When remodeling a kitchen, you have so many difficult decisions. One of the most important decisions to make is what type of cooktop or range you are you going to purchase.
At a Glance
This is the single biggest factor in the layout of your kitchen and probably the first decision you should make before deciding on other appliances.
Thermador and Miele are two of your best choices for a gas cooktop (Jenn-Air, Wolf, Bosch, and BlueStar are great considerations as well).
Their cooktops differ the most in:
- Performance
- Cleanability
- Aesthetics
- Reliability
In this article, you will learn more about the companies, their products, and when the best time is to purchase a gas cooktop.
First, what we need to talk about is whether or not you want a rangetop or a cooktop. The terms rangetop and cooktop are used interchangeably and most people don’t know the difference between the two.
You should know the difference because the installation and cabinet design are very different.
Cooktop vs. Rangetop
 |
 |
|
Pro Rangetop Installed |
Regular Cooktop Installed |
Rangetops have controls on the front and are installed on the cabinet.
Cooktops have controls on the top and are installed into the countertop, not the cabinet.
Rangetops are available in 30, 36, 48, and 60-inch sizes. Cooktops are available in 15, 24, 30, and 36-inch sizes. Thirty and 36-inch cooktops are the most popular.
For features, you have the options of a griddle, grill, or a French top on rangetops only.
Now let's take a look at the brands and their two best gas cooktops.
Miele vs. Thermador Gas Cooktops
Thermador
Thermador is part of the BSH home appliance corporation, headquartering in Huntington Beach California. They are a German based company since the 1990s but were founded in the US in 1932.
They are the 3rd largest appliance manufacturer in the world. About 95% of Thermador appliances are made in the USA.
Miele
Miele (pronounced Mee-luh) began manufacturing appliances in Germany in 1900. They are the largest family owned appliance company in the world and are located in Guetersloh, Germany since 1907.
Miele is renowned for their attention to detail in manufacturing even components instead of outsourcing. Their reliability is usually the best in the industry.
What's the difference between Miele and Thermador gas cooktops?
This comparison of these cooktops really boils down (pun intended) to performance, cleanability, aesthetics, and reliability.
The 36-inch gas cooktop is the most popular size and most feature five sealed burners and continuous grates (grates that interlock or line up close to each other, which enables you to slide a pot from one side of the burner to the adjoining burners safely and smoothly).
 |
VS |
 |
|
Thermador SGSX365FS - $1,999 Features:
|
Miele KM3474G - $1,999 Features:
|
Thermador's Star Burner is the best performing burner in this segment. The star-shaped burner has 56 gas ports that put more heat into the pan faster than any other burner.
At the same time, the 2 left burners have the exclusive extra-low simmer burners, for delicate cooking of sauces or melting of chocolates or butter.
Miele doesn’t have the larger 18,000 BTU burner or a lower simmer but has 2 15,300 BTU burners. For context, the average burner on a 10-year-old cooktop will be about 12,000 BTU depending on the brand.
Thermadors’ next larger size is only 10,000 BTU, probably less than your current cooktop.
When is the best time to buy a Miele or Thermador gas cooktop?
Thermador has had their 1,2 free promotions since 2009. Buy this cooktop and a wall oven to receive a dishwasher. Add a refrigerator for a free hood.
Miele has 10% promotion sporadically offered throughout the year based on a whole kitchen.
Which gas cooktop should I buy?
Thermador has that big powerful 18,000 BTU burner and the best simmer in the industry on 2 burners. However, it is somewhat underpowered after that big burner.
Miele has 2 fairly powerful burners but doesn’t simmer as well as Thermador.
So it depends on how you cook. If you cook one main dish at a time, then Thermador is an obvious choice. However, if you need 2 or more burners at a time, you may want to consider the Miele.
Additional Resources
Download our Gas Cooking Buying Guide with specs, features, and insights on all the top brands. Over 355,000 people have already downloaded a Yale Guide.
Related Articles:
Why Should You Trust Us?
It seems that every appliance review has nothing but glowing comments about almost every product, yet you read customer reviews and they are almost universally bad.
We are here to fill in the disconnect. We'll give you the best features, and the drawbacks as well, including reliability based on over 37,000 calls performed by our service team just last year. Our goal is to give you ALL the information so you know what's right for you.
Please consider subscribing or adding to the conversation in the comments below. We appreciate you stopping by.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
Topics:
