These are very beautiful pictures of ranges that might be suitable for a farmhouse or a restaurant. Are there any beautiful stoves in the 20"-22" range?

Aga makes the "Companion" in a 24" model, and they are beautiful.

http://www.aga-ranges.com/_store/Script
/prodview.asp?idproduct=78

Speaking of money being no object - are any of these ranges "energy star" rated, or green in any way? Does the typical family, even one full of foodies, need the amount of energy to cook that a typical restaurant does?

Being an architect, I will not stand in the way of anybody putting a huge range in their kitchen - but it's a lot of firepower for your stirfried shrimp.

Actually, for traditional stirfries, you do need quite a lot of BTUs. My mom always laments about the weak burners in the US, and having witnessed a full pot brought to a roiling boil in about 1 min on a standard issue stovetop in China, I'm inclined to agree. However, that stovetop would never be nominated for 'most beautiful'...

My parents have a 30" BlueStar and it's a beast of a range. I cooked on it over Christmas and had to use a diffuser to keep from burning everything. My dad loves it, but I think my mom finds it a bit overwhelming, as do I.

My parents' range is a plain stainless model, but I think you can get BlueStars in a variety of colors, and in a 24" model.

I kind of love my 19" wide 1937 Royal Rose (original equipment; came with the apartment).

The ONLY thing I don't love about it is that the oven doesn't have any temperature calibrations on it whatsoever.

If my evil plan for my bathroom ever gets completed, I'll probably just the semi-retro-looking white one I saw at P.C. Richards. It's the closest thing to old-timey cute as I can afford in an actual new stove -- especially for how infrequently I ever cook. So far!

- Curtis

Beautiful but can they cook? I recently upgraded from an old GE electric to a Bertazzoni gas range. Although it's absolutely gorgeous, it's had a few issues and needed servicing a number of times. The tech who came by told me, he recommends Wolf for reliability of use. Curious about other ppl's experiences.

I'm not a fan of the commercial style, but the others are beautiful. I love the vintage look most of them have. Of course, I've not doubt most cost in the multiple thousands.

I wanted a Vulcan, but my insurance agent said no company would touch a home with a real commercial range, not even with my concrete floors, cement siding kitchen walls and vintage 40's metal cabinets. I wound up with a GE Audora without the BTU's I wanted on the propane cook top, and am still dreaming about that Vulcan...

Love that Wolf. Great combination control and design.

My 'apartment-sized' range is crying.

re Lorenab post - I have a (small) 4-burner Bertazzoni and do love it. Haven't needed any service after a year of use but the oven does take some getting used to. On the range top, the double ring burner provides really high heat to bring liquid to a boil quickly while the smallest gas ring can simmer almost anything without burning - even melting chocolate - one of the best and lowest (low) heat settings I've seen.

Eh, I think they are all extremely unattractive, but to each his own. I prefer glass cooktops for one thing. So much easier to clean and I love the slick look.

I lust after the La Cornue ranges from France. They do come in various sizes, so they would fit in most kitchens. As for their fit in pocket books, well, that's a different matter all togther.

Does any one have any experience with those beauties?

I have been and always will be a function over form girl. If my stove makes me burn things, its out! It needs to be reliable first. Its like having a stylish toilet that doesn't flush very well.

stove porn - I love it.

Love the AGA ranges. If only my apartment could fit one of these.

@askme I was surprised a La Cornue didn't make it into this post. Topping out at almost $50k it's not the most practical range by a long shot but it certainly deserves a photo in the "most beautiful cooking range" category.
http://www.lacornue.com/

I love my Wolf double ovens, cooktop and steamer unit. I can't believe I waited so long!!! I also have a second set of sub-zero's. Just replaced a two year old BOSCH dishwasher LEMON...for an LG steam. Hope it works and lasts like my Wolf appliances.

My Porsche...er, my Wolf is the most reliable thing in my life. In answer to a previous post re: does it work?... I cook three squares a day for my family of 5...why would we eat out? This baby has paid for itself in saved carry out costs. p.s. the cobalt interior is GORGEOUS...like the lining of an expensive purse.

If anyone has an oven like that first red one, how big are the oven openings? They look really small. It seems like they'd be hard to fit an average cookie sheet or turkey pan into. Are the pics deceptive or are they much smaller than a normal oven?

Oh, or one like the Heritage or Redfyre ovens.

I live in England, bought a secondhand Rayburn on Ebay. For a third of the price, being cast iron it will last forever Not only does it cook beautifully (takes a bit of time to get used to it) it also does my hot water and central heating. Its the heart of the kitchen and lovely and cosy on a wintry morning.

Agas are fascinating. The ovens look small but I've seen footage of Martha Stewart sliding a 20 pound turkey out of one of those compartments. They're quite deep and if you have four of them, apparently you can cook a full-course meal at one go. One thing I just learned is that Aga ranges are always on.
As to Energy Star, I don't think that program covers ranges, but in terms of energy efficiency, induction cooktops and now ranges outperform electric and gas.

I had an Aga Companion in my last place, it was tiny and awesome. Two ovens in an apartment sized range!