Conference turris::cooks

    Try a used restaurant supply store (look in the Yellow Pages)
    but be aware -- these suckers can get expensive.
    
    I saw a high quality 8 burner stove  eight years ago: $2,000.00
    
    					andrew

    Thanks andrew,
    	Was that just a cook top, or the entire range?  New or used? 
    Actually, that sounds pretty reasonable if it was a new range,
    especially considering that you can easily go over $1,000. for a
    high-end home model.  The only problem with a true commercial range,
    I'm told, is that they're not made to go right up against a wall.  This
    is the main reason I'd consider going with a commercial cooktop - that
    way I could get a used one as you suggest & go with a home style wall
    oven.  Thanks again.

    re .2
      ABout the commercial stoves not being able to go right up against the
    wall. I can't remember all the details, but I recall that on the
    previous house-restoration on This Old House they installed a
    commercial stove and made a big deal about how previously you couldn't
    use them in the home because they got too hot to put against a wall,
    but this new brand or version solved that problem. It was a gorgeous
    stove/oven, 6 burners I think. Unfortunately I don't remember the
    brand, but maybe you could call WGBH and ask them. It was the series
    that was rerun just previous to the current one. Sorry I can't remember
    more of the details, but at least you know there IS something out there
    that fits the bill!
    
    Debbie
    

    $2000 for eight burners, two oven/broilers and a warming shelf, new.
    
    The style I saw was the type you usually see in restaurants -- polished
    steel, no enamel, big, clunky, easy to clean, but not "pretty".
    
    					andrew

    If you are a serious cook, beware of the standard wall oven, They
    are very small. When I first moved to my current house, It had a
    wall oven and broiler, and none of my cookie sheets would fit and
    most of my roasting pans didn't either. When I had to replace my
    counter top burners, I shopped around for ovens also, there are
    larger ovens but for larger $'s. I chose a range with an upper and
    a lower oven. Now I have two ovens and a microwave and I love it. 

    I saw a beautiful 6 burner range with oven 2 weeks ago. It was a
    Vulcan and had black enamel.  Owner said it cost about 1k  but that may
    have been five years ago.
    

JENAIRE has both elec. and gas stove tops/etc.  I like cooking on the
gas very much - it is nice and will FIT most kitchens which can be a
problem...cook top only...someday I will have a kitchen with 2 ovens,
big ovens, so I can really do it right....sigh.

    I know Viking makes good restaurant/commercial ranges that can be used
    in the home. If you get a gas range, make sure the gas company ups your
    equipment. A lot of the commercial ranges will have 15,000 BTU
    burners.
    
    Course you can go for top of the line and get an Aga which runs around
    $6000 or so.

    Re .5
    
    What brand of stove with upper and lower ovens did you buy? And, would
    you recommend it? I've been looking at those and would appreciate 
    advice.
    
    Kate
    

    This month's issue of the GBH has an ad for Viking ranges. Features
    include zero clearance installation  against ordinary walls and
    cabinets, gas infrared broiler, double and single ovens, 5 designer
    colors and eletronic ignition. The vendor is 21st Century Distributors,
    349 Lenox St., Norwood, Ma. 02062-3417, 617-769-6222 or 450 Sackett
    Point Rd. North Haven, Ct. 06473, 203-288-3821
    
    Debbie
    

    
    re. .11
    
    My stove is a Caloric, and I recommend it highly, For me it was
    the cheapest way to get two ovens. The bottom oven is a large full
    sized one and the top is smaller, but larger than a Microwave interior.
    The top one takes a 9x13 pan with room to spare. I have a lot of
    family holiday dinners and I always had trouble getting everything
    timed to be done at the right time because the roast or turkey or
    what ever always dominated the oven. Now I can have casseroles and
    hot breads with out having cold meat. 
    
    Mine was purchased at Lechmere about 3 years ago for well under 1K.
    This may sound crazy, but I don't like the fact that it's self
    cleaning. I have always cleaned my oven about twice a week and have
    never had to use much elbow grease or had a dirty oven. Now I find
    my self letting the oven get dirty enough to justify using the self
    cleaning process. The other thing I don't like about the fact that
    it's self cleaning, is that there is no window in the door of the
    lower oven (there is on the top one) and I have to open the oven
    to see what's happening. The top one isn't self cleaning, but you
    can take it apart and put all the peices in the lower one for cleaning.