Much will really depend on your budget/price range. I currently have a Thermador wall oven (not my choice, came with the condo) and while it's plenty roomy it takes forever to pre-heat. Had I been choosing my own appliances, I'd look at Dacor, Blue Star, Jenn-Air (which I had in my last home and liked very much), and GE Monogram. Beyond that, check the models you think you want against Consumer Reports. And I agree, many people I know have had issues with Viking. Don't go there again.

Don't feel you need to stick with one brand -- mix up the brands to make sure you get the features and appearance you want at a price you can afford rather than getting something you don't want or want to pay for.

I just bought 3 new appliances for my kitchen (not including the range hood) - the fridge is a KitchenAid, the dishwasher is a Bosch, and the range is an LG. Why? Because I didn't want a French door fridge and I didn't want water or ice dispensers, and of the few remaining options, everything but the KitchenAid felt cheaply made. And I wanted a slide-in induction range with knobs and there weren't many options (again) available in my price range. Then the dishwasher was a quiet model from a well-respected brand, and it was on sale as they were debuting a newer model. And I'm happy with them all so far (about 6 months).

I completely understand the head explosion...really! It can just make you NUTS looking at appliance reviews. Good advice from Toronto Vet...shop for features and price that fit...NOT for brands. As you've seen, the pros and cons for everything are all over the place...and back again. It sounds crazy but it took me two years to buy a new washer/dryer for that very reason. I was so worried about making another expensive mistake. Just remember...features and price. I finally wised up and stopped looking at head-spinning reviews, including Consumer Reports.

Also, know that many brands like GE, Samsung, LG, Whirlpool/Maytag, KitchenAid, etc. are simply not made the way they used to be.

"But why does Consumer Reports tell us to look at Samsung?"

Read the article and find out why. They've done the testing and reliability research. That's why.

Take user reviews with a huge grain of salt. There are a lot of stupid people out there. Plus--people with complaints are much more likely to post than people who are pleased.

Just another data point: we love our GE Monogram gas range and electric wall oven.

The brands are so user specific I totally agree with Toronto Vet this is a shopping nightmare if you do not sit down and make a list of what you need from each appliance. I run a catering biz from my home I have a Bertazzoni 6 burner all gas range with convection, a wok burner and simmer burner. I also have doulbe KA wall ovens all electric with convection. These choices were made for how I cook and i like certain things baked in a gas oven like bread and pizza. I have heard lots of bad reviews about KA but i love mine and have had it for 10 yrs used every day of those 10 yrs never any trouble. I will always have a Bosch DW since IMO they are the best you can buy. I make these decisions based on my style of cooking and you need to do the same. BTW this is the reason to stick with simple stainless then all the pieces you choose work together.

I've quit using any reviews from CR. They claim testing, but they start with preconceived points of view and seem to dismiss anything that I might be interested in considering. It's the worst form of reverse snobbery. Cheaper isn't the only factor. Maybe I don't want an entry level appliance. They only review entry level.

Do a lot or reading on these forums. Ask a lot of questions. You will develop a well-informed point of view. You will know what units will match up to the features you desire and within your budget.

Unfortunately, older versions from the same manufacturer do not reflect the quality of their new products. More and more once-reliable companies have their parts made in China and the quality is just not the same as the older models.

I would go with the Wolf. I have found that over the years this is the one that holds up and is not as deep as the others.

"Unfortunately, older versions from the same manufacturer do not reflect the quality of their new products."

Doesn't that suck!?! Just like some companies spin off their names to a second lower-priced line that may, or may not, still be of decent quality, signified only by a prefix or suffix so the brand names get confusing. It's getting so that you can't really trust a name at all anymore because they've shot themselves in the foot with those marketing tricks.

I will say that I have a friend who replaced a Whirlpool oven/microwave with a GE double oven. It is not high end, maybe around US$1500 but we were both surprised at how well it works. It is also not a convection (which I would have gotten). It has made me think that GE has gotten better.

Pretty much all the hidden lower element ovens are slow to preheat. Nature of the beast.

KA still has the reputation of burning out the control board when you use cleaning mode.

I've used CR's guidance in every appliance item and automobile purchase since 1982. I have begun to question the algorithm they now use to rank many of their products. Also, like homechef59 writes, it does seem that purchase price carries the most influence and I would prefer performance and reliability weighted the most.

So VERY true about older versions NOT reflecting in new quality. A new Maytag washer today won't give you the 30+ years the old ones did. Not even close. Breathe a sigh of relief if you get to 5 or 7 years.

I really really wanted the Miele double oven with steam. It was nearly 9k and my husband went with me too look at it and the first thing out of his mouth was, “the racks feel cheap.” And then budget reality set in. The Samsung had all the features the Miele has, but in the end I chose a Bertazzoni instead. I’m extremely happy with the oven. Turbo mode finished off a casserole in 20 minutes that used to take my old Frigidaire 40 ish..... it’s a beautiful oven. I skipped the assistant and instead bought the 2 Gide out racks separately (only $90 each and they’re well made). Thermador wanted $325 for a glide out rack). Had the appliance repairman out for a bosh dryer and he said he likes the Bertazzoni. It’s all mechanical and easy to fix. Unfortunately the bosh dryer went home with the repairman (it’s under warranty). So far I’m very impressed with our Bosch service (he repairs pretty much everything). I got a Thermador steam oven. I LOVE that oven. I haven’t had an issue cleaning it. Miele had a broiler and a plumbed version, but for 2k more it wasn’t worth it. And the Bertazzoni has a much more powerful broiler (but I’m an occasional broiler user). I agree the choices and prices are enough to drive one insane.

I should also mention that I got the Bertazzoni for $2k on sale. It was an open box, but it was still packed in its original packaging, and they had more than 1. In that price range, I was looking at far inferior ovens with much less features. This has proofing, dehydrate - all the high end features that my Frigidaire Pro didn’t have.

GE has produced good, main-stream cooking appliances for many years, unless there have been some down-times of which I'm not aware. I've had no specific troubles with my 2004 Profile range other than the "Hot Cooktop" indicators have become a tad flaky (occasionally illuminating faintly when it's not hot, which doesn't interfere with using either the oven or the cooktop). I've run self-clean several times with no failures of anything.

I don't think it's the control board that blows on KA/WP from self-clean but rather the thermal fuse overheat protector. A service bulletin was issued regards to a more powerful cooling fan, presumably it was put into production units as well.

"Pretty much all the hidden lower element ovens are slow to preheat. Nature of the beast"

My Electrolux has a hidden element and heats to 350F in 7 minutes. The convection fan runs during preheat though. If I am baking I let it preheat 30 minutes to fully stabilize. I am not a fan of the hidden element as you lose the radiant heat on the bottom.

"Is Wolf the way to go?"

I have the Wolf DF and would not buy any Wolf product with a blue interior. They have had an ongoing issue with the interior chipping on DF ranges and all current wall ovens. Google it or search on this forum.

Happy 2018 @Heather!

Last June, you were kind enough to answer my Houzz request for help.

I'd like to share with you my end results. Here's my original and after posts.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/need-designer-help-with-my-bathroom-remodel-dsvw-vd~4676536?n=35

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/transforming-a-25-year-old-bath-by-combining-quality-old-with-new-dsvw-vd~5058215?n=14

Thank you and cheers - Nancy

"But why does Consumer Reports tell us to look at Samsung?"

i still subscribe to CR (40 yrs) and use them for research, but in the last several years I take their appliances recommendations with a grain of salt. There is a whole new younger generation writing that magazine. On one page, I've seem them review a car and tell us how wonderful it is to drive, while a different article of theirs outlines the unreliability of that same car, and no hint at all of said unreliability in the glowing review. One has to question a magazine that talks out of both sides of their mouth.

With appliances, read what CR has to say, then search and read the forums here. It's time and work only you can do. Been there, done that myself.

As for the CR reliability charts, that is based on subscriber feedback to surveys, BUT not all subscribers receive the survey. Go figure.

A long time ago I was a subscriber to CR. I was shopping for a top of the line sewing machine. CR did an extensive review on a make I was interested in. Everything they said was wonderful. I bought the machine. It was a fine machine I had no complaints but the next year the same machine was written up in a very negative way and something else was supposedly much better. Sewing machines are not like cars, they don't change them each year. That's when I decided not to renew my subscription and ignore all of their reports. They are, IMHO meaningless and worthless.

Inga