Cast iron? No, you want steel. It has a higher thermal conductivity to produce a more uniform temperature. I have these: http://www.katom.com/067-1020450.html http://www.katom.com/067-1020449.html I use them on my 6 burner CC--they are awesome. English muffins, pancakes, bacon, all at the same time.... I haven't seasoned long enough (had them only since Feb), but I'll try eggs soon. I was advised to get 4 burners and a griddle by many smart people, but with these two griddles (2 burner and 4 burner) I feel that I have the best of both worlds. Also, do yourself a favor and get a griddle thermometer and an IR thermometer: http://www.globeequipment.com/Kitchen-Supplies/Food-Safety-Supplies/Thermometers/3210-08 http://www.amazon.com/Raytek-MT6-Non-contact-MiniTemp-Thermometer/dp/B000O80B5M

To the OP (original poster): Induction cooktop: Great, much better than electric. I haven't researched the units you are considering, but for brand preference, I'd pick Gaggenau. We have a single burner 15" Gaggenau induction burner & it is awesome. GE Monogram fridge: No problem here. Dishwasher: Definitely Miele. We have 2 Excella's. The features we like best are also in the Optima, so you should be very happy with either. Ovens: As you said, this is the problem area. We have the Gaggenau combi steam oven & love it. However, I do not see any mention of availability of plumbing a water supply & drainage, which this appliance requires in addition to a dedicated 240 power circuit. This is tough unless planned for in advance of construction, & probably killer in your situation. One suggestion for using your existing oven wiring: stack a 120 Advantium wall oven over the convection oven of your choice. The 120 Advantium can function as a speed cooker, microwave, convection oven, & warming oven. We have the 240 Advantium Monogram version & love it; it cooks more quickly than a 120 but does not have convection or the warming oven features. For your full size convection oven below the Advantium, I'd recommend a single Miele MasterChef. The problem with trying to put a combination microwave & oven double unit under a steam oven is that the top appliance will be too high to safely use, and you haven't solved the power issue. Here is a link that might be useful: GE Advantium 120 wall oven

I assume when Ryan says go with one system he means one system for the new addition, and if so I agree (except for the sunroom -- see below). I would not disturb your existing system. I can't figure out why your architect is suggesting that you put in separate systems for the master bedroom and for the kitchen and basement. It might be worthwhile to ask, because maybe there's some issue there we can't "see" from this angle. Personally, I am not an advocate of zoned forced-air systems. I think they tend to be more trouble than they're worth. In 2,000 or so square feet, I really don't think you need zoning if the air handler is placed well and, as Ryan said, if ductwork is designed properly. If it were me, I'd want separate heating and cooling for the sunroom because its construction and heating/cooling loads are going to be quite different from those of the rest of the house, and there may be significant periods of time when you choose not to heat or cool it. It's only 168 square feet, so you could use electric in-floor radiant, if you wanted, but the time lag from turning those systems on to providing warmth can be long. That's no problem as long as you want to keep it heated 24/7. In a room like this I'd prefer not always to have to heat it, and instead to be able to turn on some heat and feel warm in a few minutes, so I'd want something like a fan-forced electric wall heater, maybe, or a unitary air conditioner with electric heat strips.

Thanks for your reply tigerdunes. Current A/C 2.5 ton up, 4.0 ton down, 10 SEER. Heat 36K up, 80K down. All options in my original post were from same dealer. He did also include quotes for XR13 & XR16 for up and down stairs. From comfort perspective, master bedroom is hard to cool in summer & that is whey he will be increasing size of supply lines in that room. Upstairs is also more difficult to keep cool that downstairs. Downstairs in general seems hard to keep consistently warm in winter months. I will try to reply to your questions. 1. Since the upstairs is rarely used, you are right in that I should consider a less expensive unit like the XR13, XR15, or XR16 and save the cash. 2. I like your idea of the single stage XT80 with high eff blower in either 40k or 60k size. I am also good with your recommendation of a single stage XR13, XR15, or XR16. Do you lean towards one of them in particular? Is the basic difference in the three just the cost for the higher SEER units? I have had quotes from 5 dealers. While all did a load calculation, none were willing to leave a copy. I guess they assumed I would use that information to shop with their competitors. All quoted 4 ton units downstairs, with the exception that one quoted 3.5 ton down. Three out of the 5 quoted 2 ton for upstairs, and the other two quoted 2.5 ton. They all quoted Honeywell 4" pleated filter media cabinets. None quoted the Trane Perfect Fit. 5. Furnaces will be located in attic. Since I am good with your recommendation of XT80 & either XR13, 15, or 16 upstairs, my understanding is that you recommend HW 8321 or Trane 803. You mention those two stats do not offer DOD. While I agree that feature is not that big a deal because of the use of that zone, what stat would I need to go with if I wanted to have DOD upstairs? On the 2-stage units I am considering for downstairs you mention HW Prestige 2.0 or better. What are the (better) unit and what more features does it offer. I checked the specs of the TCONT624 stat & it says: Upt to 4 stages heat/2 stages cool. It also states it has built in humidity sensor. Says dehumidification (overcooling), but I don't know if if that is the same as "dehumidify on demand". All dealers that provided quotes planned to reuse existing line set, so I assume they confirmed they are the correct size. I like the idea of consistent temps the XV18 offers, but as you mentioned I will likely veer away from that due to the little amount of history on it. That being said, since I will likely go with XR13, XR15, or XR16 upstairs, I will probably go with XR17 downstairs unless there is some real value in opting for the XL18i (I know it has 12 year warranty on compressor). I have duly noted your comments about American Standard. Once I nail down exactly what I want, with the help of your comments, I will seek quotes on similar equipment from AS. On the downstairs unit unit, are there pros and cons in going with a high efficiency coil? I assume no need on the upstairs unit?? One more question. I understand the extended warranties are now offered through a 3rd party versus directly from train. I was strongly considering purchasing the ext warranty but now I am less certain. Any thoughts on that? Thanks again for your time and professional opinion.