My 2 cents.....

The Advantium 240 is a fantastic appliance that I will not do without... However, its role in the Kitchen doesn't replace anything. It is more of a lifestyle enhancement appliance. It takes food items that are considered fast and makes them lightning fast. Allows you to start your frozen biscuits the same time as bacon and eggs and have them finish at the same time. It will not Roast low and slow a big hunk of critter like a good convection oven will. So, You will need a good oven. Wall oven or Slide in... Just a personal choice. I like wall ovens.

Well...the Advantium can replace a standard microwave if you don't use it heavily. (Overuse wears it out, so if you're zapping things all day long, it's better to wear out the $100 Costco special.)

I think option 4 is the best. That is, option 2 plus the Advantium. A young family can make the most of the speed cook features of the Advantium, and it makes for a great extra oven when you're entertaining. Most ovens nowadays are engineered to meet cost and energy usage goals, rather than to cook well. I wouldn't take an inexpensive oven without convection on a bet. Convection helps to make up for some of the quality issues.

I am a sufficient cook that I can manage with no oven at all, or an uneven ancient one, but I would resent it if I put good money down on an oven and then had to fight it.

Fortunately Pillog, there are still some great ovens out there.

We've had our Elux Icon > 5 years now, trouble free, quiet, and it bakes great, whether you use convection or not, and if fact wife never uses the convection, (I guess she's just
"Old Fashioned"), but everything comes out great, ---
Meatloaf, stuffed bell peppers, tamalie and spaghetti pies, pork roasts, turkey, U name it.

I wish I could get her to use the convection more as it does save power, (faster, and the element around the fan does not draw as much current as the bigger elements do), but as long as the stuff comes out great, I'm not complaining.

She could use the speed oven a lot more too, even as a conventional or convection oven, but except for taters, Yams, and reheating stuff, She uses the regular oven.
I do use the speed oven for baking, Nuking and speed cooking. Have done turkey parts, stuffed bell peppers, Meatloaf, etc and they are the same great quality as the regular oven, but I'm a bit more of a "modern chef" than is the wife.

We have not done cookies, or baked a cake in either, as I hafta keeps my "Boyish Figure" (LOL).

So the Advantium or any speed oven, Miele, or Electrolux can function as a 2nd oven very well, and in fact a 1st oven except for things that won't fit, and so far, that's just been the Thanksgiving Turkey.

Gary

Thanks for the feedback! I think we've pretty much decided on Option 1. I was afraid that I would use the Advantium just like a microwave and it's too expensive for that. Another deciding factor is the size of our kitchen. We do get more counter space with a range.

Now time to peruse old threads and decide on a dishwasher. I'm leaning towards the Miele Futura but I'm also interested in the F&P drawers...