You don't mention bosch model, but the nexxt series don't stack, the axxis series does.... I think it sounds like you have a space constraint that would eliminate the whirlpool, lg, and smasung machines (at leat the ones that seem to be the 'popular' models... I'm thinking you've got Frigidaire, Axxis, Asko, Miele, and maybe a sears model to look at... fwiw... my fil had a frigidaire stacked set for literally years... he died before they did, and now the nephew has them...still going strong... I have a bosch, but it's a nexxt... I think the bosch or the asko would be the way to go... personally I think the Miele is way over priced and not worth the extra cash..

A Charles H. Ullery paper presents a thorough assessment of water hardness classifications for the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. The ASAE Standard S-339 is: soft: 0-3.5 grains per gallon (gpg), moderate: 3.5-7.0 gpg, hard: 7.0-10.5 gpg, and very hard: over 10.5 gpg With your water @ 17gpg it is REALLY hard and that's without knowing the iron and manganese content. That means that most solutions to your water heating problem are doomed to shorter service and more frequent maintenance from the start and that is EXACTLY what you are complaining about with a softener... except a softener requires you to walk by and look at it once a week. You can opt for the storage tank and that will give you hot water and false security because all your plumbing, every appliance, and fixture will be seeing ludicrously hard water and that will cost you $$$ and usually at the most inopportune time. Like the old FRAM commercials said... you can pay me now or you can pay me later. ROs don't have to mounted under the sink. They can be installed in a basement or through the wall behind the kitchen sink. "... and that's one more thing to forget to do each week" Well, think of it as taking vitals... we can have a water doctor write the order for you. Without knowing the details of your water usage I can say that a correctly sized industry standard softener could be had for between $500 and $1000 online plus the cost of local install and at a higher price locally installed. "I understand softeners definitely have benefits and are very popular here on this forum. There seem to be more posts on that than anything else" As the cost of appliances and fixtures go up people seem more interested in getting the longest and most trouble free service life from those purchases. Few of us have more money than we know what to do with so we look for the best bang for the buck we can get. With respect, a correctly sized and set up softener with a modestly priced stand alone water heater is the most cost effective, simplest, and easiest to live with solution you can get. Let us know what you decide.

Wow, so many great responses! @nycbluedevil - I will be putting my microwave in the pantry/laundry area and was wondering which of the combo ovens would be best for my needs. No good space for an undercounter one in the kitchen. I obviously didn’t do any research about steam ovens. Plumbing? Well, makes sense since it makes steam but didn’t think about that extra expense and hassle. Thanks for the explanation of how they work. @Jillius - Last August, a range at a rental died. Instead of getting a new, inexpensive range for it, we moved my range there and I got a new slide-in (to not block the view to the glassblocks). Unfortunately, I didn’t really have time to do a lot of research and wish that I had thought to get a double-oven. At that time, I wasn’t yet active here at GW or I probably would have probably thought of it. Oh, well. Too late to change that now. I didn’t realize speed ovens were that expensive!! Oh, my. I guess I should have checked prices before asking about them. To justify that cost, they would have to be able to do the grocery shopping and do window, too! @fori & @sjhockeyfan - I’ll check out the countertop Breville and Cuisinarts. Those sound more likely to meet my needs than a built-in. And more budget-friendly. I don’t need a built-in, just something for a counter or a shelf. @malabacat - The quick heat feature sounds wonderful. I hope you enjoy your new speed oven. I’m jealous, lol. @laughable - As said above, already got a new range and, darn it anyway, wish I had thought to get a double-oven then. I do a lot of squats and lunges in my exercise program so I could have practiced them when using the lower oven, lol. I never thought of a roaster and didn’t realize you could use them for things like soup. Interesting. I checked out the link. I didn’t know you could bake in them, too. Wow. This sounds like a viable option I had never considered. I think my MIL has one. I’m sure she doesn’t use it much so I think I’ll ask to borrow it and play with it before deciding. Thanks for this recommendation. @sherri58 - I know! Years ago I learned to not shop as a recreational activity because it just made me lust for things I really didn’t need anyway. I’m loving the amazing kitchen design ideas here and the helpful advice is incredible! I couldn’t afford to pay for such good advice. But, like you, I’m learning about all sorts of fun stuff and I’m lusting. Well, I guess kitchen lust is less dangerous than other kinds of lust, right? ;) ----- Well, now that I’ve actually priced steam and speed ovens, I’m considering other options. I think the countertop microwave/convection ovens are a better fit for my budget and will give me the options I need the most. Or I might just get a small microwave and a toaster oven. And might add that Nesco roaster. There are lots of inexpensive options, it seems. While I love the idea of the steam and speed ovens, they’re outside of my budget right now but I’ll sure keep tabs on them for the future and hope prices come down. Thanks for all your input. Very helpful.

I love threads about KA mixers--still love my KAs after all these years. Yours looks great in your gorgeous kitchen! I had an almond KA Classic for about 25 years--it stood up to many batches of pizza dough, stiff cooky doughs, and homemade cakes. It is now loved in my DD's kitchen, and I have a red Artisan. Red wasn't my first choice--I wanted buttercup or green apple for my new kitchen, but five years ago I found the Artisan on Craigslist for $100, a deal too good to pass up. The seller said she had used it in her home cake decorating business, but it looked unused--not a bit of gunk under the metal band, which I removed to do a thorough cleaning before I used it the first time. The finish was super shiny--it really looked brand new. Two of the attachments were missing, so I spent another $25.00 for them. The Artisan has been used the same as my former lower watt KA, for pizza and bread dough, lots of pfeffernusse cooky dough, and cake batter. I just follow the mfr's instructions to use it on low setting for stiffer doughs. I've decided the color looks good in my kitchen--the universe chose well for me, too. ;)