This topic has kept me up at nights. Like you, I hate using a big oven when a smaller one will do. So, I have decided on a speed oven--likely Miele, although GE and Electrolux makes them also--which is a microwave, convection oven, and I think/hope it toasts as well. They are a little less than a half-oven. I would go for the wall oven, warming drawer, and toaster oven/speed oven for you, and skip the double ovens. I think double ovens are great if you bake in large quantities where the food needs to be precisely cooked at different temperatures, but for meats and potatoes and such, the temperature differential is not really a big deal. It is easy to reduce/increase both the temperature and time and still have everything come out fine. A warming drawer is fantastic. Remember, with a convection oven, things cook faster, so for that occasional large meal, it is easy to cook many things and as they finish, put them in the warming drawer while you go onto the next item. Also, with 6 people in your house, you will have kids coming and going at all hours of the day. Rather than say, "Honey, let me heat up dinner for you," you can relax on the couch with a glass of wine and say, "Honey, your dinner is in the warming oven."

Jess, are you referring to the following statement from the Installation Instructions? Five inches (5â³) minimum vertical clearance between the cooktop bottom and any combustible surfaces. This just means you cannot store things like linens, pot holders, etc. in that top drawer. Notice it says "combustible surfaces". My KD assured me that you can store utensils in that top drawer but made me promise to never store linens & pot holders! You're fine! BTW...I have the 962 model (36" w/bridge). It uses the same manuals as yours. It's not installed yet.

Hmmm.....6' of space for a 48" cooktop is only going to leave you 1' of space on each side of it which may be pretty tight. Personally....I think I'd rather have a 36" cooktop with 18" of space on each side. But I know that isn't what you asked. lol! One thing I do want to mention. It may be possible for you to put 3 drawers under the cooktop. Mine is a GE Momogram and there would have been room for a top drawer instead of a false panel. The drawer would have been a bit shallower, but it would have been ideal for spices or cooking utensils. It also may need a cut out area in the back of the drawer for the gas line. I do plan to get my cabinet guy to make me a 3rd drawer.

What do you people cook in your ovens? Bowling balls? Heh heh. You must be pulling out 30lb turkeys daily if the weight of your pans is that huge of a concern. I only cook turkeys once a year (for which my family thanks me) and only on the big green egg, so we decided on a range with two ovens and a warming cabinet because of the space we gained as well as the look. Our ovens have drawers below them so they aren't on the floor and when I do use them I am able to safely open and check the food without being in danger of burning my nose. We had wall ovens in the old house and hated them, as well as the gas cook top, which IMO is just a horrific waste of space. Now in our new house we have that same crappy set up and will be yanking it out as soon as possible. But we will still only cook turkeys rarely. As a pure ergonomics issue though, it is always better to lift up verses lift from chest level so for me....I just don't get why people put the stove up on the wall. Much like the drawer microwave...it just feels unsafe. And ummm they are ugly. Ok IMO but really, I hate big electronics and plastic in the middle of a wall. (I feel the same way about big screen tvs).