Hey Velo, yeah don't be in a hurry. Take your time to research. My other bike is aluminum & I wanted steel for a different type of "feel" when I ride. I'm a recreational rider only, so considering a higher cost bike, like carbon, wasn't in my plan. The LBS where I bought my Surly specializes in "commuter" specific bike setups, so they replaced the Ritchy knobby tires with Panaracer Pasela TourGuard tires and left the stem uncut. For me this was great because I hadn't ridden a dropped bar bike in 25 years and didn't feel like I wanted to be in a "tucked" position while riding. I bought a Brooks B17 and put on SKS Longboard fenders. I love friction shifting and it didn't take me long to get used to having the shifters at bar end. I'm 5'6" with 83 cm PBH and bought a size 52 Surly. Only thing that was changed was a shorter stem (80mm) and "compact" 38cm handlebars (I always suspected that the stock handlebars were wrong for me).
So I hope you enjoy searching for your perfect bike, and definitely let us know what you decide.