A "Combination Steam Oven" sounds three time more complex than an "Oven". If you are truly looking to simplify, try an "oven".

I've been wondering the same thing. I'm remodeling my kitchen and in my current kitchen I have a range with a small oven up top and a larger oven on the bottom and in 11 years I have never used the larger oven. In my future kitchen I'm planning to do a CSO oven over a regular wall oven and I'm wondering why I'm bothering with the wall oven as it will never get used.

If you are truly looking to simplify, try an "oven".

Mark Bischak, ArchitectAre you an actual professional or a troll? A you a real Architect? How does a seasoned Architect not know what a CSO is? The machine is incredible. It does steaming, convention, reheating leftovers, baking etc. all in just 1 machine. As opposed to having a separate steam oven, a separate convention oven, a separate sous vide countertop appliance, etc.

I love my CSO and I haven't touched my standard oven for at least 1 year because of it. In fact I rarely touch my microwave anymore (other than reheating coffee or popcorn). CSO is much better for reheating leftovers than the microwave. If you're tight on space or simply don't want an oven, the CSO should cover 99% of your needs. It's our most used appliance other than the fridge.

I think a CSO can definitely replace a regular oven, but not for every cook and/or family. For a more comparable replacement, I think you need to be looking at something like the Miele CSO XXL, which has more capacity and flexibility.

I have a 36" Wolf Induction Range and a Miele CSO XXL. We built the house 2 years ago and I have only used the Range oven a few times as we use the Miele CSO XXL most of the time.

I don't think a small CSO is a replacement for a full size oven ... unless you live in a small condo in NYC.

Mark Bischak, there are many of us here with Combination Steam Ovens and you rarely see any complains about reliability or need for service. I've owned 2, both made by Miele, and they have been trouble free.

Not unless it can fit 3 half sheet pans in it… not sure how big they are but most pictures of them look small. i’m sure it would be plenty for some people but unless you are in a tiny kitchen not sure why you would not have a full sized oven and may affect resale. I was space limited and did 36” induction cooktop and 27” oven.

@Iharpie, the Miele CSO XXL can fit 4 of their "square" sheet pans that are 15" x 18". Most people have the smaller sizes installed as a second or third oven, but the larger CSOs would satisfy the needs of the average homeowner.

I have Miele CSO, speed oven and regular oven. I use the CSO the most but the oven is necessary for certain things. Size isn't the only issue. Top temp for the CSO is 430. Sometimes higher temps are necessary. And cleaning the CSO is harder than cleaning the regular oven. (I think the Miele 7000 series is easier to clean than the 6000 series—those came out right after i remodeled.) Nevertheless, I would prefer to roast messier items in a regular oven.

Totally agree with nyc_bluedevil. I have had my Miele CSO for 8+ years. I love it, but it has been problematic. Buy the longest warranty you can. In the first five years the steam unit, drain pump, driain switch had to be replaced under Miele’s warranty. I have also had to upgrade my drain system to a newer version, replace the upper heating element twice, the thermostat and most recently the control board. Fortunately I have an excellent service tech in my area and he has comped me parts and trip charges.

The two largest issues mentioned already is the width - cannot accommodate a half sheet pan and the limitations on the highest temp you can set for baking. I would not want it as my only oven. I use my large oven for messy dishes, pizza, and when I need a half sheet pan which is fairly often.

I also agree w nyc_bluedevil. My Wolf combo is several years old. My other oven is a Viking induction range (crap, but Wolf did not make a 30” induction range at the time). I use the Viking for making cookies and things like that as I use half-sheets. Otherwise I use the Wolf. It does get really messy when roasting chickens, etc. If I had to choose between the two, i would take my Wolf combo in a heartbeat. We are snowbirds and at my winter home I have an Anova sous vide oven as a second oven. It is nice, but the Wolf is considerably better quality.

Mary, how many people are you cooking for at a time. I currently have the Miele XL, and used to have a Thermador - which is a bit smaller. IMO, a CSO can completely replace a conventional oven . The only feature that a regular oven has that my CSO does not is a bake function without a fan running. I have not used by Bluestar RNB oven in years. The Miele is large enough to do easily handle a family of 4 , and probaby 6. I still have a microwave, and use it as well, but the CSO can do nearly anything that a regular oven can do, and quicker.

barryv_gwDo you have a 30" or 24" Miele XL? I'm really on the fence because I see so many polar opposite reviews here on Houzz. People saying 24" can fit everything imaginable, pre-heats quickly, easier to clean, and cooks more evenly, all while using less energy. While some are saying 30" is still better for your once-a-year turkey, but others saying 2 special meals a year doesn't warrant a larger oven, heating up a larger cavity that you don't need for your tray of fish or flat of veggies, saying that 99% of the time a 24" is all you need and is standard in Europe. I've never used a 24" oven but when I think of my cooking habits, I'm only cooking for 1 or 2 people. I put a tray of salmon into my 30x24 oven and it does seem silly to heat up that huge space now that I think about it.

"Size isn't the only issue. Top temp for the CSO is 430. Sometimes higher temps are necessary."

nycbluedevil_gwCan you name some dishes or meals you like to make that require more than 430 degrees? I'm trying to think, but I'm pretty sure that all of my recipes are 430 or less.

Also since you have a speed oven and a regular oven (is it a standard convection oven?), what's been your experience? I've seen many people say that they regret their speed oven because they end up just using their convection oven or their CSO. I've also seen other say that with a speed oven, it can replace your regualr oven, and you can stick to a CSO and a Speed oven as your main setup. I'm curious what your experience has been.

Mary, I have te 24 XL. As you point out, the vast majority of the time when one uses a regular oven, it is mostly empty, and you are wasting time and energy preheating then keeping all that space warm. If you are concerned about the 1 or 2 times a year you need to cook more than can fit at one time in the 24 oven, you can find work arounds. Some people use slow cookers to make sides, or cook the sides in advance, and buy a warming tray to keep warm, or even reheat in a microwave. I had a friend that did a kitchen reno and I talked them into a combi, and they say they use it all the time. I have not used the XXL Miele, but my concern is that you would lose some of the benefits of the faster preheat times as you go up in size. I should point out that while I use the combi features to bake bread, the vast majority of the time I just use it in straight convection mode, so to me, a 30 combi would not be a practical as a 24 inch combi - since I am using it for the quick preheat much more often than the steam or combi functions.

That's incredible to hear. Not only happy using their smallest oven available, but also haven't touched your large range oven in years.

A 24" Miele CSO and 30" Miele CSO are the same width inside, the 30" just has more frame around it to match the 30" regular ovens when installed above each other. They used to sell a trim kit, but then just expanded the box. Might have changed since I bought in 2021. The 24" Miele CSO XXL is just taller than an XL. The preheat for the XXL is still very fast and seems really fast when compared to the oven preheat in my 36" Wolf Induction Range.

@Mary Weber:

" Can you name some dishes or meals you like to make that require more than 430 degrees? I'm trying to think, but I'm pretty sure that all of my recipes are 430 or less?"

Off the top of my head, Kenji Lopez-Alt reverse seared prime rib (finish with rapid browning at 500° or higher), many bread recipes that start at high temp to brown and encourage oven spring (with my Anova Precision Oven, starting temp 482°), Barbara Kafka's classic roast chicken recipe (500° x 50-60 minutes), Cook's Illustrated fabulous oven-roasted cauliflower (475°), Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis' Southern Cornbread (450°). Kenji's Yorkshire Pudding (450°). Inability to reach these temps would definitely be a limitation for me.

@orchidslayer: Since you have an APO as well as the Wolf combi, I'm curious. Does the Wolf also have a wet bulb sensor, allowing bagless sous vide? Does it have adequate convection to air fry? How much control over steam percentage does the Wolf give you? As quirky and at times, frustrating as it can be, I love the APO and when we just redid our kitchen, I elected to get a standard wall oven rather than a combi, since I felt the APO would give me virtually anything a built-in combi would have.

I seem to cook the same as clinresga. Bread and searing are the two most common things I want a higher temp than the Wolf gives me. But I can get the bread perfect with the hottest temp and steam.

clinresgamy Wolf is several years old and I don't know what has changed. The convection works about the same as an air fryer. But it is a mess with things like roast chicken. The house I am in now (snowbird) came with a GE oven that has an air fry setting. It doesn't seem to be much different than regular convection. My Wolf only has convection, not a regular bake. (I think - I am not sure now but my Anova only has convection) and the steam is either on or off. I also don't know if I could use 100% steam and have the temp set to 135 like my Anova allows. Again, my Wolf is an early version and it also is in another state right now, so I can't check any settings.

The Anova indeed is very quirky. I have had issues where, when I finish a cook (often prime rib) and try to hold it at a temp after cooking, the oven keeps getting hotter. I had a very embarrassing dinner where the prime rib wound up well done and many where I was constantly adjusting the Anova to keep the temp where it was supposed to be. They sent me a new one, but this one has also done that. Still. I like it a lot and use it often. I seldom use my Anova sticks any more, only when I need the oven for other items. I am re-doing some of the kitchen and wish I had a place to put the Anova other than the very limited counter space. I love the wolf/Sub Zero brand, but if I could use just one oven, the Anova actually fits my needs better than my Wolf steam oven. I hope they eventually work out the bugs.

Chispa - I just saw that Wolf has a brand new 2023 M Series CSO that is 30" wide on the interior. This would be larger than your 30" that has the same interior as a 24" . Wolf might have made it due to people commenting about certain trays not fitting.

Clinresga - How does the APO do with sous vide steak? I've heard that people perfer the bag method over the bagless method.

@orchidslayer: I agree, we do appear to use ovens similarly. I've had some tech issues with the Anova, but the latest firmware update appears to have addressed many of the issues (fingers crossed). I agree that "air fry" is overhyped--it's really just convection at relatively high temps, and yes, I find it's a mess. You can, BTW, turn off the convection fan on the APO, but only with the top and bottom elements, not if you're using the rear heating elements.

@Mary Weber: APO great with bagless sous vide. fast, no plastic bag trash generated. While it's not "proof," the majority of posters on the Reddit combi oven sub who own APO's also own a SV stick, and almost all use the APO preferentially over a stick for SV.

Really, if you could eliminate the bugs from the software, and make it just a bit bigger so you could use half sheet pans, the APO would be IMO a perfect oven--far more capable than any other steam oven (short of a commercial combi),

Mary—my regular size Miele oven has convection as one of its cycles but I typically do convection baking in the CSO or the speed oven. Truth be told, the speed oven is perhaps a bit of overkill, but there are times (like holidays) when it is convenient that the speed oven is also a regular oven. I am not a fan of microwave drawers—I think it’s a one-trick pony and I didn’t want to put a microwave on the counter or in the pantry so the speed oven made sense. Also, when I remodeled my city kitchen way back in 2012, I put in the Miele speed oven—there it functions as my primary oven since my gas range is 36” and takes a long time to preheat. So I was familiar with the speed oven and liked it, so I decided to go for it in my Long Island house, since that‘s where we mostly live and entertain now.

So in sum—the CSO is great because of I love having the steam element, it preheats quickly and fits most of what we need to cook when its just me and my husband. The downsides are cleaning and not being able to roast veggies at 450. I don’t love the broiler in the CSO.

The regular oven is where I roast turkey or chicken or cook other messy things where I have the option to use the self-cleaning function or bake batches of cookies or other large items. That is also where I broil.

The speed oven is used mostly as a microwave except when I am cooking numerous dishes and need a third oven. I rarely use the speed function. I barely know how.