We love the display and wavetouch controls. Ours is mounted undercounter, but the controls are still very easy to see and use, the writing on the readout is very large, for example the word convection is about an inch long, so I can read it without my glasses. See the post about the GE oven with the hard to read display, so mounting under counter a good easy to use touch panel is a must, as are the fully gliding out racks. The oven is easy to use. All the controls for the oven are LARGE Circles, about an inch. Lets say you want to "Convection bake" (1) Touch convection bake circle, it beeps and blinks. (2) Enter the temp (we use 350) so 3, 5, 0. (3) Touch Start. DONE!!! Now lets get a lil fancier and preheat the oven, OK? (1) Touch the preheat circle. (2) Enter the Temp (3) Touch Start (4) Oven will beep when it has reached preheat temp, if you missed it, No worries, the display on mine shows Dashes, until it reaches preheat, then the display shows the temp, so all I gotta do is look for numbers instead of dashes to know the preheat is done. Mine is a 2006 model, I believe the newer models actuall show the actual temp as the oven preheats, Maybe CJ can comment as her oven is a newer model than mine. Anyway, I'm an Old F*** and I have no problem seeing and operating the oven controls,even thou it's below counter. HTH's Gary

I have decided on these appliances 1. Vent Hood: Zephyr AK2136BS Stainless Steel 850 CFM Under Cabinet Vent Hood 2. Cooktop: Bosch 800 Series NGM8056UC Stainless Steel 5-Burner Gas Cooktop 3. Dishwasher: Bosch 800 Series SHXM98W75N Stainless Steel Dishwasher 4. Wall Oven: Bosch 800 Series 30" Single Wall oven HBL8451UC, Stainless Steel 5. Microwave: Whirlpool unbranded 2.2 Cu Ft Countertop Microwave Oven 6. Microwave Trim Kit: Whirlpool Stainless Steel 30" trim Kit for the counter top microwave oven

First off I would be very careful buying anything with blue enamel. KA and others have had issues with it chipping. I don’t think all KA has blue enamel though. “i’ve heard great things about the Dacor, that it bakes incredibly well and evenly” Did you hear this from someone that actually has one? I had one several years ago and it was awful. It also worked in a really odd way. I looked at the user manual to see if that might still be the case and there are a couple of things that would give pause. First you can’t put any food in for the preheat. From the manual. https://www.dacor.com/uploads/Dacor/28/28c87a3d-647c-4b59-8d02-2975ce154f3c.pdf If you turn it up by 50°F, you have to take the food out because the intense preheat comes back on. When they talk about a delayed start, they talk about not using the preheat. My oven I had worked a lot like that. It had a hard time maintaining temperature. Mine had a different temperature difference (about 150°F) before it triggered the preheat which was much worse. Now it is 50°F. The problem with mine was if you open the door and the temp drops 35°F or even 100°F, it had no way to bring the temperature back up in a timely manner. They market this type of oven as keeping a very narrow temperature because you get the strong preheat and then a quicker on and off of the element which in theory would keep the temperature in a narrow range but doesn’t account for closing or opening the door or a load of cold food. Note the comment of not using the preheat for delayed start but they don’t tell you how long it takes to heat the oven not using the preheat. Some ovens have an optional fast preheat. When I got some oven thermometers because things weren’t cooking right, I could not believe what was happening. They also tell you not to use an oven thermometer in the manual because the door opening and closing will throw the temperature off. I have read a few other manuals that say that too and it makes me wonder what is going on in there. That was my experience back then, but I am fearful that this oven still works that way because a poster here recently bought a Dacor Heritage oven and returned it because it couldn’t maintain a temperature. I actually was able to return mine too but only after they attempted to repair for 9 mos. I had a DF range and wall oven. I have an Electrolux oven now and it works the way I expected. If you open the door, it triggers the element to come on and quickly heats the oven back up @ the rate of about 50°F in about 60 seconds. You can put a casserole in during preheat if you want to and it won’t burn, yet it can go to 350°F in about 7 minutes. I love it but I can’t recommend it because the blue enamel has chipped in mine and others, although no reports lately. It can also have issues with the computer boards. I still might get another one when this goes out. Some people might be able to make Dacor’s way of heating the oven work but I bake cookies, appetizers and open the door too much for it to work for me. They also tell you to keep the door closed as much as possible in the manual. Reading the manual for any oven is important these days. New ovens are not like the old. Dacor is not the only oven to work that way.

Are you talking about a gas or electric cooktop? Since you didn't say, I am going to assume gas cooktop. I am also going to assume a 36" width cooktop, since you didn't say. A 30" cooktop is not a good choice because the knobs take up too much space on the surface, so if you want a separate cooktop, it needs to be at least the 36" width. Which brings me to my next point, that is if you are looking at gas, I recommend a rangetop instead of a cooktop. A rangetop is a more "pro" look, you will get more powerful burners, the knobs are not taking up space on the cooktop, and you don't have to be handling the knobs an inch away from splattering boiling pots. I've posted pics of rangetops below in case you are not familiar. Make sure that underneath there are drawers (not cabinet doors), for pots and pans storage. The advantages of separate rangetop and wall ovens over a range is that (a) you are not standing in front of the hot oven while using the burners, (b) you do not have to bend to use the wall ovens - think about Thanksgiving turkey, and imagine basting while standing straight. While I love the look of a 48" range like Luckyblueeye's (or 60" range for that matter), the exhaust requirements for that width can be difficult. You would need a lot of cfms, a very large hood, and you will be foregoing upper cabinets to make room for the hood. Many people are happy to do these things, and you may be too, but I wanted to make sure you were aware. Having said that, the exhaust requirements for a 36" rangetop must be taken into account in your new kitchen. Indoor air quality is more important than before, and that will continue. Make sure in your new build that you have an exhaust duct from the kitchen hood to outside that is an 8" diameter or 10" diameter duct. Insist on this with the builder, in case he says "a 6" duct will be fine". It won't, and he's not the one who will be living in the home. Look for a hood that is 24" front-to-back, has baffle filters (not mesh), and ideally is 6" wider than your rangetop.