We love the front controls, as it allows larger pots and pans to fit. The burns bring water to a boil very quickly and the ovens reach temp incredibly fast. We have been pleasantly surprised how easy it is to keep the stainless steel top clean. We were told that the stainless steel top would be harder to clean than then the traditional black enamel but we have experienced the exact opposite. Love the attention to detail such as solid metal control knobs rather than plastic chrome coated knobs that look terrible after the first couple uses.