Elux makes crappy fridges too they own Frigedaire. lot's of temp problems reported on this forum. People seem to like their ranges cooktops and wall ovens though. Don't worry about matching stainless. Don't stick with one manufacturer. Not every manufacturer makes every appliance well. Kitchen Aid makes nice fridges and dishwashers, but reviews are poor on their ovens. Research everything. Our fridge dishwasher vent hood and range are all different brands. Fridges and diswashers are generally a thinner material with a finer grain that are stamped to shape them. Higher quality ranges and hoods that need to be formed and welded are thicker and slightly coarser grained. Cheaper stainless ranges that are stamped to shape will be closer to the fridge material. Avoid any stainless range that has a black top under the burner grates, they really suck to keep clean. Get one that is stainless or cast iron.

What I have done is go with Enameled Cast Iron (LeCruset) type cookware for pots. Cast iron and Carbon Steel for pans. All of these are true lifetime cookware, no cancer causing agents of any kind, get better with age and cost less. Buy yourself a 12" cast iron frying pan like a Lodge under $25. Then either a 14 1/4" OR 15 3/4" carbon steel "Lyonnaise" pan $63-$75 these pans are every bit as good as a cast iron pan with a bit less weight and once seasoned 100% nonstick FOREVER, pass them down for generations. Could also pick up a 9 1/2" Debuyer pan if you feel you need one smaller frying pan. Cost is $33. http://www.bakertowne.com/1620/de-Buyer-511040--15-3/4%22--Heavy-Duty-Frying-Pan-lyonnaise.html Then your final "pan" should really be a carbon steel griddle, if you use a regular size range then buy a 12x20" if you use a professional size range then buy a 14x23". Buy a Chef King carbon steel griddle, cost around $70ish. http://www.amazon.com/Chef-King-Gauge-Steel-Griddle/dp/B001BQYS3C Then your pots I would buy LeCruset/Staub, maybe even the Lodge enameled cast iron or if you get lucky a Kirkland/Costco brand what ever you can find on sale and what size you need. Myself I went with a 3 3/4QT LeCruset multipot which is about 10 1/2" in dia and the lid is a nice frying pan. Cost was $200. http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_3-3%2F4-qt.-Multi-function-Pan_10151_-1_20002_41069_10032 I am going to pick up soon a 2 1/2QT LeCruset multipot which is 8" in dia and the smallest pot that I feel is usable on my range. Cost is $170.00 http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-1035534/Le-Creuset-Cherry-Two-in-One-Pan I luckily found an 8Qt Oval enameled cast iron roaster from Costco for $79.00. The LeCruset version is over $400. So do what you can on this piece as cost can be between $80 to $400+. I would also get a 7-8Qt stock pot/ Pasta pot to use an an all around Stock/Soup/Pasta/Steamer etc type pot. This is the ONLY pot that I would buy Stainless. They are a pain in the butt to clean but they work well, boil water quickly, last, etc The Pasta pot is more versatile with the pasta strainer insert and then buy a steamer insert, you can use it for anything you need a large pot for. The good one will cost around $300 then another $100 for the steamer insert. http://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-Stainless-Pentola-Insert/dp/B004T6JAAC/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1351961150&sr=1-5&keywords=pasta+pot+8+qt+all+clad This "set" will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $1300.00 but the pans are totally nonstick and get better with age, last several lifetimes. The pots are virtually nonstick and should if well cared for last at least your lifetime. They also cook BETTER than any other type of cookware.

Glad to help. Looking over Alphonse's posts I'm not sure that it is clear that he his describing a bending process that is accomplished by making a series of small bends. You put the bar you want to bend between the two pins and give it a tug than move it a little bit then tug again. How far you move it and how hard you tug will determine the radius of the eventual bend. You can get a smooth curve by moving the bar in very small increments. You don't need a fancy jig. A couple of pieces of bar stock held in a vice will work. Even simpler you can just keep the vice jaws open wider (~ 1.5 times the bar thickness) than bar you are trying to bend (the vice jaws become the "pins") and pull the bar you want to bend toward you, slip it down a bit then pull again. This way the curve will be generated in a vertical plane. The trick is bend, move the bar, bend, move the bar, etc. To get a feel for this try bending something soft, maybe some 1/8" aluminum bar or even lead came. If you purchase steel bar stock to play with get hot rolled. Hot rolled 1/2" x 1/2" is pretty easy to work and cheap.

I don't have SS in my kitchen, but I have a SS table from a restaurant supply store in my work space. Sometimes I like to leave the doors open (it's a large space with roll up doors) just to get some nice air in while I'm working. I have found that when the sun is at the right angle in the afternoon, I can't work facing it because the glare off the SS surface is harsh. I move to another side so that it's not an issue. I'm not sure what your window placement is, but in my kitchen at home I don't think SS would be an issue because I never have that much light streaming in. My kitchen windows are large and south facing, but I have a pergola and trees filtering the light. So it really depends. In direct light at my work space, SS is blinding, but I think any light polished surface would also be blinding.