Everyone is entitled to express their opinions. xedos is one of the most knowledgeable, reliable and trusted contributors to this forum for many years. But declarations like "The Asko is world above the Miele in every way!" are opinion, not fact. I had an Asko washer that needed a controller board which could not be purchased -- not anywhere in the world. I even tried to get one in Australia. The washer had been used full time for only 2 years. I had a Viking kitchen that has been slowly replaced over the past 10 years -- every appliance purchased for the kitchen had some repair issue, chief among them the oven which was bought back. Heat setting decals are now beginning to wear off the third cooktop as they did on the previous two. The refrigerator had a freon repair (equivalent to heart surgery) 3 door recalls for hinge failure, a new controller board and failed door seals. The vent hood draws, which is as much as one can say. No one here is making money off recommendations in any way. What you call "bashing" is hardly that from an owner who has been obliged to replace expensive appliances within 10 years. xedos gets that. Glad to hear your Viking range is working well. Hope that continues because if it's older than 2 years and you need a part you will see why some of us urge caution with brands like Asko and Viking that have unfortunate history.

All models from all mnufacturers will one day be discontinued. For that matter, you could buy a current model today and it could be discontinued tomorrow. Buying a model that has been recently discontinued shouldn't be a problem if it has the features you want and it is covered by the full manufacturer's warranty..

Good idea (rinse and spin), I believe we will follow that advice. This is a very thick and heavy comforter though, we launder it (infrequently) at a cost of around $30. I had narrowed my choices to the 218 or the 448 (extremes). Everything in between didn't seem to add value till you got to the higher capacity of the 448. Like someone else noted on this board, they seem to option these like cars, you need to accumulate options you don't need to get the one you do need. Now I know there are a lot of intermediate models (like 419) and I haven't looked at them, but dealers don't carry the entire line, Gregg for instance only sells 3 models. So since higher capacity was ruled out we settled on the 218. The uncertainty over long term durability of these machines nowadays, I think, makes it a good idea to start with an entry level machine till the market has had some time to establish track records. Unless you have money to burn and I don't

"I think they are only pro style ovens not true commercial grade. :)" This is untrue. Nor are Viking and Wolf the only brand options. Commercial grade ranges are not what most people install. What you may be referring to is "pro style" ranges -- usually gas and stainless that look more or less like the Wolf and Viking. There are many other brands of these including Thermador, Dacor, Culinarian, Blue Star, Five Star, GE Cafe, Bertazzoni and several more that don't come immediately to mind. Each range can do the basic job but there are wide variations in features, options. Then there are straightforward residential ranges which also have a wide range of features and options. This can be an overwhelming choice. But it's requires time and thought if you cook to any degree.