, I’d mostly be using it as a broiler and a third oven for big things, it wouldn’t be a huge issue in my case, but seemed worth mentioning none-the-less.

I was a bit disappointed in the burner size. Partly because of the required backguard, only small pots (nothing greater than 8' or 9' across) will fit on the back burners, a real bummer for me. This can be slightly alleviated with the 'island trim' but that still raises an inch or two; enough to prevent anything other than a flared skillet from going back there. Also, two large skillets/sauté pans (10'-12') just will not fit on back-to-back on the burners, period. I’m someone who frequently has four or five pans going at once, and owns some pretty darn big ones. I couldn’t have a sauté pan on the high-heat burner up front with a large Le Creuset simmering in back (the simmer burner is directly behind)—a scenario I would run into weekly. They simply wouldn’t fit. That’s the one big drawback I’ve found so far. (Dacor has 14' burners, very cool, but they’re 'only' 15K max and sealed.) Adjustment of burner configuration MIGHT help this, but sadly it does seem this stove is design to accommodate pots only on roughly half it’s burners. (At one point we did have all four on the 30' going at once, but one was oval, thus space-saving, and the other was a tall, slim stock pot. Those two were on the back, with two large skillets up-front and it worked. BUT the 30' also has a 3'-4' center gap, while the 36' I’d want is burners all the way across, making those middle burners a tad, well, useless, if you’ve got big pans on the front outside two already. In that case, the middle front burner would only work with a small saucepan or the like.) This also scares me away from the Heritage cooktop, as the raised griddle/broiler would severely limit usage of the two burners nestled against the raised area.

It’s clear that the cast iron grates (which have a rough finish, not smooth enamel), after some use, will just never come clean. I’m a bit of a neat freak so this is a something of an issue for me. The Eurostoves model, which gets heavy use from near-daily cooking classes, had several stains that wouldn’t come off no matter how hard I scrubbed. And, yes, as strange as it seems, I did clean the range after use, just to see how long it took and if I’d want to be doing it every night for the next 10-20 years. (For me, it would require nightly removal of all grates and a scrub down, so that’s some time invested.) The staining/discoloration is the equivalent look to an outside BBQ grill grate: clean and smooth but permanently discolored in the places that get extra hot, greasy, etc. (pretty much all the nooks and crannies and the whole burner itself). On the plus side, the thing can though be dismantled almost entirely for a good clean, which is nice. (Also, one thing I was worried about, the drip tray for the open burners, was a cinch to clean, especially lined with foil.) The Bluestar definitely has a restaurant kitchen look and, like a restaurant stove, even when 'clean,' it’s got a few physical imperfections. The backguard was also permanently scorched on the side with the 18K burner.

Also on the cleaning front, the non-self-cleaning oven … The Eurostoves model was pretty clean and they say they don’t do much to keep it that way, but as an inveterate lazy bones who likes stuff ship-shape that’s still a draw back for me. (Jade does have a self-cleaning gas oven in their range.)

Having said all that (whew!), I think I’m going to get a Bluestar, but I don’t know which one yet. Thanks to this forum for leading me to the brand, and Eurostoves! (Not to mention finding out that there are other appliance/kitchen freaks out there, just as into all this as I am.)

-Susan W.

Here is a link that might be useful: Eurostoves

Here's an overview:

View of island:

View of pantry wall (that side-opening cab opens into a passage, it's just not visible in the pic):

Phone table (granite not attached completely):

I posted a view of the bay window on another thread, so i won't post it again here. Anyway, as i said, any views on backsplash are much appreciated! Paint color we're leaning toward is BM wheatfield.