This is a forum of people who are passionate about appliances.

It would help a lot if you told us something about yourself and your kitchen. How big is the kitchen? How many people are you cooking for daily? Once a week? A few times a year? Do you have babies, young children, teens? What special features do you need for them (e.g., separate snack fridge, lower microwave, etc.).

What's your budget? Under $10K for all appliances? Less? Double? 50K?

Do you have any restrictions on fuel? Intermittent electricity/common storm outages? No gas allowed? LP only? Off grid?

Do you want all the bells and whistles and touchpads like on the Starship Enterprise? Do you want simple knobs? Do you know what categories you want? (E.g., separate cooktop and oven or professional-style range or 30" range? One fridge/freezer, separate columns, wine fridge, separate ice maker? Dishwasher? Three racks? Two? Heated dry or condensation? Built-in coffeemaker, warming drawer, vacuum sealer drawer, blast chiller?)

Is your kitchen open plan? Is it important that the appliances be very quiet? Or is pleasantly humming along okay? Do you want a particular style or look? Does it matter what they look like from the door?

Do you even cook? Or are you more of a heat it up and please can't we go out type? Do you bake? If so, sweets? Bread? Souffles? Do you have lots of little pots of this and that going at once, or are you the queen of the one pot meal? Do you (whoever in your family makes the meals) cook three meals a day or one if you're lucky?

Tell us who you are and what you need and members who match will tell you about what they love. It doesn't do you much good to tell you how much I love my ovens unless you have a very generous budget. Ovens are the sticking point, though. That's where the greatest amount of variability is, and with the greatest impact on your enjoyment of your kitchen if you use the oven at all. The least variation in operability is in the fridge. We can make recommendations once we know what you need.

Actually, I do envision myself as a modern day Captain Jane T. Kirk, stationed behind my island.

A gas [natural] range top on the island. Double wall ovens [electric and, since I have read your comment on swing door ovens, preferable with at least one swing door. I'm 5'2" and don't anticipate a growth spurt, actually I'm just hoping to keep what I have and not shrink anymore.

My children are grown but are here frequently and I love to cook and bake.

I would very much like to return to the days of entertaining at home. In recent years that has been curtailed mainly due to hostile work environment. Entertaining on any scale required that space be made on top of the washing machine and dryer and on top of the dog's crate [although I will adamantly deny that latter one should it come to the attention of my friends.]

I have always coveted natural gas, in a cooktop, and may finally be getting that.

I love the look of the Bertazonni appliances but have heard so many complaints I have had to bid them ciao. Good-looking and not much with the follow through, not unlike Italian men now that I think of it [relax, I can say that being Italian on both sides of my family for generations and generations.]

The flashing read-outs are definitely not the look I'm going for.

The kitchen is ~ 18'X 15' and opens to a Family Room.

Your comments, suggestions and even critiques will be appreciated.

I'd attach a floorpan, but I can't figure out how to do it.

Please don't put your rangetop on the island. You are opening a can of worms when you do that. First, how will you exhaust it? An island hood is much more expensive than a wall hood, and people don't like that they block sightlines. If you are thinking about a downdraft, they are not efficient (smoke and grease go up, not down--a downdraft fights the laws of physics), and can suck at the gas flames of the burners. If you are OK with that, then think about whether the island will be large enough for people sitting at the island not to get splattered by what is cooking. And also, think about whether the island is large enough to have the proper amount of landing space on either side of the rangetop.

People want a cooktop in their islands because they think they will interact more with the family that way. The reality is that most of work time in the kitchen is spent on prep, and a very small proportion is spent on actually cooking. If you use the island for prep instead, you will have the friends and family able to join in with you, or just sit around while you prep, without having to worry if they will get splattered by cooking. Also, while cooking, you are looking down at your pots and pans, not at your friends and family. There are just too many cooking shows filmed with a cooktop in the island which has made people believe that is better, when actually it's just better for the camera angles.

Check out Nightowl's recent KAW (Kitchen at Work) thread in which she does a ton of cooking with a ton of tomatoes. It's fabulous, and she would not have had all that room if she had a rangetop in her island. Nightowl's KAW - Tomatoes

Thank you, I will definitely be rethinking my design.

We are getting Bosch for the (double) ovens and dishwashers. I think they are roughly in the Bertazzoni price range and also offer clean (though not as stylish) lines, and generally get very good reviews. Going with Capital for our rangetop. Again good performance and I like the slightly less industrial look of it compared to other brands.

Thank you, I'll be sure to look at all of those

Thank you, all excellent ways to hone in on the "right" appliance[s]

I really hate it when people do this to me, but unfortunately I am also an induction convert (kind of like an ex-smoker). Don't rule it out until you've investigated it thoroughly. Not only is induction super quick to boil water, but perfectly cooked oatmeal in 20 minutes with no sticking and zero intervention? melting chocolate or making hollandaise without a double boiler?.....yes!

I can also tell you that I have used my full sized oven exactly once since our renovation was completed a few months ago. This is partly due to the fact that I love my combi-steam and partly because it is BBQ season and I do everything (including bread) on the Q.

I have heard such praise for the indication cooktop.

However, I have waited 30years to remodel my kitchen and cook on gas. Apparently, in the interim, technology has improved over cooking with gas, ---- but the heart wants what the heart wants, even if it is as shallow as simply wanting red knobs.

I am entertaining the thought of combo-steam oven. One huge step forward for womankind. Can you steam vegetables in the combo-steam oven?

What kind of cooking do you do mostly? That really should be the factor that leads you to your appliances.

I never thought of it that way. Thank you

Vi (I love your user name, btw) I so understand your desire for the red knobs! I have wanted a powerful gas range since I was a teenager in the mid-80s and the SS, pro style ranges started gaining popularity. I am finally in a position to get what I wanted and so much has changed in the interim that my desires have been outdated before they were ever fulfilled! Get the gas rangetop and enjoy it.

I am moving to a new house that is perfect for me and my family in every possible way except one- I don't get my dream kitchen: Bluestar range, Kohler Stages sink, white marble counters with white cabs and a gray island (can you tell I've lurked here a long time and made lots of castles in the sky?) My new house is a remodled 1850s townhouse that was gutted and redone prior to our buying it. The way the kitchen and breakfast rooms are laid out make my dream white kitchen irrelevant- there is no way to make it work. I have dark modern Italian cabinets, black granite and an induction cooktop. It's all a gazillion times better than anything I have ever had before- but a little part of me still pines for what it can't have.

I am sorry for going so far off topic and whining. I just thought this was the one place where people could understand my frustration :-)

Have a grand time designing your new kitchen and making the thousand small and large decisions that come with that. It's a high quality problem to have, as they say. And enjoy cooking on gas!

PLEASE before you commit to gas understand this. I too had waited a very long time for a gas range. I finally got it when we moved into our new house. I was shocked (and annoyed) at how ddifficult it is to keep clean. I assume you are used to electric which I was too. You just spray and wipe and it is shining. Not so with gas. You have to remove grates, try to scrub and remove grease from below, around round gas jets so it never really gets clean. For this reason alone I am going with induction. The fact the it is as responsive as gas with the cleaning process of electric is a winner for me. Think before you jump into something you may truly regret very quickly. Wolf makes an induction range so you can still have your red knobs. I also have just done all the research I can into major appliances. I need a 48 inch refrigerator and really went back and forth on the Sub Zero. For me I decided to go with a Kitchen Aid for $4000 less.

with the cleaning process of electric is a winner for me.

Actually the cleaning is 100x easier in that the food doesn't have a chance to bake on since the cooktop never gets hot.

Hi Vi- Your hysterical! I am also in the middle of remodel. Our kitchen sizes, height sizes, and lifestyles are pretty similar. Although I am a month away from completion there is one thing I wish I had known before doing my project- I discovered it here on the forum. I am switching from electric to gas for cooking. However, I wish I had considered a gas cooktop and a wall oven. Its my understanding that the electric convection ovens are better for baking. I purchased a Bluster 48" range. I prepare dinner every night for 4-6 My children are 16, 23 and 30 (still can't shake the 30yr old, lives in my converted basement so considers himself independent) I do all holidays so am looking forward to the extra oven the BS provides. I do moderate baking, a cake here and there so I'm not too worried but after spending so much money in the remodel I feel I should have appliances that do the best. I have an island range before and although it had a downdraft the house still lingered of food, especially the upstairs.

I am excited about my countertops, I went with quartz. Made from granite, very durable and extremely beautiful, no worries about staining. I also chose a sink made of quartz. Supposed to be more durable than porcelain, can tolerate more abuse and no spotting like the stainless. I haven't experienced it yet, so more to follow on that. '

I am going with Dacor for dishwasher mainly because with a panel to match my cabinets it blended best, I do a lot of my dishes myself and rinse, almost wash the dishes first before loading them into dishwasher. So it was shamefully looks for me on that appliance. I had to stop there. I am way over budget at this point so I am keeping the refrigerator that I have, being it is only 2 years old and french door, storage is wonderful and runs so well Kenmore series. I would have loved a Subzero to match panels again but cannot afford it at this point. I time I will replace my frid=ge with a cabinet depth fridge. A few of the good makers are beginning to make them and in a few years the bugs should be worked out.

Good luck to you on your project!!

*I"m also a vertically challenge italian girl, who opted for an American man- he's been around for over 20yrs- I think I'll keep him!

Work should start this week. Your advice is very timely.

I am doing a gas cooktop and wall ovens. Although I'm usually cooking for 2, I am slow to give up my 'security blanket' second oven.

Would you give me some additional information on your counter top? I need to be deciding on one in the very near future.

By the way, pban730, I would keep that 20years and counting American man, trying to figure out the bells and whistles of the newer versions I think would be exhausting.

savahna hit the nail on the head.

I grew up with glasstop electric and loved it. Moved into my current house with a gas stove and I never want to cook again. Everyone calls me crazy for hating it, but I HATE it. I don't think I've ever hated something so much in my entire life. I am a neat freak and cleaning the damn thing takes 10+ minutes every time I use it. I don't have time for that and have much better things to do.

If you don't mind the maintenance of gas, then all the power to you, but it is an absolute pain to clean with very minimal cooking difference from electric, in my opinion.

I have had electric, glasstop, and gas. I can't say anything positive about an electric cooktop. Gas is instant on and instant off. You can easily and exactly control the heat. It is much easier to cook with. Cleaning of the gas cooktop can be easy or difficult based on the type of materials used. You can't tell simply by looking at the the cooktop.

I have not owned an induction cooktop so I can't comment there.

Kelsey try induction. Glass top and is easier to clean than electric. Much easier because nothing ever bakes onto the surface.

That's a lot of hours! (another vote for induction from me)

I'm waiting to be dragged screaming into the 90's. Please, no new fangled 21st century technology. I feel a nose bleed coming on.

Vi - I think I mentioned I have had an induction range, and didn't like it. I have a gas range now, and prefer gas. I totally understand the benefits of induction speed and the smooth top. It's just not for me. Not everyone loves induction, though that's hard to tell on this forum.

we have had gas, electric smooth top, electric coil....remodeled kitchen and went with induction cooktop. Best Decision Ever. At least look into it. more responsive than gas, faster than gas, faster cool down (no hot grates)., and of course EASIEST clean up ever!!! so many advantages!!!

Hi again- sorry I didn't get back to you with info on my countertops. I don't remember the name of the particular style I selected but it was quartz. There are a variety of samples out there and I selected knowing i wanted it to look white. I laid a few contenders next to samples of flooring, backsplash, and cabinets. The right one stood out! Best of Luck

Have you decided yet?

Gas Amen

Devil's advocate here! While I'm saving for my gas range (high-end pro-style brand TBD) in my new home, I've been using an induction "hot plate." I understand that this isn't quite the same as a full on induction range or cooktop, but how can anybody actually like this? I've enjoyed the quick cook times as long as the pan is in contact with the surface, but if you like to flip your pans, forget it. If the pan isn't in contact with the burner, the burner shuts off, just like it's supposed to do. You can't flame with it (separate lighter, torch, or matches) and you have to buy extra stuff if you have non-induction ready cookware. Not a fan. I'll stick with gas. Yes, it takes more to clean, but it's not a big deal in my opinion. And definitely worth the superior results. There's a reason why chefs use gas, and this adventure with an induction cooktop shows me why.