I did purchase Elux double ovens and a counter depth fridge. I caught a great sale online at build.com (where they save your cart/price for 30 days) and was able to pair it with a rebate. But, I went with a Bluestar cooktop b/c of the price & quality (compared to a Wolf, Elux) and the high output open burners. My best advice to you is to read all the threads on here you can, consider Bluestar, etc., heck even look at induction if it works well in your area and you can get service and then take your time to find a good sale/rebate combo.

Wow, that opens up a whole new can of worms. I haven't really considered Bluestar because of poor CR reviews and not really knowing much about them.

How do you like your Bluestar? Do you know the model number (so I can search it as a reference)? And for that matter, what do you think about the Elux wall ovens?

Thanks for your advice!

First, I wouldn't put a ton of stock in CR reviews. Also, my impression is that negative Bluestar reviews tend to focus on ranges b/c of oven issues. Since you are looking at a cooktop and not a range, they aren't necessarily relevant. Instead, I would look at reviews on sites like abt.com and ajmadison.com. I find they are pretty accurate when combined with the threads here. Just take your time.

My Bluestar is the 30 inch cooktop. They only sell one, so it will be easy to find. I paid standard price - $1574. It has 2 22K open burners. I am still in the throws of remodeling (currently tiling floor) so I can't give real feedback yet on use of it. But with that said, $2600 seems high for an Elux cooktop.

I do like my 27" double ovens. I paid about $2075 for them, which I thought was a good price. Again, I have only used them once to reheat something.

I would suggest buying the same brand oven and fridge so your handles match, assuming you aren't installing a paneled fridge.

The other suggestion I have is to consider your venting and if you will need make up air. Venting is expensive and island venting even more so.

Six months ago I was in your shoes. The people here are a great help and with hours of research on your own and pounding the pavement to showrooms, you will learn a lot and be able to make the right choice for your home.

Many thanks for good advice from someone who's just been down that road, sreedesq. We've certainly got our work cut out for us.

Time to keep researching...