We are remodeling our kitchen and looking to purchase the following new
stainless items: 27" in wall convection mircowave over, 27" in wall single
electric convection oven, 27" in wall warming drawer, dishwasher, and
counter depth fridge. So far the process has been overwhelming and
confusing. We've even considered the high end Viking microwave, over, and
warming drawer. We have absolutely no idea about what brands to consider for
the counter depth fridge and dishwashers. I'd really appreciate any personal
opinions on the top brand and model choices (not necessarily the most
expensive) for each of these 5 appliances. Reviews on the web seem to be few
and far between and seem to be predominately on the negative side. Any
opinions would be sincerely appreciated as we need to make some decisioons
in the next 2 weeks.

On Sun, 6 May 2007 14:13:16 -0500, "rmk" > wrote:

>We are remodeling our kitchen and looking to purchase the following new
>stainless items: 27" in wall convection mircowave over, 27" in wall single
>electric convection oven, 27" in wall warming drawer, dishwasher, and
>counter depth fridge. So far the process has been overwhelming and
>confusing. We've even considered the high end Viking microwave, over, and
>warming drawer. We have absolutely no idea about what brands to consider for
>the counter depth fridge and dishwashers. I'd really appreciate any personal
>opinions on the top brand and model choices (not necessarily the most
>expensive) for each of these 5 appliances. Reviews on the web seem to be few
>and far between and seem to be predominately on the negative side. Any
>opinions would be sincerely appreciated as we need to make some decisioons
>in the next 2 weeks.

You're probably going to have to define "best" to get any meaningful opinions.

When we re-did our kitchen last year, we didn't go for in-wall ovens, but we did
look extensively at counter-depth refrigerators. We ended up choosing a SS
Kitchen Aid 25 cubic foot model, mainly because I liked its ice maker layout the
best by far -- the ice storage and delivery mechanism is mounted in the door,
which leaves you with much more freezer shelf space than anything else we saw.
At one year now, we're still very happy with it. Expensive, but worth it to us.

-- Larry

On May 6, 3:13 pm, "rmk" > wrote:
> We are remodeling our kitchen and looking to purchase the following new
> stainless items: 27" in wall convection mircowave over, 27" in wall single
> electric convection oven, 27" in wall warming drawer, dishwasher, and
> counter depth fridge. So far the process has been overwhelming and
> confusing. We've even considered the high end Viking microwave, over, and
> warming drawer. We have absolutely no idea about what brands to consider for
> the counter depth fridge and dishwashers. I'd really appreciate any personal
> opinions on the top brand and model choices (not necessarily the most
> expensive) for each of these 5 appliances. Reviews on the web seem to be few
> and far between and seem to be predominately on the negative side. Any
> opinions would be sincerely appreciated as we need to make some decisioons
> in the next 2 weeks.

It's good that you are making quick decisions so as to get the job
done. Everytime I decide on an appliance, by the time I'm ready, it
has been discontinued.

Dishwasher: I'm leaning toward a Whirpool with all the bells and
whistles. They have a million to choose from. Definitely get nylon
dishrack and a rack that will lower. Some of the other brands are
hard to lower. I really the looks of the LG - Korean or Taiwan brand
- slick!

Microwave: I went with the Panasonic $99 countertop Costco sells.
It's different. Google Costco. I like the way it works - really fast
and a lot of bells and whistles.

Stove: I went for everything I wanted - Sears Elite. It is quite
similar to GE Profile - warming oven-breadproofing drawer, nice racks,
etc. Not as pricey as GE, but GE has some sort of tri- that is top of
their line.

I have a Sub-zero, so I can't recommend a refrigerator. That's a tough
one.

Dee Dee

For our purposes "best" means best value for the money in medium to high end
products with the most emphasis on reliability. Six years ago we thought we
were upgrading when we got rid of a Kenmore washer, dryer, fridge, and
dishwasher and replaced them with Maytag products - I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER
MAYTAG PRODUCT.

Your comment about the friidge is welcome news as we seem to be gravitating
to the KitchenAid SS for the same reason. How are you finding the SS as far
as resisting fingerprints?

Just in case anyone is interested, we are also looking at a gas cooktop and
have decided on the 36" Wolf. Based on our countless trips to Viking and
Wolf showrooms, we think the products are basically equivalent, Although the
Wolf is a 5 burner and the Viking is a 6 burner, my wife likes the look and
feel a lot better and it's so much more intuitive as to to which burner is
operated by which knob.

"pltrgyst" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 6 May 2007 14:13:16 -0500, "rmk" > wrote:
>
>>We are remodeling our kitchen and looking to purchase the following new
>>stainless items: 27" in wall convection mircowave over, 27" in wall single
>>electric convection oven, 27" in wall warming drawer, dishwasher, and
>>counter depth fridge. So far the process has been overwhelming and
>>confusing. We've even considered the high end Viking microwave, over, and
>>warming drawer. We have absolutely no idea about what brands to consider
>>for
>>the counter depth fridge and dishwashers. I'd really appreciate any
>>personal
>>opinions on the top brand and model choices (not necessarily the most
>>expensive) for each of these 5 appliances. Reviews on the web seem to be
>>few
>>and far between and seem to be predominately on the negative side. Any
>>opinions would be sincerely appreciated as we need to make some decisioons
>>in the next 2 weeks.
>
> You're probably going to have to define "best" to get any meaningful
> opinions.
>
> When we re-did our kitchen last year, we didn't go for in-wall ovens, but
> we did
> look extensively at counter-depth refrigerators. We ended up choosing a SS
> Kitchen Aid 25 cubic foot model, mainly because I liked its ice maker
> layout the
> best by far -- the ice storage and delivery mechanism is mounted in the
> door,
> which leaves you with much more freezer shelf space than anything else we
> saw.
> At one year now, we're still very happy with it. Expensive, but worth it
> to us.
>
> -- Larry

Well definitely look into the Whirlpol. Thanks for the tips about nylon
racks that lower.
"Dee Dee" > wrote in message
ps.com...
> On May 6, 3:13 pm, "rmk" > wrote:
>> We are remodeling our kitchen and looking to purchase the following new
>> stainless items: 27" in wall convection mircowave over, 27" in wall
>> single
>> electric convection oven, 27" in wall warming drawer, dishwasher, and
>> counter depth fridge. So far the process has been overwhelming and
>> confusing. We've even considered the high end Viking microwave, over, and
>> warming drawer. We have absolutely no idea about what brands to consider
>> for
>> the counter depth fridge and dishwashers. I'd really appreciate any
>> personal
>> opinions on the top brand and model choices (not necessarily the most
>> expensive) for each of these 5 appliances. Reviews on the web seem to be
>> few
>> and far between and seem to be predominately on the negative side. Any
>> opinions would be sincerely appreciated as we need to make some
>> decisioons
>> in the next 2 weeks.
>
> It's good that you are making quick decisions so as to get the job
> done. Everytime I decide on an appliance, by the time I'm ready, it
> has been discontinued.
>
> Dishwasher: I'm leaning toward a Whirpool with all the bells and
> whistles. They have a million to choose from. Definitely get nylon
> dishrack and a rack that will lower. Some of the other brands are
> hard to lower. I really the looks of the LG - Korean or Taiwan brand
> - slick!
>
> Microwave: I went with the Panasonic $99 countertop Costco sells.
> It's different. Google Costco. I like the way it works - really fast
> and a lot of bells and whistles.
>
> Stove: I went for everything I wanted - Sears Elite. It is quite
> similar to GE Profile - warming oven-breadproofing drawer, nice racks,
> etc. Not as pricey as GE, but GE has some sort of tri- that is top of
> their line.
>
> I have a Sub-zero, so I can't recommend a refrigerator. That's a tough
> one.
>
> Dee Dee
>

"rmk" > wrote in message
...
> We are remodeling our kitchen and looking to purchase the following new
> stainless items: 27" in wall convection mircowave over, 27" in wall single
> electric convection oven, 27" in wall warming drawer, dishwasher, and
> counter depth fridge. So far the process has been overwhelming and
> confusing. We've even considered the high end Viking microwave, over, and
> warming drawer. We have absolutely no idea about what brands to consider
> for the counter depth fridge and dishwashers. I'd really appreciate any
> personal opinions on the top brand and model choices (not necessarily the
> most expensive) for each of these 5 appliances. Reviews on the web seem to
> be few and far between and seem to be predominately on the negative side.
> Any opinions would be sincerely appreciated as we need to make some
> decisioons in the next 2 weeks.
>
We, too, are remodelling our kitchen and have chosen the following
appliances:

KitchenAid Double Oven KEMS308SSS
(Stainless Steel)
This oven also comes in a 27" model. In fact, we're replacing an older,
white Thermador 27" CMT (convection, microwave, thermal oven).

KitchenAid Microwave KHHC2090SSS
(Stainless Steel)
This microwave/hood is replacing an older Amana unit.

KitchenAid Stove KESS907SSS
(Stainless Steel)
Replaces a white KA stove of similar model.

Fisher & Paykel single-drawer Dishwasher DS603i
Plenty big enough for a small family (will handle 6 place settings).

SubZero refrig/freezer 501R/501F
Already owned. *Although these are 10 yr old, they are in excellent
condition and have years of life left.
SubZero makes an under the counter wine or beverage refrigerator, but I'm
not familiar with it.

Don't know if this will help, but we are pleased with the KA Architect II
series appliances.

On Mon, 7 May 2007 12:44:20 -0500, "rmk" > wrote:

>Your comment about the friidge is welcome news as we seem to be gravitating
>to the KitchenAid SS for the same reason. How are you finding the SS as far
>as resisting fingerprints?

The front surface except for the full-length handles is brushed SS, so no
problem. The handles on ours are polished, and I've never noticed any
fingerprints at all, unless someone (like one of my poker game players) had gunk
on his hands.

-- Larry

Why did you choose KitchenAid instead of staying with Thermador? Were you
unhappy with Thermador?

"Alan" > wrote in message
news:IeR%h.7624$pW5.7096@trnddc07...
> "rmk" > wrote in message
> ...
>> We are remodeling our kitchen and looking to purchase the following new
>> stainless items: 27" in wall convection mircowave over, 27" in wall
>> single electric convection oven, 27" in wall warming drawer, dishwasher,
>> and counter depth fridge. So far the process has been overwhelming and
>> confusing. We've even considered the high end Viking microwave, over, and
>> warming drawer. We have absolutely no idea about what brands to consider
>> for the counter depth fridge and dishwashers. I'd really appreciate any
>> personal opinions on the top brand and model choices (not necessarily the
>> most expensive) for each of these 5 appliances. Reviews on the web seem
>> to be few and far between and seem to be predominately on the negative
>> side. Any opinions would be sincerely appreciated as we need to make some
>> decisioons in the next 2 weeks.
>>
> We, too, are remodelling our kitchen and have chosen the following
> appliances:
>
> KitchenAid Double Oven KEMS308SSS
> (Stainless Steel)
> This oven also comes in a 27" model. In fact, we're replacing an older,
> white Thermador 27" CMT (convection, microwave, thermal oven).
>
> KitchenAid Microwave KHHC2090SSS
> (Stainless Steel)
> This microwave/hood is replacing an older Amana unit.
>
> KitchenAid Stove KESS907SSS
> (Stainless Steel)
> Replaces a white KA stove of similar model.
>
> Fisher & Paykel single-drawer Dishwasher DS603i
> Plenty big enough for a small family (will handle 6 place settings).
>
> SubZero refrig/freezer 501R/501F
> Already owned. *Although these are 10 yr old, they are in excellent
> condition and have years of life left.
> SubZero makes an under the counter wine or beverage refrigerator, but I'm
> not familiar with it.
>
> Don't know if this will help, but we are pleased with the KA Architect II
> series appliances.
>

Not at all. Our white, 10-yr old Thermador (CMT127NW) has performed well.
For the remodel, we wanted to get a 30" Stainless wall oven that would
accept full-size cookie sheets. Thermador now has a 30" CMT (CM301BS) that
looked very interesting.

We had planned to stay with Thermador. However, the company that
previously serviced our Thermador no longer handles Thermador service and we
found that there was no service/maintenance assistance available within a
reasonable distance from our rural location.

rmk wrote:
> For our purposes "best" means best value for the money in medium to high end
> products with the most emphasis on reliability. Six years ago we thought we
> were upgrading when we got rid of a Kenmore washer, dryer, fridge, and
> dishwasher and replaced them with Maytag products - I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER
> MAYTAG PRODUCT.
>
> Your comment about the friidge is welcome news as we seem to be gravitating
> to the KitchenAid SS for the same reason. How are you finding the SS as far
> as resisting fingerprints?
>
> Just in case anyone is interested, we are also looking at a gas cooktop and
> have decided on the 36" Wolf. Based on our countless trips to Viking and
> Wolf showrooms, we think the products are basically equivalent, Although the
> Wolf is a 5 burner and the Viking is a 6 burner, my wife likes the look and
> feel a lot better and it's so much more intuitive as to to which burner is
> operated by which knob.
>
> "pltrgyst" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Sun, 6 May 2007 14:13:16 -0500, "rmk" > wrote:
>>
>>> We are remodeling our kitchen and looking to purchase the following new
>>> stainless items: 27" in wall convection mircowave over, 27" in wall single
>>> electric convection oven, 27" in wall warming drawer, dishwasher, and
>>> counter depth fridge. So far the process has been overwhelming and
>>> confusing. We've even considered the high end Viking microwave, over, and
>>> warming drawer. We have absolutely no idea about what brands to consider
>>> for
>>> the counter depth fridge and dishwashers. I'd really appreciate any
>>> personal
>>> opinions on the top brand and model choices (not necessarily the most
>>> expensive) for each of these 5 appliances. Reviews on the web seem to be
>>> few
>>> and far between and seem to be predominately on the negative side. Any
>>> opinions would be sincerely appreciated as we need to make some decisioons
>>> in the next 2 weeks.
>> You're probably going to have to define "best" to get any meaningful
>> opinions.
>>
>> When we re-did our kitchen last year, we didn't go for in-wall ovens, but
>> we did
>> look extensively at counter-depth refrigerators. We ended up choosing a SS
>> Kitchen Aid 25 cubic foot model, mainly because I liked its ice maker
>> layout the
>> best by far -- the ice storage and delivery mechanism is mounted in the
>> door,
>> which leaves you with much more freezer shelf space than anything else we
>> saw.
>> At one year now, we're still very happy with it. Expensive, but worth it
>> to us.
>>
>> -- Larry
>
>

DO not buy Viking. They have multitudes of problems and the service for
them is less than ideal. They look great, sound great on paper and from
the salesman, but ask around the internet and you will find a lot of
unhappy owners or ex-owners. Wolf used to be excellent. They are only
very good, now. THey have lost some of their quality since taken over by
Sub-Zero. Or take a look at BlueStar or Jade, especially the former. We
have a Garland, but they don't make residential ranges anymore. However
Blue Star makes a burner very much like it.

We have been thrilled with our LG fridge. There was one small problem
with a produce bin and they were immediately on it, fully paid for
including postage. Very helpful over phone. WOuld definitely buy from
them again.

Dishwasher? THe very best you can get, the one you could use for 20
years with no problem, I've found from my research is Miele. But we
couldn't afford one so we got our second choice, an Asko. Very well
built. QUIET! and wow, does it wash dishes! No rinse needed and it take
off baked on gratin crude without a soak! It's awesome. But supposedly
it will only wok fro 10-15 years. We'll see.

In article > ,
Melondy > wrote:

> DO not buy Viking. They have multitudes of problems and the service for
> them is less than ideal. They look great, sound great on paper and from
> the salesman, but ask around the internet and you will find a lot of
> unhappy owners or ex-owners. Wolf used to be excellent. They are only
> very good, now. THey have lost some of their quality since taken over by
> Sub-Zero. Or take a look at BlueStar or Jade, especially the former. We
> have a Garland, but they don't make residential ranges anymore. However
> Blue Star makes a burner very much like it.

I also had a terrible experience with a Viking dual. You would have a
hard time naming something that did not go wrong with it, though when,
on the rare occasion it was actually working, it did function well.
Absolutely horrible quality control. I'd never buy anything Viking
again. IMO, they are meant to look pretty in a kitchen where little
actual cooking is done.

"Melondy" > wrote in message
. net...
> rmk wrote:
snip
>>
>> Just in case anyone is interested, we are also looking at a gas
>> cooktop and have decided on the 36" Wolf. Based on our countless trips
>> to Viking and Wolf showrooms, we think the products are basically
>> equivalent, Although the Wolf is a 5 burner and the Viking is a 6
>> burner, my wife likes the look and feel a lot better and it's so much
>> more intuitive as to to which burner is operated by which knob.
>>
>> "pltrgyst" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Sun, 6 May 2007 14:13:16 -0500, "rmk" > wrote:
>>>
>>>> We are remodeling our kitchen and looking to purchase the following
>>>> new
>>>> stainless items: 27" in wall convection mircowave over, 27" in wall
>>>> single
>>>> electric convection oven, 27" in wall warming drawer, dishwasher,
>>>> and
>>>> counter depth fridge. So far the process has been overwhelming and
>>>> confusing. We've even considered the high end Viking microwave,
>>>> over, and
>>>> warming drawer. We have absolutely no idea about what brands to
>>>> consider
snip
>>> You're probably going to have to define "best" to get any meaningful
>>> opinions.
>>>
>>> When we re-did our kitchen last year, we didn't go for in-wall ovens,
>>> but we did
>>> look extensively at counter-depth refrigerators. We ended up choosing
>>> a SS
>>> Kitchen Aid 25 cubic foot model, mainly because I liked its ice maker
>>> layout the
>>> best by far -- the ice storage and delivery mechanism is mounted in
>>> the door,
>>> which leaves you with much more freezer shelf space than anything
>>> else we saw.
>>> At one year now, we're still very happy with it. Expensive, but worth
>>> it to us.
>>>
>>> -- Larry
>>
>>
>
> DO not buy Viking. They have multitudes of problems and the service for
> them is less than ideal. They look great, sound great on paper and from
> the salesman, but ask around the internet and you will find a lot of
> unhappy owners or ex-owners. Wolf used to be excellent. They are only
> very good, now. THey have lost some of their quality since taken over
> by Sub-Zero. Or take a look at BlueStar or Jade, especially the former.
> We have a Garland, but they don't make residential ranges anymore.
> However Blue Star makes a burner very much like it.
>
sinp
For stoves you could go for this....
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...05-14-07_range