The advantium 240 is hard to beat. The next best thing? My Miele steam oven is great... so is my miele induction cooktop. I'm now out of money and can't add anything. LMAO

Well, I did get the advantium--my one true splurge for the kitchen. (To be delivered later this month) But if I had to give it up, I probably would have gone for the cheapest microwave that fit in the same space and tried to save my pennies for the advantium at a later date.

Catherine

Practically speaking....

We renovated 2 yrs ago and thought a wall Microwave/Convection oven (GE JEB1095) would be neat and kind of cutting edge (before Advantium was available) in addition to our traditional wall oven. Turned out we rarely used the combo cooking feature of microwave AND convection oven of the JEB1095.

When you are cooking with the Advantium, you will not have a 'microwave' available to use (a key necessity when you have infants and young kids).

Besides that, the magnatron tube went out and was replaced once under warranty. When it crapped out again recently, we decided enough is enough and got the unit replaced with a cheap GE (JE2160) microwave. This unit rocks so far and we really needed a workhorse. It's also much stronger with 1200W compared to the 800W of the combo unit.

I would personally consider the Advantium if it was to be the primary oven in the kitchen. But the question then is will it fit a turkey. The combo unit I referred to above has a tiny capacity since the mechanisms for both technology took up so much space.

Well, it looks like I should just keep saving my pennies for the real deal! I have heard that the "regular" microwave convection ovens just don't cut it, so I'd hate to settle for that if I don't have to. Thanks for your help!

Bloomin - Are you looking at the Advantium 120 or 240? The 120 built-in has MW, Speed Cook with halogen lights, and a true Convection oven. ThatÂs what I want but I donÂt have the space for it. :-( Sooo  IÂm looking at a MW/Convection combo myself. I really want (and would use often) 2 ovens. I guess you have to ask yourself what you need most. A MW? Speed cooking? A second oven??? For me, I would use 2 ovens more than I would use a MW which we only use for popcorn and frozen burritos. Speed cooking is something IÂve never had and IÂm sure there is a learning curve  so that would be 3rd on my priority list.

I have heard that the "regular" microwave convection ovens just don't cut it

Do you have any links for this? I have read very positive things about the combos but would like to read what you have seen as well. IÂve not made any purchases yetÂ

The Advantium 120 was something I kind of threw into my kitchen appliance list at the last minute and I've been super happy with it. I rarely used a microwave for anything other than softening/melting butter and chocolate for baking, and my husband just reheats leftovers, so it wasn't at the top of my wish list. But I did want a drop down door built-in (for look and feel) and even "standard" versions of that cost almost as much as the Advantium. After reading about the unit here, I went for it.

The sensor reheat feature (which I hadn't had on previous microwaves) dazzles my hubby (OK, so he's easy to impress when it comes to cooking), and is remarkably reliable. (The only caveat I've found? It doesn't work on large quantities or food packed too tightly.) And the soften and melt settings work beautifully for what I need them for, without having to switch/set time and microwave power manually. It even has a soften ice cream setting that makes eating Ben and Jerry's from the pint all too easy. :-)

I also find I use the proof setting regularly (for yeast dough)--it seems to be more reliable than my oven's proof setting--and the warming feature, which is very reliable and gentle, all the time. (Never thought I would, which is why I didn't consider a warming drawer. Go figure.)

I can't say much about the convection oven or speed cook features, as I haven't used them very often. (I have a surfeit of ovens so I donÂt really need to.) We did use those settings to make hot dogs, in the buns, when some kids were at the house (a one-touch cooking feature) and one time, when we first moved in, I gave in an made from-the-can cinnamon rolls with the speed cook. Both were fine, for what they were, and faster than traditional cooking methods. (And the hot dogs sure looked better than microwave only dogs; though how tempting can a hot dog really look?)

The menu control system is very easy to use, meaning there's not a learning curve, unlike some of my other "fancy" appliances. A big plus, in my book.

All in all, I've been real happy and if you're looking for a built-in microwave the 120 Advantium (GE Profile) at least is pretty comparable, cost-wise, and worth the extra couple hundred (in my view) for the features you get. Now, if you're comparing it to your standard $100 buck unit, then it's a steep jump.

But, all in all, itÂs really been probably the best "surprise" of my kitchen: something I thought would be just OK that I really love.

-Susan W.

Thank you, Susan, for your detailed response. I was beginning to get confused about 120 vs. 220 - thinking maybe 120 wasn't enough. So I'm glad to hear you like it. Is it true that only the 120 has the warming feature??

Anyway, thanks again, everyone, for your help.

bloomin...