We were replacing old white appliances, but since our kitchen is mostly browns & beige, I didn't really want stainless steel or black. I know "slate" sounds like that, but it really has a bronzey quality that makes it look brown. It's GREAT! As to features, It's amazingly quiet when operating, though there is a dripping noise that is bothersome, although workman reported nothing wrong. Some of loading features are hard to understand, but 'til I have time to download & read the manual, I'm plugging along. Space is same as old one, but less flexible.