I did the full Thermador promo around 6 months ago as part of a new build. So far, it's all good, quality, performance and service. I have posted some about these products and you can search if interested. Good luck.

Just curious...did you look at Blue Star range tops? If not, try to find a dealer and get a demo.

Thanks for responding! That really helps.

I'm going through much of your analysis angst, doing a complete kitchen remodel...after only 20 years. Leaning heavily towards Wolf 36" based on reviews here, elsewhere and word of mouth from several serious foodies that I hang out and cook with. I want dual fuel which eliminates some of the other top brands.

One thing to consider is that Wolf/SubZero now has a promo going (till March '13 I think) Buy a SZ fridge and add a Wolf range/wall oven/cooktop gets $1000. More if you add more. Worth looking into. Might help to put a small dent in the sticker shock.

Thanks for the info, hope everything goes well with your kitchen!

We recently installed a Sub Zero BI 36 R. It replaced my 26 year old 501 R. The matching 501F is still working (knock on wood) perfectly. Actually the refrigerator could have been repaired but when you're dealing with something that old we decided to replace it instead.

We chose Sub Zero based on the longevity of our units and the excellent customer service we've had from them. I'm amazed at how quiet my new refrigerator is and of course it cools perfectly too.

We had a built in Sub Zero in our Beverly Hills home from 2000-2007. One small repair, and after 5 years, Sub Zero paid for almost the entire purchase....and we did not have any extended warranty!

We've had a newer model in our current home since late 2007! Just recently, the freezer started to keep things too warm (ice cream and popsicles were soft!). I called Sub Zero, they gave me the number to our local authorized Sub Zero repair shop...they came out 2 days later, and even had the parts in their truck. I am VERY, VERY happy with Sub Zero performance, longevity and their Service, attitude and level of care is top notch!!!

I'm in the middle of an addition that replaces a small kitchen with a larger one, and getting all new appliances. It's true that the sticker shock on Wolf and Sub-Zero is tremendous, but having owned them before pretty much forces me to buy them again. I can't imagine being happy with anything else after enjoying cooking on a Wolf and using a Sub-Zero. I try. I haunt the appliance forum hoping to fall in love with something reasonably priced, but I can't. I say go for the best and enjoy yourself! I've cut back on other things in order to be able to afford this. Good luck!

Thanks so much everyone for replying. Hearing all your excellent feedback on Wolf/subzero customer service makes me feel much better about investing in their appliances.

Hi Schwester5,

Thought I'd throw in my 2 cents about Miele dishwashers. I have the Diamond, not the Futura, but apparently they're really similar except for a few bells, whistles and extra cycles, and the Diamind comes with a 5-year warranty (here's a helpful link on the difference between Miele DWs):

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg0510233530587.html

Anyway, I'm thrilled with the Miele dishwasher. Even though I did have a frustrating problem with a bent prong on a connector, but Miele sent a Master Miele tech 8-hours round trip and he fixed it.

It cleans like a dream. My lipstick is kind of a sticky pink gloss that sticks like crazy to the rim of mugs and glasses. My previous DW (Kenmore Elite) didn't even touch those lipgloss marks. With the Miele, everything comes out perfectly clean.

I adore the cutlery tray, and although the Miele appears smaller than some, you really can pile up dishes like crazy--I load bowls on top of each other in a big stack--and they all come out perfectly clean.

I love all of the wash cycle options, although I like to use the longer Pots and Pans cycle. It looks great, it's quiet, and the overall operation is great.

FWIW, I'm also the very happy owner of a 36" Wolf (DF Range) that I love. It was clear from peaking with the appliance people during my research on Wolf, Thermador and Viking that Wolf had the best repair record, was the heaviest (as in well-built, quality steel, etc.), and was favored by a lot of serious cooks. Thermador would've been my second choice, I love the star burners with all that BTU flexibility.

Good luck!

Thanks so much Madeline616, that was really helpful of you. Glad you love your Wolf range!

I just came across this thread (8 years later than when it started). I don’t know if anyone will read this. We did a kitchen reno about 2 1/2 years ago. We bought a Sub-Zero refrigerator with built in water/ice dispenser through the door, Wolf electric wall oven (gas is not available in our building), and Asko dishwasher. About a month after installation, the dishwasher panel stopped working. A technician ordered the part which took about a month to arrive and repaired it. We haven’t had a problem since. (I hope I’m not jinxing myself.) Then the ice maker stopped working. A different technician is responsible for that product in our area. Again, a part had to be ordered and again, it took about a month to arrive. The icemaker clogs up frequently. It’s a poor design. In order to fix the clog, the whole unit has to come out. About 6 months after the oven was installed, it caused us grief while cooking our Christmas turkey. The oven kept turning off. We thought the electrical system was overloaded in our building with everyone cooking at the same time. Now, here we are in September 2021. I’m cooking a brisket on convection bake which takes many hours to cook at a low temperature. Once again, the oven keeps turning off and/or switching to another setting such as dehydrate or proof. We have a call into a technician. Hopefully, we’ll get a reply soon. We thought we were buying top of the line products.

We are about to order Sz and reading this makes me want to reconsider. Do you mind sharing what state/area you are in? It appears service reliability changes based on location

I live on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada — which could explain the delay in finding a technician and getting parts. Even so, we’re so disappointed in the top-of-the-line appliances failing after reading so many positive reviews.

I hear you. They probably say its an exception but i know it would for sure happen to us this way too. Hope it gets fixed soon. In Chicago area, im hearing both thermador and sz takes close to 12 months if you order new. Seems like labor and materials shortage causing lots of delays everywhere.

Update on my oven repair — the technician examined the oven and said it was an electronics glitch in the board. Luckily, our warranty was still good. The technician ordered the part which arrived in about 2 weeks. He installed it. So far, so good! The technician was fabulous.