That was helpful. Thank you. Trying to decide between the Thermador 48" range and the GE Monogram 48" range. Looked at the Wolf, but out of our price point (you've got to draw the line somewhere!) I read that the star burners on the Therm got a bit 'overzealous' and it was hard to control or heat a smaller pot? Have you had the Therm before? Would you find this, about the burners, to be true? How about the griddle? Happy with it?

Well, you didn't spoil the party with that info, Andre. Except for SZ's Wine Fridge (Perlick)---I think that's SZ's, it is hard to find any info, especially from SZ, about their use of a variable speed compressor. Doing searches for same , along with looking at the link you gave, I was able to track down some posts, (Mainly on Refrigration repair sites), where it does appear that the newer SZ's are indeed using the newer VSC technology. Good to see that they are only 5 years or so behind Jenn-air, alto both companies need to do a better job listing the features of their fridges, especially the technical ones. This compressor is what allowed the JA to claim .5 Degree accuracy and I'm sure SZ will follow with a similar claim. If you have any doubts as to the value of such a compressor system, just Google "Perlick Wine Fridge". It does make ya wonder why Liebherr does a much better job of explaining Technical advantages of their fridges than do their American Competitors. Hmmmmmm are Euros more technically inclined than us "Yanks"---In the US, Fridge Makers can just say "It keeps food fresher longer" or this or that "Latest Sales Slogan" and we Yanks BUY without having the foggiest notion of what it does and even much less at how it does it! As I mentioned before, be careful, Not all Jenn-air or SZ's use that compressor yet (At least I can't document it) so "One Hopes" you will have a saleman that knows what a VSC is. Gary

BalTra, I agree and I'm sorry. There are people here who are determined to misunderstand my posts and I'm going to stop responding to the misunderstandings. It's futile. In the context of tearing out an old kitchen, Toronto Tim has the right of it. Making do with what you have has the least impact on the environment, and joining a dining co-op, rather than cooking at home, does even more. What you can do, for demolishing a kitchen, is carefully remove everything, rather than smashing, reuse or pass along to someone who will everything that can be saved. Separate all the different kinds of bits and recycle everything that can be. For instance, there are places that recycle ceramic tile. They're probably very few, and probably aren't available to most people, but you can find out if there's one in your area. You can reuse/recycle whatever wood you remove. You can certainly reuse (let someone else reuse) any cabinets that you can remove whole, especially if they're the modern box style. If they're built in place you may only be able to save the doors and drawers, but if they're quality, you should find a taker. That's another thing you can do to limit waste: Forgo disposable furniture. A lot of people buy into the idea of the ten year kitchen. Builders put crap cabinets in to keep their costs low/profits high, but also partially because they figure the future owners will customize and redo whatever they put in. Homeowners often follow suit, especially if they're the type of people who move every seven years, figuring they'll get their money's worth out of them and don't want to leave a bit of value when they leave the house. That's unfortunate, because a well designed, quality kitchen should be able to stand for at least fifty years. Every time you put in planned obsolescence, you add more waste. Still, when you go for quality, you also have to balance the impact of that quality vs. something a little less wonderful. Old growth hardwoods are beautiful, but.... :)

Thanks all! The musician is a kid and while he will have to test and approve any piano, his decorating tastes are still developing. So the musician won't get whatever the musician wants. (I'm picturing glossy red or blue lacquer.) (I just realized that a matte red would look pretty good!) As far as sound quality? The old piano sounds fine for practicing. It may not sound like a professional piano, but it sounds spectacular for a piano that is only 18 inches deep. The issue is that the kid is just ready for a more advanced instrument. Our home is not really suitable for a real piano but what else can ya do? (lkplatow, no photos at the moment, but it is this model: piano although the one advertised here does not have the proper bench. It looks nicer in person. Still, this is not a fancy instrument! But it is cute and sleek and you can serve food on it (I don't.) and you actually CAN cover it with a single scarf. (I did, until someone started playing it.) I should mention that this one is priced at least $6700 too high!)