There is also Wolf.

I didn't know Miele (and G.) collects steam while others don't. If i had this info i might have chosen Miele instead of Wolf.

Thanks for the detailed reply.

I have three questions:

1) Does it vent a lot of steam into the kitchen? Since it isn't condensing the steam like the Miele and Gaggenau, the steam has to go somewhere. If it does vent to the kitchen, is the heat and/or humidity an issue?

2) Does water condense inside the oven? If so, does it pool on the floor of the oven? How is that condensed water disposed of?

3) How fine an adjustment is possible with the temperature? How low a temperature adjustment can be made? The manual says convection can only go to 170F but that "Keep Warm" can go to 145F. I was hoping for some accurately maintained, slow cook temperature settings. The Gaggenau manual says it can be adjusted from 85F to 200F for slow cooking. I'm thinking sous vide without the bagging or water.

Thanks,

David

1. It does vent into the kitchen, but it's not a big issue. It's not like you look at it while it's on and see tons of steam pouring out of the vent. Keep in mind that it's not constantly injecting steam into the oven, it switches on and off based on the settings. You can hear it cycling if you stand nearby. Like any oven it will add some heat to the kitchen when it's on, but I wouldn't say the heat or humidity's unreasonable. Sometimes when you open the door while in steam mode you will get steam in your face. The Gaggenau avoids this by having a button that condenses the steam which you're supposed to press before opening the oven.

2. When I'm done cooking and open the oven to take the food out, I can definitely tell there's been steam in there but there aren't giant puddles or anything. I find that once the oven is off and no more steam is being added, most of it evaporates. Once the oven has cooled down it's pretty much dry. There might be some residual water in the bottom though which I then wipe down. Not a big deal.

3. I've never tried, but I don't think you can go lower than that in the steam mode. It sounds like the Gaggenau is be a better choice for you. There are some good deals out there.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Sun, Feb 9, 14 at 20:40

Hi,
This is my first post on gardenweb but after having gotten a lot of advise during our recent whole house remodel (exterior, bathroom, kitchen etc) I thought I will share what my experience was.

I installed the Wolf Steam oven (as well as a regular Wolf wall oven and a Wolf convection microwave) and I love it. Can't imagine my kitchen without one now. I am still in the experimenting phase but I use it a lot from keeping food warm to actually cooking with it:-) And I am not a great or enthusiastic cook. More one that needs to feed a family!

I installed it underneath an induction cook top which I was told I couldn't do. But after some back and forth with Wolf they said it could be installed underneath a Wolf induction unit. Part of the reason against that installation was, that when you open the door at the end a lot of hot steam is coming out and could scald you leaning over it. I just learned to lean back while opening the door.

I don't see any steam escaping during use. But depending on what setting I use it at and what temperature (low temp/high steam) I do have a puddle at the end on the bottom. That is why they say to wipe it out and leave the door open afterwards for a while. Not a big problem. If I use it at a high temp (350 or so and higher) and steam no water accumulates at the end.

My lowest setting for steam is 85F, but the keep warm function doesn't go lower than 175.

One of the great side benefits I found out is that my steam oven heats up so much faster than my regular Wolf wall oven. So, I use it a lot for normal convection bake when I don't need a big oven.

The Wolf isn't plumbed which I don't mind. If I don't go crazy with the steam function I only have to fill the water tank every 5-7 times. If I use a lot of steam maybe every 2-3 times. But it is very easy. The door opens when it needs water and you just refill it. The downside is you have to be there. Not sure what happens if you don't notice that it is running out of water.

David, I think your description of the market is pretty good, though there is other differences in that with some combi's you can refill the water without opening the oven door, and on others, like the Viking I have, you have to open the door. Also, some, like Miele, have a broil element which would be pretty helpful if you were going with a combi as your only oven and a cooktop. In terms of are they worth it, it depends. If you like to reheat leftovers, they are incredible - most have a regenerate or reheat mode which is very low steam, and it reheats things but does not dry them out. Another good use is general baking where you are not making a ton of food. The oven warms up much quicker than a standard 4 to 5 cubic foot oven, since most are well under 2 cubic feet, and so it seems like it is more efficient than standard 30 inch oven. Finally, mine does not have a drain, and if I use steam only, when I am done there is a small pool of water - I let it cool off, and then use a sponge and get it out in one trip, so it isn't much water. When using combi mode at higher temps - 350 or above, I don't see any water in the oven at the end of the cooking cycle. If you like steamed foods, it does a great job with shrimp, so much quicker than setting up a pot with a steamer insert. The low temps for dry heat also let you dehydrate foods. I wouldn't give mine up.

I just checked my Kitchenaid - the temperature for steam cooking only goes down to 170. Sorry for the bad news. Maybe that's why they only call it "steam assist" instead of calling it a full-on steam oven?

My house is 8 yrs old. I have the Gagg combi. The prices must have gone way up because I did not pay anywhere near 14K.

It is my single, most favorite thing in this house. I love it and pray that you are wrong about your pricing since we will be building again and I planned on the same oven.

I know there are several members on this forum with this oven besides me.

The prices he gave were for both a steam oven and a full size oven from those brands. So if you wanted to stack it above the matching Gaggenau convection oven and have them match, that's what it could cost you. Despite that, the prices on Gaggenau ovens have gone way up since 8 years ago. I believe (though I'm not positive, haven't checked recently) that a brand new one alone will run you around $8k. If you can find a floor model you will pay much less, and you'll get an even better deal if you're willing to buy used or NIB from a third party.

Thanks for the followup. I agree that the Gaggenau is the gold standard here. It is a shame Bosch-Siemens hasn't added the same features to the Thermador and Bosch lines. The Gaggenau is just out of our price range. The Kitchaid Steam Assist double oven, a large regular refrigerator, and Kitchenaid 36" induction cooktop are around $8500 combined. The Gaggenau combination, Gaggenau zoneless induction top, and Sub-Zero 48" would be around $28,000.

They have new Bosch ovens for 2014. It includes side open models (which they've had in Europe), a new Bosch steam oven (which look very similar to the current Thermador), and the zone free induction top (which will list for $3200 vs. the current $5000 price for the Thermador and Gaggenau versions).

Compared to other steam combinations, the Kitchenaid seems to be very attractive. It is the only full 30" oven with steam and its plumbed. The Miele has the steam recovery. Kitchaid also has an attractively priced induction cooktop that lets the 2 zones on 2 of the 3 generators to be combined.

However, lots of Kitchenaid products have lots posts from dissatisfied customers. Product failure and poor customer support are most frequently mentioned. For example, Kitchenaid has the only 36" over the range microwave. No convection and although it is stainless steel, it has a plastic handle. However, Amazon is full of reviews where it broke 1-to-2 years after the short 1 year warranty was up. We will probably end up with a microwave shelf.

We are also on the fence about another 48" built-in refrigerator or a regular one of the same or greater interior volume.

cdve, can you tell me if the Wolf has a dehydrate setting? If it doesn't, what is the lowest you can set the non-steam convection oven to?

Thank you!

Hi, first post here, but I am deep in the middle of a renovation and the steam oven is high on the list. I am trying to decide on steam ovens as well and struggling with many of the same concerns, balancing pros and cons of various features.

The Miele seems quite fiddly--the cleaning isntructions have a long list of thinkgs you cant do and shouldnt use....including something as basic as do not spray WATER on the inside or outside of the unit. NO magic erasers, no this, no that,
Open the door, wait, empty both bins, dry out the bottom, make sure you dont get any water in the reservoir when you pull out to refill or clean, etc....

The Wolfe still seems fiddly, but not nearly as complicated to clean and maintain and not so delicate.

Any thoughts about the cleaning and upkeep. I have a busy and complicated household with sitter and kids and not-at-all-instruction-following-husband and aging mother who will be completly confused by all these gadgets ( but has her own kitchen) but will inevitably try to help by cleaning something.

The Gagg seems to solve most of the concern, but I have not really focused on it, since I feel like I am unlikely to spend that much ( although I could be convinced if the maintanance and features warranted).

I like the ida of the broiler function on the Miele, but I have seen perfectly beautiful food come out of the Wolf as well. I ahve not seen a working Miele.

Hi, first post here, but I am deep in the middle of a renovation and the steam oven is high on the list. I am trying to decide on steam ovens as well and struggling with many of the same concerns, balancing pros and cons of various features.

The Miele seems quite fiddly--the cleaning isntructions have a long list of thinkgs you cant do and shouldnt use....including something as basic as do not spray WATER on the inside or outside of the unit. NO magic erasers, no this, no that,
Open the door, wait, empty both bins, dry out the bottom, make sure you dont get any water in the reservoir when you pull out to refill or clean, etc....

The Wolfe still seems fiddly, but not nearly as complicated to clean and maintain and not so delicate.

Any thoughts about the cleaning and upkeep. I have a busy and complicated household with sitter and kids and not-at-all-instruction-following-husband and aging mother who will be completly confused by all these gadgets ( but has her own kitchen) but will inevitably try to help by cleaning something.

The Gagg seems to solve most of the concern, but I have not really focused on it, since I feel like I am unlikely to spend that much ( although I could be convinced if the maintanance and features warranted).

I like the ida of the broiler function on the Miele, but I have seen perfectly beautiful food come out of the Wolf as well. I ahve not seen a working Miele.

I am looking for information on the different models of Miele steam ovens. My remodeling plans have contracted and I sadly can no longer fit in the new 27" gaggenau steam oven that I purchased on clearance a few years ago. While waiting to sell that, my research indicates that Miele requires only 24" and can be mounted under counter. However, my budget is closer to $1200 than $2500 and I am hoping to find a clearance or gently used one. I posted on this forum asking about the older model DG4080 and got information that model was steam only. Does anyone know which models of the miele are full fledged combination convection and steam oven so that I can start looking for those? or any other 24" ones that can be mounted under counter?

I doubt that you will find a Miele combi for $2500 in any shape, much less $1200. I don't think Miele does "clearance," and this model has only been available in the U.S. for about a year.

If you happen to have 208V wiring ( more likely in high-rise condos than in a stand alone house), the Miele combi will not work.

The models in the link below seem to be the same except for the styling (handles).

Here is a link that might be useful: Miele combi ovens

thanks, I was looking for older discontinued styles that might be combination ovens. Newer model discontinued models seem to be going on ebay for about $2500. I was hoping even older model combination ones or used ones would be more to my price point. Really too bad I cannot use the Gaggenau but just cannot get in that extra 3 inches.

I think the next model series (6000) is due out this summer. If you can wait you might be able to score a discounted floor model of the 4086xl.

You might want to check ebay - I doubt you would find a Miele, but you might find the discontinued Viking ( I saw 2 on there when I last looked) or the Thermador - I saw a couple for under $2,000, the title of one says steam, but the text says combi steam.

This may have been posted somewhere already, but in case some haven't seen it, I found it useful. I certainly can't vouch for the accuracy of all of the info in the chart, but the categories are the very things I was lookong for.

http://kurtskitchen.com/Portals/201554/docs/CombiSteam%20Oven%20Comparison.pdf

Hello All, appreciate all the info. We are in the very beginning of renovating our new 109 year old house and the kitchen will be gutted. Steam oven is at the very top of my list of must haves. Looks like Miele but would be thrilled with Wolf too as I'm going with Wolf rangetop and decided on 36" sub instead of the 48".
The house has 27" Jenn-Air double ovens now. Have used and work fine - they look very commerical looking which I like but I don't know how old they are. I'm a double oven girl but am trying to decide to take those out, get new 30" oven and the steam. Will I be happy with that or do I need to keep the doubles? We do entertain often and of course the holidays are crazy.
Any advice is appreciated and eager to hear what all everyone decided to do. Thanks, Kelli

Most people who own steam ovens or speed ovens find that it replaces their regular oven for many tasks. I have never heard of someone with one steam oven and one regular oven wishing they had another regular oven. There are people with more ovens than that, but generally they did not need to ask on a forum whether they needed it, they already knew.

Wolf and Miele are both excellent choices for steam ovens. Wolf would not be my top pick for a range top, though.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Thu, Aug 28, 14 at 13:10

That's what I thought - about the ovens - which is excellent - kitchen needs the space.

What rangetop would you go with? I have many research hours going into it. I know I can do a 36" but leaning toward a 30" due to kitchen size. Also, I've had a six burner and I think in 9 years I used 5 burners once and never all six. I don't want the griddle or charbroiler so thought I would put the extra $ toward the subzero. I do have a think for the red knobs...

If your primary goals are name recognition, prestige and red knobs, get the Wolf. If your primary goal is performance, get a nice open burner range top like Bluestar or Capital Culinarian. SubZero/Wolf has some really great products, and there are areas where they are the best in class. Rangetops are not one of them, in my opinion. While their customer service is great compared to other manufacturers, fit and finish is good, and I certainly wouldn't call Wolf a BAD CHOICE, I just think you can get more bang for your buck with a different brand that will be much more fun to cook on.

Hi Kelli,
We have the Wolf 36" range top, Wolf double wall ovens and Wolf combi steam. I don't think we have ever used all 6 burners at once on the range top, but we love the extra real estate. We love our combi steam and use it a lot for both steam and convection together and separate. There are just 2 of us so the 24" combi steam works for most week night dinners. Having said that, we also do a lot of entertaining so having the steam and 2 ovens has been great for us. There have been many times I used all 3 at once. I do think a combi steam and one convection oven would work quite well for most kitchens. Enjoy your new kitchen!
MJ

Kelli I forgot to ask, what brand of main oven are you going for? If you are going to get the Wolf combi, I would get a different brand main oven. If you must match, I would go with Miele or Bosch instead. Wolf wall ovens are great performers, but are just too risky right now because of the faulty blue interiors. The Wolf combi steam has a stainless interior so it should be safe.

I'm very flexible on the oven. I pulled up some info on the Bosch today. I have heard about the issues with the Wolf ovens but for some reason I was thinking range issues not wall oven. Doesn't matter - really haven't done much research on the ovens yet. Knowing hubby, since the ovens are working fine and like I said, have a thing for double ovens, might just kept what we have if we can make it work.

I have done a lot of research on Capital Culinarian, thought about Blue Star, and wondering about American Range.

I appreciate all the input. This is just the beginning. Have an entire house to redo! Thanks! Kelli

The Wolf problems affect everything that has blue porcelain - that means the dual fuel ranges and the electric wall ovens.

American Range does not make range tops so your options for open burner are limited to CC and Bluestar.

Good luck!

AjMadison has American Range rangetops on their website. Have done some snooping - look good. I know I can get a BlueStar about an hour from here - not certain about Capital - need to investigate. Capital looks like the clear winner if I can get past the red knob issue.

"AjMadison has American Range rangetops on their website"

Thanks for correcting me. Looks like American Range needs to update their website! I mean they have the "Legend" series listed on there but everyone wants open burners and all they have on their website for the Performer series is ranges.

"if I can get past the red knob issue."

Function over form... do you want a showpiece or a hardcore cooking machine?

That said I do sympathize with the fact that the open burner manufacturers aren't putting as much effort into styling as others and I think it would really do them well in terms of sales to come out with a wider variety of styles to appeal to more customers, so that people can buy a hardcore cooking machine that they also like the looks of!

Kelli, check the serial numbers on your oven with the manufacturer. That will tell you the age. Depending on the budget of your remodel, consider if you want to keep them.

Funny, I actually "ordered" black knobs for our range...it was hubs who later said, you should have gotten the red knobs. Our appliance rep got them for us, LOL. I have never regretted the 6 burners, use 2 most of the time, and 5 others. We had the space, and t's convenient to have to move things across the surface, not to mention for placing hot trays out of the oven...I didn't get the griddle or grill either.

Our remodel was in 2006. I am not into a "restaurant commercial look", so I steered away from commercial look popular items from the 3 ft. high kitchen hose faucets to the open burner ranges/cooktops. I have nothing against them, they are just not my look. I am a culinary enthusiast, not a professional chef, so my picks were based on what I personally loved with features I thought I would use, not on what our guests or future home buyer might like. My closed burners get plenty hot for any stir fry I do (which is not frequent) and low enough to simmer pots overnight.

We have never needed service on our Wolf DF range, and the blue interior is perfect through several cleaning cycles and pizza baking (though I much prefer pizzeria pizza). It cooks beautiful roasts as well as great cookies using 4 trays at a time...no complaints at all.

At the time, Gaggenau was the only plumbed combi oven, it is our work horse, and used daily. Never a service call on that either. I fully intend to replace it with like when it dies. I am sure the newer combi ovens, even those without drains work great. However, if you are starting a renovation, think about plumbing to make your life more simple, and then you don't have to even think about the water in/out.

I don't recommend over the top/expensive appliances unless they have features you and your family will enjoy and use. If you have nannies, sitters, and relatives jumping in on dinner prep in your absence, some of new multi-feature ovens are intimidating. Heck, our Gagg has two knobs, and my hubs has to confirm what to do twice with me when I give him phone instructions.

I see a lot of people post about their subZ's, but then balk at the price of the combi ovens. My fridge/freezer is the built-in in GE monogram, not completely seamless integrated like subZ, not the badge either. As long as our food is appropriately cold/frozen, I can find it, and my hubs has water/ice in the door, we are happy. It was an easy decision for me to nix a subZ, because my focus was on the ovens/range. One repair call in 8 years, which we could have easily done ourselves...the fan was a teeny bit loose and was hitting the part next to it. A 2-minute repair...we are not appliance repair-handy, and didn't know what the clicking was.

And because this is an appliance forum, I will touch on our DW. At the time, the Miele was probably the top recommended brand, and I believe the only one with an upper cutlery tray. I love it (Optima), it washes like a charm. I use their tabs (1/2 per load) and rinse, but I have had 3 service calls....all after unit was 3 years old. We have probably put an additional $550 into it for service. I will do a hardcore evaluation before purchasing another since the service is difficult to find in my area and pricey. It has also had various faults, halting its performance...Sometimes resolved with switching the breaker off/on. I researched the faults online, most required me to pull out the filter, unplug a do-hickey on the line in there, whistle, pray, and hook it back up and hope it works (as I mentioned, I am not handy), LOL. It is the only appliance I can say is not on my "Personal Consumer's Report of Best Buy". I am willing to pay for a name brand, if the product is the best (for whatever reason I think it is best: color, size, style, function, warranty, etc). For each of us, that list of what is important is different. If it's red knobs, then that works too!

Kelli,

Saving an old oven, especially a 27" one, is a false economy in a gut remodel. If you do decide to go for it, do yourself a favor and put it in an oven cabinet designed for a 30" oven, with plenty of filler top and bottom so you don't have to have a lot of fancy carpentry done if you have to replace it before your kitchen is ready for another big redo.

Re knobs, some Capital ranges have optional "cabernet red" trim knobs. Perhaps you can get them for the rangetop as well. Wolf's red is trademarked, so it won't be those honkin' big red knobs, but a little kick of sand in their face. You can also have the knobs painted with car engine paint to any color you choose. :)

Function first. ;)

Thanks so much for ALL the info and sharing your opinions!!! I need it. Will check serial date to see how old ovens are but was just at the house and the draftsman and I were amazed how small they are inside and as you guys mentioned doing an all over gut job we need to go for broke and get a new oven too. I would do steam conv oven and a 30" oven. I have been stalking Ebay for the Gaggenau steam oven. We're no where close to needing it but if I found one for a good price I'd go ahead and get it. I would be good with Gaggenau, Wolf, or Miele for the steam oven. Since Bosch just came out with one I'll most likely go for tried and true.

Thanks for the info on the Miele dishwasher. I have a top of the line KA, which we've had serviced at least 3 times and it's only 5 years old. Had a Bosch at the old house which I loved. Going to talk to the Miele dealer next week and will ask about service. I have a friend who has the GE Monogram fridge and she loves it. I'm not sure about the price difference but will check on it.

I just left the house and hubby is all big eyed on all the demo he needs to do before the plumber can start literally replumbing the entire house! Ouch!

Still, plan is really taking shape and I'm delighted! Thanks again on all the input!!!

Good instincts on not going with a new model, but remember that Bosch is a little cousin to Gaggenau, who had a combi-steam long before the others, so it's a better probability that it doesn't have too many kinks to work out that a brand new product might. Since price is an issue if you don't find a bargain, you might want to compare the specs to the older model Gaggenaus, and talk to a repair tech who knows them both, to learn if there really is something brand new going on there. My speculation is that now that BSH have saturated the luxury market, are on their third generation combi-steam with Gaggenau, and finally have some real competition from Miele and Wolf, they've decided that it's time to go after the ordinary affluence crowd with Bosch by using some of their older, tried and true, tech, lowering the marginal cost by boosting production, and wringing more money out of prior investment. It would be silly for them to do a new one from scratch.

Speaking of small ovens, though, once you get used to it (and to removing the pan entirely if you want to baste or stir) it's amazing what you can get in a small oven. The cavity of the Gaggenau combi-steam is approximately 12"x18" (narrow side facing you)--they're all small. Because it doesn't require a large air volume to work correctly, you can fill it right up. And I have. :) The one that tickles me most was a good sized 1.5 turkeys in parts. :) That only took two pans! When you're using steam, you don't have to baste, either. :) It does such amazing tricks!

plllog, no I didn't know Bosch is a little cousin to Gaggenau. That is good info! I'm so eager - I did call AJMadison to get some pricing - ouch on the Gaggenau. I do have time - time enough to get some reviews on the Bosch steam and I'm interested in the Bosch oven that opens to the side. AJM recommened Dacor on both rangetop and oven which I was a little bit surprised about. Although I have a very picky friend who has a Dacor rangetop and they love it. Thanks again!!!

Kelli, if you have time, I totally recommend you look around...especially if you have friends who use current models. I had a 5-burner cook top and 30" double with convection installed in our previous home in '96. I loved them, and had no problems at all! The self-clean was a charm. However, we were only in that home for 3 years, so I cannot speak on longevity. Dacor went through a tough time with their reputation in the early 2000's, and hopefully they have turned things around.

Good luck, and have fun!

Kelli,

BSH Bosch and Siemens own Gaggenau, Thermador, and Bosch, like Volkswagen owns Porsche, Audi, and VW. Likewise, Gaggenau is to Thermador is to Bosch the way that Porsche is to Audi is to VW.

As such, the new Bosch Combi Steam oven is almost identical to the existing Thermador oven, which itself is very similar to the Gaggenau non-plumbed oven, so I wouldn't be worried about reliability. But as they all have the water tank on the right side, they're all very small - 1.4 cu ft, aka you couldn't fit a frozen pizza in them small.

The Gaggenau plumbed oven, on the other hand, is a slightly more reasonable size (the US spec sheet says 1.7 cu ft, but I think it's actually 1.5), so it could serve as a 2nd oven, or even a primary oven for small meals. It is still narrower than I'd like. The oven cavity is only 13" wide x 18" deep, and then you lose some space to the rack rails, and the usable space on the tray itself is closer to 11" x 12". While you can technically fit a standard 1/2 sheet pan in (the door will just close with it), squeezing it between the rack rail guides is kinda tough.

Miele and Wolf make good sized Combi Steam ovens (1.7 and 1.8 cu ft respectively). The Miele one, for example, is slightly shallower but much wider (I want to say 15.5" wide x 17" deep). Only the Miele and Gaggenau ovens have a broiler and steam condensation recovery, and only the Gaggenau is plumbed and has a side-swing door that opens 180 degrees.

The new Bosch side-swing door ovens are, imo, a good idea in theory but questionable in practice. Where the Gaggenau oven door swings out 180 degrees to leave the oven completely unobstructed, the Bosch is designed to sit flush with cabinetry, in which case the door only opens to a 90 degree angle, leaving it right next to your arm. As I tend to carry heavy things with my elbows out, this poses a greater hazard to me than having a door that folds down. It's like the designers thought "flush mount ovens are great, side-swing doors are great, let's just put them together!" and didn't realize that the one greatly interferes with the other. You'd have to check the installation guide to see if maybe you can install it 1" out or so, to give you room to open the door fully.

Gaggenau ovens really do seem like the gold standard (though don't get me started on the cheap racks in their regular ovens...), but Gaggenau seems to know this and charge a ridiculous premium as a result.

[Edit] Updated above info with some measurements to give you an idea of Steam Oven size.

This post was edited by Timobkg on Wed, Oct 8, 14 at 10:41

What's the major difference between the Cuisinart (and Sharp countertop) models? Why are they 1/10th of the price of other steam ovens?

Not sure about the difference between Cuisinart & Sharp. My answer to the 2nd question is that it is like comparing a toaster oven to a built in oven. That is, a toaster oven is ~1/10 of the cost of an oven that is part of a range or built into a cabinet. Why? They are just different animals in terms of size, material, power, complexity, etc. Does a built in oven work differently/better than a toaster oven? Similarly does a counter top steam oven work differently than a built-in steam oven? Yes and whether that is a good thing depends on what you are doing and who you ask.

I had a cheap countertop called the Tritec and gave that away to a family member, and bought a built in Viking. As Christy says, they are different animals, though they can do similar things. A built in will be every bit as functional as a regular wall oven - though it will preheat in a fraction of the time because the cavity is smaller. Also it will be well insulated so the temperature control will be much better than a countertop. A countertop usually is not insulated, and if you set it at 350, it may vary from 300 to 400 over time, and will most likely have a wide range of temps at any one time depending on where an item is located in the oven. Finally, a countertop is 120 volts with a max of 15 amps. A built in can be much more that that, which gives it plenty of power to generate tons of steam, and cook. The countertop is a good option in that it can do most of the things that the built in can do, though it is not as versatile, and not many would be satisfied with that as their only oven.

Here is a link that might be useful: The link has 13 pages of posts on the Cuisinart Combi

Okay, that makes sense, the difference between a toaster oven and a built-in oven. But then would a $2000+ Viking Countertop model fall somewhere in between?

http://www.vikingrange.com/mobile/products/product.jsp?id=prod12420438

Here is a link that might be useful: Viking VCSO

Actually, I bought the Viking because it was being discontinued and was available for around $1,500. If I could have found a Wolf or Thermador for the same price, I would have gone with one of those. No, the Viking Countertop is still 120 volts, so it will not be much better than the Sharp or Cuisinart. The cavity may be larger, I haven't checked, but the power is the big thing. You would probably be better off with two Cuisinart's if you needed the extra room, since that would be under $600. Not sure why Sharp discontinued its line. It was pretty pricey at the start, but a nice sized product. My guess is that combi's are still a very niche market. If they ever take off, the prices should fall drastically as major manufacturers come out with models.