I doubt I can be of much help, but posting to bump. We did get the SZ 48" side by side and love it. The columns didn't work in our kitchen, and I really didn't want either to be seperated, so no need for them anyway. Our SZ has only been installed for a couple months, but we do love it, it's incredibly quiet, and yes, being able to easily access the filters (both) is lovely. I've found our SZ to be very well lit and didn't see as significant a difference (in function) with the Miele as others have. Perhaps that's just me.

Push to open is something that would be handy, I'm sure, but I can only think of the palm and fingerprints my husband would leave!

Can't be of help with the other appliances: We chose the Bosh Benchmark Induction range, and Fisher Paykel Dish Drawers (which I will never, ever, live without. I may love the dish drawers more than my spouse... almost).

ETA: You aren't alone. I went down that rabbit hole too. It's dark and scary, but I promise you'll emerge and find your appliances : )

I love my SZ fridge. It was a floor model and discontinued, so I got it for a steal. You are looking at top-of-the-line appliances and I’m sure you will be happy however you go, but I think your second package is better - who wants an oven that isn’t self clean? Not to encourage continued obsessing on your part, but look at the Cove dw. You are making great choices. Really nothing to worry about.

Just a counterpoint on the self-cleaning oven feature: do you actually use your oven's self-clean? We don't, as it's known for frying the electronic controls of a lot of modern ovens. And if you're not going to use it, does it matter whether it has it?

@2ManyDiversions

Thank you for your reply. We really like the SZ fridges and it's what we both 'imagined' our dream fridge to be before we started this whole process (I'll admit I'm much more into the technical details than her). It's good to hear about positive experiences too as the negative ones seem to stick with you more :)

As for the washer drawers - we actually have them in our temporary condo right now funnily enough and they have been great! Super quiet. Out of curiosity though why do you prefer it to a standard dishwasher? We have felt a bit limited with space. Do you have 2?

@darbuka

Glad to see I'm not the only one who has been lurking around for too long! haha.

Again, great to hear positive stuff. I like the specs on the Bosch dishwasher; very quiet; and your comments are very reassuring.

I agree about the cooktop/rangetop knobs and the cooktop we picked out also has the knobs installed where the knobs would be in a traditional rangetop, only built into the cabinetry.

The Wolf burners seem to be the best for the low simmer, but as you mentioned not the best for super high heat, where the star shaped burners from BlueStar etc seem to be the champs. But I think the Wolf will be more than sufficient for our needs and we really, really like the aesthetic. Again the only other option with knobs on the front and flush burners was Wolf and Gaggeneu. The Gaggenau cooktop was almost twice the price though and was little less powerful.

Another great experience with SZ...this is starting to become a trend. The hurricane story is crazy! Making my decision easier...thank you so much for your thoughtful reply!

@eam44

I did look at the Coves and got quoted on them as I thought I may as well get the 20% off when getting the fridge. They were still insanely expensive. The quote I got was for ~$3,600 CAD.

We had a the Miele DW in our old place that had the open to dry feature, wasn't top, top of the line but was still $$$ and it treated us very well. It was more than $1,000 cheaper than Cove as well (with a 10 year warranty to boot).

For that price I do not want to be a guniea pig and it seems it has mixed first impressions here.

But it is very nice looking. I'm sure in the next 5-10 years it will be on par with the rest of their lineup.

And thanks for the reassurance; it makes me feel a little less anxious! haha

Can't speak about Wolf, Gaggenau, Miele fridge... but I can say that I had a 36" SZ fridge / freezer combo in my last house and really loved it. The lighting was more than enough, I don't understand how a Miele claims to offer better lighting? It may be better lit but just wanted to say that the SZ was lit very well, far better than the GE we have until tomorrow. :) We are installing the SZ 36" fridge and 36" freezer columns tomorrow. For me, the most important characteristics of a fridge is how well it keeps food chilled and how much storage it offers. I could not care less about a stainless interior.

I will also add, not to confuse you further, but we had a Thermador cooktop in our last house and loved it. Loved the low simmer capability. Have you looked at Thermador? We did consider a Thermador range in this house, but ultimately decided on a Lacanche which, to me, offers far more flexibility in cooking than anything I've seen on the US market. But that's just my opinion.

@Kristin S

I believe the self cleaning on the Gaggenau Combi Oven behaves in a similar way to a dishwasher...I don't think ultra high temperatures are involved...although if anyone cares to comment on this I'm all ears!

I share your concerns with the self cleaning function on the regular convection one as it does get get super hot (900F) and I do worry about the electronics (not to mention exhaust, etc) and will be hesitant to use it.

Thanks for the heads up though!

@megs1030

When talking about the Miele, Gagg, SB, etc I have come to accept that it is all splitting-hairs, haha. They all definitley have great lighting.

Miele's 'Better lighting', in this case would mean a full row of LEDs down each side of the fridge. The Dacor has even crazier lighting.

To be honest, that is the one area where I think Sub-Zero is really outdated. I know it's their 'signature look' but that frosted glass at the top is old-school. Our rep said that they will likely upgrade their lighting package in the next 5 years or so.

Also stainless interior is more about controlling odors than looks for me, but it certainly inst a deal breaker as the Sub Zero air filter is top notch and I'm not really worried about smells.

Also re: Thermador. Yes we looked at them, and they are great appliances. Didn't like the aesthetic as much as the other options (flush with counter-top) and couldn't get knobs on the front.

I have SZ 36 “ all fridge and 30” all freezer both with the two drawers on the bottom. Love this configuration. The fridge drawers give me a little extra depth, easy access on the bottom and great storage capapcity for produce in the top drawer and use the bottom drawer for casseroles dishes and other larger Items when needed or just for refrigeration. Very happy with them. LIghting is excellent. I have Miele convection oven and XL CSO. Both prefrom extremely well. I do use the self clean in the convection oven. No issues in 4+ years. The CSO has had serveral service calls under warranty. I would not hesitate to get Miele with the 10 year warranty. Depending on how my last warranty year goes (have 5 years) - may be having a discussion with Miele about another 5 given the number of issues I have had since day 1. The CSO is a complex work horse.

Yeah, that’s nuts. In the US Coves are in the 2K range and their warranty is 5 YEARS. I also don’t know what SZ service is like up there, but down here it is excellent. I guarantee you that if you chose the Asko (no idea what their service is like) you will be putting away wet dishes at some point. Buy whatever seems reasonable to you, and let us know how it goes. We need pictures!

Btw, Dan...you don’t mention anything about ventilation. In my book, and many here will agree, refrigeration and ventilation, are the two most important items in a kitchen.

Whatever cooking configuration you choose, you will need excellent ventilation. That is, appropriate CFMs, make up air, and the ability to prevent effluents from entering the air, and getting on your cabinets. Quietness of the fan, even on high, is also a consideration, as is ease of cleaning.

After much research, we chose Vent A Hood, and are very pleased with how it performs. Here’s a pic of our hood, over our Thermador rangetop.

@darbuka

We also chose a Vent-a-Hood insert. I can't remember the exact specs..but I did the math at the time I promise! haha. it has the correct level of power...600cfm? I think?

Does your actual fan go the full 36" of the range span? I think ours was slightly less, like 32 or something which I was skeptical of but was assured by the sales guy that it was sufficient.

@eam44

Same 5 year warranty up here, which is great, no question. But is it better than a Miele with auto open dry and a 10 year warranty for $1k less?

That is a hard sell in Gen 1 for me.

also @eam44

tell me more about your Asko experience. Everything I read seemed to be pretty positive.

Dan, if I’m understanding your question, our vent hood is 6” larger than the rangetop. We have a 36” rangetop, and a 42” hood. That’s been the recommendation here and in the industry, for a long time.

Recently, there was a thread here on the topic. Some feel it’s okay to have a hood the same width as the cooking top...if the household doesn’t cook high splatter dishes, or use high heat. For some people, it’s a space issue, where the extra 6” would compromise precious cabinet space. However, if space is not an issue, and your stove top will get frequent use, with all kinds of cooking, I suggest you go for the extra 6”.

As for what the salesman said, I’ve never heard of anyone getting a hood smaller than the cooktop, rangetop or stove. I can’t imagine it would be sufficient for the purpose.

@Darbuka

I just went back and looked at the quote and here is the model we looked at: https://www.appliancesconnection.com/vent-a-hood-bh234sldss.html

You are right it is not smaller but is only 36".

I think my wife mentioned something about the hood cover being larger than the insert itself...would it make more sense to shell out the extra $ for a larger insert as well?

Okay...so your comment about the frosted glass glass covering the lights at the top of the SZ fridge, got me off my keister to take a look. I know we had one the old SZ, in the former home, but never noticed it in the new 42” FD, as it’s so bright! Sure enough, the glass is there, but I don’t see an issue. Even with the glass, the light spills out the sides, over the top, and through the glass. I open the doors, and everything is in plain sight, even the containers behind containers. No shadows. I’ve often opened the fridge without turning on any kitchen lighting, and had no issues seeing what’s there.

To choose a fridge because one or the other has a smidge better lighting, is well, to each his own. There are so many pluses to SZ, especially their customer service. To me, that’s paramount.

@darbuka

I didn't mean for the SZ lighting comment to come across so harsh, haha, but I'm glad I got you up to look!

We are definitely still leaning towards the SZ and they are beautiful fridges. The lighting is great, I agree, I'm talking pure aesthetics. I just like the looks of the newer exposed LEDs more. I don't think it actually provides more light than the LED behind the frosted glass.

Service is definitely more important but from what I can gather they both seem to be good in this area.

As a side note my wife actually prefers the SZs frosted look as it is what she has always 'pictured' as her dream fridge.

Not my Asko, so it’s second hand information, but my sister-in-law and brother replaced theirs within a year of moving into their home. My brother was tired of putting away wet dishes, and you know, not everybody minds that.

And no, I wouldn’t pay $3K for a dishwasher unless it came with a butler to clear the table, rinse, and stack.

@darbuka Nice looking range by the way!! The hood looks great!

Dan, you sound like my DH (dear husband). He’s more interested in how things function, what they are made of and how they are put together. I’m grateful for that and our choices have been guided by his ability to research and comprehend : )

We have the Fisher Paykel DD24DHTI9N model, just the one. The top drawer is taller than the bottom. The dishwasher was the last appliance we chose, and for me, the most difficult. I was leaning toward Miele until I started reading issues with them here on GW/Houzz. Which lead me to Bosch. I could not commit as it was a bit smaller than our Kitchenaide, and I'd finally gone beyond the rabbit hole and was proceeding to Dante’s 9 circles of $ell.

This will be lengthy, but I’ll take you through the thought process and why I love my FP. I had a large Kitchenaide DW prior. It’s just DH and I, but I cook a lot – and many of my items are large (stock pots, et al). And I can be messy. And I use more pots and pans than any normal person should, every single day. So a lot of handwashing, which we both hate. DH found the FP drawers first and my initial thought was NO! Finally, I packed 3 large boxes of pots, pans, dishes, glasses, and whatnots and took them to the appliance store. Loaded the FP, without folding tines, adjusting anything, or removing removable tines. I was pleasantly surprised (and apparently the only person to ever bring in their cookware and dishes to that appliance store, so they use me as an example when customers ask about the drawers). I measured everything as well. Home again I loaded the Kitchenaide, and it wouldn’t hold as much as the 2 DD’s. I’m not kidding, but then again, perhaps my items differ from others.

The one rack I knew I would not use in either the Miele or Bosch were the top, 3rd silverware racks. I am not patient enough to place each utensil in a slot and didn’t want to just ‘lay them in’ as I knew any spoon left upright would have a puddle inside. I prefer baskets. Everything comes out nice and dry.

I hate unloading the DW as well. Abhor it. As I used my pots/pans almost daily, they didn’t get loaded into the Kitchenaide, and by the time we did fill it with other items a week would pass, and it’d take me forever to unload the darn thing.

Present Day: We load the FP daily with everything (yes, they are quiet!). I primarily use the upper drawer as it’s easier and larger, and as you have one, you know how lovely it is not to have to lean so far over to place and retrieve items. Since it’s a smaller daily load, it takes minutes to unload and put items away. We run the lower drawer once weekly to keep it ‘alive’. I love that the tines are completely adjustable, those that aren’t are easily removed to make way for large pots. EDITED TO CORRECT: All the tines are adjustable (narrow to wide spacing, and the other two rows fold down, and one row is also removable). My teppanyaki and large griddle fit snugly, but fit, and if there is flow-over into the bottom drawer, no problem, we just run that one too. Life is far better in our household with the FP Double DD’s.

I’ve read, over and over, in trusted posts and sites, the FP’s won’t give you issues if you have them installed correctly. DH installed ours. Love the knock to pause feature (works at any point in the cycles), and I love the way they look – less dishwasher-y.

In short, I love the DD's because the top drawer is so easy to load/unload (the bottom drawer is not hard to load), we put everything in them, daily, therefore less handwashing, faster unloading. I'm limber but my back is hugely appreciative for the top drawer. Cleaning and drying is wonderful, they are quiet, they are incredibly adjustable, and they don't look like a dishwasher. And you probably wish I'd only typed that last paragraph : ) Good luck with your choices!

I am only 3 weeks in with an Asko 50 series. I am very happy with it! I have not had a problem with dishes not being dry. I ruled out Bosch when I was shopping due to that complaint.

@2ManyDiversions

:) Not at all; I love hearing about the thought processes that form people's opinions.

Your description of your DH admittedly does sound like me, although he is definitely more handy than I. I will not be installing our dishwasher under any circumstance lol :)

I will have to show the wife the double drawer option, I'm not sure we ever considered it (I certainly didnt realize that there was a model with the double drawer). I really like the idea of a true half wash, as like you it is just the two of us in the house.

Also liked the idea of bringing dishes to the store to test the loading capacity for your/our specific use case - we'll see if the wife will approve that request, haha.

@lorilou72

Thanks for the feedback Lori!

How do you like that unique middle rack on the 50 series. I kept flip flopping on how I felt about it and we ended up getting quoted on the 40 series for that reason (and to save a few $).

I also really like the program options available on the Asko, specifically the set time wash, where you choose how long a wash/dry cycle you want (min 40mins) and it uses an appropriate amount of energy to get the job done (Longer = more efficient, Shorter = less efficient).

Having a hard time choosing!

@NT_guy I am liking the middle rack. It's been great for ramekins and small bowls. I am getting used to loading our silverware in the flat tray and find that I like it! It does come with a silverware basket as well.

We have Asko in current house - 20 years old. Still has the working heated fan drying. Replaced a couple of racks, but runs like a champ.

Replacing in new house with Asko 50 series.

Heated fan drying is da bomb.

@lori thanks for the feedback!

@just_janni

I'm not sure about the old ones but I'm fairly sure that the new ones don't have a 'heated fan' exactly but a fan that extracts the warm moist air and mixes it with cool dry air from outside. Still seems like one of the more effective drying methods for the Euro style washers.

I'm a bit late to the party, but I do live in Toronto. I have Gaggenau ovens and Miele columns, cooktop and dishwasher. My experience with Gagg has been great. I love my ovens..... but know that they do not have all the pre-programmed settings. With Gaggenau you need to tell the ovens what to do, and they do it. So more of a learning curve.

I bought my Miele appliances when they were offering a 10 year warranty. So happy that I did. I had my fridge replaced at the 2 year mark. I can't say that I'm really happy with the replacement either. My 8 year old Kenmore is performing just as well, if not better....but it's not invisible in the space. I've had the ice-maker replaced in the freezer ($750) and I have had numerous problems with my dishwasher. The worst problem, however, was with service. It wasn't until I got my appliance company involved that I got some service. I am so disappointed with Miele...... and the reason that I bought them initially was because by 14 year old Miele dishwasher that I was replacing was trouble free! On the plus side, my Miele induction cooktop is great, touch wood.

@Sherri1058,

Thanks for your response here and in the other thread.

Hmmm specific questions:

Do you still like the electronic button to open the door or have you just started opening from the side as I suspect I may do?

I know the controls do not have the preprogrammed modes like the others but have you found them intuitive?

Is the glass still as clear as it was when you first got it? I really like how easy it is to see inside compared to the others.

What's your favourite thing to cook and at what settings ;)

I really just wanted to know anything that you care to share, haha. Its. not easy finding real-world Gaggenau reviews, especially ones specific to your city!

You mentioned you dealt with service when you had an installation issue and that it was a good experience. Care to elaborate any more vs Miele? I thought, like you did, that with their head office so close by that service would be excellent with them here. I was a little worried that the Gaggenau would be hard to service just because their sales volume is so low.

Thanks so much Sherri! Love this forum!

Dan, let's see what I can do about answering your questions. I've had my new kitchen for about 3 1/2 years now (where does time go!), and would say that I use the electronic button about 95% of the time. Not sure why I choose to open it manually the other 5%, but I do.

The lack of pre-programmed modes is probably the best thing. There are about a dozen "programs". Choose the program by turning the knob on the left and then decide whether you need to change the temperature.... which you do by turning the knob on the right. That's it! The programs themselves are not food related. For example, the first program is 100% steam and 212F, 2nd program is 80% steam and 340F, etc. There is a sous vide program, which is just 100% steam and 145F. As I said, it's just a matter of choosing the program that most closely relates to the temperature and steam stetting that you want, and change the temperature from there.

The glass is as clear today as it was when I first used it. I am constantly amazed at how the steam just seems to remove anything that lands on it. And I like that the glass on the outside doesn't show fingerprints the way that my old ss fridge did!

What's my favourite thing to cook? Well, probably the answer would be whatever I cooked last! The CSO is a pretty fantastic appliance as I'm sure you've discovered from reading this forum. We had some pretty amazing bacon cooked at 400F/60% steam yesterday morning. Last night's fish and rice was yummy. I made Ciabatta rolls yesterday using the burst of steam function. Bagels are super easy in the combi as you don't need to boil them first. Roast chicken? Cheesecake? Yes!

Re the service. I had an issue with the steam oven being shipped with the wrong water hose fitting and rather than sending it back and waiting even longer to get my appliance (they were back ordered initially and I waited months) I bought an adapter. The Gagg people walked me through it, and then sent a technician out later in the week to verify that I'd done it correctly.

Miele, on the other hand sent out technician after technician that told me there was nothing wrong with my fridge (there was 12 or more degrees difference between my top shelf and bottom shelf), until finally they just replaced it. I still can't say that it performs to my expectations, but perhaps I expect too much from a $10,000 fridge? I was without a dishwasher for about 7 weeks and I think every component that could be replaced was replaced (I think they sent 4 different techs, starting with a company that they subcontracted to rather than sending a Miele tech), until finally they changed the control panel and it's been working since.

Hope this helps.