I used to think that having the appliances match was important, but have come to believe otherwise. When I got my new appliances, one of them had to be returned and I did not want it replaced with the same model due to the issues it had. If I had gotten it as part of a "matching set," I'd be in trouble. Besides, all of your new, matching appliances are eventually going to need to be replaced, and you will likely do that one at a time, rather than all at once. So they aren't going to match then, anyway. All black, or all stainless, or all white ... yes. All similar handles ... sure, why not, if it's possible. But all "matching" and from the same manufacturer ... not important.

We loved our front loader LG washer and drier in our previous home. I ended up with GE profile set for this one, because I got a deal too good to pass up. That said, the control board on the GE washer went out after ony 10 months and thankfully was still under warranty. I ordered a Bosch 500 series dishwasher from AJ Madison yesterday. I thought long and hard about upgrading to Miele or the Bosch 800 plus series, but there were so many good reviews for the 500 series and it seemed a much better value. I looked at the Ascenta line and was willing to spend a little more to get a full stainless steel tub and a third rack. You may not want to go with Bosch's entry level line as I have read that they are not as well made, but who knows! Good luck on the build.

I am going with Bosch Benchmark induction cooktop, dishwasher and side opening oven. I was warned against Bosch refrigerator by the sales person because he said the interior had a lot of plastic. FWIW, although Bosch is reliable, it isn't known particularly for its refrigerators. I was also warned against Samsung because at this point their repair network is over extended. I am in Los Angeles so this could vary depending on where you are. I went with a KA refrigerator because it is 72" counter depth which means slightly more storage as well as a slightly more built in look. I opted for KA versus the Jennair model which was functionally equivalent. I looked at both models side by side and neither me, the salesperson or my designer could find any difference so why spend the money. I wasn't planning to replace my older Bosch dishwasher but with the rebate Bosch is offering (15% for three qualifying kitchen appliances), it made economic sense for me to replace the DW now rather than in a year or so since the 15% rebate almost paid for the dishwasher - almost of course :-) I didn't deliberately set out to buy multiple Bosch appliances but each of them on their own had the se of features that made me want them more than another brand's offering of that appliance.

Miele and BSH (aka Gaggenau, Thermador, Bosch, Siemens, and Neff (*)) are both high-quality German manufacturers. You probably wouldn't really go wrong with either one of them. Miele sells a single brand, whereas BSH Household Appliances sells their product under several different brands. So, that might be a little confusing. Gaggenau is BSH's designer brand. Their distinct industrial design is the result of Jacob Jensen's work in the 1990s; this is the same designer that made Bang & Olufsen so recognizable. So, if that's important to you, that's the brand you should look at. Also, since Gaggenau is the premium brand for BSH, expect new features to first show up in this brand, and to then trickle down to the other ones. But ultimately, these are all appliances made by the same company and using comparable parts and designs. On the other hand, with Miele, things are much easier. It's all the same brand. The part where things get a little confusing is that in their home market in Germany, they tend to offer several other model numbers that you can't necessarily get internationally; and several of those are much cheaper than the restricted international product selection, which goes for the luxury market segment only. And as I said, both Miele and BSH both consistently have a reputation for quality products. But as with any complex appliance, an extended warranty might actually be a good idea for once. *) for your convenience, I listed the different brands roughly in order of prestige/reputation/price-range.