Maggie, nine years ago I bought the totally untested Thermador Freedom Series Columns. I picked them over the SubZero because they were the first to lift the interior and get rid of the ventilation panel overhead -- something I really hated about the old built-ins, but it also meant the bottom drawer wasn't nearly on the ground and in the freezer the ice was at a convenient height (had two kids in marching band -- we went through at least 2-3 gallons of ice every day during marcing season. Nine trouble free years later, I have no hesitation recommending Thermador (which includes Bosch, Miele and Gaggenau). And I got one of the first ones -- before the bugs were worked out. SubZero is the other top name for full size built in refrigeration with KA being a not to distant 2nd (but chek the opening of the drawers - required a more than 90 deggree open door back then - don't know if it's better now). For undercounter, it's SubZero, Perlick and maybe Uline.

Well, that was a VERY hard decision for me. I just ordered a refurb Gloss Cinnamon Professional 600⢠6-qt. Bowl-Lift Bowl Stand Mixer. I hope I made the right choice! I wanted pretty. But I wanted function, more. I decided if I'm going to CHANGE from my classic 1987 model then I may as well CHANGE. So I opted for a lot more muscle, in case I start to make artisan breads (I have an awesome Zojirushi breadmaker that makes terrific normal breads and my previous 250 watt kitchenaid mixer really wasn't up to kneading much so I never pursued it, plus I never liked the way the "C" hook kneaded, so I wanted to upgrade to a machine with the spiral hook), or use accessories. Then, I decided to go for the soft start, as one of my biggest pet peeves is slopping flour! I can't imagine I'll ever be using this thing for huge batches of things, so I should have way more power and a hefty safety margin on bread kneading for how I'll actually use it. I would like the capacity to fool around with artisan breads, though! I LOVE the grenadine color, but the gloss cinnamon will work just fine too, and while I have a back-in-time vibe to my kitchen, the non-metallic look is actually a bit more appropriate as my vintage vibe is more toward antique than toward mid-century diner/50s where metallic would really resonate.

Well, it looks like I am the newest member of the disgruntled KA wall oven owner club. Ran the self clean cycle on our 1 year old, still under warranty, KA wall oven. 3 hours into the cycle I noticed that there were no indicator lights on the control panel - the oven was dead and the door was locked. I waited a few hours to allow the oven to cool down and followed the web-based procedures to unlock the door but nothing has worked. I've flipped the breaker off, waited several minutes and flipped it back on (did this a few times believing each time that something magical would happen) but the oven is still locked and nothing works. Finally, I called KA/Whirlpool and waited 45 minutes to speak to someone in customer service. After patiently waiting I was finally connected. We spent some time verifying that my oven was still under warranty (with 5 days to spare!) and documenting my problem. Once it was determined that she could not resolve the problem with weasel words I was told that it would be 2 weeks before a repairman could come. When I politely but firmly protested she transferred me to a technical representative who also was unable to resolve my issue but did confirm the 2 week lead time for the service call. I am now in the waiting period with a locked oven door. If anyone has a suggestion as to how to unlock it beyond the breaker on-off trick, I welcome your input. I will continue with chapter 2 once our repairman arrives.

I had ordered a Kenmore Elite model 42623 induction range, but it got damaged in shipment. Before ordering a replacement, I did some research on other induction ranges and really liked the KitchenAid KSIB900ESS, so I ordered it on sears.com for full retail price, which I never do! Sears gave me a 7/26/2016 delivery date, which seems kind of a long way out. So I did some more searching around the web for info on this model and found this forum. I had no idea about the "history" of this range getting into the market so eager buyers could actually purchase it! Despite the delay, I'm going to keep my order open. I'm a little concerned that Lowes and Home Depot list this range as "discontinued"? I hope that isn't true. I have a favorable opinion of KitchenAid, am eager to get induction, and like the specs for this range. But what really has me willing to wait is the sleek and gorgeous styling of this range! No obtrusive knobs, it has a minimalist glass top without the thick printed circles, great oven handle design, all stainless exterior, ... just an A+ to me.