On the contrary, it is a no-no to not mix brands.

You need buy 'best-of-breed' for each appliance.

It is always tacky to have a Viking stove :)

In all seriousness, get the best value for your money in each appliance category.

Get all 304 SS.

Sometimes cheaper appliance come with 430 or 435 SS and they can look darker when placed next to an appliance in 304 SS.

If you have different brands the handles might not match and the different steel finishes might not match as well.

I fully agree with getting the best appliance for your use and your budget, no matter the name. Most manufacturers have strong and weak points. Buy their strong, and avoid their weak, and get someone else's strong instead. I have a Wolf rangetop, Elux hood and refrigeration, and have had F&P, GE Monogram, and now a Wolf oven. I also have stainless countertops done by the local sheet metal shop, and I don't know if they all match exactly, but I've sure never noticed a difference. Appliance performance and reliability matters most when you get to cookin'. :-)

I mixed up Thermador, Monogram, and Jenn Air. The handles were close enough. The bosch DW is paneled, so non-issue.
Casey

I have all Thermador, thanks to DH, and the handles don't match!!

Nancy

I agree w/Pharaoh. I have Kitchenaid frig, Frigidaire range and micro and Bosch DW. I did a lot a research on brand reliablity and that is what matters more to me. All will be SS and most of the handles are similar enough.

Performance is key in kitchen appliances. Most modern handles are pretty similar.

Use shiela shine, it makes the stainless steel finish all look the same.
See the appliance forum to hear the horror stories about certain manufacturers.

Absolutely not! Buy what you like or use what you have. I use my appliances until they wear out..currently have a black Kenmore frige, black Kenmore DW, and an almond (with black front) range. They are all old, and if I ever get around to giving my kitchen a face-lift, I think I can justify new SS or white range and frige so they will match but will not worry about matching brands. Before someone takes this the wrong way, for those of you with beautiful, high-end homes and kitchens, that you have worked so hard to create, I would never criticize your nice appliances, high end or low end.

I have a couple of family members who, if their washer or dryer goes bad, they toss both pieces to buy a "matching set". And they are not rolling in money either. Without being snarky - just honest - she bought a high-end red set on pedestals and she lives in a dump, the laundry room where she placed it looks like a barn, and you can't get thru her house. Who cares what a washer and dryer looks like if they function??

I need to get out of my bitter mood today :).

Tuesday

Ditto all the advice, except Oceangirl's.

I own:
Kitchenaid built-in fridge
Wolf ovens
KA warming drawer
Sharp MW drawer
Capital rangetop
Kenmore old DW

Each appliance was chosen for specific functions, reliability, and price.

Same here, nothing matches! Indeed, buy best appliance in category you can afford. Handles/knobs don't need to match, but they can compliment.

Gaggenau double ovens
Bertazzoni cooktop
Electrolux Icon Fridge
2 Miele Dishwashers (only exception, because these dishwashers are exceptional!!!)
Dacor Downdraft
Marvel wine cooler
Sharp Microwave drawer

Wolf oven
GE Advantium Speed oven
Elux fridge
Miele DW
Wolf cooktop

Sometimes you can even get different brands to look similar using trim and handle options

Ditto all the wise voices on this thread. Not getting the best appliances in your price range that have the features you need and want would be the no-no. Our line-up includes a Bosch dishwasher, Whirlpool Gold fridge, Electrolux single wall oven, Panasonic microwave with trim kit, and Bluestar rangetop. Nothing matches exactly, but everything harmonizes together nicely. A combo wall oven/microwave would have made for a smoother look, but this forum convinced me I'd be better off with separate units in the long run.

Buy what you want!

Former Kitchen: Bosch DW, Maytag Frig, Frigidaire Range/MW
New Kitchen: Sub Frig, Wolf Oven, Bosch DW, Sharp MW Dwr, and freezer to be selected later

Manufacturers and retailers spend tons of money planting the notion that choosing among various lines is tacky. Exercise your right to ignore them.

48" Jade range, Amanna fridge, ancient GE MW (inherited from my Mother!), no DW and probably a Wolf or Thermador hood.

L.

Actually, I agree that buying Viking is tacky.

I didn't even bother to read the rest of the thread after your first post. It is NOT a no no. There is no way I would buy a "brand name" over function on an appliance in my gourmet chef's kitchen - PERIOD. Any true chef would tell you the same thing. I got the best I could afford regardless of the brand for my kitchen. For the ovens it was KA with steam assist, for the cooktop it was Miele. My kitchen was all about functionality - not matching.