Sub-Zero fridge, no question about it.

Miele dishwasher, again, no question about it.

:)

A few questions first.

Why do you want DF?

What type of cooking on the rangetop is important to you?

What type of cookware do you have?

How do you use your oven? How do you use your broiler?

Most people here would not go with one brand but would consider each appliance separately. I would go so far as to say I would not buy a range but a rangetop and a separate wall oven(s).

I have been very happy with my Bosch dishwasher. A couple of considerations with the Euro style dishwashers(Miele and Bosch) is that the tines are a little closer together so if you have thicker plates they may not fit. They dry a little differently too.

I don't know how Sammy's suggestion of a Subzero fridge would be possible with your $18k budget. Have you checked their prices?

I would get an all-gas range and save money over a dual fuel. Gas ovens today, with their electronic thermostats and ignitors and insulation will bake as well as electric. It's a holdover belief from decades ago that gas ovens don't bake well.

Don't forget about budgeting for your hood - it will need to be 36-42" wide.

You can save money if you don't get all one brand. Spend money on the appliance that is important to you, and don't spend as much on others that aren't as important. For example, if it is important to have the DW that has all the latest technology, then spend on that, but if not, you can get a lower-end Bosch and it will be fine. Or, if a fridge to you is just a box to keep things cold, why look at Subzero. It sounds like the range is important to you, so spend the extra on that. People love their Wolf all-gas ranges, but not their Wolf dual-fuel ranges, because the Wolf dual fuel ranges have the blue liner chipping issue, and the all-gas don't. Plus, regardless of brand, the all-gas is a simpler machine, so there is less to break.

If it's a consideration for you, Miele advertises its stainless steel as being easy to keep clean. We have a Miele dishwasher and Thermador fridge (36" single door), and the Miele is indeed much easier to keep looking good and streak-free. I'm still second-guessing whether we should've gotten the Miele fridge for that reason, but I wanted gallon storage in the door, which Miele didn't have.

I think the Thermador dishwashers have a light that shines on the floor to let you know it's running, and I'd prefer that to the Miele, which has a light at the top of the door shining on the underside of the countertop. It's hard to see, and the machine is so quiet it's not immediately clear when it's on.

Last, if you're at all sensitive to noise, I'd recommend getting a hood liner with a remote fan and inline silencer.

I had a similar budget (I think we ended up spending $22K) and we did a Sub Zero fridge 36" French door, a Sub Zero Beverage Fridge a Bosch dishwasher, Viking cooktop, double ovens and microwave.

As others have said - do not worry about using just one brand. I would go with Miele for the dishwasher - cleans superbly well and is extremely quiet. Also if you drink wine and have invested in fancy wine glasses, Miele has a partnership with Riedel and that provides peace of mind and safe dishwashing of their delicate wine stems. I recently got a DF Capital Connoisseurian range that so far I absolutely love. I've never had anything that heats things so quickly or does wok wooking remotely as well. I'm agnostic on refrigeration. I also have a KitchenAid double oven that works very well but only has a single timer, which is annoying.

2 months ago, we completed a 4 1/2 month home renovation focused upon creating a family-centered, entertainment kitchen that is utilitarian and productive. My appliance budget was about $12,500. After MONTHS of research, I selected a 36" all natural gas BlueStar range; 42" Vent-a-hood insert /exterior vents; 1 Kitchenaid 30" electric wall oven; 28 cu ft Kitchenaid French Door fridge(I moved my old French Door fridge to our laundry room); and a Bosch dishwasher. Other than the Blue Star and the Vent-a-hood, my choices were not as "high end" as what you are looking at but suit my needs. My sister, who builds high end homes in the Charleston SC area, has had nothing but trouble from her Thermidor range. In the 1o years that they have owned it, they have had to replace the mother board et al 3 times at great expense. She used to put Thermidor in the houses that they build. In the past 2 years, they have changed to Blue Star and have been very satisfied. I like my Blue Star range first b/c its simplicity and weightiness, but most of all, performance. The Vent-a-Hood "squirrel cage" design pulls more heat off of the stove surface more efficiently than other designs.

Get an electric wall oven then. I just got my Bluestar. Much better than reaching down to put items in a range. I opted for a Wolf Induction cooktop since I didn't want anything to do with gas