Hi Kaismom -- it sounds as if we align more-or-less perfectly in terms of why we bought this machine, what we cook, how and in what manner, right down to cookware. If I could get around the le creuset cookware problem I'd be willing to try the potroast but ... I don't eat potroast! ( my mom and dd2 and dh would though: what is it? It's really dry, tough, tasteless roasted beef, right? ;) ). Still, I do vaguely wonder about what I'm missing and then have to remind myself: you're not. I did once cook a whole chicken in the Miele I think. It was absolutely delicious and faster than the oven. But as you say, there are other rate-limiting factors; almost never is the oven's interior's inhabitants that factor (around here, it's more likely actually getting a child to haul themselves to the actual table. grrr). I've never had a MW before; this is the first time, first one. I find myself occasionally, now, purchasing ready-made trays of food (TJ's Indian food) and just zapping it. But that gets old fast. Even zapping tea I'm finding that it tastes better reheated on a stove: what's up with that? Here's something I will agree a MW is a boon for, not that I've adjusted my habits around it yet: boiling water. I have an electric pot and see that it's fast, safe because it shuts off, and easy. But it's true that I will tend to heat more water with it than I might with a MW-ing mug of just-enough water. Overall it might save energy for "behavioral" reasons. But this isn't really 'speed-oven'-specific. I made a lasagna the other day and decided I'd cook it in the speed oven, but therefore needed to put it in a glass pan rather than its usual resident le creuset monster. I wound up sticking it in the gas oven all the same - there just was better timing doing it the "slow" way. I too bought cookie trays for the speed oven that fit perfectly in response to someone's posting that they had them. It took me three tries to find them but at last in a restaurant supply store I hit paydirt. Never used em. Still, happy to have the pair. So you roast veggies with olive oil? How please? Though I've cooked vegetarian meals for nigh on 30 years now, I've still never really ever "roasted" them. Wacky ... I've stuck em straight on a gas flame, never really in an oven. Wouldn't they want broiling? I've used the speed mode to bake potatoes and I have to say I'm not really sure it was any faster than just baking the darn things. It's unclear to me whether the MW imposes any texture on the potato. But I do appreciate not having to heat and maintain heat in a cavernous 36" oven cavity. Using a smaller space "feels" better aesthetically, though the actual literal energy calculations comparing the two would be pretty interesting; I couldn't even hazard a guess as to which was more "green" for a handful of potatoes after factoring in everything. So on reflection, I guess it's possible that the fancy programming of successive and different modes of cooking might not actually be a feature I do miss afterall. At first I thought it sounded snazzy and I was disappointed not to have it. But it could be that it's of most use in reheating or cooking frozen casseroles and/or meat. And there are ways around that anyway. I've even gotten used to the number of button-pushes you have to go through just to heat water ((i)twist dial to MW (ii)press level (iii) press time in successive 10-second increments only (iv)press OK to set it (v)press OK to start it) Unwieldy but acclimate-able. One major issue I've had is the planning necessary if you want to use a MW after the oven's cavity has become hot. If you wanted to use the oven as an oven, with the metal rack, and then switch to MW, you'd have to place the glass tray into the hot interior: scary. Else it feels weird using the glass tray for the oven, letting it get hot and then wanting to put a cool vessel on top of the hot glass -- that's even worse. I bought a silicon mat just for the purpose of mitigating the shock of a cold utensil on the hot glass tray. It does seem to be a valuable accessory. Anyway, this juggling has been a real pain. You actually can leave the metal tray in during MW but occasionally it does arc. The first gen speed ovens were designed with this ability but I was told they blew it for the second tray and sometimes MWs bounce such that they zap the metal tray; hence it is not recommended (the tray in the two ovens have a different design and in fact the interior of the two ovens are different sizes). And I imagine were it present and you burned out the oven, they'd not be terribly willing to honor the warranty.

antss, I have reflected how I use the oven. In my experience, broiling is not to my satisfaction. If I put two things in the oven at the exactly the same time and exactly the same distance from the broiler and one cooks much slower than the other, than it is less of a broiler than the other, IMHO. Whether it was designed for it or not, they give directions for broiling meats in their instruction booklet. Basically, broiling meat in the speed oven will turn that into inedible grey goo, IMHO. sayede, If I am browning on the cooktop and finishing in the oven, ie fish or meat, I will use whichever seems easier or is not used at the time. They seem about the same. If the amount I am cooking is large, I will use the Viking. If I have to move quickly, I will use Viking since the oven is under the cooktop. Otherwise, I will use the Miele. It's a toss up to me. Roasting vegies and sliced potatoes, I tend to use the Miele. Sometimes, I cook it in the speed mode but often the time is not of essence since I am making 2 or 3 dishes at the same time to get the dinner together and I will just use the regular conv bake because I am more familiar with the way the food is cooking and there are many things that needs to happen at once and I feel that I do not have the brain power to deal with combi mode while dealing with the sauteeing meat or boiling pasta. If am baking potatoes or roasting beets to get ready for other things to follow, I will use the speed/combi mode because time is of essence. If I am cooking frozen meals (which i do not do often), I will use the combi mode. I don't make casseroles often, but I have used it and have found that it reduces the time by about 1/3 to 1/2 less. For example, 1 hour food is done in about 1/2 hour to 2/3 hour. I do find that the texture of the food does change with the combi mode and I am not particularly fond of it. I will not cook meat with it. This is probably where people will find the greatest amount of time savings, I guess, ie roasting a chicken. I have a BBQ with infrared broiler and I use that to roast my chicken. I just don't see the point of "spattering grease in" the oven that I have to clean up to save 20 minutes of cooking! YMMV. I will use the combi mode with frozen cooked food, ie casserole because it has already lost its "freshness" by being frozen...

It really depends how YOU use the microwave not someone else. Some people do not want to use a microwave or even have one in the house for a variety of reasons and preferences. I think some of the biggest advocates of combi steam ovens are in this group and you'll know if you are too. Yes you can reheat a plate of food in the steam oven but it will take at least 15-20 minutes (including warm up time). If you need to be able to reheat a plate of food in 5 minutes you will want a microwave. I wish I lived a planned and orderly life where I could spend 30-60 minutes preparing and cooking every meal but that's not my life. There are times when I really do want a meal ready in under 5 minutes from fridge to stomach. Even in the future if I wasn't working there are times when I'd have other priorities than cooking. If you use the microwave to boil water you would use a burner on the range/cooktop (or you might be able to get by with a hot water dispenser). For oatmeal I use quick oats on my induction cooktop which works nicely as it tastes better than microwave and is ready in about 7 minutes. You can also do it in the steam oven but will take 20-45 mins depending upon what type of oats you are using. Induction cooktops are a great alternative to a microwave for boiling or melting. Alternative to microwave for popcorn is a hot air popper. We set a small microwave in a pantry cabinet for occasional use. We keep the pantry door open while using it and unplug it after every use. Works for us to reheat a plate of food a few times per week but if I was doing extensive microwave cooking I would not want to do that. Combi steam oven is great for soft or hard boiled eggs! Turns out perfect every time.

I love love loved my advantium 240v I had in my last house!!! Can you say crispy roast chicken in a flash, crispy outside, fluffy inside baked potatoes in 8 minutes? crispy frozen tenders, as well as normal MW use for everyday reheating, melt/soften mode for butter, etc, popcorn mode, etc. I rarely used my regular oven (only 2 of us in the house). It was awesome. What no other speed ovens have is the HALOGEN radiant cooking which is what gives you the crispiness. Most others including MIele are convection + MW but no halogen. Advantium has all 3. Unfortunately, in my new kitchen I needed to have a speed oven that is mountable under counter and the 240v Advantiums are not. So I bought the Wolf speed oven, and it's going back on a buy back after 6 months. Maybe I just have a lemon but after 2 service calls it still doesn't work right. The door hinges are very fragile and they get slightly off and then the door won't close and therefore it won't turn on. They've been changed twice. I have no kids or pets who hang off the door and I'm not tough on appliances. Unless we sit there and press the door closed manually it doesn't turn on at all. Even when it works, I don' get CRISPY like I could get with the advantium. I'm replacing with the Advantium 120v. Won't be as fast but now I know the halogen makes a huge difference for the way I use a speed oven. Can't speak to the Miele except...no halogen radiant heat.