That's a great deal on the Miele package - they never discount things. And they also have this offer going on where if you buy dw and a fridge you get a vacuum and if you buy a cooktop and hood you get pans ;)

I love my Miele stuff!

Thanks, Marcy! I am going to get a cooktop and hood from Miele, so I will get the pans. I bought the LaPerla two years ago, so I don't qualify for that deal....

I'm less familiar with the Miele ovens, but do know about cooking for mobs. I'm impressed with your use of the single 24" oven. I could only manage meat for a couple of dozen with my old oven, with simple veg on the stove, and a lot of cold sides, or borrowed a portable oven from my mother. Because of the small size of the cavity in the Gaggenau combi-steam, I also got an Advantium, which holds a lot, (instead of a portable). It's fantastic having the three ovens. I don't use a microwave for mobs, at least not at time of service.

If you have room for the oven, speed oven and steam oven, and if you can use the steam oven for some of your time of service cooking (e.g., a fish course, dumplings, or veg), then having the three spaces would be great.

If you don't have that use for the Miele steam, and/or if you use a microwave when you're entertaining, then you might as well get the Gaggenaus that you were dreaming of, and use the combi- as a second oven.

For me, the roast(s) go in the big oven, the secondary main goes in the combi- and the sides go in the speed oven on convection oven setting. The warming drawer is great for stovetop dishes that are finished before company comes. When I've gotten better with the speed oven settings, I might use that for the secondary and swap things around. Also, if I'm having a smaller group and baking potatoes I'll do them in the speed oven.

I have to admit that when it gets to be more than 50, I'm all for calling the caterer, at which point they'll bring whatever additional equipment they need. In your situation, I'd look back on the last few menus, plus look at the things that I'd wanted to make for company but couldn't manage before, and figure out the capacity and timing on each of the suites. That should give you a good idea of which works best for you.

Thanks, Pillog, for your thoughtful response. I was able to serve the meals I did only because I got very good at choosing recipes that improve if made ahead of time. I have an entire schedule for New Year's Eve (when we serve 80-100) -- starting 5 days out and working my way to the evening. I almost always ask others to bring dessert, so that helps.

When I went back to the store today, a different salesman (mine is on vacation) told me he does not recommend the speed oven if we use a microwave frequently. He said it is really an oven that can be used as a microwave on occasion but not optimal for people who microwave a lot. I do not, but my 22 y.o. son does. I can fit the wall oven, steam oven, and speed oven into my plans, but I don't want to have to have a 4th built-in oven and I also do not want a microwave on the counter. Since the Miele floor model is a package deal, I have to buy the speed oven if I want the package. Much to think about --thanks for your help.

Your salesman NOT recommending a speed oven over some trifle about microwaving is nonsense. An accomplished chef can rock the casbah with a speed oven. As a frequent microwave user (who isn't, by the way?) and speed oven hack, I say get a speed oven and tell the salesman to smooch your glutes.

Any person who can cook for the multitudes with one 24" oven is sort of like Jesus or something, as far as I am concerned, getting the folks fed with 2 fish and a loaf. A speed oven is SO useful that anyone who knows how to cook and has ever used one would NEVER give bogus gouge not to get one. Speed ovens are expensive, complex, and take a bit of effort to learn, and then you get perfect food in half the time or better with ZERO hassle and fuss. Do not let some nitwit talk you out of one without learning more about what a speed oven can do.

I have never used a Miele speed oven so I cannot comment on how hard or easy it is to use as a microwave. Hopefully someone who owns one can. I did, however, have an Advantium microwave/speed oven in my last house, and I loved it. The speed oven features were so handy, and it was the best microwave I ever owned.

I think it would be great to have a regular oven, steam oven and speed oven. That's what I would get if I had the space and $. The Miele package is also less expensive.

Thanks, Mojavean, for your advice about the speed oven. I have read many of your posts, and I always find your comments helpful and to the point. The only way I have been able to entertain as I do is to make most dishes ahead of time so I have learned to look for dishes that are good served cold or at room temperature. I am not a great cook, just someone who like to entertain.

Thanks, also Kaysd. I have heard great things about Advantiums, and I would consider one if it was not for the great package deal I have been offered.

I like the Miele oven A LOT. My MIL has 2 of the 30" ones. But if you want to match, I really dislike her Miele cooktop.

I have the Gagg setup which I love, the cooktop is less annoying and ovens are equally good, in my opinion.

We both bake, A LOT. I have not used the steam oven in either case but personally didn't really think i'd ever use it. Also, it reminds me of a toaster oven crammed inside my 24" oven. The cooking area looks like a chicken wouldn't fit in there!! Maybe I'm imagining that, but I can't picture what I'd do with it.

The only thing I would caution you with is the making sure the floor models are installed correctly and working perfectly out the door. i bought my Gagg top oven as a floor model (from Snyder Diamond) and the bottom one is perfect but the top one seems off on cooking evenly. I made Gaggenau send a tech out but he said it was fine. It was disappointing. Wish I would have known there could be an issue when i bought it. I'd definitely confirm with either company on the warranty issue, whichever you choose. This uneven thing BUGS when baking.

Either way, those are GREAT deals. You will be happy either way, i'm guessing. Both sets are EXPENSIVE but man are they good.

(my cooktop thing is dumb, btw.) I hate the clicking safety feature on both, but the Miele is worse. It sometimes clicks the whole time you are cooking. It just takes the calming, fun aspect out of it a bit.

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK. Grrr. It drives me crazy every Thanksgiving, actually. Hours of clicking = cuckoo!

Thanks, funkyamazom, for recommending I make sure the floor models work perfectly. I asked the dealer, and he said the warranty would start at installation, but I think I should confirm that.

I envision using the steam oven most nights as I am cooking then for only DH and myself and using the big oven generally only when we have company.

I do not care about matching the cooktop to other appliances. I am planning on the Miele induction regardless of what other appliances I get.

Now to figure out whether I should get the SZ floor model -great price but can't be paneled -the Thermador columns or the SZ that can be paneled....