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bend_or

Miele vs Wolf Steam Oven

bend_or
10 years ago

I am trying to make a final decision between the Convection Steam Ovens by Miele and Wolf (current models during the Fall of 2013). That is, the Miele DGC 4084/4086 XL and the Wolf CSO24.

I'd love to hear the pros and cons from informed people who have used these one of these units.

I visited showrooms and inspected both units. Though, I have not had an opportunity to see them in operation; not to mention having never used them myself.

Thank you!

Comments (39)

  • Terri
    10 years ago

    I have the Wolf CS024 and LOVE it so far. We moved in 2 days before Thanksgiving and had family in for the weekend. I didn't use it for prep Thursday but did for reheating on Friday and the weekend. Then Christmas Eve I forgot to take the tamales out of the freezer so microwaved them just long enough to be able to break them apart them steamed them for 24 minutes. Perfect!

    I did look at the Wolf, Miele and Gagg (I think) and from what I remember (it was almost a year ago that I decided on appliances) I went with Wolf because of the size and on the recommendation of the appliance guy.

    As others have said before the manual leaves alot to be desired but we've played around with it and are slowly figuring it out. Here are a few pros/cons I've come up with the last few weeks:

    Pro: interior size - holds more than I originally thought it would
    Con: I need more recipes and directions - but if you're a better cook this might not apply....... I'm not that great and now that I haven't cooked for a year during all of this I'm really not that great!
    Con: can't quite figure out how to do a baked potato. Still working on it
    Pro: a so far a huge PRO - being able to reheat without drying everything out. Leftover turkey and ham was just slightly better the first day. reheats things beautifully.

    I can't wait to try bread, fish and vegetables!

    Good luck and in my opinion I don't think you could go wrong with either one really.

  • mjocean
    10 years ago

    Hi,
    We have the Wolf installed since this past June. We love it! We agree we wish there were more cooking instructions/recipes available, however we are learning on our own. Bread, vegetables, fish, roasts, ribs and reheating have been great. We highly recommend. Why did we choose Wolf? At the time we purchased they were having a great sale. However, we compared it to the Thermador and Gagg (no Miele at that time). The Wolf had the biggest oven space, the water tank can be refilled outside the oven (not so in the Therador) and is a lot less expensive than the Gagg. We also did not like the side door opening for the Gagg. We really can't comment on Wolf vs. Miele except to say we are VERY happy with our Wolf.
    MJ

  • saeyedoc
    10 years ago

    I'm not sure about the straight steam oven, but the new Miele combo relocated the water reservoir to the top (like the Wolf) to give more interior room. The combo also has a broiler element, which Wolf doesn't offer.
    The Master Chef controls supposedly take some of the guess work out.
    I'm thinking about getting the Miele for an upcoming remodel, along with their 30" convection oven.

  • martinkk333
    10 years ago

    Mine is not installed yet, but I went with the Miele. The deciding factors where the broiler and the movement of the water tank.

  • SherylJ
    10 years ago

    Mine is also not yet installed, but I also went with the Miele. The broiler sealed the deal. I attended a lunch demo at a Miele showroom and could not believe how terrific it was. They even prepared a tri tip in the steam oven, using steam, convection and broil and it was fantastic. Perfectly cooked, juicy and pink inside and with a beautifully browned crust on the outside. But like others have said, I don't think you can go wrong with any of your choices,

  • bend_or
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks everybody! All of the commentary is helpful to me and likely many other people. :)

    I must admit, after being "sold" (pre-sale, that is) on the Wolf combi steam oven, I am slowly leaning harder toward the Miele. The primary factors swaying me are the top broiler and the automated cooking programs.

    I need to revisit the Wolf web site to make sure I am not missing something in the realm of cooking programs. Does Wolf have a set of automated cooking programs similar to the Miele?

    Thanks again, everyone! :)

  • bend_or
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    After reading the installation and user guides of both products, I see Wolf does, indeed, have advanced automation modes, some of which seem like they're straight from the future. Like detecting what's inside and how much and then cooking it! That's crazy cool! (if it works).

    The Wolf unit seems also to be of more substantial construction with resulting heft. Apparently, it is a beast compared to the lighter Miele; based on my interpretation of the docs; the shelf support requirements are nearly double compared to the Miele (100lb vs approx 50lb)

    In general, I like the Wolf installation documents better. I wonder if that's a useful indicator for how much thought went into the product? Well, for that matter, in general, I think the Wolf documents present information better.
    I'm still working my way through both user's guides which for Miele is split into an "Operating Instructions" guide and a "User Instructions guide. I kid you not. :)

    Perhaps Wolf can accomplish same cooking outcomes as Miele without the exposed broiler element?

    Is the broiler on the Miele used in modes other than broiling?

    I wonder if I will miss broiling on the Miele if I go with the Wolf?

    I'm looking forward to getting one installed! It would be fun to get both and evaluate side by side, but I may need advertiser's support for that! lol. :)

  • orchidslayer
    10 years ago

    I am looking at the Wolf convection/steam. There will be a 30" coming out in April, and I think I will get it. The specs aren't on Wolf's site yet and my dealer can give me nothing right now other than the price ($4209) and the estimated delivery, but he will keep checking until he gets the inside dimensions, which is my main concern (other than the price!). I liked that the water canister can be filled from the front. Much better than pulling a hot canister out from the oven to refill like some other models.

  • dzaner
    10 years ago

    Are you guys sure about the Wolf not having Broil? I thought I saw it as a mode option in their brochure.
    Also, do any of the steam ovens use convection and steam at the same time. I think I remember a Wolf demo that steamed first then did convection. THey said you can't do them at the same time.

  • orchidslayer
    10 years ago

    Their web manual for the convection/steam does not show a broiling option, but it does show a convection steam mode, so it sounds to me like they would be at the same time. They are totally revamping their line, so I am looking forward to seeing if the new model is any different. A broiler isn't important to me as I seldom broil and have a regular oven for that. I do bake a lot of bread and my brand new (1 month) Viking induction range's porcelain liner is already cracked from spilling water on the bottom when adding it to a steam tray, so I am looking forward to a real steam oven (and the Viking's repair).

  • barryv_gw
    10 years ago

    Most, if not all, of the combi's do steam and convection at the same time - though they may have a different term for it. It is one of the main benefits of the combi - since heat plus steam can very quickly cook some foods - like a turkey or chicken. Many also have the option to turn off the steam part way through the cooking cycle, which is common for bread.

  • philwojo99
    10 years ago

    I have the Wolf CS024 and it does not have a broiler I can confirm that, have had it for over a year now.

    As for it doing steam and convection at the same time, it kind of does, but not really. From what I can tell it does the steam first, with heat on, and once the steam is done it kicks the convection fan back on. But I could be wrong on that, and on different modes it might act differently. I will admit I have not used all of the modes on this oven yet.

    Phil

  • chris401
    10 years ago

    I'm jumping into this thread because we are having the same debate right now -- Miele vs Wolf steam oven. Leaning towards Miele based on the broiler aspect, but like the larger size and looks of the Wolf. Anyone else have updated thoughts on which unit is better? Are they getting updated soon?

  • ChristyMcK
    10 years ago

    We are also debating our options. Here are my thoughts thus far:

    Re Miele: I'm not convinced a broiler in an oven that tops out at 445 (I think the broiler goes to 475) would be that useful. I like that there is a cartridge for used water/steam (none in wolf). I'm not sure I like the racks - they seem loud and there are only 3. I'm also unsure about the interface - it seems fussy. I need to double check this but it seems there are 5 buttons to program to get it going (1. on/off 2. type of cooking 3. amt of steam 4. temperature 5. time.) I don't see why an extra on/off button is needed and why do I have to decide how long to cook something ahead of time? It makes me feel micromanaged. ;) Per Yale Appliance, Miele has the lowest rate of repairs of cooking appliances.

    Re: Wolf: I like that there are 4 racks but I can't imagine this would make a material difference in my cooking. I like the interface better (since it's how we interact with the appliance this is not a small thing). I don't like that I'd have to sop up water after I cook with steam. All things being equal it's kind of hard to turn down the broiler on the Miele, especially since my range will not have one.

    Re Gagg: beautiful and small. I'm not sure the size would be a problem, but the very large price tag is a problem, on principal alone, particularly for a technology (steam) that we have never used and don't know how much we will like. I haven't come across a discounted one yet that would work but we would consider a floor model if we found one.

    So, we're still undecided. I'm attending a Miele steam class so maybe they can show me how the interface is not fussy. I believe Miele recently came out with the combi-steam oven so doubt they'll change it soon. Wolf is coming out with some new updates in the coming months but I'm not sure if their steam oven is one of the products they are updating since it is not all that old either.

  • chris401
    10 years ago

    Christy, very helpful analysis. Thanks

  • ChristyMcK
    10 years ago

    Not sure if it matters but I think another apparent difference is that the Wolf has a thermometer probe, but the Miele does not. I think the Wolf will stop cooking once the thermometer probe placed in the cooking item has achieved the programmed temperature. Kind of neat. Not sure how much I'd use it.

  • philwojo99
    10 years ago

    Christy, I love using the temp probe on my Wolf CSO, it is a great feature and I use it all the time, especially with Chicken, it really helps it stay super moist since I don't overcook it.

    You just set the cooking temp for the oven space, say 350F and then also set the probe temp, for chicken I do 160F. Then when it shuts down the residual heat will bring the chicken temp up to 165F on its own, perfect every time!

    I have used it on a roast as well, again it just gets everything to the temp of the probe and then as you said it turns off the unit. But keep in mind there is always going to be the residual heat and things will keep cooking inside the unit for a good while after, not like you could leave it in there for 30 minutes and not expect it to keep going is all I am saying.

    Phil

  • ChristyMcK
    10 years ago

    philwojo: Thanks for your input Theoretically it sounds great but it's always hard to know how much in practice certain features like this would be used. So, it's nice to know that you are finding value in it.

  • mohansf
    9 years ago

    I am interesting in knowing how well the Wolf unit browns meat or fish?

    I believe Miele is releasing their unit with a thermometer probe this summer. I attended a Miele steam class and concluded that the probe is critical if you like your meat cooked to temps that vary from USDA guidelines, which I think are programmed into the Master Chef modes. I do not think you can reprogram the temp settings for the those modes.

    I am primarily interested in Miele for the broil feature, but would only buy it with the probe, and luckily we have a lot of time to decide.

    I found a steam convection cookbooks from both Miele and Viking on the web and printed them at Kinko's. Not super inspirational - sort of remind me of crockpot cookbooks.

    But I have been to a class for each the Miele and Wolf, and I am convinced that once you learn how to cook to your own preference, it is a great tool.

  • ChristyMcK
    9 years ago

    I'm not sure how well the Wolf browns, but I think the new Miele will have a wireless thermometer probe which would be great since that means not having to deal with a hot wire when taking food out of the oven. I believe Wolf's is wired but am not sure.

    The other difference I've come across is that the Miele, in addition to a broiler, has a static non-convection electric oven. I don't think the Wolf has this feature. While I don't like the interface of the Miele as well (though the new model is supposed to have a different interface), I think the broiler and wireless thermometer give it a competitive advantage over the Wolf. It's also currently ~$400 cheaper than the Wolf.

    On the Wolf website they are showing a 'new product' with their 24" transitional steam combi oven but I can't tell how this is different from the 2013 model. It doesn't look like they've added a broiler, which is too bad. Does anyone know how this new model differs from the one released last year?

  • philwojo99
    9 years ago

    The Wolf is wired on the inside of the unit, no big deal just use a pot holder to unplug it.

    As for a broiler, not really something I do a lot of any ways, maybe once a year, maybe twice, if that. So for us it wasn't something we needed.

    The Wolf CSO24 browns meat just like any other oven would. There is nothing all that different about this oven compared to a standard wall oven when it comes to how it cooks meats in terms of browning. The steam is a great feature but it can be turned off totally.

    The Wolf does NOT have a non-convection mode, but to me that isn't a problem, as we still have the full size Wolf L-series for that if we need it.

    I think that you can't go wrong with either brand, it will come down to what appeals to you most, but I think both are well respected brands and you will enjoy either option.

    Phil

  • ChristyMcK
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the info. I think you are spot on that "it will come down to what appeals to you most" and that "both are well respected brands and you will enjoy either option."

  • ponti33602
    9 years ago

    We bought a loft in downtown Tampa and immediately gutted it.

    We had decided on an oven cabinet that would hold the Miele Speed, Combi Steam, and Coffee maker. Made the âÂÂcriticalâ mistake of not fully understanding what 240v means and in our condo we only have 208v power. Without going the boost transformer route we switched to the Wolf Steam so unfortunately the ovens will not match the Miele but we do have a Wolf cook-top so we are okay with having different ovens. When we shopped we liked the Wolf as well because they only had the microwave drawers and we wanted a 2nd convection oven (the 2 - 24â ovens are all we are having in our kitchen, no full-size oven) we went with Miele.

    FWIW ��" Miele is being great and are taking back their Steam oven with no hassles what so ever. The Wolf gets installed today with the cook-top and the Miele next week.

  • chris401
    9 years ago

    Great information, everyone! I think I am sold on the idea of the new Miele combi-steam with a temp probe. Any idea on when that is expected and what the model number will be? Our projected completion date is end of July. But I could wait a bit for the right oven.

  • mpatel1080
    9 years ago

    I was at an appliance store shopping for our new kitchen and a Miele representative happened to be in the store. I asked him about the new ovens and the rumored range coming out. He said the ovens would be released in the USA July 1st and the range (which will be available in a variety of sizes up to 48 inches and will have a pro look with knobs etc) will be available during Q4.

    I am also somewhat between the Miele and Wolf Steam ovens. I believe that the Wolf is made by a company called V-Zug which is a Swiss company that makes high end appliances. I have tried to search for reviews comparing the Miele and V Zug oven but have not found anything,

    Here is a link that might be useful: V Zug steam oven

  • schicksal
    9 years ago

    Cool, thanks! I've been on miele.ca and all the instruction manuals indicate that they're for both the US and Canada. My only do-over is that the wall oven wants a water line but luckily cabinets aren't in yet and I can just run the line quickly and easily to add a stub out this weekend.

    You may want to plan accordingly; even though the combi-steam ovens don't need a water line yet I'm sure they will in a year or two.

  • ChristyMcK
    9 years ago

    That the instruction manual says it's for both USA and Canada on the .ca website is a great find! Thanks for sharing. Looks like indeed there is a food probe although it's not wireless.
    I've also heard July as the release date for the new combi steam oven.

    Does anyone know what the last Miele combi steam oven was priced at in Canada? The Canada pricing looks very high compared to the $3500 the current model retails for in the US.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago

    $6,000 Canadian = about $5,500 US.

    I consistently hear about how appliances are more expensive in Canada so I'm curious about the answer to your question too. The conversion rate is Gaggenau pricing and I doubt they'll go that high; I've assumed it would be under $1,000 more than the existing Combi-Steam + 30" wall oven goes for. If the pricing does in fact end up that high, the dimensions are almost identical to the Gaggenau...

    It's odd that the combi-steam oven has a wired probe but the wall oven has a wireless one.

  • ponti33602
    9 years ago

    FWIW - We had to go with the Wolf Combi Steam over the Miele due to our condo only having 208v. She still went with the Miele Speed oven sitting over the Wolf despite the miss-match of appliances. Even though my wife liked the over-all styling better of the Miele, she enjoys using the Wolf better. Thinks the menu is more straight forward and her first choice when she needs a convection oven.

  • chris401
    9 years ago

    I just put in our custom cabinet order based on a Miele 4086 combi-steam. If the new series comes out in time, we are going for that (I think), but I'm so indecisive lately that we might end up with the Wolf in the end. Hopefully these are all close enough in size that it won't take much adjustment to the cabinets.

    I think I liked Master Chef on Miele better than the Wolf menus. But I liked the water door operation on the Wolf better than the Miele (raising the entire panel seemed more "wonky" and a less secure fit).

  • schicksal
    9 years ago

    There is effectively no size difference between the existing/new Miele lineup. Can't speak for the Wolf though, I didn't size check those.

  • skr20
    9 years ago

    I was looking at the specs for the wolf steam oven today with a salesman at an appliance store, and I believe the 24" and 30" ovens have the same interior dimensions...only exterior differences due to stacking them on top or below other wall ovens for size... FYI

  • geekgirl512
    9 years ago

    It is true that the 24" and 30" Wolf steam ovens have the same interior dimensions. The 30" will not need a trim kit to fit in with the conventional ovens, the 24" will need one. This makes the overall cost of the two sizes about the same when the trim kit is factored in. We got the 30" to go with the 30" E-series single wall oven.

  • hanessjm
    9 years ago

    Geekgirl512 - that is the set up I am considering as well. How do you like it, how are they performing? Thanks.

  • geekgirl512
    9 years ago

    We don't actually have them installed yet - will be about 2 more weeks as we finish our remodel. I can hardly wait until they are in, especially since we attended one of the Wolf cooking demos that showed us more about how to use it! I will write a review here when I've used it for a few weeks though. GW has been invaluable as we've gone through the reno process.

  • ChristyMcK
    9 years ago

    Geekgirl512: We are on the same timeline! Our steam oven (Gagg) and lovely new range will be in operation in two weeks when our renovation finishes. I know the feeling! We can't wait either!!!

  • lagunagirl
    9 years ago

    I owned a Meile double oven for 17 years. I never had one problem with it. It was very European looking, I think they've changed that. If money was no issue, I'd buy another in a heart beat! By the way, once I had a repairman there working on my sub- zero, I had him look at the oven while he was there. After 12 years, everything was working perfect. I couldn't believe it checked out with flying colors,

  • portland_family
    7 years ago

    I own the Wolf Steam Combi CSO024. Save yourself a headache and DON'T BUY IT! This oven gave us problems from the beginning. Sometimes steam wouldn't come out. The controls didn't always respond. After being installed for three months, it completely died. Over 3 months later, it's still broken. The Wolf certified repair shop has been at our house 4 times and replaced the same part twice and the control board. It still dies with a loud POP and blows a fuse when they power it up after trying a new part. Wolf is unwilling to replace it. They've just ordered yet ANOTHER part. I've been without a steam oven for longer than I've owed it now. I didn't have the oven for the holidays, and Wolf couldn't care less. I predict my warranty will be expired before they fix it. I just bought a SubZero and Wolf cooktop as well. I really expected better customer service. I will never buy another Wolf appliance.

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