Thank you all for your additional points. OK: No wine unit. Must get built-in fridge. Must get rid of OTR microwave. That's all settled! I have been out asking the appliance installer guys and the kitchen cabinet suppliers in our neighborhood about the brands for our neighborhood, etc. They are pretty much confirmall all you are telling me. I suppose I should call a real estate person now too, just to cover all the bases. Three more questions: 1. Are convection ovens the norm now or can I get by with a standard double oven set or just one convection (of a double oven set) and one traditional oven? 2. I don't really have a counter space issue. I don't know why in the world they put in an OTR, our cabinets are custom made by a cabinet maker and they could have put it anywhere. But I like the drawer Sharp microwave idea. I hadn't thought of that. So I was considering getting 'panel ready' appliances rather than all stainless steel. Wrong idea? 3. What about a flat screen TV mounted on the wall in the kitchen. My sister has one and her husband thinks it is really cool. Not necessary, but it seems like the men love that sort of thing. A kind of 'hook', you know. mfrog, I am sorry your saleslady said that. It seems like people these days are automatically focussed on stainless steel, even though some of it is quite ugly, and some of it is very nice, too, of course. And gita, I applaud your resourcefulness, but I'm not up to being so creative or energetic anymore! Yes, I know, the real cooks would love to install their own kitchens, but of course, it's difficult to do a remodel these days so most have to accept what is in place. The word 'gourmet' can mean many different things, I'm finding out, and it really is a silly word, isn't it?! At least we found some nice granite (while out looking at display kitchens Friday, so that's settled). I'm assuming you guys will say granite is a MUST too! Right? (Although in our house in Pasadena we had mahogany and stainless steel and a little granite too. Don't see that around here, though). You have all been very helpful! Thanks so much for the tips.

I would suggest going to several appliance show rooms and taking a look at the surface of SS appliances you are interested in. If there is going to be any noticeable difference, it's going to be where they get a lot of "hand-traffic". Take notes and see if you notice any certain brand or type of finish looking better than others. Seeing is believing. Although we've purchased a number of refrigerators over the years, our first stainless steel purchase was 8-years ago. Who knows what changes or improvements they've made since then? Although we wanted SS, we didn't purchase it with a print-resistant finish in mind (per se) - I'm good about regular cleaning and every other refrigerator we've ever owned required daily cleaning and sanitizing the handle - the features of the refrigerator and it's economy were first and foremost. Good luck on your quest, and be sure to come back and share any updates on the topic. -Grainlady

PattyK, When we moved into our home in March all the kitchen appliances were Maytag and Jennaire. The dishwasher was recalled, the authorized repair shop botched the fix, and after three months Maytag replaced the dishwasher. The two built-in ovens work (so far) and the cooktop is functioning, although it is very difficult to keep clean. We replaced the refrigerator with a Whirlpool side by side, and are satisfied. I really can't recommend Maytag, Jennair or Whirlpool because they are the same company now, and seem to be going through some sort of mid-corporate crisis. I can only recommend that you get the simplest, most energy efficient appliance that fits your needs, and keep your fingers crossed!

Thanks, I think all matching brand appliances are a thing of the past. I am over it. I am not a Sub-Zero, Induction range, etc. kind of person. But I am willing to pay for a decent dishwasher and I guess Bosch and Miele are the ones to looks at from reading other stuff in this forum. I threw the question out, not knowing I should get more specific. I was taken in by looking at Samsung refrigerators and just got an education in just how hard it is to get parts much less a service person who is trained to work on it. So back to square one on that. Stoves are another thing. I don't mind the flat tops. People who complain about how annoying they are to clean have never had an electric range with the weird burners that you have to remove the round thing underneath them and use brillo pads and ruin your nails to clean. I just got a lesson on conduction ranges and am willing to get one now. What is a good brand on stoves? Obviously not Samsung or LG. I will got to the laundry forum.