Thanks for the thoughts! We went shopping this weekend, and came back generally unimpressed with the field, but we now know a bit more about what we're seeking. -Control panels with lots of visible buttons are a turn-off. Much preferred sturdy knobs or softkey electronic buttons. -Things that don't feel substantial are likewise disappointing (the knobs on the lower series Bosch units, or the Pro Thermador, for instance). -Miele is likely a very nice oven but was visually uninspiring. I'm not sure why - maybe the grey interior instead of the currently popular blue? -Full extension glide racks are nice, but only if well executed. Else, just give me a smooth functioning traditional rack that's easy to relocate. Wolf E-series and Gaggenau seem to be most to our taste, though they didn't have a Gagg to look at. Our people hadn't even heard of the Bosch Benchmark, and I've never been one to be the first customer for a new product anyway. After some measurements of our cabinet, it looks like we lack the vertical height for several choices, including Electrolux, Thermador, and possibly Miele. Now we need to find out how difficult it will be to modify our cabinet face to fit a new oven (larger or smaller). It's frameless full-overlay construction, but the cabinet is ~33" wide with a face panel that has a cutout in it (as opposed to something sized for an oven with trim around as needed). Seems like an odd arrangement, but I'm sure we'll figure it out.

I am kinda in the same boat. I have a strong incentive to get the GE because I get employee discount. However, I don't know anything about their appliances. I am debating between getting a 27" oven and 27" advantium or 30" oven and 30" or 27" advantium. 27" is sufficient for us. However, we are thinking about getting the Monogram since we like its looks better. However, looks alone is not worth the higher price. Is it made better too? I noticed the Monogram ovens are heavier than the profile ones. My wife likes the easy glide racks in the 30" monogram but the 27" monogram and the profiles don't have them.

I have the regular Electrolux single 30 inch oven and I love it. I lived through buying $10,000 in appliances (range and oven) and both were lemons, so I was very gun shy. The good thing is with Electrolux or KA, you can buy them where you have a 2 week return policy. After my previous experience, this was very important for my peace of mind. I also put it on a credit card. You also have to keep all the packaging to return it though. Ask and get it in writing before you buy. I would try to look at live models if possible. It may make a difference to you how the lights are configured and whether they stay on during baking. Some people did not like the fact that you cannot use the roller rack on the bottom slot on the Electrolux, when roasting a turkey. You can use the regular rack there. It did not matter to me because I didn't need to get every inch out of my oven on Thanksgiving as in previous years. I have used the self clean and no problems. Others did not like that the door is open on the top and dust can get in. I'm not sure if and when this would be a concern. I have had it since July 1 and there are few grains of dust in the door. I think most oven doors have some type of opening in the door. Pros: Many different cycles so you can set temp all the way down to 85 degrees. Very handy for drying gum paste decorations and other craft work as the convection fan runs! Very easy to get rolling racks out for cleaning. Very fast preheat 0-350 in under 10 minutes. I was missing my small Gemini oven but this is just as quick. Quick to change temperature. The wave touch is easy to use. Just barely touch it. I like the little diagram that lights up and tells you what element is on and if the fan is on. It has very pleasant bells that chime. It keeps very close to the set temperature, except the convection roast runs about 50-60 degrees hot.(my only con) I just adjust down a little. No one oven is the "end all". They all have features that appeal to all kinds of cooks.

I agree with Jpmom that you don't want a MW on top of a double oven - it's just too high. However, although she does not like a MW drawer, many people on this forum adore theirs (note that all MW drawers are made by Sharp, so if you decide to get one, no need to pay up for a different brand name, as it is just a rebadge). Is there no other location in your kitchen? Do you have a pantry where you could keep the MW? There was just a recent thread on this MW placement topic. http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3833699/placement-of-a-microwave?n=42 I am not a fan of the oven/microwave combos, as I think there are too many compromises in both in order to combine them. Just MHO. If you are doing a major kitchen remodel, you might want to re-think the cooktop in the island, mostly because how are you going to exhaust it. This topic has been covered a zillion times on this forum, but the upshot is if you care about good exhaust, you should have your cooktop on a wall, so that the exhaust capabilities are not hampered by trying to exhaust over an island setup. On the other hand, many people are absolutely fine with poor or no exhaust, and perhaps that is you, so never mind.