Hi all,

We're completely renovating an 1890s house. That means new wiring,
plumbing, etc. Also ripping out the old kitchen and replacing
everything. Fortunately the kitchen is big enough to play with.

My question involves recommendations for appliances. We're doing all
Energy Star. But cost is of course an issue.

Refrigerators- we want bottom freezer, and only 18-20 cu ft. Been
looking at the Amana ones, which are substantially cheaper than all
others (by at least $500 up to $2000 less). DOes anyone have
experience with Amana? I'm wondering why they're *so* much cheaper.
These are their highest rated energy star models. We're not doing
stainless steel because the price is just prohibitive for us, I'm just
wondering if they're really as good as all the others.
Kenmore and Maytag have some in a closer range, but still more
expensive.

Cooktops/ovens - Will be gas. Any comments on having the cooktop
separate from a built in oven? I'm kind of leery of built-ins, just
because if something goes wrong, fixing/replacing is a PITA.

Dishwashers - any suggestions helpful? It's not something we use much,
but will install because it's a resale issue. We want as energy
efficient as possible.

And anyone who's familiar with tankless water heater systems or solar
heating, would love to hear from you!

Thanks!