thanks everyone. i appreciate the help. gates1: you don't sound rude at all. and i'll take your advice since i agree, most don't do so much as to even open the manuals before using a new appliance. i'm fanatic with mine as i have a binder specifically for owners manuals! there is nothing like having all your "stuff" in it's own place! as it turns out the builder already ran the gas line to the closet and while we don't have to use it, i'm still stuck on the gas dryer as a necessity as long as we have the choice. i'm getting a decent price on the bosch set (all of our appliances are from one source which makes the pricing very competetive). i feel comfortable with the choice and by the specs they certainly appear as if they'll do the job. many thanks again!

I've had the Bosch 500 DLX (WFVC6450UC) since Oct 2009. I also have been selling appliances since 1995. Here are a couple of things I know.... All Bosch Vision dyrers have reverse tumble - this helps clothes not get stuck in the middle and come out slightly damp when the cycle is over. They are low in temp - max temp at 140, delicate temp is 120. With a higher air flow (280 cfm), drying results are more gentle than other brands. Less heat equals less fabric damage, less shrinking, and less color fading. This is like a bigger version of a European compact dryer (Asko, Bosch, Miele) If you can buy the WFVC6450UC or WFVC4400UC with the "drum sanitize" option try to do so. These are only available at the independents. This cycle will run for 90 mins at 175 degrees. Run it once a month (no clothes) and it will break down all the soap scrud and residue. I don't know of any other mfg that does this. The Exxtra Sanitary cycle is amazing at cleaning whites, towels, sheets, dish rags, etc. 150 degree temp maintained during entire wash portion of cycle, and a 171 degree boost for 4 minutes to kill bacteria. I think Bosch service is better also. More established network of service providers and better parts distribution. Hopefully Bosch will keep parts for 10-15 years for the Vision and Nexxt full-size laundry units. They will still be making the smaller Axxis models going forward. If it matters at all, they are made in the USA.

I passed on the ebay deal due to having a previous problem buying an appliance from another seller-just wasn't worth any potential hassles for me. I paid about 250 more to get the lower line models from Best Buy and also purchased the extended warranty for peace of mind. Love the machines, they do everything I need and have so much more space than my old ASKO. (Don't get me wrong-loved the ASKO but with three almost teenagers I was doing laundry 24-7.)I can now do a week's laundry in one day. I am paying about 5.00 more a month in electric but water stayed about the same. Only problem I am having with machine is some excessive vibration on heavy loads like jeans and bath towels. I think it is possibly due to flooring as utility room is a converted back porch. My DH is planning to crawl under there and put some cross bracing in between the joists so maybe that will help.

I agree with a lot of what DrB said, but not about the ovens. A "convection microwave" and a "speed oven" are two separate things, though some makers of speed ovens do it kind of badly so it's little better than a convection microwave. Regular ovens nowadays are very problematic things. That's cooking/baking/roasting/broiling cavities--not ranges including burners (but including the ovens in the ranges). Too much of the engineering goes into energy saving, cost saving, and inventory control, and too little goes into performance. The oven is the kitchen appliance with the strongest correlation between amount spent and quality of performance. It's also the one that's most likely to have problems with performance. There are some notable high end fails, but even for the previous Wolf that had troubles with chipping of the interior, causing shards to be blown into the food--which was a critical fail--the performance of the cooking works of the oven, when not chipped, was exemplary. The chipping issue seems to be fixed with the new model, and it's the last thing I'd consider downgrading. Microwaves, OTOH, are another story. Built-in 240V MWs have a performance edge on the countertop 110V units, but if, like most of us, the MW is mostly used for heating a bowl of cereal, a sandwich or a cup of coffee, melting butter, making popcorn, or defrosting soup, a $100 countertop unit will suffice for most people. All microwaves are made by about three makers, most notably Sharp and Panasonic. The special features (sensors, programed buttons, etc.) and looks may differ according the requirements of the company whose badge is on it, but the works are all the same. Microwaves never seem to get complaints. They work as expected and are generally all of the same high quality.