I use my steam oven all the time, but I don't really think that is useful information to _you_. What kind of cooking do you do? How often do you cook? Are you feeding a family of 2 or a family of 5? I will say that with a steam oven there will be a bit more of a learning curve than a speed oven. Most speed ovens are very easy to use. Many have menus that let you pick the type of food you're cooking and the quantity and boom, you sit back and relax while it does its job. Are you willing to experiment and learn more about a different type of cooking? Do you have time to do that? Like speed ovens, steam ovens are quite versatile, particularly combi steam ovens (these have convection too). They are not just for steaming vegetables as Gary makes them sound. I like them a lot for roasting, for the past few years I've done the Thanksgiving turkey in mine and each time they've come out quick and delicious. Another use is reheating. Leftovers taste great heating in there vs. a microwave. Though if you're going to be doing mainly reheating, a speed oven might be a better bet.

I'm still learning my oven, but I've found that if I'm making a new to me recipe that was written for a non-convection oven, that it's better to do it with the convection off. It doesn't seem to matter for casseroles and covered pots, so I use it just because. I have a convection broil setting which is great for lamb chops cooked on my cast iron grill, but not so much for anything thicker. It's good for standing chicken roasts if they aren't in a pot. What I didn't guess before I actually got to use it was how much I'd love convection for cookies and appetizers. Being able to bake them all at once and get them over with is really fun! I only have one large oven (and two specialty ovens), so multi-level baking of puffs (choux paste) makes a big batch into no big deal instead of waiting for the oven to cook for each tray. Convection is considered a problem for anything that doesn't like the turbulence. That would be anything egg risen, like a souffle or sponge cake. Some people include custards as well, which might include quiche. I haven't tried custard with convection, so don't know for sure. I've have found that small, lean beef roasts can get dried out with the convection on, as well. General rule: Use convection with anything that won't get dried out or blown around. If a couple hundred dollars will make a big difference to your budget, I'm sure you can balance your cooking so that you only need the convection in one oven. Multilevel or multipot cooking is where convection makes the biggest difference, so dozens and dozens of cookies for the bake sale or reception would be a lot easier with two convection ovens. For Thanksgiving, you can put the turkey and maybe something that isn't very touchy in the non-convection oven, and the other things in the convection. BUT, if you were planning to buy a pair of stylish new boots or a night out on the town, it's worth forgoing that to not have to worry about which oven you put what in when, and just get convection in both.

I bought all my appliances through the GE friends and family store online. So far I have not had any problems, which is good, but it means I can't comment on their service. The couple of times I called with questions or concerns they were quick to help and courteous. So far we have had the induction range and DW about 17 months (range is my favorite, LOVE it! DW is a close second), and the fridge just over a year. Advantium is here waiting for install this week. I was hesitent to buy online too, but the prices were too good to pass up, and I figured buying right from the company should make things easier, I hope.

Don't like the knob? That's funny. I love the knob. It almost always does what I expect it to. I hit the quick microwave button: 30 seconds on the time and it turns on. I can flick the knob to add or subtract time on the clock any time before it finishes. (Peek inside. "5" "4" Hmm, not bubbling yet. Spin knob. "3" "4,5,6,7,8,9,10" "9" "8") So handy! I'm making grilled cheese sandwiches (which the Advantium does perfectly), Press "speedcook." spin dial to "sandwiches" and push dial to select. Spin to "cheese" and press. Spin to "1-2 sandwiches" and press. Press one last time to start. Easy, obvious, and soooo much better that poking at those gawdawful membrane buttons that most machines use. Set the timer? Press the 'timer" button. Spin knob to number of minutes, and press. Spin knob for seconds. Press. I can flick the edge of the knob and zing! I've got 40+ seconds dialed in, in a flash. Holding down an "up" button and waiting for the seconds to count up is awful by comparison.