Kitchen planning

Choose Miele appliances around the meals you love

Plan an oven, steam oven or combination that fits the way you cook, with a practical checklist for functions, capacity and installation.

By Besser Appliances6 min readReviewed 8 October 2026

Miele DGM 7440 steam oven with microwave. A model example; functions and accessories vary across the range.

A good appliance plan begins at the dinner table. Think about the meals you make most often, what you would like to cook more of and the moments when your current kitchen runs out of space.

Write down three real occasions: an ordinary evening, a weekend bake and a meal for guests. That gives you a useful brief for comparing appliances, instead of choosing by the length of the feature list.

Describe the jobs your kitchen needs to do

For a weeknight meal, you might want to roast a tray while steaming a side and making a sauce. For a baking day, you might care about tray space and the functions used by your favourite recipes. When hosting, the challenge may be keeping several dishes ready together.

Now identify what happens simultaneously. Two dishes that need different functions or temperatures at the same time may justify separate cavities. An appliance that does several jobs is useful, but one cavity still needs a workable cooking sequence.

Include the quieter practical details: which controls you enjoy using, how you reach the shelves, how much cleaning you want to do and which cookware you already own. These choices affect everyday use long after the kitchen is installed.

Miele reference

Understand the appliance families

Understand the appliance families
Appliance type	What to compare	A question to ask
Oven	Available oven functions, cavity and tray space, controls and care system.	Does it suit my baking and roasting recipes?
Steam oven, such as DG	Steam programmes, containers, capacity and water handling.	Will I regularly use steam for sides or complete steam recipes?
Combination steam oven, such as DGC	Steam and oven functions, combination settings and model-specific controls.	Do I want steam and oven cooking in the same cavity?
Steam oven with microwave, such as DGM	Steam and microwave functions on the exact model.	Are these the cooking jobs I need alongside my main oven?
Oven with microwave	Oven, microwave and combination options on the exact model.	Would these functions suit my cooking and reheating routine?

The DGM 7440 combines steam and microwave cooking; it should not be confused with a DGC combination steam oven. Read the full product specification to establish which heating functions are included.

Likewise, Moisture Plus on a supported oven is a specific feature, rather than a description of every kind of steam cooking. Compare functions by their actual operation and the recipes you expect to use.

Miele reference

One flexible cavity or two separate ones?

A combination steam oven may be attractive when you want several cooking methods within one appliance. Choose it because those methods suit your meals, then work through an example dinner to see the sequence.

If you regularly roast while cooking a separate steam dish, a dedicated oven and steam appliance could give you more freedom. Sketch the preparation and serving time for that meal before deciding. There is no need to add another cavity unless it solves a real cooking problem.

Capacity is about the dishes and trays you actually use, as well as the stated litres. Check the usable shelf arrangement, container sizes and the appliance's cooking guidance. A favourite roasting dish or baking tin is a useful reference when discussing the options.

Make a shortlist of features you will use

Recipes and functions: confirm the precise heating modes, steam controls and assistance programmes you need.
Controls: compare display styles, how settings are entered and how instructions appear during a programme.
Cooking accessories: check included trays, containers, runners and any optional accessories required for your meals.
Care: establish whether the exact model has manual cleaning, PerfectClean surfaces, pyrolytic cleaning or HydroClean.
Hob: check pan compatibility, cooking-area layout and whether temperature assistance is actually included.
Installation: confirm the model's dimensions, ventilation, electrical requirements and any water connection with a qualified installer.

Miele reference

Miele UK: cooking appliance advice (opens in a new tab)

Choose the appearance after the cooking brief

Once the appliance functions are right, compare how the fronts, handles and controls will sit together in your kitchen. A horizontal pair and a vertical appliance bank create different visual arrangements, and access should be comfortable in either.

Miele's ArtLine, VitroLine, PureLine and ContourLine guides explain the design differences. Check the exact colour and design version of each selected product rather than assuming every appliance is available in every line.

Bring your shortlist, cabinet plan and cooking brief to the discussion with Besser Appliances. It makes the conversation concrete: which appliance does each job, what needs to be installed and which details should be confirmed before ordering.

Try this before choosing

List the three meals or occasions your kitchen should handle well.
Write down which dishes need to cook at the same time and which can be prepared in sequence.
Match those jobs to the actual functions of each shortlisted model.
Check the dish sizes, controls, cleaning requirements and installation details.
Confirm the full model numbers, finish and accessories before committing to the package.

References & further reading

Based on Miele UK product information and operating guidance available at the review date. Use the instructions supplied for your exact appliance and a complete recipe for quantities and cooking settings.