Service aside, I'd go with Gaggenau for that price differential. I love the engineering of them and they are definitely more exclusive. That said, I dismissed getting the Gag with no local dealers here, vs at least 3 places that sell Miele and a better service network. I was also able to get my Miele ovens 30% off (floor models of outgoing line), and the nearest Gag dealer wasn't discounting much so the combi steam was way more expensive.

Yea... I think it would be a much easier decision for me if I could get Miele at a discount. I would feel much better about the purchase and the $ differential would be greater. $ are not necessarily a problem for me on this, just the overall feeling of getting gouged. While definitely good stuff they are very overpriced. But... then again, what does "overpriced" mean if the market bears it right? ;) They just went to this fixed/set/MAP pricing scheme and seem to be locking down control of the distribution and even retail now w/their own stores. As a result nobody seems to be discounting them.

That said, I am yet to make contact w/a local Gagg installer so not 100% sure how thats going to work out... I may end up having to run another 240V circuit to the oven cabinet. Have the dual 40Amps now. But... I still need to double check, but this may have to happen regardless of whether is Gagg or Miele set, they have very similar (naturally) electric specs.

I agree with everything you said in your post and am making the same decision. Curious with what choice you make and if you are happy with it?

Tricia,

I am leaning towards Miele and I think I am pretty well decided on that. Here are my reasons:

1. Miele is ubiquitous

2. Miele is less $ and more features

3. Miele install prices are practically free compared to how much Gagg installers want.

4. I found ONE Gagg installer in my area, after weeks of searching. And I live in a large metro area - DC.

5. Miele can be installed flush, Gagg sticks out 1 7/8 ". Not 100% sure if I'd care in the end, but w/out some clearly comparable install I could inspect I really can't determine that this isn't an issue in my kitchen.

6. Based on closer electrical spec examination it looks like I would definitely need to run at least one additional electrical line for the Gaggs... which are also hardwired, they don't have plugs. The plugs issue is not really a big deal, but.. For Miele ovens (main, combi, warming) I don't think I am going to have to run any additional electrical lines based on spec sheets.

7. Gagg Combi oven looks like "cheaped out"? on one heating element - the bottom one. It only has the top (broiler) and main (convection fan) element. Miele has all 3.

8. Miele main oven has steam injection if you run water hook-up in the back. This is semi steam oven capability - something that Gagg does not have, and since I am opting for the combi oven, and not a steam oven, as the secondary, its a nice bonus.

9. I heard, because I can't find this particular spec anywhere, and Gaggenau support has no clue when you contact them, that the Miele combo oven cavity is larger than Gagg, which is basically the 24" oven, just in a 30" chassis.

10. Gaggenau combi oven, since it includes Microwave, has a way to enter wight of food to be cooked as one of the parameters. It also has a date and temperature. For some reason, in the preferences / configuration, you can choose whether you want your temp in C or F, and date in the US format of mm/dd/yyyy or rest of the world format - dd/mm/yyyy. Which is nice since I live in the US (even though I am originally from EU). BUT.... !!!! you apparently can't set the weight to be in lbs! Weight is always assumed to be entered in kg. And I scanned the manuals several times, and called support to inquire, but as mentioned before, they mean well but are completely useless (they will take 30 min of your life so they can go off line and check the manual). I am half ashamed of myself to be treating the lbs vs kg as a problem, but I have to say that I switched to lbs over the last 30 years living here, and even though I am perfectly aware that it is an inferior unit of measure compared to kg ;) ... I am just used to it, all the recipes here list weights in lbs/oz and darned, this is America and I have a right to have my lbs! :) Anyway, so this is a bit of a inconvenience, and if I am going to pay $5500 for a microwave, it better not only let me enter lbs but actually read them off the package and add weight while cooking.

I may have missed some other factors... but I think I got it all in the nutshell. This is my story and I am sticking to it anyway :) Please share what you come up with and your decision point. good luck!

Thank you 5pacey, that is very helpful. The Gagganeu looks much harder to figure out if you are new to steam. The rational part of me says to get the Miele, the Gagganeu is just really pretty and looks impressive, which is not a good reason to get a kitchen appliance.

Tricia, I feel the same way about Gaggenau. I do like their looks better than Miele... but... Miele is not a slouch either... Its just not as super cool as the Gagg. It is also extremely good quality product, should not break for years and has few clear wins over Miele. For example, the doors open to the side, which is an ergonomic advantage besides being cool, and the entire door is one piece of glass, so easier to just wipe clean. That said, it is IMO a little less practical, than Miele and more expensive at the same time. Not purely as a product, but what you can expect as a buyer/user. The fact that people on the other end of the phone are rather clueless and it is very hard to find installers or showrooms is a definite knock against Gagg. On the other hand the independent service technician I had last week to fix my Gagg hood was pretty good and did fix the the problem (1st in 8 years ;)). It cost $350 and had to wait 2 weeks for the part, but otherwise the experience went rather well.

I'm interested in where you can get deals on Gagg items. I'm in rural northern Nevada where one of the Gagg dealers has quit and only do Miele now. The other one doesn't deal. I'm having difficulty justifying the price on the Steam combo and the warming drawer. I already have a BO480610. I'd like to get the Steam unit and warming drawer while I'm rebuilding my cabinet for the new oven. Thanks, Dennis

I went to the second Gagg dealer and they don't have anything Gagg. Not on their list of products they are interested in selling. Tons of Wolf, Miele, Thermador and other brands. Any friendly dealers of Gagg out there?

I love my Gaggenau ovens, but I would hesitate if we didn't have good Gaggenau service and support here. They depend on the people local to you to do the problem solving, though their manuals are much more readable. When my mother got hers, the manual was obviously written by engineers who were conserving words to the best of their ability. Very dense. :)

Since you're not so far in the boondocks that they don't have other quality brands, it might behoove you to find something they do carry and service that will suit your needs.

Or call Purcell Murray and ask them.

Exactly same dilemna and same impression of Gagg phone support. What did you decide?

What did you end up getting? I am in the same boat - looking for a combi-steam oven + regular wall oven. Miele 6075 + 6880-2 BP with 10% promotion end up being the same price as floor model 400 series 30 inch gaggenau ovens. because they're the same price, i'm torn. One thing against the gaggenau for me is that the floor model option had a right hinge (opens from the left). but the self-clean and the hidden broiler element are tempting me. What do you guys recommend?

I went w/Gaggenau and am extremely happy. Had to replace the dishwasher last year, but after deliberation and research went w/Miele again. For dishwashers I think I am a Miele addict. But for everything else Gaggenau just nails it 100% for me. It's a MB vs BMW question... and like w/the cars it depends on which model. The MB S class clearly beats the 7 series, but BMW 5, 3 and 4 series are way better than MB E & C class. Same here... I feel the ovens, cooktop a and refrigerators are def Gaggenau thing. Dishwashers on the other hand are clearly Miele.

My kitchen designer suggested the microwave combi oven to me over a regular microwave. I want it to function more like a microwave. Easy for the whole family. I have 3 kids. I think its cool to have an extra "oven" when I need it. Does it function easily as a microwave? It looked a bit complicated when I checked it out at a local showroom.

I bought a Miele and am very happy with it. I got the dealer demo at a discount. I really love the microwave/convection oven. I love the steam oven, but don’t use it as much as I thought I would. But it does make the best Turkey you have ever seen in 1/2 the time.

Its a learning curve in the combi steam for sure. But I've been using mine a lot (and I don't always really know what I'm doing) and am really happy with it.

I ended up getting miele combi steam convection + regular oven. Didn't need a microwave as I've been heating food perfectly in a countertop cuisinart steam convection combi and I love it. So decided to use the Miele steam connecting combi oven for that purpose too. Mind you I haven't tried it yet coz our place is still under construction, but a friend has that combination and is very happy

Chris, did you buy Gaggenau refrigerator columns? If so what is your experience with their reliability? Thanks for any feedback!

@Chris, thank you for sharing that you went with Gaggenau and have been happy with their appliances. That's very helpful. I'm leaning Gaggenau convection and combi steam ovens but am trying to find longevity information. I'm hoping the longevity will be longer than 10 years. Did you find any information on longevity for Gaggenau appliances before or after you purchased them? I've been leaning Sub Zero for refrigeration due to the usual minimum 20 year lifespan but will consider Gaggenau refrigeration too if they have similar expected longevity.

@chris, I think 13 years for a dishwasher is pretty good. Cove is now claiming their dishwashers will last 20 years. It's a relatively new item for the group so we'll have to see how that plays out. Their Sub Zero refrigerators sure do last. I've had a GE dishwasher fail after 5 years. Your experience so far with the Gaggenau appliances has me optimistic.

Thank you ,Chris this is very helpful!

Chris Thank you for sharing your experience with Gaggenau. I too was wondering if their current ovens in 2020 and 2021 will be reliable and have longevity. I had heard that appliances made today would fail in 3 to 5 years so I wanted to know what others have experienced. My 17 year old Amana dishwasher flooded our kitchen, so I am also looking for a reliable dishwasher that will last 15 years or more. I am looking at the Gaggenau side door double wall oven, but have not determined which combo would be the most beneficial for us. I am also looking at the Subzero for our refrigerator.

Great to hear some first-hand experience with Gaggenau products. It’s surprisingly hard to find good info on them here in the US. We’re torn between Miele and Gaggenau for our CSO, and Wolf and Gaggenau for an induction cooktop. Going to visit some showrooms next month, but this has been encouraging to hear!