The wall ovens are more functional and more asthetic than anything else.

Functional: If you have more than one person doing the cooking for holidays then there are two separate sections and people don't have to be in each others way. Also a wall oven/dual oven you can have a dessert and a dish going at the same time.

Asthetic: Lately home buyers and real estate folks boast wall ovens as having a premium kitchen

Convenience: You don't have to lean all the way down to check, put or take things out of the oven.

In terms of reliability i have read here they are not so good especially if you use self clean feature on some ovens.

In terms of getting old school knob, on/off style appliances those days are over almost all manufacturers are putting useless gadgets to appeal to the bieber crowd.

We are getting a wall oven mostly because i do most of the cooking in our home and using a gas range and wall oven can be used for baking which is what my partner does.

It boils down to what you need. Few things to consider would be your cooking style and also the resale value of your home (Kitchen is a huge part of that).

I guess my post was confusing. I'm going to get the double wall ovens - this new house has a cooktop for cooking. In fact, I'm a tad thrilled about having two ovens as I have always had to juggle things on the holidays!

My issue is with which double ovens to buy? I'm amazed at the price differences and I guess the question is what's the differences between the $1700 double oven and the $4600 double oven?

I guess I just need to compare specs, but I cannot fathom that one is so much better at baking than another. But, perhaps I'm wrong.

a toaster is a toaster is a toaster.
a heating element is a heating element is a heating element.

You can get a well insulated wall oven from Fagor, with a side opening door, and still have money left over for other purchases. You can get a countertop oven like a Breville. You can cook a lot on a cooktop too. Fagor has cooktop "appliance" cookware too. See their site. Steam can be made without spending thousands.

Hth

Ok... my $0.02 on which to purchase only from research.

I am in canada and we don't use self cleaning a lot on ovens infact our current oven i didn't even know i had self cleaning option.

Kitchenaid kebs208ss is at the top of my list mostly because the fridge and dishwasher are KA.

I know the kitchenaid architect II ovens will fail if you use self cleaning, almost 90% of the people here have had this problem.

Next on my list is Electrolux wall oven which i hear seems to be a good middle of the line oven.

Wolf makes some excellent ovens but a bit pricey for me for something that i will use two dozen times a year.

Gaggenau seems to be also very popular but too much cash for my liking for what i use the oven for.

Those are the only ones i can comment on i have not researched the GE brands or other brands.

In regard to your original question, I think the difference between the lower-priced Whirlpools and the higher-priced wall ovens are better insulation, fewer hot spots, better broiling, come back to temperature faster after you open the door, and of course, the high-end appearance. However, we certainly have seen reports of expensive wall ovens which have problems with one or more of the things I just mentioned, so I guess it's an individual decision whether you want to spend that money or not. Also, do lots of research, and ask questions on this forum once you narrow down your choices.

I was going to recommend you look at the DCS wall ovens--they have a good reputation, and their wall ovens are beautiful to look at, especially cause they use knobs instead of a touch pad. Unfortunately, their double wall ovens appear to be about $5000 (!). I don't have wall ovens myself; I kinda wish I'd chosen that option when designing my kitchen (instead of having my range, though my range is fine too).

If I were shopping for wall ovens, I'd try to find one with the least electronics, though they all have them. I prefer the look and feel of the wall ovens with knobs rather than a touch panel. I'll link below a previous thread on that topic.

Jmith - the Kitchenaid wall ovens are made by Whirlpool. General consensus is that Kitchenaid makes great fridges and dishwashers, but fall down on wall ovens for some reason. I don't think I've seen a good review of a Kitchenaid wall oven sorry to say. I myself have a KA fridge and it has performed flawlessly. Really, no brand makes good products across the board; typically a manufacturer excels in 1 or 2 products. So it is best not to get a suite of the same brand which seems like what you want to do.

Here is a link that might be useful: Older Thread about Wall Ovens with Knobs

I use most of the modes and probe and self cleaning on my oven but I could get by with a regular oven as I did for 45 years before I had this oven. I have used the dehydration function for food and to dry art projects. I Love my oven and it suits me but everyone has different cooking styles and needs. Just take a hard look at yours and what you hope to accomplish with your new kitchen and you can determine what you need.

I have a Jenn Air electric oven as part of a slide in range. I will be replacing this fairly new unit to get an induction cooktop and wall oven combo. We use convection and are looking for that feature. This oven has not been consistent enough in maintaining a heat setting for some uses we've tried. Sous vide or long low roasting has not been successful. Set the temp at 125 and it varies from 90 to 141. The temp sensor is not sensitive enough and does not cycle quickly enough. Someone once said the cost to oem of this part is $1.50. So a new oven or a water bath setup are the main alternatives. Gaggenau keeps the temp consistent. New is not in budget. Fagor has an electronic not mechanical thermostat. Fagor allows the oven to run 48 hours, some turn off after 12. When I called them, the service tech said it may be a misprint and they will check and email me the info. The previous model shut off after 3 hours- another misprint. Sabbath mode may allow long cook times. Current Miele and maybe GE are consistent but may not stay on long enough. The search goes on.

I think a lot of the responses here must be from people who don't actually use ovens for a variety of tasks. I've had to do a lot of oven shopping recently, besides participating in this forum for several years with other people who do cook and bake a lot, and have been dismayed at how bad many of the available ovens are.

Instead of doing what an oven is supposed to do--get to a certain temperature and try to stay there, the current ovens are more about having a computer program second guess your intentions and try to maximize energy savings from the way the engineer thought you'd use the oven rather than how cooks use ovens in real life. The Smeg (Italian) oven lists as a feature that it turns off when you open the door. That means that if you baste, add toppings,

There are all kinds of bells and whistles, but few people need them. The gonzo broiler is the only "feature" that might be worth extra money to someone who will use it. Otherwise, the most important attributes are the ability to rise to temperature and hold it accurately, and the ability of the cook/baker to control how the oven works (top heat, bottom heat, convection, fast or slow preheat, etc.). Cool exterior, air filters, self-cleaning that does not destroy the enamel or electronics, etc., are all very nice, as are lights, windows, etc. But accuracy and control are the important things.

The best rated ovens for function around here, Gaggenau and Wolf, are also top of the line. Miele used to be up there but people have been reporting problems more recently. There are fans of the Electrolux ovens but I haven't seen a performance review from a baker.

I haven't heard enough reports of the lower tier appliances to give feedback, other than that people hate the Frigidaires. I can imagine that it's possible that a lowest tier oven could actually out perform a mid-priced one if it wasn't as over-engineered.

If you don't want the bells and whistles, get something that looks nice, has a decent warranty, and maybe has convection on one of the two. Maybe even self-clean, if you're into that. :)

I've had high end ones that were terrible--so bad when I did my last remodel I kept the bottom-of-the line GE that came with the house just because it does cookies nicely. I wasn't willing to give up something that worked (FOR ME!!!) for another unknown oven.

Even heat and maintaining the selected temp are the biggies, and not necessarily available in all ovens...And price doesn't necessarily tell the story. But it does seem that less expensive ovens are also 'cheaper,' not just more basic, which is sad.

DCS should be a good oven, but if you want the same functional 'guts' you can get a Fisher & Paykel for much less $$. Way different exterior look, though.

I never use my broiler, but use my probe all the time, especially now that I discovered mine will work for breads as well as meats.

Wolf may sound like it's fancier, because of the dual convection fan, but it works great. Fisher and Paykel baked almost as well...but only OK if you have good service support for that brand in your area. Both are very easy to control to your specifications by choosing mode and fine tuning temperature. Stay away from Monogram, which doesn't seem to manage 'the biggies' I listed above, will turn on the 'preheat' function to adjust the temperature and burn your baked goods, and isn't very adjustable to your needs, with 25 degree increment adjustments and few rack positions.

Cj47 has an Electrolux dbl oven and is an avid bread baker, and has told me she's very happy with it.

Here is a thread that got off on another foot before the brand naming people started to post names of brands.

Here is a link that might be useful: Simplest design wall oven

After insane deliberation, I have selected Bosch 800, top of the line, double ovens. The 800 has fast preheat and good broilers in both ovens. The 500 does not. They are not flashy. I wish for Wolf but don't want to spend.

Fast pre heat is important as we do frozen and regular pizzas, and the troops will revolt if they have to wait a long time for preheat.

A good broiler with power and a lot of passes(curvy rods) is important also. Cooktop pan broiling is rare for me.

I am hoping that the temps will be accurate and stay that way, esp high heat for pizza, artisan breads and broiling. I have found nothing to suggest that Bosch cannot handle this requirement. But... (I have followed the travails of Rhome, but not Bosch travails)

I have been waiting all my adult life for self cleaning ovens. These will be my first.

Bosch isn't one I got to try, Westsider40. ;-) I looked at them when I got the Monogram, but at that time, the new models were too new to have a track record I could check on. Not that it helped with the GE...

I know, Rhome. I followed your story all the way through and, of course, absolutely wish you did not have to suffer through such trials and errors and expenses. This will sound spiritual and I know that you are deeply religious, but, who else could have gone through that journey but you, if only because your husband could continue to alter the oven cabinets, as he is the cabinetmaker?

And who else would it matter so much to, as you bake all the bread for your large family? Your baked breads affect 10 people. I don't think store bought bread would have ever been an option for your family because of the values you have in making healthy food for your family, the sustenance/caretaking aspect, and your budget restrictions on a teacher's salary. That's a very good thing, too. If you had money to burn, maybe the oven journey would have been different.

I remember the part of getting those Friday pizzas onto the table in 6-7 minutes. And the photo of your lovely kids.

A good story has conflict. Choices. Decisions.

We all learned from your story. Wolf, FP, and Bosch, if Bosch had had a history at the time. Not Monogram--Methinks I am mushy and sentimental at this late hour. Very dramatic, oh my. I love your blog. I hope my future Bosch will work well. My 50 year old Frigidaire ovens are baking perfectly.

Davidro, those brand naming people (inc. me) started naming brands because the OP in that thread asked for recommendations.

"How fancy do you really need?" is the title. I.e. "What does one really need?"

These are the questions the OP asked, essentially. People often move their questioning to manufacturer and brand, instead of staying on a more impartial and abstract level.

"... If it's worth the cost, then I have no problem..."
"... if it's for bells and whistles ..."
"... if it's for the brand...."

All of us could have avoided naming names for the longest time possible.
imo.

In this thread, I didn't see a request for names in the OP, so my case is stronger than if a request for names had been included amidst the other questions. People often name names instead of staying on a more impartial and abstract level. A discussion can be carried on without any names being mentioned, if we are discussing facts about features and needs. It can be done.

In the thread I linked to above, the discussion is about thermal stability, which one can get from wall ovens in the $1000 range too.

Hth

Wow, Westsider40, I am touched at how you really have kept track of me and my stories! -I prefer to think of myself as "deeply faithful." ;-) Although, not as deep as I should be sometimes.-Thanks, too, for the compliment on the blog.

I hope your new ovens work as well or better than your old...Maybe keep them handy? Nothing seems to work like the old stuff.

Sorry for the hijack of your post, Caroleoh!

David, oh David, The instructions on the post page ask us to furnish brand names, type of appliance and model numbers. It can only be helpful.

As Rhome mentioned, I have the 'regular' Electrolux ovens and I've been very happy with them. I have found them to bake very evenly and to be good at holding the temperature even. We bake bread, home made pizza, meats, roast veggies--all the normal stuff, and we use the ovens on a daily basis. I've used the broiler a handful of times, it is not something that I use a lot, but it seems to do the job well. I've also run the self clean without incident. You do have to remove the (fabulous) roll out racks and the frames before self cleaning. I don't mind that. The roll outs are very sturdy and I absolutely love them. I prefer these over the Icons because the Icons are shallower. This was a deal breaker for me.

If you have any questions, I'm glad to answer.

Cj

cj47,
How long have you had your Electrolux ovens? I've been told that they are a little smaller. I'm used to a 30" full-size, big enough to fit a 25 lb. turkey in the pan comfortably. Can this one do it?

mjvbryan, I've had my E'lux ovens installed since August 2010. Before buying, I took my largest roasting pan to the store to make sure it would fit with room to spare--and it did. I had 15 people in for Thanksgiving, and made a 26 lb bird. It turned out beautifully. Like Rhome, I LOVE the probe and use it all the time. Honestly, I don't recall if the E'lux non-Icons are smaller than some of the other brands in the same price range, though they are definitely bigger than the Icons. I've not found them to be too small for anything I've asked them to do. I have found them to heat very evenly, not requiring me to spin pizzas and pies, or shuffle bread pans to get them to brown evenly. We did spin a tray of cookies during the holidays, but oddly, not all of the different kinds of cookies required that. Thus far I've been very pleased with the ovens.

Cj47