If you are going to get a SZ side by side, then anything less than the 42" will be a complete disaster. My neighbors have the 36" sxs and it is awful. I had the 42" in my last remodel. It was fine but the 36" French door over/under is a ton better. The freezer portion of the side by side is very narrow. If you don't have an overflow freezer somewhere, your ability to cook and freeze will be limited.

Nycbluedevil, my brother has the 30" refrigerator and 30" freezer combo - it's great! Unfortunately our budget and space won't let us go that route.

Would you rec the 36 French door above with freezer below instead of a 42? I guess it's not all about cubic sf.

Need the most possible space.

I am in the process of finalizing a dream appliance set for myself. I couldn't justify a built-in fridge. They're cooler looking, but the price differential is extreme. I don't need a huge fridge so i'm just going counter-depth instead (it holds the same amount as a 36" built-in!).

For me, ovens matter, so I'm putting the $6-8k I'll save on the fridge towards matching combi-steam and convection ovens from miele. Electric is great for ovens, no need to do anything else.

Have you thought about doing an under-counter drawer fridge/freezer? That can expand cold storage space in a creative way. Whatever you choose, the advice to avoid a side by side 36" fridge is correct.

Paugust, why the steam and convection? What do you need them for? So curious!

Having lived with the SZ 42" s x s and the 36" FD, this is what I would say.

1. The fridge cubic feet on the 42" and the 36" are stated to be the same, but somehow the 36" feels more roomy. Everything is at waist level or above. I open the fridge and can see everything right in front of me. There is no bending down to get into the fruit and vegetable drawers. Wide platters fit. There is no longer that awkward very tall shelf below the deli drawer that tends to hide things. (It was useful for storing a gigantic 12 quart pot of soup overnight though but otherwise I would prefer the upper space.) Having the fridge part be easier to use is hugely important for me because I figure that I open the fridge probably ten times more than I open the freezer. Ease of use of a fridge/freezer is about more than what fits--to me, it is important to think about being able to see all my food when I open the door and not having to bend down to get something.

2. The freezer on the 36" is definitely a lot smaller than on the 42". There is no question that I can fit less in the freezer than I could before. That is fine with me because we are mostly empty nesters now. There are times when I have to be strategic when making a Costco run or cooking and freezing. To me, the 36" with an overflow chest freezer somewhere else would be perfect. I would personally not get undercounter an fridge or freezer unless budget is not much of an issue and you have a big space and you need/want to have your food in your prep area. I don't think they use space efficiently and you don't get a lot for your money. They are cool though (no pun intended).

3. You haven't asked about the 36" single door vs the FD but I will give a view anyway. I think from a functionality point of view, the single door is better. The long single door shelves hold more than the doors hold when they are split between the two doors. Some people have an aversion to needing to open two doors a lot of the time. That does not bother me at all. I don't know whether it would bother you. The advantage of the FD, of course, is that it is better when your aisles are narrow and you don't want the door taking up so much room when opened. I also think the the FD is more attractive because of the symmetry of the doors. Not sure if that is important to you.

Finally, just a word a SZ. Their customer service is great. I never had a day of trouble with the old one in the 13 years that I had it. I donated it when I renovated. Eighteen months after I got the new one, they actually replaced my unit because there was a computer error message that popped up and would not go away and the temperature indicators started bouncing around even though I am not sure the temps were actually changing. They could not figure out what the computer error was. After three visits (and they schedule you immediately), they just decided to give me a new unit and gave me an extra year warranty for my trouble.

Also, I re-read you original post again. In one place you said you wanted a 36" range top but then you said elsewhere you wanted a range with wall ovens. So I am not sure which way you are going.

Here is what we did. We had no budget--I just bought whatever I wanted (you can probably find my "almost done" reveal post where I detailed all my appliances and other things because someone bumped it up the other day). We did have space constraints because after all, I do live in an apartment in NYC, albeit a large one. I originally wanted wall ovens too, and I could have fit them if I had tried really hard, but I changed my mind for many of the same reasons as others have when they decided to go with a range. You can find all of those posts to read the discussions.

We got a 36" Blue Star range with a Miele speed oven installed undercounter. I think we have the best of both worlds. We have one gas oven and one electric. Personally, I like gas better for roasting. Those BS burners are crazy awesome and have completely changed my relationship to stovetop cooking. The 36" top is a lot of real estate and a true luxury--so much more room compared to the 30". (I wish we could have fit a 48" but we could not give up another 12" of cabinet space.) We got a grill too, which is nice. And there are no circuit boards to break!!!!!!!!

The Miele 24" speed oven is great and it is surprisingly roomy. We actually use it 90% of the time when we need an oven. But on holidays, that 36" oven is a dream.

Read the posts about Wolf wall ovens. There is the shattering ceramic issue to worry about. I am not sure where Wolf is on that. They are beautiful though and you get that great customer service from Wolf SZ that I described in my post above.

Oh one more thing--sorry for all the posts. If budget is an issue for you, then the Wolf wall ovens would definitely not make the cut in my view. You said you are not that picky. If you are going to go with wall ovens, the maybe look at Electrolux. I think folks like them.

But seriously, going with a range and a small second oven will probably save you quite a bit of money. A range is significantly cheaper than a range top plus wall ovens. The wall ovens need their own deep cabinet. Don't forget that. You can use the savings to splurge on something else.

Wolf makes a beautiful range, but it is at the top end of the price range for pro style ranges. We looked at them but I wanted open burners and higher power so we went with the BS. And it is less expensive than Wolf, to boot.

Nycbluedevil, all I can say is wow! You've done a gorgeous kitchen and bathroom(took a peak at those pics too as it came up in my search).

We have young children in our nest and budget is in play. Thus we are trying to do what we can within our constraints.

I'm looking at a rangetop and double ovens as I hate bending down and although our kitchen is not quite a galley - it is close to your layout. It's an L with island in a great room. We are looking at Thermidor 36" this week....does it compare to Wolf?

Your point about FD is great....as yes space to open doors is a factor to consider. We are going with ss and will have to leave SZ for another day. Any thoughts on the FD with 2 drawer freezer?

Wall oven - any midpoint suggestions? What about Kitchenaid?

And I really like your shake cabinets. Not sure if we can go with framed as it's yet another cost - but wow it is nice.

Nycbluedevil, read your most recent post after I posted....posting while I make breakfast for our boys.

I will look as BS and Electrolux.

What vent did you get. Do you like it?

Thanks! We love our kitchen and bathrooms!

I don't know much about the Thermador range top. I think it has the star-shaped burners that are similar in some ways to the ones the BS has. Or at least the range does. Not sure if they are open burner. Don't think so.

Not sure what you mean about SS so have to leave SZ for another day? By the way, if you mean stainless steel, think about fingerprints with young kids....also, if you are trying to maximize fridge/freezer space, I would ditch the water/ice in the door if you are thinking about that. Space hogs that break. You can do chilled water at the sink with a separate faucet.

I never explored it but I would think that the FD with two-drawer freezer reduces storage capacity. I don't see how that couldn't be the case. Same as the FD door storage issue. Adding extra doors or drawers eats up storage space.

I don't know about the wall ovens. Really, once I decided against going that way, I pretty much stopped paying attention other than what I have absorbed by reading posts here. I have a vague recollection that KA is well-received, but couldn't say for sure.

One last pitch for the range. Think about how much oven cooking you do relative to stovetop. We use stovetop much more, especially now with the awesome burners we have. Do you use the oven more or the stovetop more? Is the bending that big a deal for the number of times you would do it? You can save money--a lot of it--and space. You could have your oven below your hood for better venting, be able to do pan roasting more easily (brown the meat and pop it in to the oven below to finish). Your cooking can get done in one place. And with double wall ovens, you still have to bend. Also, some people find that one is too high and one is too low.

We got a Modernaire hood. We love it.

Off for a long-distance bike ride. Will check back later.

>I don't know much about the Thermador range top. I think it has the star-shaped burners that are similar in some ways to the ones the BS has. Or at least the range does. Not sure if they are open burner. Don't think so.

They are sealed burners. I like them better than typical sealed burners but they aren't as good as open burners like BS in my opinion.

Wall ovens, I vote Electrolux or Bosch as "best buys", Miele or Gaggenau if you plan on spending more.

Hi Neighbour! We live just north of the GTA.
I ordered our new appliances a couple of weeks ago. Making the final decision was arduous to say the least but I am very happy with my choices.
I had considered double wall ovens however, I cook and freeze a lot so the microwave is important to me for defrosting. My alternative was to purchase the Kitchenaid slow-cooker/warming drawer - Whirlpool wall oven - Thermador 36"range top - Broan Elite RMIP hood - Kitchenaid tall dishwasher.
We are keeping our LG FD fridge. (6 yrs old - works great)
I have a large standing freezer in the basement.
My KD introduced me to Coast Appliances and that is where I ordered all of the appliances. They have been great and offered the best prices of any other retailer that I contacted. I also bought the extended warranty on all of the above

Thank you for responses.... A lot to think about.

Hvtech42, if we can $pend less then we will! Is there a model of each wall oven you recommend?

Pamela233, will check out Coast!

We do as much in the ovens as we do on range. Our youngest is allergic to dairy, eggs, gluten and intolerant to corn. So, I'm always baking, roasting, cooking.

Nycbluedevil, one of the other reasons we liked the wall ovens is that we could have drawers under the rangetop. It's not going to be a huge kitchen (but that's relative to where you are and the norm) and I really like drawers.

This all being said, I've got a bit of time to decide so I am open to new ideas.

And yes ss is stainless steel. It's aesthetically pleasing and we can't justify SZ.

So far, we have decided on a few things - but nothing is set in stone yet so we can still change our minds.

We like white kitchens so doing that with darker island. For cabinets, possibly shaker and some glass door accents. Ss appliances. It's part of a great room and we want to keep it airy and bright. We will have recessed builtins along outside wall. The image shows the side by side fridge freezer combo that we are not doing - takes up too much space. And we don't need a griddle - extra burners are much more useful.

This post was edited by ilovepie on Sat, Sep 27, 14 at 10:09

>Hvtech42, if we can $pend less then we will! Is there a model of each wall oven you recommend?

All of the models made by those manufacturers are good, check out their websites and figure out which one has the looks, features, and price you want.

Why do I need them? I don't, really, but they're cool and I want them ;)

The steam oven is highly recommended for most cooking purposes, it transfers heat quicker and allows for more retention in meats. It'll serve as a microwave replacement for us as well. we'll have a very small microwave hidden away in the cabinets for heating liquids, but will do leftovers, etc in the steam oven. Baking/proofing, refreshing breads are all suppoed to be better in the steam oven.

I probably wouldn't need a convection oven on top of that, but the Miele that works with our design only comes in convection, so we're going for a mid-range model. Convection also helps speed cooking and makes heat even throughout the oven.

Go to your local dealer and you'll be sold like I was!