And if I still get a Wolf wall over, should I get M series or E series?

I usually recommend to mix-and-match brands, so that you get the best brand for a particular purpose. But I can see your worry about have two very similar appliances directly next to each other and not have them match. That's one of the rare instances when it might make sense to worry about aesthetics and compatible design language.

I personally would pick the Miele CSO over the Wolf, as I feel really strongly that a plumbed CSO is a better option: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3966590/miele-steam-combi-steam-ovens-plumbed-vs-non-plumbed#20776053

I don't have particularly strong feelings with regards to additional ovens, though. But if you did follow my advice for the CSO and got a Miele, you could then either pick a Miele convection wall oven, or a Miele Speedoven (i.e. convection and microwave). Both of them would match the same design language, but address somewhat different needs.

Some of it also depends on what size cavity you think you'll need. For instance, if you picked the XXL steam oven, you might be OK with a smaller cavity size for the Speedoven.

Thank you M and Plllog! I heard that the plumbed one would be better if we have whole house water filtration system (or at least for the plumbed part into the CSO), we don't, so I was thinking with the reservoir one, I can just put filtered water to avoid any residue. I did look at Miele but thought it's a bit too high tech for me or it may be stereotype......

Plllog, that's a great idea too, I will look into that, thanks!

You should double-check the installation instructions for the CSO. Quite frequently, the instructions say that you are not supposed fill them with demineralized water. That's kind of a bummer, if you have hard water, as you'll have to descale the unit frequently. But that's still better than having to put up with equipment malfunctions from using the "wrong" type of water.

Of course, if you were only talking about a sediment filter, then yes, that's OK and won't cause any problems. Those filters are also really easy and small to install. So, you could do that at "point of use" in one of the adjacent cabinets.

For more details, see here: http://www.subzero-wolf.com/assistance/answers/convection-steam-oven-water-requirements

Do you happen to live anywhere close to where there is a "Miele Experience Center". The one where I live offers free introductory classes on how to cook with their steam ovens (and for a bunch of other appliances).

The user interface for the Miele looked really easy to figure out. I doubt you'll feel it's too "high-tech" ... unless of course you think any CSO is high-tech, which in a sense it is.

Thanks again M, so many great tips! I live in San Diego and unfortunately I couldn't find a nearby Miele Experience Center. However, I am seriously considering Miele's steam oven + single wall oven. I will still get the Wolf 48 Rangetop. I will go to a Pacific Sales store or Pirch tomorrow to take a closer look. I looked at their wall oven models, there are so many.... May I ask you some more questions?

1. Should I get the regular steam oven or combi-steam oven if I am getting a single wall oven too?
2. For 30" single oven, it looks like there is one basic model without touchControl and MasterChef, and two more advanced models. I don't normally do pre-set recipes so MasterChef is not much of a benefit to me. If I chose the basic model because I think I don't need MasterChef, am I making a big mistake?
3. Should I stick with Wolf Rangetop or also get Miele Rangetop?

Thank you again!!

I would always go for combination steam instead of "just" steam. It is a lot more versatile. And if I go by what others have been repeatedly saying in this forum, it quickly becomes the primary oven for almost all applications.

If money is the limiting factor and you cannot afford the CSO in addition to a regular wall oven, I'd seriously forgo the second oven (as much as I like having more than one) instead of settling for a steam-only model. Steam-only models are a lot more special-purpose and make sense in commercial kitchens; they are less useful in residential applications.

I personally feel that a plumbed CSO is much more likely to get use and is more user friendly than an unplumbed CSO. But you might not feel quite as strongly as me :-)

We decided on Miele's XL-sized CSO, as I also have a gas range with a fullsize oven. I tested a couple of different items, and they all fit nicely into the XL cavity. And I like having both a small(ish) and a large oven, as preheat times obviously go up with cavity size.

But it depends on the rest of your appliance choices, if you prefer an XXL cavity. That's something that only you can decide.

For a CSO, having a more powerful user interface and good support for a temperature probe seems important. One of the unusual things that you'll find yourself doing with a CSO is that you can put multiple ingredients into the oven at different times, and they all come out at the same time. That's hard to figure out with traditional "dumb" controls. So, for the CSO, I'd opt for MasterChef and for the most advanced user interface. It still allows you full manual control, if on a case by case basis, that seems more appropriate. In practice, it'll probably be 50/50 between MasterChef and manual control.

For a regular wall oven though, I personally couldn't care less about MasterChef features. Yes, a temperature probe is nice. But everything else, I am probably better controlling manually. Feel free to pick the cheaper user interface -- just make sure you are comfortable with how it operates. Some of the user interface choices are more tedious than the others. Your dealer should be able to demonstrate all available options to you.

I am a big believer in mixing up brands for appliances. Just because Miele makes an amazing CSO shouldn't force you into buying their range top. I personally didn't think it was particularly impressive. Given the choice, I'd buy a Bluestar open and uncapped burner range-top (or freestanding range). But Wolf is often quoted as another decent model. So, you probably won't go wrong with it either.

I can't thank you enough! Everything you mentioned totally make sense, I will definitely get a CSO plus a regular oven. What's your Miele CSO, is it #6705 or 6805? They seem almost the same to me except the my miele and Design (PureLine vs. Contour line).

We bought the DGC68051XL. It's still waiting to be installed though, as our project has been delayed a bit.

The difference between PureLine and Contour is just cosmetic. I don't think it really matters all that much. If you don't see them side by side, you probably wouldn't even remember which one is which. They are both nice.

My bigger annoyance is that I can't have the white model. That would have looked great. But white is not an option, if you also want it plumbed and with a XL cavity

I went to see the Miele CSO and oven last Friday, and I really like the CSO especially it being plumbed the the XL is big enough. The interface is great, perfect for anyone that's new to steam ovens. The regular oven is pretty much just fine. However, I still like the Wolf's look more, Miele is more modern clean look while Wolf has more rounded edges and the warmth feeling to it...I know that's so superficial LOL!

One thing I am curious is, the sales guys at either Pacific Sales or Pirch all told me they would recommend Wolf, even though Miele is a superior product. I wonder if they get a lot more commission when they sell Wolf?? Also, the sales guy said if I get Miele, it's best to get the Miele installation because Miele will double the warranty makes it 2 years instead of 1. Did you get that too?

Miele has a funny business model in the US. Dealers don't actually sell any of the Miele appliances. Instead, the dealer is essentially an agent that forwards the customer's information to Miele. Miele is the one that sells the appliance to the customer, and the dealer gets a "referral fee".

This not only means that dealers don't really have much opportunity to give discounts, but they probably also don't make as much money on a sale. No wonder they prefer pushing brands that follow more traditional sales models. In fact, I see a lot of dealers that don't even carry Miele.

contour line is a little more warm/traditional & pureline is sleeker/modern. they aren't drastically different, but different enough so make sure you saw the right one.

They are different when you see them side by side. But I am absolutely convinced that if you installed either one of them (or for that matter, any of the Wolf models) and then looked at them a month later, you really wouldn't feel that either of them have an unusual design that is out of place in your new kitchen.

They all have perfectly fine and rather inoffensive looks.

Dealers used to sell and install Miele. They had their installers certified by Miele. But I think there were a bunch of bad installations even so, even when they gave an extra year of warranty to use a certified installer. When Miele first had their concierge service, it was the pits, but from what I've heard it sounds like they've gotten their people trained up properly now.

I'm not sure about that extra year of warranty. Now that Miele do their own installations, I think they no longer have it. Something to check.

The sales guy at Pacific Sales checked with the Miele Rep and she confirmed that Milele would give the extra year of warranty if Miele does the installation; but of course you have to pay for the installation. $180 per oven, so pretty much like I am paying $360 more for the one extra year of warranty on CSO + oven......

@Jackie Lin which brand did you finally pick and what is your experience? We are in the same boat right now. Deciding between Miele vs Wolf, 30" wall oven with Steam oven and drawer MW OR 30" wall oven with Speed oven. How difficult to clean steam ovens? Can you use your steam ovens as a convention oven ( no steam). We want to go with wolf because this set will install just next to the Subzero refrigerator.

We have Subzero fridge and Miele CSO and speed oven. Best of both worlds. Each brand has its core expertise -- and things that they are weak on or outsource.

@sunarakaa -- yes you can use the CSO as just a convection oven (no steam)