Does she have a steam oven, or the combination steam oven? Most of us here have combi ovens - which can be used as steam only, dry heat only or a combination of both. I very rarely use mine as steam only - and usually it is only for steaming shrimp or spinach - so I only steam for a short time and don't have much trouble in terms of clean up. Combi mode, which I use more often, has very little clean up, and the manufacturer suggests putting a solid tray ( it comes with perforated and solid trays) underneath to make it easier to clean up a mess.

I think she has a steam oven only - though I am not sure. So you don't really use it on steam mode? Or are you saying that during the cooking process it steams and bakes so there isn't as much moisture leftover?
Thanks.

I am thinking of one 30 inch oven, one speed oven and one steam combi --- but now I am thinking just two 30 inch ovens and a cheapo microwave. I really can't decide. Its driving me crazy.

I know my Wolf CSO Steam Oven can do steam only, or a combination. During the "combi" mode it does steam at the start along with the convection heat, and then stops the steam and some point and goes to just convection heat. I think that the Miele does it the same if I am not mistaken. There can be some residual water in the bottom after the combi cooking, but most of it is gone do to the heat of the cooking to finish up what you are cooking.

FYI Miele dealers are in the process of switching display ovens to the new models. I was able to get a 30" Convection and a combi-steam oven for 30% off last week.

I use my Gaggenau combi-steam on steam only all the time! Mostly for vegetables, but other things too. You can poach eggs, chicken, fish, etc., with just steam. My favorite way to do chicken is combi-, so at a roasting temperature with partial steam.

As to the water experience, there are a lot of variables. You do have to pre-heat, like any oven, but only to boiling-ish temp. Any steamer will be like that.

If it's a tank model, you do have to fetch the water and dump the remaining water and the drain water. If it's plumbed (I don't know if Miele has plumbed, but mine is), if there's water in the oven from condensation, you just put on the drying mode for a short while. I rarely have to, however. But if you steam in a pot you have to fetch and dump the water too, and more of it, I think.

I think steaming in a pot of the stove is a pain in the neck. I got my combi-steam because sometimes I need an extra oven, and other times I have a lot of stuff to steam and having the plumbed steam oven makes a nasty chore really easy.

Look into the models more, and read through all the directions to get a better idea of how it works.

For years, Miele made a steam only oven, it did not have a combi feature, but a few years ago started offering combi ovens. Gaggenau is the only combi that is offered in the US that has a drain. I don't know much about speed ovens, but I would guess you would use the speed oven instead of the combi, unless you had some real desire for a combi. IMHO, a combi is worth the expense, because it is a combi - it can be used like a regular electric convection oven, but it is much smaller, so it heats up much quicker ( 5 minute preheat time is common) , and doesn't heat up my kitchen like my main gas stove. I can also use it steam only, but for me that might only be a few times a month. I use it in combi mode - although it adds moisture to the oven, at most common cooking temps - such as 300 to 400, you can't see the moisture and there is no water on the bottom when you are done cooking. There are a few combi modes, one is regenerate or reheat, which lets you reheat food without drying it out. Most would say that a combi doesn't completely replace a microwave - it can't defrost as well as a microwave, and its not as quick to reheat things, and there are just some things a microwave does better. My guess is a speed oven is quicker than a combi, though a combi on combi mode can be quicker than a regular oven on some items, such as a whole chicken or turkey, because the moisture helps conduct the heat better than without the moisture. I wouldn't worry much about clean up,but would do searches on speed ovens v. combi to see what suits your needs better.