Be aware the dial control model is new there, so I guess you'll have feedback mostly from Masterchef owners

Our WP countertop speedoven hasn't the bottom element. The heating element is in the back, close to the fan and obiously there's the broiler in the ceiling.

As I already answered you in another thread, we use this speedoven for everything **baking and roasting included**, no matter with or without microwaves. IMHO convection makes a lower element useless

When we'll replace it we'll go for the dial control Miele, cause we too don't need automatic programmes and navitronic touchscreen. Many euro mielesites France Ireland say it has perfect clean too

We got the Chef Series Miele speed oven about a month ago. I use it a ton. Miele told me that the only thing the chef series might not do as well as a masterchef is a long, slow braise. After using the chef series for a month now, I would bet any differences would be mitigated by use of something like a Le Crueset. I use my speed oven for baking a lot. I baked two sandwich loaves of whole wheat bread at the same time today. I baked the bread after I roasted a butternut squash for soup. I have used the speed oven to make brownies (excellent) and quick breads. I am still amazed that full-sized quick breads bake in 15 minutes and have great texture. Bottoms of everything brown well, so I am not sure what a bottom element would even add. As you can probably tell, we are very happy with the oven.

Sayde,
I read your other posts also. I am in this exact same dilemma; Chef or Master Chef.

Rosotto, bless your heart for writing about how the thing actually cooks. That's what I want to hear about. I am so sold on this machine.

I have 30 inch all gas range. We are adding either Miele H4042BM (Chef) or H4082BM (Master Chef) speed oven. We are a family of 4, and I find that I don't need more burners. I have a grill outside of my kitchen that I use year round. So I have access to more than 30 inch cooking surface. Today, I made rice, pad thai, and Thai chicken soup. Full dinner, only 3 burners.

However, I felt that I would like to have a little more oven capacity now and then. Not only that, I will probably use the small oven for most things when I don't need the large oven.

Regarding Chef versus Master Chef, I am not quite so sure how much I need the temperature probe. I LIKE the dial rather than the computer pad. That's just me. I went to Miele showroom and I was a little put off by all the program that you "run" through... I tend to experiment with equipment and I think I will be fine with Chef. The only thing I might miss is the temperature probe.

If Electrolux could be mounted undercounter, I would have seriously considered it. It cannot and I need undercounter unstallation. The Miele Chef and Electrolux prices are quite similar.

Anyhow, 1K difference in the priace is still nothing to sneeze at AND I am starting to feel that a little here and a little there can add up to quite a bit in this remodel.

Sayde, let us know what you decide. I am leaning toward the Chef Speed Oven.

Wow, thanks for the excellent and timely responses! Thank you especially risotto for sharing the details of how you have used it. Based on all this, I think will get the Chef. I also prefer a simpler interface and of course the price difference between the two is significant. This has been so helpful!

I have no knowledge of the new oven but I'd sure want to know how a pizza does in an oven without a bottom element -- since yeast doughs rise. Hopefully we'll have more info on that.

I have a Miele Masterchef oven now, nearly 3 years. I've posted ad nauseum (literally) about it because I just love using it. I tried the masterchef settings once or twice but don't use them at all.

A Miele oven requires a learning curve as it has settings that are completely different from most other ovens -- both convection and non. It's not the most advanced oven -- that's Turbochef -- but it does more than old-concept models with convection and not variable heat sources to mix in.

It's nice to see this new technology in the kitchen -- I'll be amused if mastering it forces people to learn more about cooking so they can figure it out.

rococogurl-

The Miele Chef Series wall oven does have the bottom element - it's the chef series speed oven that does not. We make lots of homemade pizza at our house and I use the big Miele Chef wall oven for that. The speed oven does a great job of browning the bottoms of my bread loaves, so I wonder if it wouldn't do a fine job on pizza. The speed oven doesn't have the intensive setting, though, so you'd bake it on convection.

I chose the Chef Series because I, too, doubted I would ever use the set programs. So far, I don't regret the decision to save several thousands of dollars.

thanks risotto. is the chef series a recast novotronic?

I'm fascinated by the speed ovens. Miele has a big here at the AD show this week and I need to get a demo of that one.

From what the Miele person on the phone told me, yes the Chef Series is similar to the novotronic. I am very new to Miele, so I am still learning all the ins and outs. From my understanding, the guts of the ovens in the chef series and master chef are the same. The differences are in the controls and that the chef series lacks the menus, rotisserie and probe. I know the lack of a rotisserie would be a deal breaker for some, but we are a vegetarian family. I didn't see us using the rotisserie for blocks of tofu.

Maybe a silly question,but if I have double wall ovens & need an undercounter microwave any reason to go w master chef vs chef series? For $1k more seems the master chef is more geared for those who need the functionality of another oven? Doesn't seem worth the extra $$$ to us....we aren't on a super tight budget but why spend on something that we really don't need/use all it's features? Are we missing something??

Would love to hear from all miele speed oven users

Thanks

only if you want digital controls over knobs.

Thank you ants

Any other chef owners wishing they would have gone master chef? Or conversely any master chef owners want to tell me why their unit is worth the extra 6-800 more?

Getting close :)

The resurrection of this thread is perfect timing. I'm planning on a six burner 36 inch Culinarian range, and had been up in the air about an additional oven.

DW and I were in an appliance store in Tampa yesterday, and since we don't do a tremendous amount of baking, the Miele Speed Oven and a warming drawer seem to be a good complement for us to the large gas oven of the range (whether an additional full size wall oven, in addition or instead of the Speed Oven, would be better or resale purposes at some point down the road is another matter).

In comparing the two, my bride much preferred the more conventional controls of the Chef series SO. Even though she's still likely to want a dedicated microwave oven (doesn't trust that the SO will do that and hold up over time), she didn't like having to push the Master Chef menu buttons through about three levels to get to the point where she could enter the numbers for a straight microwave task.

OTOH, the combination of different modes one can use is so staggering to an untutored barbarian such as me that I have to wonder whether the Master Chef would ultimately show me how to get that much more value/use from the SO.

For example, DW likes to take a frozen filet of salmon and nuke it. To me, it's hot and edible, but that's about all I can say for it. I can imagine the Master Chef first defrosting, then roasting that same block of salmon in a much more appealing fashion than straight nuking. I just wonder how many pieces of fish I'd ruin if experimenting with the Chef oven before breaking the code for times and modes of cooking. :-) I grill 90% of the fish I prepare (gas grill or over hardwood charcoal on the back porch), so the oven roasting would definitely be a new experience for me.

Hi - I have found this thread very, very helpful and am just wondering whether anyone has any new information to add on the Chef vs MasterChef decision? I can't quite tell whether the MasterChef now has a bottom element, for example, though either way isn't a deal breaker for me. Just curious.

Other things I'm confused/curious about:

>> Is it a pia using the Chef as a MW? Some have said that many buttons need to be pushed and others have corrected this ... I can't quite figure out what's the true answer: is it fast and simple to MW or a bit convoluted please?

>> I think the Miele sports the racks and turntables that need switching the way the Advantium does - am I correct? I would like to adopt the suggestion, if so, of building storage for the racks right next to the machine. How much interior cabinet space do you estimate would be needed for this?

Thanks -- hope the questions aren't too dumb. I'm sure I should be able to find the info from the archives but I've been looking for hours with no luck; thanks for the shortcut of just repeating your experience if available.

I ordered the Miele Chef Oven but they are holding it til the range comes in so I won't have a chance to use it for a while. I think between this, the Breville Countertop Convection oven and the 30 inch Blue Star I will have more oven capability than I will ever need. Can't wait to get it.

Risotto

My wife and I just had the Miele 4042 speed oven "non master chef" installed. We both read the instruction manual. It references each cooking modes and what type of containers to use. I am looking for a list of cooking modes for different foods. For example, last night we cooked homemade pizza and I chose the convection bake mode but wasnt sure if I should have chose a combo mode. Can anyone provide a reference suggestion that may help.

By the way, my wife cooked her and my son's homemade pizza in our Miele 4842 as a test to compare the results with the 4042 speed oven. I put my pizza right on the metal racks. It cooked 15 minutes compared to her 25 min. My pizza was much more crispy and in my opinion better. She cooked her's and my son's on a ceramic baking plate.