But one benefit I do find is a clean install forces me to comb through all the options to set up the device as I want it.
Yeah. DFU has always been my go to for some reason, although don’t think I’ve done a clean install for MANY years!DFU should be used if there is an issue with booting/bootloader. You can update normally or use recovery mode which will both grab the latest IPSW using Finder or iTunes.