I was recently looking at all those brands for my new home. I ended up going with a Viking D3 range, fridge and dishwasher. Partially for the rebates, partially for the matching and most of all because I loved the range. Great features and it is gorgeous. Beyond that the Viking D3 has a better warranty than the rest and I negotiated an extension to 5 years from the dealer for $175 for all 3 appliances. Also free delivery and install. The fridge is the same same as the jenn air and kitchenaid. Just different handles. The only iffy thing is the dishwasher. I am sure I could do better by buying a Bosch or Miele but with the 5 year warranty I think I am taking a safe risk on the Viking. Still need a range hood but I dont think I will go with Viking on that.

Hello, I am building an apartment (will be the second part of a 2 family) and I'm in the process of buying new kitchen appliances. Here is what I have for ideas: Gas cooktop: GE Monogram 36" Wall oven/microwave: GE Monogram Advantium 30" French door wall over: GE Monogram or Cafe Refrigerator: Frigidaire Professional standard depth Dishwasher: Not sure, possibly Bosch (want to find pro handles like other apps) Trash compactor: Not sure, possible Kitchen Aid (to keep pro handle look) Hood: Not sure. I'm also considering the Thermador gas cooktop and the Bosch wall ovens but then I would have to re-think the other appliances to keep the handles all similar. Does anyone have any experience with any of the above items or any suggestions? I'm overwhelmed with all the different brands and options! I am single but spend a lot of time cooking/baking/hosting so I spend a good amount of time in the kitchen. I want reliable appliances but I don't want to overspend when it's not necessary. My budget is around $12,000, but hoping to spend less. I'm definitely going with a gas cooktop and don't really want the microwave over that as a vent/hood. Thanks for reading this and any input is appreciated!

Dan, you sound like my DH (dear husband). He’s more interested in how things function, what they are made of and how they are put together. I’m grateful for that and our choices have been guided by his ability to research and comprehend : ) We have the Fisher Paykel DD24DHTI9N model, just the one. The top drawer is taller than the bottom. The dishwasher was the last appliance we chose, and for me, the most difficult. I was leaning toward Miele until I started reading issues with them here on GW/Houzz. Which lead me to Bosch. I could not commit as it was a bit smaller than our Kitchenaide, and I'd finally gone beyond the rabbit hole and was proceeding to Dante’s 9 circles of $ell. This will be lengthy, but I’ll take you through the thought process and why I love my FP. I had a large Kitchenaide DW prior. It’s just DH and I, but I cook a lot – and many of my items are large (stock pots, et al). And I can be messy. And I use more pots and pans than any normal person should, every single day. So a lot of handwashing, which we both hate. DH found the FP drawers first and my initial thought was NO! Finally, I packed 3 large boxes of pots, pans, dishes, glasses, and whatnots and took them to the appliance store. Loaded the FP, without folding tines, adjusting anything, or removing removable tines. I was pleasantly surprised (and apparently the only person to ever bring in their cookware and dishes to that appliance store, so they use me as an example when customers ask about the drawers). I measured everything as well. Home again I loaded the Kitchenaide, and it wouldn’t hold as much as the 2 DD’s. I’m not kidding, but then again, perhaps my items differ from others. The one rack I knew I would not use in either the Miele or Bosch were the top, 3rd silverware racks. I am not patient enough to place each utensil in a slot and didn’t want to just ‘lay them in’ as I knew any spoon left upright would have a puddle inside. I prefer baskets. Everything comes out nice and dry. I hate unloading the DW as well. Abhor it. As I used my pots/pans almost daily, they didn’t get loaded into the Kitchenaide, and by the time we did fill it with other items a week would pass, and it’d take me forever to unload the darn thing. Present Day: We load the FP daily with everything (yes, they are quiet!). I primarily use the upper drawer as it’s easier and larger, and as you have one, you know how lovely it is not to have to lean so far over to place and retrieve items. Since it’s a smaller daily load, it takes minutes to unload and put items away. We run the lower drawer once weekly to keep it ‘alive’. I love that the tines are completely adjustable, those that aren’t are easily removed to make way for large pots. EDITED TO CORRECT: All the tines are adjustable (narrow to wide spacing, and the other two rows fold down, and one row is also removable). My teppanyaki and large griddle fit snugly, but fit, and if there is flow-over into the bottom drawer, no problem, we just run that one too. Life is far better in our household with the FP Double DD’s. I’ve read, over and over, in trusted posts and sites, the FP’s won’t give you issues if you have them installed correctly. DH installed ours. Love the knock to pause feature (works at any point in the cycles), and I love the way they look – less dishwasher-y. In short, I love the DD's because the top drawer is so easy to load/unload (the bottom drawer is not hard to load), we put everything in them, daily, therefore less handwashing, faster unloading. I'm limber but my back is hugely appreciative for the top drawer. Cleaning and drying is wonderful, they are quiet, they are incredibly adjustable, and they don't look like a dishwasher. And you probably wish I'd only typed that last paragraph : ) Good luck with your choices!

“Or is better to do a range top and double wall oven” Yes. I recommend a 36” Bluestar rangetop that has open burners and cast iron top. A cast iron top means you’ll never have to see ugly scratches and burn marks around your burners again. Wall ovens could be GE, Monogram, Bosch are all good. Wolf works well as wall ovens but they’ve had the blue interior chipping issue which I am not sure has been resolved. IMHO, a 36” range has an oven that is too large - longer to heat up, and you will rarely need that amount of width in an oven. Have you seen 36” ranges in person? The renderings you show all are different. In particular the fridge placement, but several things are different in each of them. Hard to advise you. I am not a fan of T-shaped islands with two levels. Switch out all or most of your lower base cabinets for base drawers. I prefer a hood that is stainless steel over a cabinet surround hood. The cabinet surround hoods often are not deep enough to cover the front burners. In any case, make sure your hood has baffle filters, not mesh filters. ”do you recommend ordering at a local spot like Ferguson or finding the best deal online at Aj Madison or appliance connection?? For something like a microwave, you can order online, but both those online sites you mention have bad reputations. If you want to order online, Abt Appliances is good. It is better to buy locally in case there is a problem.