Congratulations! It's such a great feeling when the problem isn't whether one can cook it, but which of several different ways to do the same thing one wishes to choose!

What kind of ovens are they? (You might have said, but I haven't seen.) Is the steam oven a combi- (convection heat as well?) Or steam only? Do you have a memory function on the steam oven? If so, you might be able to program it to do intermittent steaming, which would be great for crusty bread. (Though I don't usually bother using my combi-steam for bread and just do the ice in the jelly roll pan.)

So, have you tried Summer squash? Just a plain ol' crookneck squash, cut in chunks and steamed, is SOOOOOO good right out of the oven.

A week ago had you said steamed squash is soOOO good i would have laughed. DH has been buying one of this and that veg to try. That's a first!

I made polenta with french lentils and wild rice and topped with poached eggs...steamed eggs? lol. So good.

This home is MidCentury post and beam by a Dutch Architect...efficient and tiny. Like a tree house. 1962. The cabinets are custom teak. Everything original. My choices were getting slim needing 24". Every 'joe' appliance guy said to rip it out, make room for a 30. Just not possible. I don't like big ovens. No one uses their big ovens. They have toaster ovens, toasters and microwaves for everyday. I have no room. I panicked and bought a Fagor before they went all digital panel. I wanted simple knobs. Miele steam oven is just steam. This replaced a double gas oven circa late 70's. I don't have a toaster. We prefer one side broiler toasting as our homemade boule is crusty chewy. Pint microwave is in the pantry, no room but i don't care for counter appliances.

All steam oven discussions i find pretty much stop after a few posts. Just not enough out there. Too expensive. And mis-understood. They seem small but it can be stuffed. The polenta could be made for 6-8 and still room for the other two perforated trays for something else. All in together. Could have added a decent size salmon and a lb of asparagus for a breakfast/brunch. All in 25 min.

I'm pretty comfortable with kitchen dance multi-tasking but this is just so much easier. And very fast. I was fine with my wok and bamboo steamer baskets but it did hog the stovetop.

LOL! You just can't convince people who haven't tasted it, what the results are. I find my veg don't get as wet in the steam oven. That's the thing about the squash. The seed portion doesn't get overcooked while the flesh is cooking, and nothing ends up wet. I hate wet squash. The steam oven brings out the sweetness, and soooo much flavor. I regularly buy matchstick asparagus (which we seem to get all times of year) and green beans, and steam blanch them for snacking on cold. They're still crunchy but not raw. It's also great for anything that you want pre-cooked but not caramelized for putting in another dish.

Just about anything you can steam in a wok, can be done in a steam
oven. All those rolls and buns! And tamales! Nothing better for
steaming tamales. So much easier than stove top steaming, and the results are so good! I've been interested reading about your grains and legumes. I tend to boil beans the old fashioned way, and prefer my grains as bread, but I'm learning new ideas from you. I have a Gaggenau combi-, but I doubt the cavity is any bigger than your Miele steam. I also have a big oven and use it a lot, but I know what you mean about the people who don't. :) Your kitchen sounds lovely. Both are good ovens, in general, and I hope they'll give you many years of joy.

DH just mentioned tamales last night...and i have a stack of grape leaves, young ones from the garden that i blanched and froze. My first attempt at stuffing did come out a bit wet. (a few months ago) One thing we noticed right away was how even things cooked and the steam heat did penetrate so everything was very hot to the table. Without overcooking. Never watery or wet.

I may need a smaller non-perforated tray. And use it on the rack. I saw them at a restaurant supply for just 5 and the lids were 2bucks.

My local market has OneDegree sprouted dried lentils. WholeFoods may have them.

Sleevendog, I'm glad you are liking your new ovens.

I do have two 30 inch wall ovens and I use them both. A LOT. I love them when I'm baking cookies, or on holidays, Sundays with the family, enough dinner rolls in one baking for church potluck dinners and individual pizzas for all 7 of the grandkids when Elery's sons come to visit.

They are not convection, as Elery had a convection oven and the noise drove me batty plus I never baked anything that came out "right", I just couldn't adapt. So I have electric ovens and a gas cook top and I'm happy.

I don't have a wok, a bamboo steamer or a steamer basket, I don't steam much of anything. I also don't have a toaster oven, and my tiny microwave is on a pantry shelf, I mostly use it to make tea and warm dinner for the dogs. Yeah, the dogs are spoiled. I do have a 2 slice toaster and use it almost daily, one slice of toast for me and one for Elery, although this morning we had pancakes instead. I don't "do" any of the frozen waffles, poptarts, toaster strudels, etc., just toast and after 3 expensive toasters that didn't toast worth a darn I bought a $15 toaster and it works better than any of them. Pffft.

If I have company and need a lot of toast, I use the top oven/broiler for a loaf of toast and the bottom oven for bacon or frittata or whatever else. If I'm not making toast there will be biscuits in the top oven, enough for everyone to eat warm biscuits at the same time, and the bottom oven will have baked oatmeal, bacon or a strata or all three, or just be used to keep things warm while I get the rest of the meal together.

I can roast a whole turkey or ham, make scalloped potatoes, a couple of side dishes and still have room for dinner rolls, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE those double ovens.

Anyway, I'm glad you love yours too.

Now, if my new Bosch 5 burner cooktop only works as well for me as those ovens do. I think we're installing that tomorrow or Thursday.

Annie