I would say yes, the Gagg controls have a learning curve (an American, used to standard oven controls in US ovens, can't walk up and use a Gagg oven effectively without at least some instruction), but, and this is a big but: you are already committed to the Gagg steam oven and the controls are nearly identical on the two. So you will already have to learn how to use them. Might as well just learn one system and have a consistent interface.

I copied and laminated the pages with the pictogram guides and posted them on the inside of the cupboard doors above our stack (we have a Gagg convection oven and steam oven combo), but I refer to them less and less. (and I must admit, I have this feeling that some of the settings are marketing based: i.e. the same heating/steam setup as another one, just with different temperature ranges so the manufacturer can claim to have a 'defrost' or 'proofing' or 'regenerate' setting).

Now, if your wife plans to never use the steam oven, it might make sense to get a convection oven with simpler controls. But if she learns to use the steam oven, she'll be able to pick up how to operate the regular oven very quickly. (Assuming recent models: use left knob to set function, right knob temperature. Touch lower right corner button area to access time settings. Lower left gives info on current oven temp. Consistent pictograms (e.g. little up arrow means it is still preheating) Both oven controls are exactly the same, only the heating functions available differ.)

And you might like the control it gives. E.g. suppose you bake something (with the 'bottom heat' pictogram on) and decide you would have liked it with the top toasted a bit more. Well, you could put it under the broiler a bit, or next time you make it, set the oven with the pictogram that shows both top and bottom heat.

thanks for these great thoughts. She probably will not ever use the steam oven so that will make it harder for her to learn the convection.

Do you think that, as ovens, the gagg and wolf convection wall ovens are comparable?

Do you think the look of the wolf + gagg would be OK?