I have a 5 burner Miele and I like it, but if I were buying a new model today I would definitely choose one of the induction units in the Thermador CIT365 family. For one, they are the most powerful on the market (they have the largest diameter burner--13") and this burner is capable of cranking out 4,600 watts, almost a 1,000 watts more than anyone elses large burner. Like the Miele, which has 5 turn-off timers, the Thermador also has 5 turn-off timers, but also has a 6th alarm clock timer. The 5 burner Miele (its top of the line) has a total output of 10,200 watts, while the Thermador top of the line has 10,800 watts. The Miele has 12 cooking levels, while the Thermador has 17 levels. They both have pot size recognition. The Miele has spill detection, while the Thermador one-ups it with anti-overflow system, which prevents spills by automatically shutting off and sounding alarm when liquids are detected on cooktop surface. They both have residual heat indicators. The Miele has a memory function that can store up to 5 procedures. The top of the line Thermador has a CookSmart feature that has 9 pre-programmed cooking modes. The Miele's largest burner is 11" and is 2.5 kW, with boosting to 3.1 and 3.6 kW's. The Thermador has largest 13" diameter burner with 2 smaller diameters. They have succeeding outputs of unboosted 2.2 kW's, 2.6 kW's, and 3.3 kW's, while with boosting it boasts 4.6 kW's. The Miele has a safety lock function and the Thermador has a child-proof lockout. I imagine they are basically the same functions. The Miele has over-heating protection, while the top of the line Thermador has a Sensor Dome which has a retractable sensor that measures the heat of the pot and keeps the temperature consistent. The Thermador function here is far more sophisticated as overheating becomes a non-issue when temperatures are kept consistent. Miele has a stop-and-go mode, which temporarily reduces all settings to low. While Thermador doesn't have this feature it counters with a more sophisticated keep warm function. Miele has an overtime auto shut-off. Not exactly sure what the purpose of this is, unless it is for if the cook falls asleep and the cooktop eventually shuts off. But with timers that perform shut-off functions on both cooktops, it seems like a redundant system. I think the Sensor Dome feature on the Thermador that measures the heat of the pot and keeps the temperature consistent is far more useful. This feature is great for long-term simmering and other heat levels that are required for longer periods of time, such as with soups, stock, stews, etc. With all these features it makes one wonder why anyone would ever want as their main cooktop one that is powered by gas. With induction there is no danger of Carbon Monoxide, which is always part of the incomplete combustion of gas. Nevermind some other volatile gases that are emitted from gas. And if you forget about a pot on the fire with gas, you will at minimum destroy the pot and at maximum start a fire. Of course there are a couple advantages to gas, such as roasting peppers over open flame and being able to more easily wok cook. If I had to do it all over again I would get the Thermador and a separate high-powered gas hob for wok cooking. Greg

We have Bellawood Brazillian Koa solid wood installed in our 2-story home. It's been a year and I love it more than when we first had it. We have 2 large dogs and there are some scratches in main floor area and kitchen (high traffic). The scratch is only to the finish and can only be seen in certain angles. It's held up much much better than the bamboo flooring. The reason I like it now better than before is the way it's honeyed up since and is similar to brazillian cherry but a lot more characters.

I'm about to redo my old deck and I was wondering what ideas (post lights, cable line, etc) I should think of while it is easy to get below the deck. Any thoughts as to what you thought of too late?

(Started new thread, should have added to this very helpful one). We find the foot lever is hidden under our standard toe kick right of center, it is easy to use and comfortable on bare feet. In my part of Florida, the cold water tap is rarely colder than 72 degrees, in summer it is closer to 80. I'm happy washing hands and produce and doing all other prep tasks, including light washing, with cold water only. So I saved a few bucks and had the tapmaster 1776 installed, after ascertaining that I could later use parts to convert it to a 1775 if it didn't work out. But it is working out great! I keep the (single) handle all the way over to "cold" and no water flows unless I "tap". If I wanted hot only, I could use the handle to get it. If I wanted a blend, I'd have to engage the tap and adjust the handle. The guy at conserve-a-store was happy to get the friendly and helpful folks from Canada on the phone when I called to inquire, and they all agreed it was worth a try. I'm enjoying this so much I may well need to get them for the cleanup sink and bathrooms.