Instead of focusing on two ice makers in your fridge, consider getting a stand alone ice maker. I don't use my in fridge ice maker much and now use a table top model with bottled water, though I'm single so you probably need something larger then myself.

Why such a small cooktop for such a large family? How many burners do you currently use on average? In a few years when your kids have bigger appetites, you are going to need larger pans so skimping on your cooktop size doesn't make sense to me. Also, make sure you have one really larger burner for putting the hurt on an 8 or 12 quart stock pot for large batches of pasta, soups, and stews.

Side-by-Side style fridges are nice until you want to bring frozen pizza's home. A bottom freezer or French Door model has a real advantages here. "Gallon" door fridges are going to be a really nice thing for you in a few years, again as the kids grow up.

With vent hoods, you can never buy too big but you sure can buy too small. The cheap ones are really too weak and too noisy to be a good choice. It almost goes without saying to make sure it vents OUTSIDE, not in your attic or in your kitchen (indoors).

" We are a family soon to be 6, with 4 kids under age of 4."

I would suggest you also consider an induction cooktop instead of gas. With small children, I would personally (JMHO) want to take a live flame out of the equation.

Induction burners don't work if there is not a pot on it. This removes the worry of forgetting to turn off a burner (which a friend of mine is guilty of all the time).

Cooking temps on induction heat up and lower as quickly as gas, giving responsive and accurate temperatures without the flame. An induction cooktop is much easier and faster to clean up. Induction also will not throw off as much heat into the kitchen, like a gas flame will, thus keeping the kitchen a little cooler. (yes, I am biased and we love our induction cooktop-LOL)

There are a lot of topics here on induction that will come up with a search, if you are open to the idea. I never heard of induction before I started researching here at GardenWeb. Within an hour of reading up, I was sold.

This post was edited by Cavimum on Wed, Apr 17, 13 at 9:16

I second Cavimum's recommendation of induction instead of gas for your cooktop. Good friends have commented on how induction could prevent accidents with their small children.

We have an Electrolux Wave-Touch convection wall oven which was installed a year ago. So far it has been perfect. I bake a lot, often filling the oven to capacity, and my baked goods turn out consistently, evenly baked and browned. The temperature probe is excellent and will turn out big roasts with exactly the right degree of doneness.

You'll find many threads on both induction cooktops and the Elux oven on this forum.

Cheryl

Thank you for your input! Definitely better to deliberate now, than after purchase. Any venthoods that are decent but not breaking the bank?