Some 'universal design' sites talk about having counters at different heights (a 42' to 45' standing height, the standard 36' work surface height, and a 30' to 32' height for seated cooks and children). I was thinking that if the combi's controls were really hard to read when installed under a standard counter, that raising the counter to 42' and making that a 'standing height' counter, might help with both the combi and by giving more choice in the kitchen. If I end up doing that, it would be a peninsula counter, and that extra height would be OK to help screen some of the rest of the kitchen, and would also work as a "serving" area for use when eating outside since it's near the back door. Here is a link that might be useful: GEAppliances Universal Design

I got an email message from skik2000 asking, "We are remodeling our home and are considering a combi. What have you been cooking in it? Do you think it provides superior results to regular ovens or is it the quicker cooking that you like?". There was no link in the email so here's my response: We've only had our Gagg installed for about 3 weeks. So far it's great, but we are still figuring out what works. Our steamed-roasted chicken was a little too steamed. The steamed eggs a little too soft. The first time we roasted salmon I cooked it too long. The last time it was divine. These problems are user errors in my opinion and part of the learning curve. Thus far, straight up steaming seems the most straightforward and has high caliber results and is F-A-S-T. Steam-roasting is a little trickier (how much steam and for how long before I go to dry heat?) and something I definitely want to master for steam roasted (starchy) veggies, chicken and more over this winter. Based on my experience thus far, my guess is that in the long term it will generally provide a faster, different cooking experience than a conventional oven. For foods that do well with the steam, the product may be superior and definitely more convenient. For foods that don't require steam, I don't think it will provide an advantage other than a quick heat up time and faster cook times because of it's small size, but time will tell. The oven does seem to heat up super fast (~4-8 minutes) and cook faster than our previous 1956 range and crappy rental ranges we've cooked on for years. I wouldn't recommend a speed oven if you are getting a steam oven because I think the size and heat up make it much faster anyway. I'm definitely enjoying the new flexibility the steam oven offers and think we will enjoy it's functionality for years to come. I didn't steam a lot of foods before either but see so many uses now that we have it (steamed eggs, rice, grains, a steamed 12oz filet of salmon in 12 minutes - it's fast food!, grains, beans, heat up left overs, more). BTW, we didn't pay full price. We got a 200 series model off of ebay for less than 1/2 of retail. It was NIB with 5-year warranty. So far so good. Selling points were ease of use, I liked the simple interface better the Miele, plumbed, side opening door which worked much better in our space, and it's reputation for being the gold standard of steam ovens. Hope this helps.

We have the discontinued Gaggenau Combi-steam & convection ovens. It is true that there is no English or any other written language on the ovens, but if you spend some time with the manual and/or reference cards, the controls & their symbols are very logical & become easy to use. For example, on our Combi, the two rightmost knobs control percent of steam, with choices from 100% to no steam, and temperature. The oven comes with a reference "wheel" to help you choose a good combination & time for each type of food. For every steam setting, there's a default temperature shortcut that you can get by setting one left click on the temperature knob. The leftside panel has a small screen & buttons for countup & countdown timers, plus button controlled functions for auto stop, delayed start, clock setting, purge steam button, & temperature probe control. This panel is what takes a bit of study; you can operate the oven by using just the right knobs. Delay start was the one operation that had me a bit stumped at first; the sequence actually turns on the oven until you punch in the command for the delay start & then it turns off until it reaches the appropriate time. The Gagg convection oven controls operate exactly like the combi-steam except for functions that differ by oven. I would definitely get the discontinued versions again!

Joan, in NYC you have no worries! The thing about giving a party with limited resources is that you get creative. In your example meal, you didn't mention a cooktop or microwave, but even a small one of either, or a hotplate, or electric skillet, would allow you to make the beans in a different way. Or, since you're in the middle of a massive city with all kinds of food resources, you could choose to make a tenderloin instead of a rolled roast, with a relish or sauce instead of the stuffing, and jam all parts of your meal into the one oven at the same time. If you want a whole smoked brisket or turkey for a feast, and don't have outdoor cooking, you can always buy it cooked, and decorate it your way while reheating. Or you could just decide that roasted with a dry rub is fine and make it in the combi-. The secret to a large turkey in a small oven is to quarter it and roast the pieces. I just wouldn't try oven smoking in a small apartment. Even in my large house it's something I wouldn't repeat, having done it once. Good brisket, but there were toxins that weren't caught by the oven filters (one must open the door as well) and not removed by my very powerful hood. BTW, I researched washer/dryer combos a year or two ago for a design game, which was essentially about tiny houses (before they were all over TV). At the time, there was an LG that had the best reviews, but they all said that the trick to the dryer cycle was to put in no more than half a load. I really think you'll be fine. Just having an oven of any kind makes such a difference! When I was young, living abroad, we had two gas rings, and our only oven was a Wonder Pot (like a Swedish Omnia Oven), which is a ring pot with a solid, vented cover, and a flue to direct the heat up through the middle. We baked cakes & bar cookies, casseroles, etc., in that thing, and with our two burners, cooked dinners for six. The question isn't if you can cook a lovely meal for 6-8 with only a combi-steam, but if you can make anything you can dream of and have everything timed right to be hot to the table.