We are getting a Gaggenau steam oven because the Thermador chef at the builder show told us that if his house was on fire he would take his Gaggeneau steam oven with him. He was telling my husband that is it larger and he can start smoking his meats in his smoker for 4-5 hours and then finish in the steam oven. The Gaggenau is the largest one so my husband was sold. We are getting the Thermador convection oven (I know they don't match but Thermador doesn't give you credit for buying 2 ovens with them. I love that the Thermador convection oven also has a dehydrator with it too! We are doing Thermador induction stove top and then you get the dishwasher for free. I'm so excited for the induction stovetops (but we are plumbing for gas in case when we sell someone wants gas or when I get old and the pans are too heavy, I can switch to gas. I just hate having to take off the grills to clean underneath because I always have things spilling below the grill. It will be so nice to just wipe off and to be able to use the surface to serve on because it cools so quickly when you take away the pans.

We're building a new house and the placement of the appliances is pretty much fixed at this point. We didn't have any idea of how tricky this would be. Speed oven, Steam oven plus 30" convection oven and induction cooktop. Where to put them all? And how to decide which manufacturer so that they all match, without breaking the bank? We're thinking that the 30" Convection oven will be the one we use least. The Miele Steam seems better than the Bosch, but that means we have to make everything Miele to match. Miele 30 " convection is a lot more expensive than the Bosch. And how many of you have a Speed oven and what do you use it for? Currently, we use a Microwave to heat a bowl of soup, or warm up coffee, or reheat leftovers. We roast a lot of chicken and use a Convection oven..same with fish. We're a retired couple so it's mostly the 2 of us, and wonder how often we'll have a crowd and use everything at once. Plus, we're moving to FL and will have a good grill with a rotisserie, so will have that option too. Also wondering about a plain Microwave +Combi Steam+ Convection set up. But we're thinking that for resale value, we should have a Speed Oven. Can any of you tell me which appliances you use the most and do you have any experience with Bosch cooking appliances? And has anyone out there ever installed a wall oven under a cooktop, rather than buying a slide in or built in stove?

I apologize if this is in the wrong thread as this may be my first houzz thread post. Mostly a silent observer but I'm in need of some advice. We're starting a kitchen remodel in July and I've been agonizing over the stove/fridge. First things first, I'm not dead set on matching all of the appliances. I'm a firm believe in best of breed and as some others have posted above means buying different things from different companies. Here's what were planning on installing in the new kitchen: 48 inch stove with dual ovens, we're not splitting the ovens and range top. A 36 inch fridge, was thinking built in but if there are other options to consider I'm game. A dishwasher and perhaps a drawer microwave. I've been waning a Blue Star stove for the longest time but I've now read enough threads here to make me question that. Are they truly that problematic? Between tales of the convection fan turning off when the gas is going in the oven to the horrible customer service, is that really the experience people have had? They look beautiful. I'm more of a no-frills kind of guy and believe that simpler is better and lasts longer. I have a friend with a 20 year old blue start hat has had exactly two things break on it in 20 years: an igniter and a rack clip. That's it. Has the company gone down hill? What attracted me to the blue star was the insane BTU and configuration of using a griddle/grill on any of the burners. The circular grates for a wok are also attractive in my head and purely functional. However the reviews and one appliance store salesman have made me question wether this is a good investment. Originally we had been planning on a built in fridge from BS and the Platinum 48" Stove. So now that I've been reading a bunch more I'm wondering if perhaps I shouldn't consider WOLF or Miele. Between the two which would you choose? Thermador is a contender but Miele seems to have some nice features. As I said I prefer no frills, but it seems that outside of the BlueStar most of the other brands incorporate a bunch of new features and technologies. Before you ask, we do all kinds of cooking. My wife bakes and I do everything sous vide cooking in a circulator bath to low and slow braising, high heat searing of animal proteins, pretty much everything. I always figured that at this level and this price point most of these unites would be fairly bullet proof and last for a good long time. I hadn't really thought about the customer service aspect of purchasing something so pricey but it occurs to me now that perhaps I should. Are there any brands besides Thermador, Miele, Wolf and Blue Star to consider that deliver similar performance or are in that same class? Someone suggested Heston but I wasn't thrilled with what i saw or read about them. Thank you in advance for your thoughts. Cheers.

@Whitney Marlow - I understand your concern. Yale appliance has a blog you might find helpful. They sell AND service and have information you might find useful. I remember reading and watching about the new Thermador - if I recall correctly they stated that they updated the exterior but made little to no changes to the actual oven. Thermador is owned by Bosch. Bosch double ovens do NOT have knob controls. Monogram has good reviews, but Haier has now taken over. I am trying to support products made in the USA, not China. My experience with F & P is limited. It's not a brand that gets a lot of press where I live. I see mostly Wolf, Thermador and Blue Star around me.