I have written a blog post about LotroPlan, a spreadsheet that can be used to evaluate, plan, and compare changes to your gear.
http://shadowbanekin.guildlaunch.com/users/blog/2962374/1546818/using-lotroplan-for-essence-gear
I have been using it for almost 2 years, since we first got essence gear. I recommend it, and don't know how I would manage essence gear without it.
The blog post contains a number of screen shots If you want to get an idea of how it works before you try it. Click on them to enlarge them.
If you have any questions or need any help with it, let me know.