Hi Sorry about your fire - that sounds awful. And sorry for long response. I'm in similar appliance hunting mode and trying to pick the best appliance package for under $14K. We could probably pay more but already feel like our kitchen project is out of financial control and costing more than i ever thought! So what i did is that i really like the advantium and i like the bosch dw (thermador is same). Really all i want is the culinary rack (3rd) in DW so that limits the model #s. KA offers this as well. Miele - i just don't love for the price. The thermador package didn't work for me because i really wanted the advantium as my second oven (and thermador doesn't have equivalent). Plus the free DW isn't the one with the third rack. (you can pay $500 to upgrade to that one though) Bosch is offering 15% rebate by mail if you buy at least 3 800 series appliances. And monogram is offering $1000 instant rebate if you buy a cook/rangetop, oven, and hood. With my current quote that i am considering, I'm getting about $2300 off total by combining those 2 offers for 6 pieces (mg rangetop, mg advantium, mg hood, bs dw, bs fridge, bs single oven). Looking at your appliances here are my immediate thoughts: if price is no object subzero makes the best fridges if not antiquated stylewise. They are so solid. i have one that 23 years old and it runs great and still looks good. the service has been good. but i can't spend 2/3 of my budget on one appliance! wolf is good and stylish but i found the specs to be better other places: monogram then thermador - and cheaper. don't do downdraft ventilation if you can avoid it. look at hood companies - vent a hood, best hood. they are nice. my friend has a samsung fridge and its beautiful but the plastic is breaking and she doesnt recommend it. i like the electrolux ovens. very cool. but no package options. bosch and thermador are very similar if not the same for some products. i'm trying to figure out if the bosch 800 series oven i'm looking at is the same as the massterpiece thermador oven at a lower price. thermador is higher end brand than bosch. gaggenau is even higher end. rangetops are really nice - more burners and higher output and in monogram all are the same. but you lose a drawer underneath. i'm coming to the conclusion that the oven problems that some are reporting is due to fancy electronics being destroyed by self clean. thermador and monogram get terrible reviews here for ovens. with equal price and specs i would go with the subzero and wolf (i know this isn't true - sorry!). I would doubecheck what you are getting for free. it may be low end compared to everything else you are getting.

Try not to get an Appliance Package. No manufacturers makes all appliances well, most make one or two appliances well, and the rest not so good. For example, Kitchenaid makes great refrigerators and dishwashers, but not very good wall ovens. Furthermore, many manufacturers don't make all their appliances, but buy from another manufacturer, and then re-badge them. So you think you are getting, e.g. a fancy pricey Viking microwave, but it's just a plain ol' Sharp microwave with a Viking door. Also, if you buy all one brand, you are increasing your "appliance risk". By that I mean if something breaks on one of your appliances, and you don't get satisfaction from the manufacturer, you are stuck dealing with that manufacturer for all your appliances. Better to diversify, just like in the stock market! Also, the matchy-matchy look is considered dated. Don't worry about matching handles. As to matching stainless steel, often appliances within the same brand have stainless steel that looks different. And a cooktop most of all you don't have to worry about matching! Just look in any high-end design magazine, and you will see that they use different brand appliances in a kitchen. So, don't worry about it. It's often a way salespeople make you afraid NOT to choose the package. Remember, salespeople's incentives are usually greater for selling a package than selling individual brands. They also don't want you to shop elsewhere and buy a brand they don't carry. Easier just to quick sell you a package. You aren't really saving money with an appliance package. You may be getting appliances with features you don't want or need (but are paying for), and at the same time, getting appliances without the features you want, cause you are stuck with whatever combo the package has. If they throw in a "free dishwasher", is it really "free", if it doesn't work well, or is repair-prone? I'd rather get the DW I want, than the "free" one.

tigerdunes, Sorry for the delay in replying. I've been out of town since Saturday morning. Trane XL-16c 16 SEER is $6880 after $1200 manufacturer's and local electric company's rebates. Am Std Gold XL 14 SEER is $7640 and no available rebates. Carrier 50VR-A is $7740, and Rheem RQPL is $5900. The Rheem guy is also quoting a 16 SEER 2-stage RQRM to compare with the other company's 15 and 16 SEER units. If it is priced similarly to the 14 SEER Rheem it should come in around the Trane price. MTVhike, Lots of heat pump threads, but almost none discussing recommendations for electric packaged heat pump units, which is what I'm replacing. Thanks, Steve This post was edited by artgecko on Mon, Sep 1, 14 at 21:37

I agree that hummingbird cake may not be the best choice because of the moisture as well as the icing. The tubs of icing are not the same, but for this purpose, probably your best bet. Perhaps you could put some of those moisture absorbing packets in the box to keep the cake from getting too moist and spoiling. I haven't tried that, but it might help it not arrive moldy. Before I read that you had a specific cake in mind, I was going to tell you that I have shipped Texas Sheet Cake baked in a foil pan. It has always arrived well (priority mail here -- not abroad) and been enjoyed. It was my son's away from home birthday cake -- for both sons in different years, IIRC. It is another cake that is better after a day or two and the fudgy frosting helps lock it in. If in doubt, I use a little less milk, a little more powdered sugar or cook it a minute longer to make sure it sets well. I know he will enjoy whatever you send and I hope it arrives in god shape so it is even better.