We've finally settled on a Wolf all gas range (30"). I LOVE the look of the Bertazzoni (and it's my 2nd choice) but we like the burner BTUs of the Wolf. I would have loved to have gone with dual fuel, but can't justify the difference in cost. I'm just now starting to research hoods. We're going to have to replace our OTR microwave and I'm considering a counter top speed oven. Yet another thing to research! Good luck!!

Just saw your post, hope this isn't too late. We're in a similar situation - new construction, narrowing down our appliance selection. We have a while yet, framing is barely underway. Our builder includes a $3500 budget (GE mid-range), not including fridge, and gets some very deep discounts from a local store that has beaten every online price I've seen by at least 15%. We are planning to add $3k - $4k of our own money (pre-tax) and get nice, functional, but not top-of-the-line stuff. Your selections are somewhat similar to ours so far. I've put our price (incl. builder discount) in parentheses. Fridge - Samsung RFG297AA ($1999) Oven - Frigidaire FGET3065KF ($1732) Cooktop - Kitchenaid KFGS366VSS ($907) Rangehood (ducted) - undecided, considering Broan RP230SS or similar, but I'm not sure I like the side intakes. Microwave - undetermined, but it won't be anything fancy. I only use microwaves for reheating non-meat leftovers, or thawing things before cooking them. Dishwasher - GE GDWF160RSS, so far. ($494) We have been planning this house for about 3 years, so I've done a fair bit of research - except for the wall ovens, since until very recently we had planned a single wall oven/micro combo. Selections seem to be pretty solid combos of performance, features and price.

To the OP (original poster): Induction cooktop: Great, much better than electric. I haven't researched the units you are considering, but for brand preference, I'd pick Gaggenau. We have a single burner 15" Gaggenau induction burner & it is awesome. GE Monogram fridge: No problem here. Dishwasher: Definitely Miele. We have 2 Excella's. The features we like best are also in the Optima, so you should be very happy with either. Ovens: As you said, this is the problem area. We have the Gaggenau combi steam oven & love it. However, I do not see any mention of availability of plumbing a water supply & drainage, which this appliance requires in addition to a dedicated 240 power circuit. This is tough unless planned for in advance of construction, & probably killer in your situation. One suggestion for using your existing oven wiring: stack a 120 Advantium wall oven over the convection oven of your choice. The 120 Advantium can function as a speed cooker, microwave, convection oven, & warming oven. We have the 240 Advantium Monogram version & love it; it cooks more quickly than a 120 but does not have convection or the warming oven features. For your full size convection oven below the Advantium, I'd recommend a single Miele MasterChef. The problem with trying to put a combination microwave & oven double unit under a steam oven is that the top appliance will be too high to safely use, and you haven't solved the power issue. Here is a link that might be useful: GE Advantium 120 wall oven

It looks like you've already chosen the appliances that have the features that suit you. You have to take the reviews with a critical eye. There's a lot of operator error out there, where the machine gets the blame. It's also true that satisfied customers rarely bother to post in depth reviews, so balance is less likely. The appliances you've chosen are fairly inexpensive with a lot of gizmos. The more gizmos, the more likely it is to break. The weakest part of any fridge is the ice maker, which gets even moreso when it's through the door, and more yet when there's also a water dispenser. Ad to that that the dispenser is above the freezer, and there's even more to go wrong. BUT, they sell an awful lot of these units. If they were really horrible there'd be a class action lawsuit and a big government consumer protection investigation. So the question is more how soon will something go wrong, how much time, effort and money will it take to get it fixed, how soon before it makes sense to buy a new fridge rather than replacing it, etc. It should keep your food cold. They all do. The one part that I've heard about is that door in door thing, which is supposed to be a bother and a waste of potential storage space. But again, should keep your food cold. Similarly, the range is gizmoed out. There's a LOT about even the best ovens on the market that could be better, because the top considerations for all but the very most expensive are energy efficiency and marginal cost, rather than consumer level performance. OTOH, presuming it gets hot and holds temperature pretty well, you should be able to make it work. My house came with a gas wall oven that didn't work right and could not hold temperature, but I still managed to make roasts and casseroles, broil, and bake bread and cakes. Basically, the kinds of things that they made in the ovens next to the fireplaces in the old days, where precision wasn't necessary. With that to compare with, the range has to be better, and you'll learn its quirks, it's hot and cold spots, etc., and adapt the way you use it to make it work. When you're having appliances shipped from Korea--or Michigan--there's likely something going to break loose. There are also faults that can't be tested for in a factory setting which you may find a few months in. As Greg alluded, that's why they usually give you a year's warranty. To make good on anything that isn't quite right. Make sure that those kinds of warranties are included. Just keep in mind that the more of a mass market price point, and the higher the number of gizmos, the more likely the appliances are to fail within the standard prediction time. Currently the rule of thumb average is about 7 years. It's possible that both will keep going for 30, but don't bet on it.