Hi all,

I'm a newbie to this forum, so I apologize for my lack of knowledge about appliances.

I've gone through a few pages of posts but continue to be confused by all of the recommendations, so I figured I'd just post something myself.

We just bought an older (1979) home with an older kitchen. The cooktop is a Viking brand (not sure what model #), and we are looking to renovate the kitchen. The kitchen is a bit on the small side, so in order to save space, we intend to purchase the following:

(1) wall oven (we would like for it to go underneath the cooktop)

(2) microwave w/ vent (that will be used to replace the non-functioning vent that is currently in place)

(3) dishwasher

(4) refrigerator

We would like stainless steel appliances and are looking to spend no more than $5-6K for everything. We are willing to stretch our budget slightly, if necessary, but as we plan on having this be our long-term home, we are looking for reliable appliances that also look good, and that we hopefully won't need to replace in 3 years. Preferably, we'd also the appliances to complement each other (so maybe purchase everything from the same company/same product lines).

Also, as to the wall oven, why is it that most wall ovens we see are electric, v. gas? Secondly, if we have the Viking cooktop, will it be possible to mount an oven underneath the cooktop (we are replacing all of the cabinetry).

Lastly, as to the microwave. Of course, we prefer the dedicated hood v. a microwave w/ a vent. However, given the small size of the kitchen, we want to maximize the space and cabinetry available.

It seems that Bosch and Miele are quite popular here, but given our budget, I'd appreciate everyone's feedback, including where you'd recommend that we buy the appliances from (we are located in Southern California).

Thank you!