skip to main content

Cleanliness & Combi Ovens

10 years ago

My hands are severely crippled and I have asthma, a bad combination because I need things very clean but have trouble accomplishing it.

We are downsizing to a tiny place with a tiny kitchen so I get one oven only. Have opted for cooktop with wall oven at waist height to facilitate cleaning. Want Combi oven because Hubby is diabetic and must eat veggies, veggies and more veggies to fill up without a lot of carbos.

Since cleaning is a high priority, how does it work out cooking and steaming in one oven? And how hard is it to keep a Combi oven clean?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

dodge59
10 years ago
Combi oven? Do you mean an oven with convection, a steam oven or a speed oven?

As far as a cook top goes, be sure to get induction.
Nothing is easier to clean than induction.
It;s the safest for folks our age.
It's the fastest to boil.
It is the most responsive, turn it up/down and the pan responds immediately!

Gary
philwojo99
10 years ago
I have the Wolf Steam oven, so as Gary stated that is a form of a "combi" oven.

It is easy to clean up as the steam tends to keep things loose for us. I did mess up the first time I ever used it and set it while we went to a movie for a roast with root veggies and it splattered all over and I didn't clean it up right away. It is still dirty from that, but I haven't really taken the time to try and clean it per Wolf's cleaning recommendation in their manual.

Other wise, since that first time it has been super easy to clean up, just wipe it with a cloth after cooking and it has cooled slightly, and everything comes right off. But I have to say that if I keep an eye on things there really aren't many splatters now.

Phil
Related Discussions
Speed / Combi Steam Oven Instead of Wall Oven?
Q
Comments (13)
I just linked to a picture I found online; however, my speed oven interior looks exactly like the picture. My cookies, not so sure..... Wall ovens, when they were introduced in the 1950s, were often really installed in a cutout in a wall. Nowadays they're almost always put in cabinets, but the term stuck. My Advantium 240 was installed in a new hole cut in the kitchen wall, reclaiming what previously was utterly unusable space above a staircase, which previously was open to its landing and 7 to 10 feet upwards, with sliding doors covering it. I reappropriated it for the kitchen in the adjacent room, as the bottom of that unreachable storage closet was only 50" above the kitchen floor. I would have preferred it a half foot lower, but free space in this tiny kitchen (which didn't have room for a dishwasher before renovation) was too good to pass up. As for how much I value the "regular" oven we're putting in, it too will have a drawer under it - and the oven itself is already under the counter. I got the smallest oven I could find - 24" wide, 24" tall - and it leaves room for a 6"h drawer underneath. I didn't want to waste space on an appliance that will rarely get used.
...See More
Gaggenau vs Miele wall oven+warm drawer+combi oven
Q
Comments (23)
@Sarah, I bought the 36" fridge/freezer combo (bottom freezer), and a 24" wine cooler column. The fridge has been installed about 4 years ago, the wine cooler still standing in my garage - need to make room for it and have been procrastinating. Also my better half developing a bit of a wine habit has not helped to incentivize me to install a full wine rack - unfortunately. Had 0 problems so far. It just freaking works. @JJ Mekai, in my experience you don't get a better longevity from any other brand. Don't know about Miele, but I did have to replace my Miele dishwasher (installed in 2007) about a year ago. The Gaggenau cooktop and vent hood installed at the same time don't even blink. I may replace some parts because they get rubbed off for looks... but functionally they are rock solid. Sorry... the hood had a snafu once couple years back. Circuit board replacement, cost me $350 to fix. The ovens, and they are used daily, as the refrigerator, installed about 4 years ago, knock on wood, are rock solid and seem to just keep on ticking.
...See More
GE Wall Oven mixed with Miele Combi-Oven
Q
Comments (1)
Generally, if they're the same color name, they look fine together. Textures can matter a little if they catch the light differently. If you have a spacer of at least two inches, so they don't look like they're supposed to match, it doesn't matter if the lines are different. Some people obsess about this, but if you can stand to wear a non-couture printed garment, where the pattern doesn't match perfectly at every seam, you'll be fine with appliances that don't either.
...See More
Miele Combi Steam Oven, Convection Oven and Hard Water
Q
Comments (7)
The way I understand things, hard water is bad, because it leaves deposits. Contaminated water is bad, because the contaminants can clog things. Demineralized water (distilled or reverse-osmosis) is bad, because complete lack of minerals makes water more prone to corroding metals. And acidic or alkaline water is similarly bad. So, ideally, you supply soft clean tap water. Where that isn't available, an ion-exchange water softener can remove hardness without removing total amount of minerals. And a carbon or particle filter can remove contaminants, if applicable. These restrictions are true for all kitchen appliances regardless of brand. So, switching from Miele to Wolf just because the wording in their manual is different doesn't actually buy you more reliability. Switching from plumbed to supplying suitable (!) bottled water would help though. And you can do that with either brand. And installing appropriate point-of-use water treatment would work just as well.
...See More
mjocean
10 years ago
Hi,
I have the wolf combi steam. It is a new appliance and I'm still experimenting. I find it easy to clean if I run "steam only" for 30 minutes after use. I used a Mr. Clean magic eraser on a stubborn food particle which worked beautifully, then I read it shouldn't be used on stainless steel. Has anyone else used the magic eraser inside their stainless steel oven?
MJ
redoingit
10 years ago
MJ, I use Easy OFF, blue can, about every 6 months or so to deep clean overnight...wipes off with paper towels like a charm.

Dodge: I think you will enjoy the features of a combi oven. They are not "self-cleaning" though. If you wipe it out when you have spills or grease following a steam clean cycle, it is easy to maintain.
ILoveRed
10 years ago
I have the Gaggenau combi.

I love it but when you say your hands are severely crippled, it makes me wonder if the Combi is the right oven for you.

This oven requires a little more than average hand strength to open and good hand dexterity to manipulate the pans. You might want to visit a showroom and give it a test drive. If it works out for you, I would recommend this oven without reservation as the main oven for two people in a "tiny" downsized space. This oven holds a lot more than it appears to at first glance.

Good luck!
mjocean
10 years ago
Thanks redoing it.
djdoggone
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks very much all. It sounds like the perfect appliance for us and much easier to deal with than the range oven. Special thanks for the induction recommendation because of its easy-clean attributes. red-lover, I appreciate your concern; you are right, Hubby gets to do the tricky stuff if needs must but he would only clean it if the debris prevented use. I, on the other hand, have more delicate sensibilities :-)

Related Stories

KITCHEN APPLIANCES Find the Right Oven Arrangement for Your Kitchen

By KitchenLab Interiors

Have all the options for ovens, with or without cooktops and drawers, left you steamed? This guide will help you simmer down

KITCHEN DESIGN A Cook’s 6 Tips for Buying Kitchen Appliances

By Christine Tusher

An avid home chef answers tricky questions about choosing the right oven, stovetop, vent hood and more

HOUSEKEEPING 12 Cleaning Projects That Go a Little Deeper — Naturally

By Youthful Habits

Eucalyptus oil for germy door handles. Baking soda for oven grime. Here are nontoxic solutions for often-overlooked cleaning jobs

KITCHEN DESIGN 6 Ways to Spice Up Your Neutral Kitchen

By Mitchell Parker

Look to these details to prevent a white kitchen from feeling a bit stark

TASTEMAKERS Pro Chefs Dish on Kitchens: Michael Symon Shares His Tastes

By KitchenLab Interiors

What does an Iron Chef go for in kitchen layout, appliances and lighting? Find out here

HOMES AROUND THE WORLD The Kitchen of Tomorrow Is Already Here

By Mitchell Parker

A new Houzz survey reveals global kitchen trends with staying power

KITCHEN DESIGN 7 Strategies for a Well-Designed Kitchen

By Dylan Chappell Architects

Get a kitchen that fits your lifestyle and your design tastes with these guidelines from an architect

KITCHEN DESIGN 16 Practical Ideas to Borrow From Professional Kitchens

Restaurant kitchens are designed to function efficiently and safely. Why not adopt some of their tricks in your own home?

ORGANIZING 7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Kitchen

By Laura Gaskill

Our weeklong plan will help you get your kitchen spick-and-span from top to bottom

DECORATING GUIDES 25 Design Trends Coming to Homes Near You in 2016

By Mitchell Parker

From black stainless steel appliances to outdoor fabrics used indoors, these design ideas will be gaining steam in the new year

Sponsored

More Discussions

Kitchen layout and wall ovens

10

looking for 15" built-in wine cooler recommendation

14

Best by Broan discontinuing Ceiling Vent Hoods?

15

Conventional or Convection Oven?

13

How many people use a CSO for everything w/o separate oven?

5