cheriei On matching fridge-freezer pairs, there have been numbers of threads. Sometimes, you just need some vocabulary and model numbers to help with a search. You could start with these two threads on major brand models: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg012059109995.html http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg0217454513977.html?16 Talking about a "pro-style" range and "affordable appliances" may be a bit of an oxymoron. Prices for 30-inch model all-gas pro-style ranges generally start at around $3500 and go way up from there. Even higher if you want a six-burner 36" wide model. The only exception is the NXR which runs about $1999 for a 30" model (Costco.com sometimes runs sales at $1799). But, the NXR is like buying a small, imported 4-wheel-drive pick-up truck with a manual transmission and manual hubs -- great vehicle for some people but not others. Maybe you might want to consider, say, a GE Cafe range -- some pro-style looks, though sleeker and with digital conveniences like Sabbath modes and a bigger oven than the NXR. But why buy a range? You will be getting double-wall ovens. A rangetop, rather than a range would be more budget friendly. And that leads to another suggestion: try focusing on what you want to do with the stove (or range top) and how you want to use it and what you are willing to put up with to get what you want. Do you want or need a 36" wide six-burner cooktop? If not, then a 30" model will be more budget friendly. Lots of threads on cooktops here, too. So maybe, when you get your choices narrowed, you can try starting a narrower thread on the models you are specifically interested in. As a practical matter, you may get more and better feedback if you do that. If you want "pro-style" then you could check out the Blue Star rangetops. Others brands have been recommended here, as well. One thing I did not see on your list is a rangehood. Sorry to add to your research woes, but that will likely be a practical necessity. Lots of threads on them, too, plus you should talk to your builder about "make-up air" (for which "MUA" is the frequently used acronym.) There have been a number of recent threads on wine fridges. You might also try searching at chowhound and e-gullet, too. Same thing for drawer mircrowaves and ice makers. Can't help with trash compactors and don't recall seeing any recent threads on them here. I'd try the kitchens forum.

If you don't need full size ovens as secondary one's you can consider speed or steam ovens or even a convection microwave. They will give you another option for an oven, though in a smaller format that you might be able to work in to the mix.

I was recently looking at all those brands for my new home. I ended up going with a Viking D3 range, fridge and dishwasher. Partially for the rebates, partially for the matching and most of all because I loved the range. Great features and it is gorgeous. Beyond that the Viking D3 has a better warranty than the rest and I negotiated an extension to 5 years from the dealer for $175 for all 3 appliances. Also free delivery and install. The fridge is the same same as the jenn air and kitchenaid. Just different handles. The only iffy thing is the dishwasher. I am sure I could do better by buying a Bosch or Miele but with the 5 year warranty I think I am taking a safe risk on the Viking. Still need a range hood but I dont think I will go with Viking on that.

Our kitchen reno drags on, so I don't yet have any experience with new appliances to share. However, I was shocked at how much trouble I had finding quartz countertops. I wanted a very basic simple light top -- either a white with little speckles or a white with little speckles plus the bits of mirror in them. This is a late 1960's kitchen so I wanted light 2cm because its a narrow galley and I wanted it to read "expensive formica" and not overwhelm the long thin room with countertop stone pattern. ( don't get me wrong, I love a gorgeous rock on the wall and backsplash, but just not in this house) Anyways... several brands (metroquartz, Arizona tile, another I can't think of) make a 2cm speckle in their basic price ranges. Because I wanted 2cm, I had to buy the whole slabs because most people want 3cm. I had installed this kind of speckle in a hall bath last summer and loved it. I knew it would work in my kitchen. I went to the same supplier and set up my foam board painted with my upper cabinet color, my foam board of wall color and blocks of walnut samples to represent my lowers. I was kind of "meh" about the speckle samples. I started to think maybe solid white would be better, but its kind of surgical-center-ish and would show every spot. I left with a sample of both the white and the speckle and set it all up again at my house. I couldn't figure out why I didn't like the speckle and carried it in to my bathroom and it was not the same. I know there is variation. This is not what I was experiencing. The background white of my installed counter was very warm and it was a very clear white with medium little bits in it. The new sample was a cool sad color where the bits looked to be tumbled so that they spread more throughout the whole white base of the slab. I hope that makes sense. I found my old sample from last summer and it is the warm version. I called the shop and asked what the heck and they said "its a man-made product so there will be variation". I told them I understand that patterning would vary, size of speckles; but it would at least be the same recipe. These new slab samples didn't match my paint because they were essentially light grey. The shop told me the name of their supplier, a warehouse outside of the city. They insisted that I drive there and take a look at the slabs so that I know exactly what I am getting. So I started driving. I went to not just that supplier warehouse, but two others to check other brands. None of the samples in their front rooms matched the actual slabs (all brands). Someone in-the-know at the front desk at one place reticently explained that once tariffs hit, manufacturers scrambled to move manufacturing out of China to other factories all over the world. They thought they were using the same recipes, but it turns out the slabs are coming out differently. Some patterns were discontinued because it couldn't even be remotely labeled with the same pattern name because it had changed so much. The samples in the front of their own lobbies were all whiter, warmer and had cleaner fields than the actual slabs they had to sell. This seemed to be mostly an issue for white/pale patterns because they are the hardest to make. There was a whole explanation for why they are hard to make and I will spare you here because this is getting super long. Anyway, I ended up finding 2 slabs from an old lot at Arizona tile that I hoped were the lightest/warmest in the options. Its so hard to tell because the lighting is not the same at each place. None of them were as nice as any samples I had though. The good news is that they were installed last week and I do love them. Not as nice as if I had bought them last summer, but really, they are beautiful and sparkly; I went with the mirror flecks and I find myself talking to them -- hello sunshine. I am just so relieved that I drove around and really looked though. If I had just blindly requested what I had used last summer there would have been crocodile tears because they would have installed grey sad counters. So even for quartz, you have to go look at the actual slab with samples of your materials. AND really look at every square inch. We found several red dots in our quartz after install. One of them was right in the middle of a square counter section and looked like diluted pink highlighter. I had them pull it out before the glue dried thank goodness. We had enough for them to cut another piece, but I've found red dots in other places once the under-cab lights were wired up! There is no red in Oceana. But in a pandemic, there are now possibly less 2m slabs to shop and we just have to move on. The spots are small and just part of our story -- husband wants this kitchen done :)