I'd look at different brands for the different appliances. Some GE Profile fridges have a bad reputation but their ranges and microwaves are good. Whirlpool/KA make good fridges and DWs but KA ranges and ovens get bad reviews. Search on this forum and you'll get lots of info.

Do you go to Costco? They have Samsung fridges in your price range...Probably at Best Buy and other places, too. I've only read good things about their fridges.

I 2nd Weissman's opinion on GE ranges...We had a GE Profile that was really good...Not any problem of any kind with it.

I also 2nd your opinion about Maytag fridges...We had a really bad (and costly) one of those, too.

I like Panasonic microwaves...Sharp are good, too, I think.

ITA with weissman; in my experience, different companies make the best appliances.

This has been my experience (YMMV):

Sears Kenmore Ultra Wash Tall Tub dishwasher (made by Whirlpool) - extraordinary buy. Cost a bit less than $400, works like a dream. We've had it for 3 1/2 years, no problems at all.

Sears Kenmore above-the-range microwave - I have a small kitchen, not much counter space, and this has been BY FAR the best microwave I've ever had. Dear hubby got it for a great price, too. We've had it 2 1/2 years.

GE side-by-side fridge - wow! I love the slide-out shelves, the water filter, the ease of use, the look (we got black), and BEST of all, it has saved us a LOT of money on electricity as compared to our 30+-year-old Kenmore (which DID last a long time). We got it on sale last year at Home Depot, got several rebates, ended up paying about $700 for it.

Maytag smooth-top range - LOVE IT. I'd always had GE ranges, and they just weren't lasting long at all. This one has all the features I wanted, burners heat up instantly, cooks like a dream, oven is great. We got a great deal on it because we bought it in May during the Maytag days - bought it at Home Depot too. Because we also bought a Maytag Bravos washer/dryer, we are getting mega rebates from both Home Depot and Maytag.

Much of my experience is mirrored at this website, whose URL was posted by berryberry in another thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: 2007 Appliance Study

I didn't see the need to spend $400 - $800 on a MW just to carry the same label as the rest of the kitchen. The top of the line Panasonic NN987 is $200 at Best Buy and I like it a lot. Costco and Target carry smaller versions of the same MW for $100 and $164 respectively. Many people like Sharp, which seems to have MWs in every size and budget starting at under $100. So, unless you really need the name brand, that's one place where you can save money. HTH.

Thank you for the link to the appliance study. That was the kind of website I've been looking for. It was great to see how they were ranked with an unbiased review. Thank you for everyone's opinions. It gave us a lot to think about.

mommyniki, you're very welcome. Before I buy any major appliance (even small appliances, often), I do as much research as it possible - online and elsewhere.

I've gained a lot of knowledge and benefitted from others' experience by reading at forums such as this one, Consumer Reports, epinions, and Consumer Research - as well as quizzing friends and relatives about their experiences with appliances.

In case you haven't heard of Consumer Research, here's a link. I wish you the very best.

Here is a link that might be useful: Consumer Research

JDPowers Link - I read that 3 years in a row winner sign on the Samsung fridge I fell in love with. The survey polled 22k customers. Is that enough? I don't know how many are usually polled? Then dh has been on the REPAIR forums since he repairs most everything we own himself and the Samsung, LG, and GE seem the worst for refrigerators. Too bad for me because the unit I liked best was the GE Profile FD w/ thru door ice & H20. I've been shopping at all the independent and big box appliance stores and today a small independent store owner told me that the GE I like is a nightmare. They sell them because they look so cool and people want them, but he says he crosses his fingers w/ a sale of that model that it will be one that doesn't break down. The problem is unreliable auto ice maker temperature and consistency of the refrigerator temperature. He said the engineers at GE don't even know how to fix the icemaker problem and neither does he, so it's a bad situation. He said that GE, LG, and Samsung are all made in the same factory in Korea and all have problems. He said stick w/ Whirlpool and KA for refrigerators. We checked the Whirlpool FD w/ thru door ice & water unit I will likely wind up with (but he said that KA is due out w/ their version mid July so I'll wait and check that too) and it was made in USA. Dh had already told me that from his repair forums research that Whirlpool was way to go.

Ovens - Same appliance salesman also told me that for the money, Hotpoint was the best value in stand alone ranges. If I didn't want such a basic model then he said go w/ something from GE. Being able to disassemble the entire burner to clean separately is a big plus let alone the track record of reliability. I'm going to have a hodgepodge of appliances, but oh well.

>>I'm going to have a hodgepodge of appliances, but oh well.

That's a good thing! Most of us on this forum mix brands.