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Appliances are not only a major expense in a home, but also a long-term investment. If you choose well, your appliances should give you years of service.

In our last home we installed a Wolf 48″ professional rangetop, model SRT484DG, with four gas burners and a dual griddle. Coming from a ceramic top stove, this upgrade was a giant leap in the right direction. Cooking on gas was great and the double griddle was an amazing convenience.

But not everything was sunshine and lollipops.

The gas burners were very hard to clean. The gas griddle did not heat evenly, with multiple hot spots and one side always getting hotter than the other. The griddle drip area was also somewhat difficult to clean and had a tendency to overflow. The heat from the griddle discolored the back-guard irreparably on the first use. The griddle was in the center of the unit—with two gas burners on each side—making it very difficult to bring food to the griddle. While making pancakes, for example, the bowl of batter had to be placed on an unlit burner and even then the batter would invariably drip down near the heating unit.

On this second chance dream home build, we are looking for the perfect cooktop. We decided to forego the rangetop and double wall ovens we had before, in lieu of a full kitchen range. We still want gas and we still want the luxurious 24″ griddle. With six kids, this is a huge timesaver and comes in so handy whenever there's a slumber part afoot!

Our range will be placed on a peninsula facing the dining room, with a large custom hood above.

After a great deal of research, I have narrowed the field of kitchen ranges to three models. Here are the pros and cons of each.

Thermador Pro Grand PRD484EEG

This gorgeous appliance (shown above) is currently my first choice professional kitchen range.

Pros:

• Duel fuel (gas range, electric ovens)
• Sealed burners
• Double griddle on one side
• Double ovens (large primary, smaller secondary)
• Self-cleaning ovens
• Convection ovens
• Island trim kit option available
• Chopblock and griddle cover options
• 5 oven racks
• Toe plate extends to the ground
• Oven doors removable
• Beautiful appearance

Cons:

• Highest price
• Island trip kit costs $389

DCS RDT485GDSSN 48″ Pro-Style Dual Fuel

Running a close second is the CDS range. Another gorgeous appliance with great features and styling.

Pros:

• Duel fuel (gas range, electric ovens)
• Sealed burners
• 5 total burners
• Double griddle on one side
• Double ovens (large primary, smaller secondary)
• Self-cleaning ovens
• Convection ovens
• Island trim kit included at no cost
• Toe plate extends to the ground
• Beautiful appearance
• Cutting board and wok options
• Costs about $1,500 less than the Thermador

Cons:

• High price
• 3 oven racks
• Oven doors not removable
• Griddle is not as wide as the Thermador

Capital Precision Series GSCR484GN

Running a distant third (see cons) is the Capital. Looks great, but the features might be deal killers. (The photo shows the 12″ grill/12″ griddle configuration rather than the 24″ griddle we are considering.)

Pros:

• Sealed burners
• Double griddle on one side
• Double ovens (large primary, smaller secondary)
• Self-cleaning ovens
• Convection ovens
• Island trim kit included at no cost
• Toe plate extends to the ground
• Beautiful appearance
• Cutting board and wok options
• Costs about $300 less than the DCS

Cons:

• Ovens are gas
• 3 oven racks
• Oven doors not removable

All three of these professional-style kitchen ranges are fashionable and functional. We'll be deciding on one of them in the near future.

Please share your thoughts on the different features.

Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.