I agree that there is a lot of subjective preference as well as some features or design aspects that that may --- or may not -- matter. There are also a lot of differing opinions on what are "high end" appliances. A search here will turn up threads with debates over topics like "Are Subzero refrigerators s worth it?" Here's my 2 pennies worth on this debate. Why spend $1800 for a gas range instead of $800? : To start with, more money can get you an induction range if you can work with electric ranges. Induction has the controllabilty and quick response of gas with potentially less kitchen hassle and maybe less worries with the little ones messing with the stove. Also, more money also can get you a "dual fuel" range which means gas burners over top of an electric oven. Some people prefer electric ovens to gas and vice versa. My experience has been that it generally gas verus electric ovens in this price range is not a big deal in terms of cooking performance. A a gas oven puts more heat into your kitchen, though. Also, in the $1800 price range, numbers of the dual fuel ranges will have a third element that wraps the convection fan and that can help with more even baking (with less fussing with trays) when baking, say, mass quantities of cookies. Since you said you are looking for a gas range, I'm guessing that your kitchen does not have the 240v connection you'd need for induction or dual fuel stoves. If memory serves, I think there is a Frigidaire gas range which has an electric "third element" convection set-up in the gas oven. I've seen it discussed here but don't remember any specifics. Might be worth checking out. More money for a gas range also can get you a range with two separate oven compartments. The smaller ovens heat up faster and allow you to bake or roast two things at different temps. Numbers of gas ranges in the $1500 to $1800 price range have electric warming drawers. Some folks find them useful, others not so much. The warming drawer was a selling point for me when I bought my previous range, a GE dual fuel model, back around the turn of the century. I found that it took so long to heat up that it was not much of a convenience for me and I rarely used it. Others here are very happy with their range-bottom warming drawers and use them constantly. More money also gets you a better choice of burners, but the importance of this factor is a function of personal preferences and the cookware you use and what you cook in it. If you like to stir fry/saute in 12" skillets, you will likely find it easier to do so with the bigger burners on the more expensive stoves, some of which have multiple rings of burner jets. Some find these useful for boiling water quickly for pasta, oatmeal and etc. for the impatient little ones. Also, many mid-range (and above) gas stoves can be had with a central burner for a pancake griddle. Some find the griddles useful because the central burner makes for more even heating than you get by straddling a large and small burner with a griddle plate. Also, as you move into mid-rage and above, you'll find continuous grates (easier to move pots around) and slide-in style of ranges (all controls down front, so no reaching over hot pans to adjust the oven) Gas stoves in the mid-range and above may have larger ovens than less expensive ranges. Also, as you get over the $1500 price mark, electric warming drawers become common. Some find those useful and others do not. Then there are the "pro-style" ranges or pro-look ranges such as (I believe) a stainless finished GE Profile for around $1900. AFAIK, the only one at or below $1800 is the NXR from Costco. The selling point for the NXR is that it has four larger "dual stacked" topside burners at 15k btu which give good flame-spread from high heat to a ridiculously low simmer with the extra real estate of the pro-style construction. This will be useful if you find you regularly cook with three and four large pots at once, or you want to use a 14 x 23 pancake griddle like the Chef King or Vollrath. If you tend to cook with smaller pans (say 8-inch nonstick frypans and small saucepans) this will not be so useful. A basic type of pro-style stove like the NXR will have relatively minimal electronics, so theoretically less to break and easier to fix when something wears out. You might (or might not) find them easier to keep clean. The stainless steel top is probably easier to keep clean than the black enameled tops of most gas stoves in this price range, but it does not have a self-cleaning oven. So, think about your budget and your priorities. More money for dishwashers : The recent DW testing by Consumer Reports concluded that just about everything now being sold, even the junkers, will do a perfectly acceptable job of cleaning dishes. As you move up in price, you get a number of things that may be of varying importance such as: (a) faster cycles. The bottom of the line DW may take 3 hours to run and dry a load. A higher level model may have cycle times less than half that. A big deal when doing lots of dishes and maybe worth your while. (b) Quieter operation. Some of the better brands will be dramatically quieter than the least expensive models. Quieter operation may be a big deal in a small house when trying to get little ones to sleep or when having discussions at the dinner or kitchen table. (c) stainless steel interiors. A big deal for the DWs that do not use heated dry (which, btw, are much more plastic-friendly than heated dry models). Stainless tubs also tend not to show wear as quickly as the tubs made of synthetic materials. (d) conveniences like flatware racks instead of baskets. (Some wouldn't have a DW withouth flatware racks but others, like me, prefer baskets.) (e) More cycle options. Some folks find these very useful, others not so much. (For example, I don't own any fine crystal glassware so a cycle for crystal is not something I would use,) (f) hidden control panels and/or the ability to take paneling to match cabinetry. (Important to some and unimportant to others.) (g) more flexibility with rack and tine arrangements.

I have also considered buying in the US and have been told by dealers that not only will the warranty be void, but also that installers will not install anything that does not have CSA approval! The person that told me the latter was talking about Blanco silgranit sinks! I take it all with a grain of salt and will purchase smaller items - sinks, microwave, undercounter fridge in the US. We had considered the bigger items but decided it was too complicated. We live on the Island, so we had ferry transport to consider as well. We did learn that anything made in the US has no duty, items made outside of the US will have 8% added on. All items are subject to GST. If you drive the goods across the border yourself, you will avoid all the customs brokerage fees. Also, a company in Bellingham, possibly the one you mentioned, is not allowed to sell Wolf/Sub Zero to Canadians.

I've found great deals online at Elite Appliance: www.eliteappliance.com They also just happen to have a showroom in Dallas that I was able to visit. So far so good on customer service, even though we haven't bought anything yet, I'm receiving multiple quotes on the kinds of items we are in the market for. The particular rep who was helping us asked us all the right questions, heard my questions and concerns, explained brands I wasn't familiar with, and tried to steer me in a general right direction for our wants and needs. Plus they offer all brands from high-end to not so and all the prices seem to be as reasonable as I can find. The showroom also had floor models and open box deals that were discounted even more. Hope that helps!

Very late to the party on this one, but... I have a kitchen full of Miele products (induction stove, oven, steam oven and dishwasher)...all great except the induction stove (KM5773). Since installation we have had the issue of the stove shutting off during operation. At first it happened only occasionally (every month or so) and was of course inconvenient when cooking dinner. However, the frequency of this issue has increased dramatically; happening every few days a few months back and now happening every. "Resetting the touch controls" as outlined on page 18 of the User Guide usually worked (~70%) with a trip to the basement to flip the breaker usually working the rest of the time, so this was more of a nuisance than anything. And my general thoughts at the time were that it's embarrassing for Miele to have designed such a high end stove top that costs $3000 be prone to a ridiculous DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FLAW. However, over the past several months we have had instances in which we could not even reset the stove...ruining meals, plans, experiences, etc. The capper was when my wife hired some chefs to come and cook for eight of us for a birthday celebration. A night half ruined when only some of the dishes were already finished. I'm appalled by the reliability of this unit. From the posts online, I'm of the mind that this is NOT isolated to just me and that Miele should consider a product recall...or at least a solution. I'm at wit's end with more ruinous experiences when I should be enjoying the not inexpensive equipment. Note -- Miele has a website with very positive reviews of their products...all suspiciously submitted on either September 5th or 6th of 2012. I've submitted the above review twice to no avail. You've been warned...caveat emptor