I like white appliances with oak. If you can find a slide-in in white, go for it. I replaced my coil stove with a stainless GE slide-in glass top a few years before I remodeled the whole kitchen and it's so much nicer than coil. When it dies, I'll switch to induction for easier cleaning and more precise stovetop cooking.

I think stainless steel appliances look very nice with oak cabinets. I'd probably replace them and skip a slid-in range, which is normally quite a bit more expensive.

I'd look for upcoming sales to get a good deal.

A white slide-in --- even though the other appliances are bisque?

I am thinking the with the slide-in, the microwave might not look as bad. Thank you.

Nice to see the pictures - thank you. Stainless does look good with oak. Hmm

"Appliances are 18 years old, but DH will not replace all of them." Hahaha...oh, yes he will, but probably one at a time in the next few years. ;-) I doubt anything you buy these days is going to last anywhere near that long, though.

If you can get the stove you want in slate, I would go ahead and do it. And yes to a slate or stainless micro - it will fade better than light color. When the time comes to replace the dw, if slate is no longer available, you could get a wood panel front or stainless (even though you say you don't like/want it, it would coordinate better with slate than white or bisque would). I wouldn't care for a white or bisque refer. with slate or stainless, and since the refer is large and much more noticeable, I'd think about what you'd choose to replace it when the time comes, as you're deciding on what color to get now.

My kitchen had all bisque appliances, which worked well with the cream tile counter tops, but then I couldn't get a bisque slide in glass top stove as a replacement. So I went stainless. It really is fine (I have natural birch cabinets, not much lighter than yours). Eventually, I had to decide on a new dw and got stainless, which I really like because the tone is close to the cabinet color and doesn't really scream dw like the bisque did. Still have a bisque refer and when it dies, it will probably go stainless, too.

Oly and I have different opinions on the slate microwave. :-) Your other appliances are bisque, and the oak is on the light side. I think a white one would stand out less with what you currently have. I think your eyes will be drawn to the slate one, as it's so different. Just a sample pic of the color that I grabbed from the web below.

A white slide-in --- even though the other appliances are bisque?

Sorry, you didn't say they were bisque, only that you were thinking of a new bisque stove, and they look white to me in the photos.

Black or stainless. You will end up needing to replace the other appliances at some point, and you don't want to choose a color like Slate, that may not be available in the future.

Not sure why you do not like SS (you have a SS sink) - I find it to be very neutral and tends to go with everything. What kind and color of countertop are you planning? I have maple cabinets similar in color to yours, and in fact, my kitchen is somewhat similar to yours in layout, except for refrigerator placement. We replaced all of our appliances with SS except for the stove, and we went with red for that. The one thing that I do not like in SS is the sink, and so I wonder if you will change that to white.

Lars, somehow I don't think SS would fit into my kitchen and with my house. I have a lot of antiques. Having seen pictures above, I am trying to think a little differently - and maybe just leave the stove for now --- but I have been told that I need to get the stove before the granite -- as some stoves need a piece of granite in the back - and some don't and so I would have to do it now.

And yes, the sink is changing. I am thinking of Silgranit, but have not picked it out yet. I just don't want to replace the stove now, then have the other appliances go in a few years - and not be able to replace them with bisque - and then need to replace a stove that is only a few years old. Quite a dilemma.

Thank you for your comment.

my3dogs, I just meant slate or stainless micro to match the new stove below it. Not with a bisque stove below.

don't mix stainless/slate with white/bisque. won't work well. works ok with black but not with white

agree about slate having an unclear perspective-it's new and cool but it's a spin on a stainless that's much less versatile than stainless, might be short-lived

agree with Olychik regarding the age..they might be old but working still better than four fifth of new out there. you know them better of course, you live with them

if you don't envision stainless steel -mix slate w/black or go for everything slate/black

if you dislike black (I do for example. but with slate-I'd go for black) and SS-keep to white

slate won't go with them

stainless is the most versatile option of all if you ask me. no, i don't like it. but it is most versatile, it disappears more, being reflective surface

another thought-appliance paint. i would never undertake it myself but then I'm as far from DIY as one can be. I would ask my handyman though, lol. gives you some options

I think you should leave your kitchen as it is. If you do things piecemeal, it's not really going to update it at all - perhaps only call attention to what has NOT been updated. You're wasting your money,

As for stainless not going with antiques - well, it definitely does! Virtually every piece of wood furniture in my house is an English 18th or 19th century antique and my stainless appliances in the kitchen are not jarring at all. I don't have a table in my kitchen, but my lovely Irish mahogany round table that is in the breakfast room one room away would look fine in my kitchen.

The oak cabinets are the biggest problem in your kitchen, and your floor. Since these will not be replaced, you will gain little. Also, that enormous microwave over the stove - do you really need one that large? I have a very small countertop stainless microwave that I paid $99 for at Best Buy that works perfectly - it will hold a dinner plate - what more does it need to hold.

I think the white or bisque appliances stick out way more as "modern" than SS.

Here's a link to detailed instructions for a great transformation with gel stain

I hope sheisback doesn't mind my posting her pics here.

Or check out this link of updating oak kitchens without painting.

Well hello there's my kitchen! No problem Nosoccer.

I like you kitchen as is. I actually like oak when the color isn't clashing with counters and flooring as it was in my case.

I'm not a fan of slate appliances in general, but I think your eye will go right to it. Are you really set on slide in? They make a lot of free standing stoves that are nice. If you can I'd wait to replace them all at once. I think to add a piece here or there will make it visually jarring. I do really like my smooth top and do not miss cleaning those blasted coils!

I've only scanned over the posts, so if this is a repeat of what anyone else says, I apologize in advance. I just saw where you said the stainless looks good with oak. It's what I have and it does look good but it's high maintenance and depending on the brand you get, it can get discolored very easily (Samsung is a good example) so I wouldn't recommend it. However, the new Black Stainless that is out now is quite pretty in person and it supposedly doesn't have the issues that regular stainless has. Regarding the slide in vs a normal stove, if you can afford to do the slide in do. It really opens up the space when you have an over the stove micro. I replaced mine last year and have been much happier with it. I've posted a pic to give you a visual. BTW, I LOVE my oak cabinets and there is nothing wrong with yours either!

ETA: The cabinet over our micro wave was level with the other cabinets when we moved in. We raised it to add some interest...and it was quite easy to do....just a thought. Also, when it comes to the granite, what are you going to do about a sink? Under, over? New faucet? 1 hole, 2? Or even 3? For soap? They are all money eatters and something that are a one time deal so be sure to factor that into the over all look.

Thank you for all of your thoughtful responses. After thinking about this - and discussing with DH - we have decided to leave the appliances alone for now. We are going to do a new counter and sink and think that will greatly update the kitchen. However, we have decided that if we replace the stove now - a new bisque slide in is $1,500. We think it needs to be all of nothing and right now all are functioning well.

As I keep looking at my pictures and my kitchen, the real gorilla in the room is the microwave. It is so big - but I have been researching and researching and I cannot find a smaller microwave for over the range. I know I can't just put a shelf up there (which I would like to do) -- it needs the vent. It seems all of them are exactly the same size - 30" x 16" x 15" deep. Cabinets are 12" deep. It would seem someone would make a cabinet depth microwave, but I surely can't find one. I think if I could do something with the microwave, it would make everything look better!

I must be the odd one out, because I love my over the range microwave. I think yours looks fine.

For my slide-in, they fabricated a seperate piece of counter and epoxied it in behind the range. I'd ask your fabricator about cutting a piece that you could have epoxied in when you replace your stove if you decide on a slide-in.

"I think you should leave your kitchen as it is. If you do things piecemeal, it's not really going to update it at all - perhaps only call attention to what has NOT been updated. You're wasting your money,"

What she says. All the replacing of bits and pieces is only going to look disjointed. Given your statement about your DH you don't have financial control of this project and have to depend on him providing funds at his discretion so you might as well wait and hope he will dole out enough to do your kitchen right and completely. To be honest (and it sounds like you know this in your heart) your entire kitchen should be a gut remodel but if that's not in the cards, at least do what you can to modernize and update it as a complete look.

And yes, get stainless steel--white and bisque are simply outdated. I'm not a big fan but it's the style so no use fighting it.

Your over the counter microwave looks fine. I would prefer my microwave somewhere else but I wasn't willing to give up counter space for one. Even a small one. Your kitchen also doesn't need gutted to be nice.

Given your statement about your DH you don't have financial control of
this project and have to depend on him providing funds at his discretion
so you might as well wait and hope he will dole out enough to do your
kitchen right and completely.

Running, what I should have said is that my husband doesn't see a need to replace all of them. And quite frankly, at this point I don't see a need either. I started this thread asking about my idea replacing the stove, not looking for a critique of my husband. You do not know me, my husband or my financial circumstances -- or who doles out the funds. Your comment was both unkind and unfair.

If you don't need to replace the appliances, then don't. It is hard to live with a mix of white and something else. I did it for about a year, just because I was stubborn and thought I'd wait until something broke. I finally couldn't stand it and replaced the white oven (my elephant in the room).

Your microwave looks fine. I'm sure it's probably one of the cheaper items (between the stove, refrigerator and DW) to replace. I'll just weigh in here and say I think stainless would be a great choice. They are really easy to care for these days and as someone said, it is more in style & it will seem to disappear rather than stand out like white, or even to some extent black. Some stainless appliances even come with a good bit of black detailing so you could shop around for that when you're ready.

Thank you, Outside. Since the appliances don't need to be replaced, I am going to wait on them for awhile. While 18 years old, they look great and function perfectly. They may last another 5 years - or die tomorrow. I agree with you that the replacing is all or nothing. I appreciate your comment about the microwave. I just need to let that go! I am going to do what Mayflowers did and have a piece cut, so that if I do want a slide in some day, I will be prepared.

I spoke with the person who originally sold me the cabinets. We are going to put some wood side panels on. They are wood now - but some kind of heat set fake thing. I am going to get a new counter, sink, faucet, soap dispenser and cabinet hardware. After many years of having a bottle of Dawn on my sink, I can have the dispenser! I am thinking of an undermount Silgranit sink in Cafe Brown and an oil-rubbed bronze faucet. I really don't think this is going to look like lipstick on a pig. I will then decide on the backsplash. We have enough tile to replace the accent tiles, but I may consider a backsplash once the counter is in. I am excited to have my direction set - and I appreciate your comments as well as everyone else's. Getting different points of view certainly did help me solidify my decision.

When we did our refacing project, we decided to leave the current appliances, old but still working, until such time as they needed to be replaced. They are bisque, which despite it being considered dated, I do like. But I would not replace them with bisque, there are only limited models available in bisque and I suspect as time goes by, there will be even less to choose from. I will probably go with SS when the time comes. The fingerprints and smudges are an issue though, I am not looking forward to that.

some of stainless steel appliances have this protective finish on them that makes fingerprints and smudges a non-issue. all ours have this finish on them. except for the fridge. which doesn't show smudges either-at this point-since we never took the protecting clear wrap off lol. you can't see it's a wrap too unless you're really go and very closely inspect the fridge. at some point it'll start peeling at the edges-well then i'll think about it.

(agree about bisque-very limited selection. which is a pity-I don't see how it's worse than white for example. I happen to like it more, with my preference to muted colors.)

I actually like bisque appliances (it's not stark) and don't mind white in the right setting. I just wanted to say I have no issues with cleaning my stainless steel. The stainless is brushed so I don't know if that makes a difference. I think most I saw were like that though. I just use water on mine and a microfiber cloth. I was VERY concerned I would hate the upkeep but they are no problem at all.

boy i wish i could say that shee! my stainless appliances are pretty but they are also high maintenace

no green thumb.- i have a Silgranite sink, its 8 years old and is perfection. i am sure you will love it!

My stainless is totally carefree....kitchen aid dw and range. I just squirt window cleaner on it and it looks new each time.

"Your comment was both unkind and unfair."

Nogreenthumb, you are right and I am sorry!

I would replace the appliances on an as need basis, and, quite frankly, would do so with SS appliances. Especially if the range is the first to go, I don't think it's strange at all to have a SS range with other colored appliances. Also, my SS is very maintenance free. It's kind of brushed and doesn't show finger prints.

As an aside, I am of the generation where I don't discard something simply because it's "dated" as long as it's perfectly functional. Completely unrelated to whether I can afford it or not.

We replaced our coil stove after only eight years. As chief cook, the stove is my main household tool and I wanted a better tool to produce better meals. DH has always bought quality tools for himself so he agreed that we should get a better stove if that's what I wanted. The appliance store had only two coil stoves as they are being phased out, so we got a glass top. I didn't even know glass tops existed and wasn't informed about induction cooking by the salesman, so I missed that new way of cooking. We sold our coil stove for $100 on Cl so it wasn't simply discarded.

Right, but you had a reason, other than "it's dated."

It was dated. New technology quickly dates everything. Coils look dated and the pans never look clean.

I think we're discussing semantics here. My point was that you replaced your coil range, primarily because you didn't like the way it functioned, not because someone else decided that it looked dated.

I slowly replaced all of the bisque appliances in my kitchen with stainless steel, including switching from a coil electric range to a slide in stainless. I started with the dishwasher when it died, then the range and fridge. I still haven't replaced the microwave above the range which happens to be black. I have dark oak cabinets and I love the stainless. It really helps make the kitchen feel less dated, though it took several years until we replaced most of the appliances (as they slowly died). I think you need to have a long term plan for what you want to do with your kitchen before you decide if you want to go from white to something else. The white looks nice in your kitchen so if you may only change out one or two appliances, I'd keep with white. If you plan to change out all the appliances over a few years, choose whatever color makes you happy. If my vote counts for anything, I'd choose stainless or white (in that order).