Following. I just purchased another Miele today. My 2002 Miele is having trouble pumping water out and restarting over and over isn't in my game plan. You may have noticed from other posts that I was debating whether I wanted another Miele. After careful consideration, I decided that another MIELE was the way to go. Especially since they're offering a free 5 yr extended warranty through Nov. 30th. Since someone here recommended the MIELE tabs, I've used 1/2 tab. Previously I used 1 tablespoon of Cascade powder (old formula). Early on a MIELE service tech told me not to believe the suggested amount of detergent and 1 tablespoon was appropriate. I have never had a problem with cleaning nor had any build up on the walls of the machine. I hope that the new MIELE concierge service will install the machine properly and get my salt levels correct. It's my assumption that the initial machine installers were poorly trained and never set things up correctly. My MIELE tabs are cut and stored in an open box under the kitchen sink. I have never had an issue with dampness or diminished cleaning ability.

Stacy, I'd be raising he** like you wouldn't believe if I were you. That is the worst service I've heard of and I live in the sticks! Sheesh. Of course, Sears is also the place that wouldn't repair or replace my digital camera after 30 days, even after I told them it was a gift and I hadn't even RECEIVED it before the 30 days was up. It seems that big corporations don't really care whether their customers are happy and new appliances are not meant to last more than 4 or 5 years. Planned obsolescense, I suppose. Still, I'd be throwing a fit that you wouldn't believe, everywhere from your local Sears to their headquarters, to the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division! Carbon copy every darned one of them too. In the meantime, I'm glad you've found a small refrigerator. Now is the time of year to live on fresh produce anyway, I suppose. Sigh. I'm sorry... Annie

Just to add my 2 cents: I have Vermont Danby marble for about 8 months now and have no stains on it. I use my kitchen all the time--tomatoes, vinegar, berries, wine, coffee, tea, etc. etc. and it is still the same color as the day it was installed. The sealers are wonderful and because the stone is indeed very dense it doesn't absorb stains. It does however etch, so if that would bother you, you should go with quartzite or engineered quartz. The beauty of the stone is unsurpassed in my opinion and I don't regret my decision one bit.

You don't have room to store all that stuff....cut veggies and fruits etc. Can you possibly order out the mac and cheese? You're going to make yourself crazy! Plan out your plan of attack....when you will make what and where you will store it. Then who will buy what and where you will store that....and how you will thaw and re-heat what needs to be reheated. Realize that it will take a LOOONG time to thaw a gallon of pulled pork or shredded turkey....and to be safe it should be defrosted in the refrigerator...or a picnic cooler and the temperature carefully monitored so it stays cool until it's ready to be heated. You don't want to give people food poisioning. Hard liquor won't melt any kind of plastic....it's not a solvent for anything like that. And take advantage of all the neighbor's refrigerator and oven space that you can....and don't over look the grill to heat things...or keep them warm....and use all the picnic coolers you can find. Yes...have a few stories...like the time I invited 2 people who used to be married, with their present spouses....figured out it was fine....but one man's new wife had a fit and spent 3 hours cowering by the front door lest she run into her husband's ex wife! And there was the sweet young thing who went upstairs and went to bed in my teenaged daughter's bed....and when daughter came home, we had to wake her so my daughter could go to bed, and the time that our pastor and his wife who invited to our new years Eve party, came after another party at 4 AM....because there were lights on and they knew we were up. And the time the dog drank the drippings from the keg and got so drunk she almost couldn't get up the steps into the house, or the time I bought cheap plastic watering cans to fill with flowers for table decorations....and a couple of them leaked...luckily that was an outside party....and the wedding shower where the groom had to be helped out the door. And the time I decided I could make pizza for 45 kids and had crusts and pepperoni and a vat of sauce....and grated 10 pounds of cheese by hand!!..Took me 3 days to clean the oven after that!