As a Thermador owner, I will make sure to check out fan noise FIRST when I look for my next range. White noise is the bane of my existence, and SVCMGR's advice about listening to a "live" appliance in a home kitchen setting is so true. I've had my Thermador for a few years and I've not noticed the air blowing out of the front--but this fan noise is absolutely maddening. I figured all other gas ovens with electronics also had loud fans--and I wouldn't have thought the DF would have had it too! I now have a Wolf electric wall oven and consquently go out of my way to use it and never use the Thermador oven. It has a fan, but it's not as loud and it's also situated further away from where I stand (plus its enclosed underneath the counter, to be fair, so maybe that dampens the noise). Once you realize that it doesn't have to be that way, it makes you sad you're listening to all that racket, esp. if you went out of your way to get a quiet hood.

I hope so, xedos. This was definitely a first-world issue, no question, but ouch. We had many issues with the cabinet designer. But back in 2003 when the kitchen was planned there were basically 2 high end built in options -- SZ and Viking. Also Monogram. My cabinet dimensions were standard for both at the time. Cannot fault the fit on this really. Instructions said a 25" cabinet would allow it to fit flush. But having seen the design of the frame, which is about 36-1/4 or so to cover the cut out, I don't see how that would work.What's interesting is that the Miele door is much slimmer than the SZ. It doesn't protrude as much. And having the grill hidden on the bottom makes a difference in the look -- at least for me. It's very neat. I spoke to the dealer about the water filter. When the time comes, I spend $60 on a bypass. End of story. We have a very good water filter on our well pump so it's not needed on the fridge.

I bought my Samsung 28.5 cu ft rfg297aars refrigerator at Sears on June 6, 2009 in King of Prussia, PA. It was delivered on Sunday June 7th. I absolutely love it! The only problem I had was that the day after delivery, the freezer drawer was not closing all the way on the left side and things were becoming frosty with condensation in that half of the drawer. Sears sent a repairman out the next day; it helped that I had bought a 5 yr Master Protection agreement and that my salesman put the service call in for me. It turned out that the gear on the left side was not properly aligned--it was one tooth off. I have not had further problems. The fridge is so quiet that yes, the sound of the ice dropping seems very loud, but it does not bother me. The freezer drawer is so large, that I was able to bring all my meats up from my basement chest freezer! The lighting and layout of the fridge section is marvelous. I can see everything in the fridge. The fridge does not freeze my vegetables and fruit like my GE Profile Artica did for years. This will save me a small fortune in ruined food. The water and ice taste so good, that I am going to discontinue delivery of 5 gallon Deer Park bottles for the water cooler I have been using since 1997--an attempt at "paying down" the price of the fridge... If I should have any problems develop, I will post again. In the meantime, if you decide to buy one, you can tell if the stop-sale re-do of the icemaker was completed by taking out the bin--if the auger that moves the ice forward is metal instead of plastic, the re-do has been done!! BTW, Best Buy has it on sale today for $2159.99! Sears will match the price if you choose tobuy it from Sears. I am going in this week to get my price adjustment....

I never did get a response to my post above but now understand that in fact Marvel makes models for Viking and not the reverse. My main reason for posting though is to say that we went with the Marvel. It was delivered last week and installed a few days ago and you wouldn't even know it was running. Not sure where all the comments about it being noisy are coming from. Maybe there are a few lemons out there but after lurking for a while in several of the forums it's clear there is some deliberate slamming of products, often by the same people over and over again. Such incredible negative energy, especially in the Laundry forum. I find it hard to believe people can be that passionate over a fridge or washer. I guess I'm saying the info here can be helpful but must sometimes be weighed carefully. PS-My granite broke during install yesterday, my fridge has been missing in action for weeks now and the drywall guy's tools have found a home here but we haven't seen him for 2 weeks. I share the pain many of you are going through.