We purchased the Cafe' to replace a 10 year-old gas cook top installed by the builder, wanting to improve appearance and upgrade performance. It appears we accomplished both. The installation was a simple remove and replace operation requiring only minor cutting into the Corian corners of the original opening to accommodate the Cafe'. (Install took about two hours from start to finish and clean-up; easy-to-follow directions for my basic DIY mind.) My wife likes the blue back-lighted "on" indication reminders, the heavier grates, more surface room on the grates, and the unit's versatility in managing cooking temperatures. The higher grate level is noticeable, but it doesn't take long to get accustomed to working a little higher. The Cafe cleaned up easily after a heavy duty cooking session. On the down side, use caution when cleaning the grates - the cast iron on ours had sharp flakes and burrs on the edges which will ruin your towels and could give you a sharp cut if you catch them the wrong way. I spent a few minutes checking each grate and lightly filing the edges to make them safer. My only other concern is that the painted knob markings might begin to disappear after a few cleanings - I would prefer etched or stamped markings versus painted. I also will be interested to see how well the knobs and knob stems withstand normal wear. All in all, after five days of use, we really like it. If it weren't for the sharp edges on the grates, I would have rated it 5 stars. Updates to follow.
We bought this when our old glasstop gas stove developed a leak and the glass exploded. It was an unexpected purchase but we found a good deal, and it is a much more powerful, efficient gas stove top, and it looks great.
Went from a 30 inch cooktop to a 36 inch cooktop. After a lot of searching we decided on this one. It has worked great overtime. Even heat and the large burner in the center is great.