After twelve years of cooking on a circa 1938 Chambers B (we felt like it was a beloved grandma in the kitchen and had a very, very hard time 'pulling the plug'), we've just made the switch to a new range (A 30" Wolf dual fuel). We also briefly considered all the gorgeous ranges you are considering. But in the end we made what we thought was the safer and more conservative choice with the DF Wolf. After cooking for years with no "bells and whistles" I actually did want some modern conveniences (great interior lights, glide racks, convection, proof mode, timer, precise temp setting, etc.) and I wanted a range with no personality or quirky temperament. If your wife has been cooking on a Chambers she is probably used to powerful gas burners with an open flame. As you will see on the many posts on this forum and the appliance forum, there are pros and cons to each. For me, moving to sealed burners was the hardest adjustment so far. The 9,000 btu on my Chambers felt like a lot more power than the 15,000 on the Wolf. That said, the Wolf burners cook great. And I'm able to truly simmer for the first time in years. (Our Chambers burners were basically either full-throttle 'on' or 'off'). But cooking on sealed has a different feel and takes some getting used to. As for the new oven, the 30" oven feels huge compared to the Chambers (although there was never a problem getting the turkey cooked in the Chambers). And the quality of baking in the new electric oven (ditto broiling) has far exceeded my expectations. I always wondered if convention cooking was hype and now I'm convinced it is the greatest thing. So in addition to the all-important question of looks, make sure that your family has thought through the big open vs sealed burner and gas oven vs. electric questions. Despite the small oven, an ill-conceived top of range broiler, only three burners, a funky thermostat and oven racks that shrieked and an oven door that groaned, the Chambers was a very impressive and beloved machine -- the Rolls Royce of stoves in the 1930s and 1940s. So she deserves to be replaced by an equally impressive machine. Best wishes on your decision and keep us posted on how your wife loves her new range.

farmhousebound - I'll post a picture. I've got the 90C with the high backsplash in yellow, like Rachael Ray, if you watch her show. My range is not in service yet. I'm currently refurbishing it. As for where to put that 2nd oven, I have plans for 2 pantry cabinets flanking my refrigerator. The first/main cabinet is 30", the 2nd is 24" wide. I was thinking if I went this route I'd go with either an IKEA Mumsig 24" oven or Fagor 24" oven. The Fagor is about $200 more. They're both basically a 24" cube, so I don't think I'd be losing much in terms of storage. Interesting concept of putting an oven in the garage, I'm not sure if I'd have room in mine. Ours doubles as "the shop" with a huge table saw, dust collector, and whatnot. francy: my kids are just entering that stage. My oldest will be in 3rd grade, the middle in 1st, and the youngest starts Kindergarten. I haven't been involved in school as much as I've always had little ones at home, but next year, I'm antipating doing more since they'll all be there. Kathe

My situation is somewhat unusual. This is my home, yes. I personally don't need a built-in fridge. I could care less for myself, although the Maytag I bought when I bought the house is a POS total waste of money. The reason for this reno, though, is that the bulk of my income comes from renting my house to vacationers, primarily in the summer. I am not on or near the saltwater beaches, so I have to rent on the strength of the house. This summer, I had an invasion ants (it's an old house, as well, 1880, the part where the kitchen is). As well, mice have constantly come into the kitchen via the crawlspace below because no one really sealed the kitchen off from the crawlspace when they built the kitchen. I've plugged everything with steel wool, though, and that has taken care of the mice, although they're still able to get in behind the cabinets, just not into the kitchen proper any longer. But with the ant invasion this summer, I had to refund some rent money as an act of goodwill and apology to a few of my guests. I don't want my guests to have these kinds of problems, obviously, and I don't want to have to reimburse rent (my income/livelihood). I had sealed the window on the outer wall and never had a problem with ants, until this year. They are now coming in from behind the dishwasher...long story . My cabinets are horrible. Two drawers have completely fallen apart, and one door split, which I glued back together. They are scratched up, sagging shelving and backing, particle board stapled cheap you-know-what. So, to get the kitchen fully sealed off so critters can't get in there, I have to pull everything out to get to the walls and underfloor. If I'm doing that, I will replace the cabinets, floor and counter (which is now a laminate). My kitchen is a very small, u-shaped kitchen. I can't open the fridge door all the way because it hits the oven door, so cleaning the vegetable bins is very hard because it's very hard to get them out and back in since I can't open the door all the way. But my house has two wings to it, which makes it very appealing for two families who want to vacation together and split rental rent. Each family has a lot of privacy since there is a queen bedroom in each wing, each with its own bath. But with two families, a tiny kitchen is problematic. With the fridge jutting out into the floor, as it does now, two people cannot work in the kitchen. Hence my need for a 24-in. depth fridge. And then you get into, if you're going to spend that kind of money for a refrigerator, get the right one, even if it costs a bit more. You're already spending a *^*(&)ing fortune. I'm getting the paneling for three reasons: I really dislike stainless steel; I am terrified of tenants scratching SS; a SS fridge would look gargantuan in my tiny kitchen. I move out when my house is rented.

I got a 48" Thermador steam range about 6 months ago, if you don't have a way to get another convection steam oven in the kitchen and are in the market for a 48" range it's totally worth it (IMO at at least). Its a life changing/improving appliance. Thermador doesn't make the best steam oven on the market in wall oven format, but only Thermador offers it in a 48" range package. It was expensive and I think is about $3k more than the model you are looking at, they do throw in a good "free" dishwasher (either paneled or SS options) which helps defray the cost to some extent. The DW that comes with the steam range is a step up from the one packaged with the standard range but you would get a DW with either. I'm not sure I'd strongly recommend Thermador without the steam function. It's fine but I don't see anything exceptional about it. The main thing I don't like is the fan runs loud and long when the ovens are in use (and well after they turn off). Also if you aren't getting a full package (i.e. fridge too) its about the same price as several other options