Susan,
Thanks so much for posting this info. I have a couple questions. How involved $$ was it to get your steam oven plumbed?

Would it be possible for you to post a pic of your cutting board? I'm interested in this bin concept.

The Advantium info was really helpful. I was going to get one all along and then periodically veer away and think I should get something different. I plan on using it as my main oven when just cooking for two. Is it annoying ot switch out from MW to oven?
Thanks for the insights!
Elyse

To find bins, search : steam table pans or food pans.
Polycarbonate, polysulfonate, or stainless. E.g. "One Sixth Size Hi Heat Amber Polysulfonate Food Pan 6" Deep. Designed to accommodate extreme temperatures ranging from 40F to 375°F ....." from Carlisle.

On commercial refrigeration counter top units these pans stick down into the refrigerated air and remain cool. They come in sizes like one ninth, one sixth, one third of a "standard" pan size. They can be shallow or deep.

On salad tops / sandwich tops / pizza tops, this is how you will see them described:
(4) 1/3 or (8) 1/6 size pan
(6) 1/6 & (2) 1/9 size pan

1/9 size (0.7 Qt.) -- L 6 3/4" - w4" - d 2 1/2" Shallow
1/9 size (1.0 Qt.) -- L 6 3/4" - w4" - d 4" Reg.
1/9 size (1.7 Qt.) -- L 6 3/4" - w4" - d 6" Deep
1/6 size (1.1 Qt.) -- L 6 3/4" - w6 3/8" - d 2 1/2" Shallow
1/6 size (2.5 Qt.) -- L 6 3/4" - w6 3/8" - d 6" Deep
1/3 size (5.7 Qt.) -- L 12 3/4" - w7" - d 6" Deep

Hope I've nailed it for you.
- David

cap opening 10302 103201 Top Notch

Pictures, pictures, we want pictures. You can't gush about your steam oven and counters without posting pics. That's just cruel. ;D

How deep is too deep for your island? What size is your island and what is it's function in your kitchen? Does it have a sink, any appliances?

Yes, yes, laxsupermom isn't the only one who would love pics!

BTW, 5'1/2" tall :)

Photos Please!!!

Thanks, Susan, that was some very helpful info! I want to see pics too.

I too want pics - 5ft, 2" tall!

ditto for pictures.

5ft 2in. here.

Again, pics please.

Barely 5'4" and nervous about the island...

Bumping in hopes of pics and responses from OP

Was thinking about that steam assist oven, but was concerned about KitchenAid reliability. Still second guessing my choice. Sigh! the road not taken...

Oh gosh I am so sorry I posted and then disappeared for a week. Ok lets see and thanks for all the responses I'll try to answer all questions best I can!
I'll give verbal answers and then try to work out getting pictures posted sometime in the next day or so.

Steam Oven info:
The steam oven requires a single cold water plumbing line into the oven. So actually very simple, although its a lot easier when you are doing a new build than a remodel (a crawl space would probably help ease remodel pains.) No drain required! I can't tell you a cost because it was buried in our overall plumbing bid, sorry. I DID have to remind both the plumber and builder about 15 times to plumb it tho even though we noted it specially in the plans. Just not on their usual list of to dos. On the reliability front, we read and read and read and concluded (with some level of uncertainty still) that Kitchenaid had finally replaced the component that was burning out during the clean cycle of their ovens and that if you bought a new one, you should be ok. BUT we haven't dared run the clean cycle yet :-) and I still felt guilty buying their product when they had gone for years without admitting and fixing the problem. We bought an extended warranty for both the oven and for our GE Profile Fridge just in case. And we bought from a local well reputed appliance dealer who we felt would honor the lemon guarantee also. But we do use the oven almost daily with no problems 2 months in. As you'd hope! We paid $3200 for the single oven, which was a definite splurge, and cheaped out on some of the other appliances going the scratch and dent route with those.
Advantium info:
You have to switch from a metal tray to a glass tray when using microwave or oven. The trays have grooves and fairly easily catch on the metal turntable mechanism, and both trays easily wipe clean. We have a drawer under the oven in which we keep the tray not in use, and the stand you are supposed to add in to do broiling. So far, no one has forgotten to switch the trays, and the oven gives you a digital reminder when you set the cooking times to use the metal or glass tray. If you were only to buy this one oven, I'd be sure and get the 120 which has a larger size interior than the 240. Read through the dimension info carefully. This one was a craigslist buy, about half retail, you find them regularly on craigslist and ebay. We also got our gas cooktop (Dacor 5 burner) off ebay, one third retail. This one was a lower risk, since there is so little that can go wrong with a gas cooktop mechanically.
Island info:
Upper counter is 4'6 across and 8' long. The long side is fine, the 4'6 width is insane. The upper counter is 43" off the floor so to start with, if I'm standing on the floor I can reach about 2' of the 4'6. Even if I lean out while standing on the stool, I can't come close to the far edge. I think we should have held it to about 3' deep. On top of that width, there is another 2'5" of lower counter width which holds our cooktop and funny caboose sink/wet bar. So when standing at the stove, I can only just barely reach the edge of the higher counter to put something up there, and then its too far away for anyone to reach from the other side. However it does hold a LOT of junk. notebooks and scanners and mail and coupon clippings and pan lids and the dog treat jar.... you get the idea. (slobs? us? oooops.)
There is also a lower counter on the backside which is the cutting and food prep areas wrapping around from the cooktop side. Imagine an L shaped lower counter wrapping two sides of the higher counter. The backside lower counter is where the cutting board is with the bins, and that section is actually another couple of inches lower than the rest of the L. So we have three counter heights on the island, 43" height eating/piling things surface, then 36" height with a corner "wet" bar, a cooktop, a prep area with the advantium below, and then a 30" height butcher block.
The pics will come next. thanks for your patience. I hope this made sense so far.

I love your windows and the color combination of granite, wood, and paint on your island. I can see what you mean about it being tough to clean the section where the flowers are. The pic is a little grainy so I'm having a tough time seeing the perimeter cabs and backsplash, but what I can see looks beautiful! You can resize your pics in photobucket to medium or large.

Pics now hopefully reasonable size

Your kitchen is glamorous. That is not usually a descriptive word I would use on a room but that is what came to mind. Your decisions work very well together and I am sure you are enjoying all the hours spent in food preparation and entertainment.

We are considering divorce! The steam-assist Kitchenaid oven has proven very unreliable to use as a steam oven, the main reason we picked this expensive oven. We think the issue might have to do with our water softener clogging up the steam function, but we have to call service after 3-4 uses, it shuts down with an error message. We purchased an extended warranty which is about to run out so we are worried now. If anyone has experience with adding a filter or has had regular shut downs without a water softener we'd love to hear more. The preheat time is also pretty unbearable.

Sorry to hear your woes!

We installed a Gaggenau Combi Steam oven and seriously ever since we moved into the house, I have been having a fling with the combi. Sometimes we hook up a couple of times every single day. Just yesterday, we used the oven to steam eggs for breakfast. Reheat leftover baked oatmeal. In the evening, the oven helped me do a quick bruschetta. We do have a water softener and with the Gagg, one of the initial calibrations is for water hardness. They have a descaling process if needed and an optional Britta filtration system. I do not have that but the water softener does help according to my local service guy. The preheat is fantastic.. Things get hot and steamy real fast :)

Thanks for the update, Susurradeluz. I've been wanting one of these.

GWlolo - how long have you had yours?

Susan, wonder if an RO (reverse osmosis) filter would help ?

GreenHighlighter - I got an older Gagg steam oven on clearance almost 2 years ago. It sat in my garage until it got installed 3 months ago. I have been using it for several weeks. But during design we did talk to Purcell Murray , who is the local distributor and they suggested a water softener. We were anyways going to do a whole house softener, so it worked.

Angela, you cannot use RO as it produces very pure water who's considered aggressive meaning it cannot be routed through any metal pipes. It will corrode away at any metal if it comes in direct contact. It can only be routed through PE pipe or PE lined pipes.

Maybe time to talk to a plumber?