I had the same decision to make. I ended up splurging on the Miele Speed oven to go with my 30" convection oven and combi steam. I use the combi and speed oven almost daily - using the speed oven more as a conventional oven rather than a microwave. I often combi steam in one oven and bake in the second. Both ovens preheat quickly and their 24" size makes them effcient to use. The combi steam is awesome - in particular for reheating food - that should reduce your need for a microwave dramatically if you do left overs. I use the microwave function mainly for heating water for making bread and occasional reheat of a small quantity of food that I want quickly. My combi is my go to oven. You will love it but do take time to read the manual as it is a learning curve and don't be afraid to experiment.. I do use my 30" oven to cook items that do not benefit as much from the combi steam and will be a messy clean up. If you look at the Miele Combi Steam oven thread - the biggest issue is clean up as it if not self clean.

I went with the combi-steam and full size convection. Microwave went into the basement (I couldn't let go completely), and about the only thing it is used for is making popcorn or other snacks while watching TV (also located in the basement).

Do I miss the microwave? Yes and no. I doubt that I've used it more than a couple times in the past 8 months. The speed of a MW is nice, but the combi reheats food much better, and the size of the combi is perfect for most of my oven needs. I do use my big oven for cookies, large pizzas, and since some of my Le Crueset doesn't really fit in the steam oven, I'll use the large oven for that. I did a 14# turkey in the combi at Christmas. Things such as melting chocolate or boiling water are now done on my induction cooktop, and I actually prefer that method to a microwave.

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.

Thanks all. We'll have a microwave somewhere. It's down to choosing a cheap one in the pantry (as a few folks above did) or maybe under the counter where our kids can reach vs either Miele MWave or Speed Oven for $1-2k extra but having a bit more Miele around and one more Convection option. I'm happy to hear people like their combi ovens. If it wasn't a game changer then I could truly save some cash. I didn't realize they took so long to cook. Does anyone use them for frozen veggies or meals ? I work at home and admit I sometimes go for the (surprisingly good) Trader Joes frozen meals at least for a quick lunch.

We went for the 24" CSO and 30" CO and put a cheap MW on a shelf. We really only use it to soften butter or heat dog food occasionally.