Don't be swayed by the package deal on Thermador. You have only to read the thousands of customer reviews of Thermador cooking appliances to see that the motherboards can be quite problemmatic, and who knows how long you'll wait for parts/repairs. Check out the Yale Appliance blog, as well, for recommendations and history of repairs for various brands. I'd personally go with Wolf, despite the fact that years ago I was very enamored with Thermador cooking appliances. Breakdowns, frequency/cost of repairs, wait time for parts and some very incompetant service personnel have changed my opinion-most likely for many years to come.

I have to disagree with the above Thermador review. I bought my entire kitchen from Thermador 4 years ago and have yet to have one problem. As a matter of fact, we are building a Lake house and were just talking tonight about keeping it all Thermador as well because I have loved every piece. Induction is fantastic, have a double convection oven, Fridge and Freezer towers, dishwasher and hood. Couldn't be happier.

thanks, guys. Helpful but still in a jam. With everything included for the kitchen, the thermador package is $30k and Wolf $40k. i am in California. I just can’t think the steep difference is justifiable but are the thermador reviews that negative? I feel like wolf gets is fair share in regards to pricey repairs and the blue enamel chipping.

I can answer for speed oven questions - yes you can microwave a hot pocket just like in a standard microwave and yes you can bake cookies w/the bake function. Up until my Miele speed oven stopped heating on the bake function I used it for almost all my baking and broiling needs. Now it just broils, and I really miss the quick pre-heat now that I have to wait for my big oven to heat. If you end up with the Wolf Speed Oven, please come back and post a review - I need to replace the Miele and am considering either a Bosch or Wolf. Reviews available for Bosch but the Wolf is a fairly new offering, so no reviews.

Will do. It’s a bummer because i heard they do cooking demos but because of Covid I barely even got to wander around the store. It was appointment only. So I cant keep going back to open and close the ovens at my leisure hahaha

I was referring to Thermador repair issues in year 5 and beyond, when extended warranty had expired. I had purchased a double convection oven, and eventually, after three motherboards and replacement of door hinges, had one oven die completely(no, I did not leave the oven door open, other than to insert/remove food or for cleaning).. I was advised by service personnel to never use the self clean feature, as it wreaks havoc on the electronics. These appliances cost too much money to require replacement in such a short period of time, not to mention the inconvenience of having to wait for service/parts.

I had read where there were problems with the blue enamel disintegrating on ovens of various manufacturers, but cannot speak to that from personal experience. You may wish to read whether or not Wolf has adequately addressed that problem.

Trying to decide on a speed oven myself and the Bosch has SO MANY bad reviews I can't see buying it. Anyone have a GE or GE cafe speed oven?

I recently purchased a full Thermador suite and have been very happy. I was also torn between Miele/Wolf/Thermador but Thermador made the most sense for our needs. I was lucky to get a good amount of showroom time prior to COVID so my decision was already made before things shut down. Granted I've only been using everything a few months, but no complaints at all! I had some Thermador products in an older house which is now a rental and range is still going strong (probably close to 20 years old). I got induction cooktop and downdraft, under counter micro, 36" fridge/freezer, double steam oven, wine column and plumbed coffee maker.

Dana I purchased the GE profile combination. They do not make this in the Cafe anymore as they want you to spend more money. I did the research and learned the guts of these Ge ovens are the same. I am loving the advantium! It heats up quickly and for only hubby and me, a good everyday size. I have been using it in covection mode frequently.

Any complaints about the microwave function? Do you have a 120 or 240V? Our appliance store gave us a good price for the Cafe 30 inch Advantium oven. We are getting a 36 inch Thermador full range and don't think we need a second wall oven. Thanks!!

The combo only comes with the 120 but I'm happy with it. In speed oven mode it is about twice as fast as conventional. Convection heats up so much faster than large oven. My only complaint is switching back and forth between metal tray and glass.

I'm interested in the Miele Combi issues. Please share. I am leaning towards Miele because it has the broiler and it can be plumbed. If it has a short life span I will need to reconsider.

So I bought the Wolf package and rmsaustin, I will come back and give you a review once its installed and used it a bit. Thanks everyone

We've had our suite of Wolf cooking appliances (induction cooktop, gas module, double ovens -- one is combi steam) for almost 5 years and have had no problems at all. Love them all. Good luck with yours!

Have had a GE Advantium 240 for 16+ years - it was so novel when we first got it, people would ask us to cook stuff just to see how it worked - lol! It has starting to give out on us - but it has served us so well. We have always turned to it for convenience foods (frozen fries, nuggets, frozen pizzas, reheating everything so as not to be soggy) but also have made delicious full dinners in it. It does rotate like a microwave so this can complicate things (dish has to be small enough to turn around). We are redoing our kitchen and this is first on the list. Our kitchen designer is surprised we don't want to put in a steam oven - but I just don't feel I have the need for it. Am I missing something?

I wouldn't be without a combi steam now that I've had one. It's great for reheating large amounts of food, steaming vegetables, steam-roasting things like potatoes or cauliflower where you want to roast but you get the process started by steaming. I use the convection only mode for baking, reheating when I don't want steam, like pizza or fried foods -- its uses are many, and I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of what it can do.

Going through this same process myself right now and I feel like I'm just chasing my tail. Seems like every brand has a fair share of negative reviews. It just seems like a high rate of lemons across the board with respect to hinges and/or electronics. I don't understand how no company has sorted this out at these prices --- the profit margin on this stuff is huge.

Did you make a final decision?

I'm leaning towards the Miele Combi Steam XXL. Only draw back is the time it will take to heat up. The size should take care of the days I need a big oven (i.e.. Thanksgiving). I was going to skip the microwave convection thinking the XXL will be sufficient and I could throw a microwave in the panty but my other half feels it is worth him fighting for. So it is in our plans. We are installing the cup warmer because we like warm plates. Don't need larger warming drawer as the steam oven is supposed to function as the drawer. After reading Miele reviews there were a lot of comments about customer service. I now remember at the KBIS 2020 we talked to the Miele rep and he said it was important to buy all our products, no matter the manufacturer, from a dealer that also has a service dept. We have a Monark locally so we will buy from them. Not a big deal since luxury appliances don't discount. Also as an fyi the Virtual KBIS 2021 is going on right now. Unfortunately the website doesn't work but maybe tomorrow. If you google around you can find free expo code.

Having installed the Wolf Combi Speed Oven a few months ago, I’m still getting used to it but can make a few comments. The interior is very large and it works beautifully as a microwave. I’ve been using the convection bake mode a lot the last two months and love it. It preheats quicker than my full size oven and results have been uniformly excellent. The large glass dish at the bottom always turns but there are two metal racks with glides on the sides, one high and one low, so that you can fit a dish or pan up to 13”x9” and the item won’t turn. There are also included two round metal risers which can fit on the glass dish and turn, if that’s your preference.
The one complaint I have is that you can’t just preheat the speed oven and leave it (which I am able to do with the Bosch speed oven I have in another house). Instead, after preheating, the Wolf oven makes four quiet chimes when it reaches the programmed temperature and then, within minutes, you need to put in the food and enter the amount of time you want it to bake. If that latter info is not entered quickly, the oven begins a cooling process.
Despite the above, I still think it’s a great appliance. I know a lot about steam ovens but have no need for one. The combination of microwave and convection is perfect for me and this oven does even more. There are many more modes including the Gourmet and combination modes which I think will be useful.

Thank you Donniebrook for this review -- very helpful!

Any updates on this?

Would you believe I still don't have my appliances yet? I ordered them all 6 months ago and only half have arrived. Covid! I hear it is due to the lack of packing materials to ship from the warehouse. Who knows? Every part of this remodel has been delayed and Covid is the number one reason. Six months! But I'll keep you posted...

Oh, but to answer some of the above questions-I ended up ordering the Speed Oven instead of the Steam oven, so I will let you know once I get it.

I wound up purchasing a Thermador range and Wolf speed oven. Hopefully getting installed in a few weeks. Will update when I ever get back in my house. 4-6 mo reno now looking like 8 uggg

Please do come back with a review. They are almost nonexistent and I think it’s so important to have them out there. Thanks.

@beachlove8 and @Dana Rochester any updates? I am spending way too much time trying to decide on these appliances as well. Would love to hear your initial reviews on what you selected.

My Wolf speed oven so far has been a very expensive but well functioning microwave. Have not gotten around to using the actual speed oven features yet. Will update when I do. The Thermador range however I am disappointed with. It takes forever to preheat and forever to cool down and the fan is so irritatingly loud I wish I had just gone with a Wolf range.

My experience with Wolf has been excellent. I have an oven with the blue interior with no chipping or crumbling. I've had my ovens for 6 years, along with my induction cooktop, and have had no service issues. I also like the size of the Wolf steam oven. It preheats very quickly. The only downside of having a steam oven that's not plumbed is the water from the steam gathers in the bottom. Other than that, it's nearly perfect.

Agree with Dana above that my speed oven is only serving as a microwave at this time. However its in a very visible part of my kitchen above the single wall oven so it looks great. the wolf range top is a workhorse, and so simple. If it wasn’t for the red knobs, there would be no hint of arrogance about them. i have barely used my wall oven so im so glad i didnt get a double oven. I have the sub zero column paneled 36 inch fridge / 36 inch freezer and i stare at it daily and thank my lucky stars for them. it costs more than my car but in the grand scheme of things/ cost of the remodel this kitchen is the best part of the house and will be a factor in its sale price more than any extra fancy millwork or heavy duty sound proofing or fancy tiles or whatever we spent $$$ on… in sum, spend the money on your appliances, cut it elsewhere.