I researched toilets extensively about 10 years ago when I had to replace one. I knew nothing about the new low flush, and they don't all work (esp. then...they were still new). As another poster recommended above, I recommend reading the Terry Love site. I picked up a lot of information there. There are also toilet ratings on flushing, done by some plumbing organization or government. I found two of those on the internet. That gives some objective information on how successfully different brands and models flush. After all my research, I ended up with a Toto. I got the Sanagloss (you MUST get the Sanagloss!). I forget which model I got, but its flushing ability was rated highly consistently everywhere I saw. It might be the Drake. It had a larger flushing valve than the normal toilet, and wider trap than normal, AND a fully glazed trap. I was apprehensive, but it works like a dream. I then got a second one just like it for my other bathroom. They have both performed without a hitch for all these years. I haven't had to replace the flush valve yet (but I should check on that). I got the soft close top. I thought it might be a wasted expense, but it turns out I love them, and they still work properly. I have small bathrooms, so I got round toilets. Most people get elongated, but round saves a couple of inches. The round shape is also easier to keep clean (think about it). At the time I bought mine, there were some seriously deficient low flows on the market. Some brands just took their prior engineering and lessened the water in the tank. That doesn't work. Low flow toilets require a different kind of engineering than high flow, since high flow relies on the sheer force of a lot of water pushing things through. Toto, from Japan, had been making low flow toilets for years and had its own engineering. Since then, though, other brands have changed their engineering, so it's likely that most will work fine these days. All models of a brand don't perform equally well. So look for performance from not just a brand, but also a model. For instance, Toto has several kinds of engineering in its toilets. Some work better than others. A lot goes into whether a toilet performs well. Two piece vs one piece: My research showed that two piece toilets typically perform a little better than one piece. I don't remember now why that is. It's not always true, but that's a generality. Also, it's easier to work on a two piece than a one piece. If the plumber has to replace a tank or take it outside to replace the innards, it's easier to take just a tank rather than uninstall a whole toilet. Appearance. I hope you're luckier than I was. I wasn't fond of the modern look of the Totos. I have an older, traditional house. Toto has one or two prettier models, but the research showed they didn't perform quite as well as the model I ended up getting. So I got the one that performed the best. Don't get me wrong; it looks nice. It's just too modern for my taste. Be prepared to have to decide between a style you love vs high performance.

Kari & Clare - Kari - My sources for wheat: 1. locally grown hard winter red and white wheat (free or very cheap, but usually NOT chemical-free or organic) 2. Heartland Mill, Marienthal, KS - organic grains 3. Bob's Red Mill - soft white wheat (and other grains) 4. Wal-Mart - Hard Spring White Wheat - Prairie Gold (from Wheat Montana - chemical-free) - they also carry hard red wheat Bronze Chief. Wal-Mart has only recently started carrying Wheat Montana wheat around here - $5 for 25-pounds. Mills: 1. (A very old) Whisper Mill - which is an electric impact mill (now known as a Wonder Mill) - this mills most grains/seeds/beans into a very fine flour - fine flour = fine bread, coarse flour = coarse bread. 2. Marga Mulino Flaker Mill - for cracked grain, flakes, and coarse farina (for cooked cereal) 3. Corona Corn Mill - for coarsely milled grain and corn meal. 4. Porkert Seed Grinder - for small seeds, such as amaranth, poppy seeds, teff, etc. 5. Bosch Coffee/Spice - for milling flaxmeal. 6. Family Grain Mill - a hand mill, that also has an electric-powered motor to run it as well, that has a lot of attachments available for other uses (meat grinders, flakers, etc.). This is my back-up mill. You have to mill the flour twice to get a reasonably fine grind of flour. Source for recipes: I suggest you start by substituting unbleached/bleached flour in your favorite recipes with a portion of wholegrain flour. There are all kinds of books out there on whole wheat baking. I have a collection of 28 beans, seeds, and grains that I use milled and whole - included in that, several types of wheat. I develop many of my own recipes because I use really "odd" ingredients, including gluten-free baking. Here's a few books I like from the large selection in my library: RECIPES FROM THE OLD MILL (Baking with Whole Grains) by Sarah E. Myers and Mary Beth Lind WHOLE WHEAT COOKERY (Treasures from the Wheat Bin) by Howard and Anna Ruth Beck THE AMAZING WHEAT BOOK by LeArta Moulton THE SPLENDID GRAIN (all kinds of seeds and grains) by Rebecca Wood WHEAT COOKIN' MADE EASY by Pam Crockett --------------- Clare - Wheat comes in HARD (strong/high-gluten) and SOFT (weak/low-gluten) varieties. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is milled from (low-gluten) soft red wheat, just like you thought. It's best used just as you described - in baked goods where you don't want a lot of gluten development - for the most part, anything other than yeast breads. Low-gluten bleached flour would include White Lily and Martha White - which are great for quick breads, pastry, etc. I purchase soft white wheat berries from Bob's Red Mill to mill into whole wheat pastry flour. I also use freshly-milled spelt and some rye, barley, and triticale for baked goods that need low-gluten flour, as an alternative to soft wheat flour. All wheat has a protein level that determins if the grain is hard or soft. Even in the same field you'll find protein (gluten) level differences from one side of the field to the other. If a portion of the field is shaded(usually at the edge of the field) and/or there's a low place in the field that retains water after a rain, the wheat that receives a lot of water/shade will usually have a low-protein count. Even though hard wheat may have been planted, the protein level is also determined by the amount of rainfall, and other factors. Soft wheats are characteristicly plump (a lot of endosperm), while hard wheat varieties (especially winter wheat) is small, wrinkled, and very hard when you bite it. When soft whole wheat is milled, the flour is exactly that - very soft to the touch. Hard whole wheat is much 'grittier' - due to the higher percentage of bran to endosperm ratio. All bleached/unbleached flour is milled from a combination of wheat protein levels to formulate the amount of protein for the type of flour needed. High-protein wheat is used for yeast breads, a combination of hard and soft wheat is milled for all-purpose flour, and pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. There are also fields of extremely high protein wheats (15% or more), but they are mixed with lower protein wheat to make flour. I've used some wheat that was 16% protein, and it took forever (lots of kneading and a very long fermentation) to develop the gluten in bread - 12-13% protein level is much better for yeast bread. Too much gluten will make a tough loaf of bread. The highest protein level wheat is durum wheat. Unlike hard red and white wheat varieties which are used for yeast breads, durum wheat is used in pasta. I mill durum for whole wheat pasta - NOT red or white varieties of wheat. Commercial whole wheat pasta is made with wholegrain durum wheat. The elements in wheat protein that we call "gluten" are actually a gluten group - GLUTENINS and GLIADINS. Glutenins provide the elasticity quality that allows bread dough to expand. Gliadins contribute to the viscosity and extensibility of bread dough. Red and white wheat varieties have a dominance of GLUTENINS and less GLIADINS. Durum wheat has a dominance of GLIADINS and less GLUTENINS. Therefore, even though durum wheat has a high protein level, it's unsuited for bread making, due to the type of protein. -Grainlady

A few things about double ovens. They need to go into a cabinet that will inhibit the release of heat. The motherboard that controls electronics is sensitive to heat. This means, never run the self-clean cycle. It's so hot and so much heat will be trapped, you will end up frying the mother board. If you can afford it, get convection for both ovens. This way you can cook six trays of cookies at the same time. For residential use, 30" ovens are superior to the 27". If your motherboard gets fried, there are companies that can rebuild it. This is a good thing to know when the ovens are over 10 years of age. Don't try to stack double ovens in a cabinet with anything else. People try to put microwaves and warming drawers in the same cabinet. Don't do it. If you are short, you will never be able to reach the top oven. I love my double Thermador 30" convection ovens. While they don't heat up in an instant, they get hot quickly enough.

Something like Bostic Dimensions will allow the glass tile to sparkle. Many people are disappointed when grout fills in the spaces, as it blocks the light that entered from the tile edges. The tile looks duller, and less lively. This is a special order grout, so likely not available off the shelf anywhere. The talk about grout should already have been had with your installer, and he should have made several suggestions to you. If you want a special order grout, and I would, it will impact his schedule, because it isn't off the shelf. It's not inexpensive, but it's what really makes a glass install shine. Pun intended. https://www.bostik.com/us/Bostik-products/dimension-rapidcure-urethane-glass-tile-grout