Range recommendations from the below options

Wolf or GFY

None of the above. BlueStar, no electronics, built for forever. Can fix anything on it yourself with nothing more than a screwdriver.

Thermador is great, but it's not in the Wolf price or performance range. This choice depends on your budget. If you going mid range price, then Thermador is the best.

As for high end equipment, stay far away from Viking. They are loaded with reliability issues, and they don't perform as well as Wolf or....

Meile


You need to research Meile. I had a difficult time choosing between this and Wolf, and I ultimately decided upon Meile. Why?

- Meile ovens and especially dishwashers are the GOAT. Their smart functions are top notch, and their heat control and options are fantastic. Since I was buying a full kitchen, I stuck with this for my range as well to capitalize on the package deal.

- Meile has the best reliability. My friend repairs appliances for a living, and he confirmed this for me when I was researching.



If I were just buying a range, I probably would've gone with Wolf. Its simmer function is the best out there. Other than that the two are pretty much comparable. You can't go wrong with either.


But research Meile and choose between this and Wolf. Stay farrrr away from the overhyped/overrated Viking.

Steam ovens aren't all that....do a deep dive into the issues. I've heard nothing but bad things about the home versions. (And I'm a serious baker who would dearly love to be able to press a button and get a blast of steam for the first minutes of a bake.)

We went with the 36" gas Thermador last year and the dishwasher (Made by Bosch), vent hood and warming drawer. Looked at Blue Star, Wolf, ect. The wife (no pics) liked the self cleaning feature of the Thermador.

I'm not bashing Thermador. I had it at my previous house and loved it. I'm simply pointing out that it is a step below Wolf/Meile/Viking in price and overall performance (blue star as well... I don't remember what it was about this that turned me off, but there was something unique about its design that I did not like).


It's like comparing a Porsche to an Infiniti. You'll be happy driving either one, but one is definitely a step above.


BTU's (which are a bit misleading though) are higher and more consistent with the higher end ranges, and their heat distribution is more consistent as well. I love the Thermador star design, which puts it above all others in its price range for heat distribution; however, it still isn't as proficient as the Wolf and such.


The simmer function on Thermador is ok. That on/off thing works, and it is a nice feature to allow a unit that can't produce a clean, efficient low BTU flame to simmer; however, it doesn't maintain consistent heat. It is turning on and off, so your simmering is going from low heat to no heat. It's similar to a tv upconverting to 4K vs true 4K tvs. The upconversion is great until you have the true one.


My personal comparisons where I see a difference:

- bringing water to boil is significantly faster with my Meile than my Therm (and Therm was pretty fast)

- I have never cooked on a range that has such an amazing simmer function. I just did beans 2 days ago, and they maintained an absolute perfect simmer at that temp. With the Therm, I never liked the on/off function for beans. They struggled to maintain any simmer due to the zero heat times. I always used low heat instead, which is fine but required a bit more management. (Wolf is the king of simmer though. I researched the shite our of all these units)

- heat control is better on my Meile. It puts out such tremendous heat that I can seer like a beast, and dropping to med, med/low and such feels to have more precision (admittedly this could all be anecdotal due to it being a few years since I used my Therm)



My point it, Therm is great, but it's still not the level of the upper echelon of ranges.

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Steam ovens aren't all that....do a deep dive into the issues. I've heard nothing but bad things about the home versions. (And I'm a serious baker who would dearly love to be able to press a button and get a blast of steam for the first minutes of a bake.)

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I dont bake so maybe thats why but I love the steam oven. I steam large amounts of veggies that dont fit in a pot, or things like frozen king crab legs. I also use it for the reheat setting...it reheats meat almost as good as it was fresh, way better than the electric oven does or a microwave. I also use it to do steam convection on veggies. I dont use it a ton but have liked using it

I second Bluestar. I have the 48" Bluestar platinum. That thing is a beast.