REFRIGERATOR: Have you looked at the Kitchen Aid 42" French Door? I think its a better choice than the SxS. I chose the built in KA 42" French Door (no dispenser), and I think I'm going to like it a lot better than my old 36" SxS. I like the wider shelves and same size doors, and the cabinet panels will give the appearance of an armoir.

Sorry, I can't comment on your other choices. I notice you haven't listed a microwave, is that an oversight? I chose the Sharp MW Drawer as I had no room for it above the counter. None of the appliances are installed yet. Good luck with your project.

Thank you, napagirl, for commenting. We chose a SxS because DH absolutely refuses to bend down to retrieve anything from a freezer. Also, we've had a SxS for 20 years and we're accustomed to "his" shelves and "her" shelves in the freezer, so we'll stick with that configuration. Also, an island a little over three feet away make a SxS a must.

I forgot to mention also that we have a very large countertop microwave that we are keeping in a corner that is not useful for anything else.

The only think that stopped me was the dishwasher. I know there were others who posted here about issues with the depth of the KA dishwasher working with their cabinets. I believe they had inset cabinets. Maybe this doesn't apply to do, but just in case...

I have to chime in here. This is on my short list of regrets. My original plan was the S x S, then changed my mind. I have the KitchenAid 42" French Door with freezer on the bottom. I completely miss having those freezer door shelves. I'm getting used to it, but miss the organinzation of those shelves.
I do love the counter depth. Nothing lost in the back.
I also have a KitchenAid dishwasher, but the double drawers.
I can't help you with your other choices. I ordered all KA Architect Series II.
Lisa

Thanks to sue36 and lisa_sandiego for your comments.

Sue, we will have standard overlay cabinet doors. That said, my builder, cabinet guy, appliance dealer, and I have been around the block several times about whether the KA paneled dishwasher will align with its cabinet run when the panel is installed. The appliance dealer and the KA telephone customer service person both say yes. The cabinet guy is still worried. I'm waiting for an answer in writing from KA customer service. I can't believe KA would sell a panel-ready built-in DW that didn't align with other standard cabinets, but my cabinet guy says "never assume anything."

Lisa, thanks for being positive about the SxS. So many of my friends think I'm crazy for continuing to have a freezer too small for a turkey or a pizza. Well, I only make turkey at Thanksgiving, and I get it fresh just before I need it. And we go out for pizza. Like you, we love the compartmentalization of the freezer compared to a big undivided space.

I understand that SXS refrigerators are out of vogue right now, but I for one am planning on another SXS. No bottom freezer/top refrigerator can meet the capacity of a SXS.

We ordered the Wolf rangetop and were very happy with a Zephyr hood in our last house, so, personally, I think those are good choices! The Monogram ZET2 was on our short list for ovens, but a good deal on a Fisher Paykel oven (my other top choice) swayed me to go that way. You might want to do a search for the Monogram and read recent threads about problems with them. Before a month or so ago, they received nothing but raves, but you will want the good and the bad to consider.

For DWs, I stick with Bosch. The only brand I've been truly thrilled with. I've been so disappointed by others, but none of them have been KA, so I can't comment either way on that choice.

The KA fridges look nice, and it makes me a little nervous that they're now associated with Maytag...A fridge I particularly hated and never stopped costing us money...but maybe they'll bring Maytag up, rather than the other way around.

Thanks, Sarah, for seconding our SxS decision. As I said before, we tend to like to compartmentalize our fridge/freezer use, and a SxS is just made for that kind of mentality. FYI, I've managed to squeeze an 18-inch pizza box onto the bottom shelf of the KA SxS by slightly raising the bottom door shelf, so the capacity for larger items isn't all that bad!

Rhrome410, I'm glad to hear that you liked the Wolf range top and your Zephyr hood. I was convinced about the Wolf but had great angst about choosing a hood that didn't make a "statement". I just had to finally decide where the focal points of the kitchen were going to be, and the hood won't be one of them.

I have the monogram double ovens. My model number is slightly different, but I think it is the handles only. Do you have the "professional" ones? I love my ovens: Work great, look great, no noisy fan and the gliding racks are wonderful.

I also have a KA dishwasher. We have the one with the cutlery tray. I love it too. It is quiet, can hold tons of dishes and the stuff comes out clean.

Both appliances have been in use for a little over a month. So far we are very happy.

We actually had the Zephyr over a different range at our last house, but still were very impressed with the brand. (the Wolf rangetop -8 burner- is for our new house and we're impatiently waiting to get to fire it up) I'm not big on a hood that makes a statement...It's just a vent to me, and I want it to do the job, be easy to clean, and be quiet. Our Zephyr was all of those things. I also like cabinets above the stove, which focal point hoods rarely allow.

tamjo44, thanks for the good news about the Monogram double ovens. My model is the one where the handles taper inward, not the model where they are straight across. I think it IS the "professional" model. I was impressed at the showroom with how smoothly the racks glide and how many full-extension racks were included compared to other brands. The only downside was that it had the narrowest interior of all. Have you found that a problem? It's still three inches bigger than my current 27" oven that I've used for 10 years. Also, have you used the self-clean cycle yet? I think I remember reading on this forum or the Appliance Forum about control panels overheating during self-cleaning. Has that happened to you?

rhome410, I feel lots better about the Zephyr hood after hearing from you agin. My cabinet guy also felt a "statement" hood wouldn't be right for our kitchen and was urging me toward a simpler model. I, too, have planned cabinets above the stove: I am giving up cabinets elsewhere, so having some space for additional storage above the stove will be great. It seems like a great space to store tall stock pots (that aren't used too often) on either side of the hood vent pipe.