Hi, I can appreciate your refrigerator "dilema" - it is one I share - with the added concern of needing to be solar power compatable! I'm a kitchen designer so I have a bit of awareness on a couple of your questions. The Bosch and Thermador units are manufactured under the same roof so the Freedom unit provides a reasonable footprint. Take a look at the Viking designer series french door unit. (made by Kitchenaide) Consider the Kitchenaide 36" single door unit and Sub Zero 650. Our current thinking is a Bosch 30" all fridge column with a Summit 2 drawer under counter freezer unit. Appears to be the most energy efficient of anything except a Sunfrost and has an estimated combined capacity of 21 c. ft. Cabinet details will make a huge difference with the success of a built-in 'look'. The high end appliance manufacturers do a good job with integrating their systems. Note the hinges and door swing requirements.

Very interesting about the Benchmark line. Thanks for the info! Strange, I thought the Bosch 800 NGM8654UC had a 17K BTU center burner because that's what it says on ajmadison, but now I see 18K everywhere else. It looks like the 36" cooktop will be around $1550 which is not too much more than the 800 series MSRP $1300, but the single wall ovens will be closer to $3K, which might be too much additional $$. Do you think there will be rebates or sales after the Benchmarks come out in April (on Benchmarks on on Bosch in general)? I'm now leaning towards Bosch for cooktop, dishwasher, and single wall oven. Built-in refrigerator too, if I'm convinced about paying a premium for built-in vs a counter depth (Kitchenaid, for example). I'm also not sure how to avoid a Bosch microwave while avoiding a strange mix in the wall oven cabinet (if in the wall). We had a convection microwave before, and while I reheat things in it all the time, I never used it as an oven, so a cheap microwave seems like the best idea. I'm at a loss where to put the MW, though.

Oh, I want one! Looking forward to responses and pictures from anyone who has one.

@whirlpool_trainee, I also open my door to let it air dry but the blast of steam that comes out is fairly substantial. It is hot and humid a lot of months here and I always hate doing this in the summer. Plus, I wonder if the sudden steam coming out is good for the finish on surrounding cabinets. I also wish I could say the Bosch remains quiet. It started out so quiet but now it sounds just like any other DW. For $1000, I expected better. You can hear all the sloshing and the circulation motor humming during the circulation cycle. Absolutely no need for a light shining on the floor as I can hear it several rooms away. I complained to Bosch but manufacturer's warranty is expired as the unit is 18 months old. I clean the filter every two weeks by removing it completely and hosing and brushing it off, use the newer DW cleaning tabs that are now available here in the States and run an empty cycle. I have examined the impeller for something that might be stuck but didn't find anything. I am at a loss. I have an extended warranty but complaining about the increased noise level is not grounds for service according to the repair firm. They told me it must stop washing, draining, etc. I am alone here but given the difficulty in the way it loads, the need to open the door to a blast of steam for adequate drying and the now louder noise (way, way over 40 Db), I am very disappointed and will never get another Bosch. I know it is a beloved machine by many, just not me. So to the OP, I think the Miele is a good choice and I hope you find your answer about whether you can add panels after purchase. That question interests me as well.