We just bought all Kitchen Aid appliances. We got the counter depth french door fridge, the dual fuel slide in range, the wall oven/microwave combo, the dishwasher and the range hood. Sorry we haven't really had a chance to use them all yet but we had the same dilemma and also read about the kitchen aid self clean blow up problem. We bought the extended warranty on the ovens and the fridge but are hoping that we won't need to use it. Mind you, we havent' quite got the range hood working properly yet but hopefully this week someone will solve our problem for us. Good luck with your appliance shopping

As the sales associate said, the production of some Bosch ranges (the 300 and 500 series of gas stoves) has been subbed out to Frigidiare factories in Quebec and Memphis. (Several GW threads confirm this if anybody wants to research if further). When it comes to DWs, though, pretty much every Bosch DW sold in North America comes out of the BSH plant in New Bern South Carolina. The only exceptions are the models in the "800 Plus" series, which Bosch makes in Europe. Which makes me rethink the response to the OP on whether there are differences between models sold at dealers and those sold by the big box retailers such as HD and Lowe's. When comparing model numbers on DWs, be sure that you are comparing within the same product line. Bosch actually has three separate product lines in its 800 series of DWs. These are: the "800" models, the "800DLX" models, and the"800-Plus." The "800 Plus" models are the ones made in BSH's factories in Europe. The "Plus" models do in fact use some more expensive components, are reputed to run more quietly than the quietest of the "plain" 800 series models, and are supposedly the most durable. Also, "800-Plus" models are an inch or two shallower in depth than the "plain" 800 series models since European cabinets are mostly shallower than those in North American kitchens. Big box vendors carry "800 series" models but only dealers seem to have both the 800 and "800 Plus" models. (At least, that was how it seemed to be when I was shopping for a new DW). So, when comparing similar model numbers, check whether you are comparing 800 models to 800 models and not to 800 Plus models. I'm not sure what the differences between the plain 800 and "800DLX" models are but those can probably be discerned with product comparison functions available on vendor websites. This post was edited by JWVideo on Sun, Mar 16, 14 at 17:57

Well, I finally took the plunge and bought a Bosch 500 Plus Washer/Dryer today!!!!! I think I got a great!! I first want to let people know that now through the end of the year there are up to $125 rebate on all Bosch Washers. Mine has a $100 rebate. The 800 series has the $125 rebate. I bought them at Pacific Sales and I almost think the sales person might have made a mistake because out the door I paid under $2300 (including tax and free delivery, $2200 if you count the rebate. And that was for the ones in silver, it included the pedestals and the extended service plan (for four more years at $64 each). I verified the model numbers so she did order the right ones. I was going to wait to see them but once she told me the price I didnt hesitate. Ive done a lot of research, and it seems that there are no perfect brands anymore. I just hope I fall in the majority of Bosch owners and become very satisfied with my purchase decision. (At least I wont feel that they were over priced.)

Bosch, and pretty much all appliance manufacturers, design their different "tiers" to be mixed and matched while still having a uniform look, so you spend more on areas that are more important to you and cut back in others to meet your budget. So the answer is yes, you can absolutely mix between the different tiers. Stainless steel matching should not be a concern, they do not use different grades of stainless in the different tiers. Further, the stainless will never match between all your appliances, even if they are from the same manufacturer, because these products are manufactured in different factories all over the world and come off of different rolls of stainless. TL;DR no matter what appliances you buy, the stainless will be similar enough for you to not notice a difference unless you look VERY closely. The other thing you can (and should!) do besides mix/match tiers is mix/match brands. No one manufacturer is good at everything. Microwaves all come from the same small set of Asian factories, are very cheaply made and often last only 2-3 years. This includes the Bosch microwave. You are not paying for German engineering or manufacturing expertise here, you are paying for the look and the name. The best bang for your buck in microwaves is to either find a place for a microwave, either on the countertop, in a pantry, or a cabinet alcove, where you can just drop in another $100 microwave from Walmart if yours fails. OR if it must have the "built in" look, get a Sharp or Panasonic with the proper trim kit. This post was edited by hvtech42 on Mon, Jan 19, 15 at 10:11