We purchased a new home back in February but only finally closed the end of July. We selected and purchased all of the appliances. While it has only been a few months I thought I would share our experience to date.

Items Purchased:

1. Bluestar 30" range Model RNB304BV1

2. Sub Zero 36" Bottom Freezer single door BI 36U

3. Miele Dishwasher Dimension Plus G 5775 SCSF

4. Ventahood model PRH9 30"

5. Sharp Drawer Microwave Model KB-6524PS

We also add a water softener and an RO unit by Kinetico.

I'll start with the last first. The Kinetico water softener system is a bit higher priced than the other major brands but there really isn't any comparison. It is built like a tank and with twin resin tanks you are never without soft-water. Further it has a small foot print even with the carbon whole house cartridge. It just works, doesn't require any electricity and uses very little salt. The under sink RO is just fantastic and again a bit pricy compared to the junk that is out there but the quality and performance shows. I would highly recommend these items and the units.

The Sharp drawer microwave is very pricy but I got a good deal on mine (relatively speaking) but I can't say enough good about it. It cooks more evenly than the turntable unit I have in one of my homes and the built in unit I have in another home I rent out. I can put a plate with bacon strips in and cover and turn on and every piece comes out the same. It is just great!

The Vent-a-hood was one of the hard decisions as I wanted a quiet hood. I considered Magic Lung, and Kobe among others. As far as keeping smoke where it should be, even when high temperature wok cooking it does an excellent job but it isn't quiet. I am wishing I would have gone with the dual blower magic lung as it was very quiet when I heard it in the store (I didn't get to hear this one before it was installed in my home.

The Miele dishwasher is just fantastic. I had one in my other house and loved it and this one is even better. The only negative on dishwashers like this is that plastics don't always dry as there is no heating element. I can live with that.

The Sub-Zero is just a great fridge. You do have to get used to the fact that right after you close the door it pulls a slight vacuum so if you try and open the door to quickly it can be quite a pull. Wait a few seconds and it is fine. Food stays incredibly fresh. Now if I could just get my wife to not throw out perfectly good food because she thinks it has been in too long (usually a week or two). Greens are still crisp and fresh looking but old habits are hard to break. I am very happy with this fridge and it is very quiet. Especially compared to the new KA French door I put in my former house. By the way, I think the French door fridge is a fad without merit. You almost always need to open both doors and they are just a pain.

The Bluestar range is everything I wanted except I would have liked a self cleaning oven but I didn't think the CC was quite up to the Bluestar so I gave that up. The burners are just fantastic and the heat is awesome for both wok cooking and using pots and pans. The sides don't scorch and the heat is even on the bottom where it belongs. We have only used the oven once and it worked very well. Overall, I would definitely recommend this range.

I forgot to mention that I purchased a TEC BBQ grill. The TEC is a 100% infrared design. It is very pricy but I bought the unit that is made for Frontgate and they had it on sale for $1,000 off. If it is still available it is a great deal in a TEC grill. It is by far the best BBQ I have owned. I had a FireMagic in my prior home and there is just no comparison. First, it truly sears and seals in the juices. Chicken, Steaks, etc. are just incredibly moist. The flavor is outstanding too. Best of all it is so easy to clean, even when you use BBQ Sauce or marinades, etc. It has a self cleaning feature that just works very well. I have used it a lot and anyone looking for the best, this is it.