Okay if it's not such a big place, you can consider how import is a 48in frig? If you foresee any back or knee problems, a wall oven is a better option. The microwave can be a drawer micro. Looking at both cooktop and rangetop. It all depends what style you like. In a cooktop your countertop is cut and all your knobs are on top. So it's right next to hot pots and pans. In the rangetop all knobs are in front away from the pots. Plus it's a nice look! You will enjoy cooking with gas. Ask your electrician what can go together. Subzero 36-42 frig, 36 Rangetop, Wall Oven, Speed/Steam Oven, microwave drawer. IMHO, if your going Subzero for the frig, I would not do a cooktop.

Since a kitchen is rather expensive, I would get it the way I really like it, even if it costs a bit more at first. So you might want to determine how you feel about the stainless steel. Is it really something you do not like? Then get the white one and spend that 1K extra. On the other hand you might be able to make it work for you with some stainless steel accents elsewhere in the kitchen? Maybe some bowls, a vase, and/or a stainless steel faucet? Or go for drawers that do need handles and get some sleek stainless steel ones? If you somehow do like the stainless steel, you could also try to sell the white appliances, if you feel you have too many of those then. After only three years you might still get a decent amount for them. How long are you planning to live there? Will the new kitchen help sell the place for a good price later on? Saving a bit now, might cost a lot in pleasure and/or return later on. Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone for the all the comments! It is awesome that every one loves their Bluestar! I can't wait until I join you all. barryv_gw and opaone, thank you so very much for the hood advice. It is extremely helpful as I have to research and pick out a hood soon. Getting the right hood is very important to me. Thanks everyone for all the oven and microwave information too. It will help a lot. One of the reasons I am leaning towards the Platinum is the removable griddle... currently I have never used a griddle and while it sounds cool, I think there is a good chance I won't use it that often. Having a built in one is just too risky especially because I was only planning on a 36" range... I do see some recent threads about the Platinum, but not much from actual owners of the range. maire_cate, I am convinced that you are the only person on Houzz that actually owns a Bluestar Platinum :). Before I posted this, I had read your post where you had just got the range but hadn't tried the oven yet. Thanks very much for sharing your experience. I am glad to hear that it works well enough for you. It is very helpful to hear that it won't be totally just decorative if we choose it. Also your Thermadors look great! How is that that rotisserie? That is a cool feature I may want to look at... Hope your DH is still loving to cook. kaseki, this is a partial tear down that we have been planning for a very long time. We will be moved out for 10 months. We are choosing things based on the timeline set by our contractor and designer. You don't have to have things like the exact molding, cabinets, floors, or appliances in a plan before you start a project this big... it will take months just for the structural work.

When looking at homes I’ve noticed that a lot of high end homes have mismatched high end appliance such as a Subzero fridge and Bosch dishwasher but newer mid tier and lower end homes have matching appliances. That's because the higher end houses are likely either custom or semi-custom, so the homeowners can pick whatever brands they like, or from a range of brands/models. But the mid/lower tier houses are usually production/tract houses where the builders have one standard package, which the builders get a good deal on because they buy in quantity.