Personally, I would recommend the Fisher and Paykel. We have the double ovens and really love them. Both the convection fan and the cooling fan are very quiet. The oven has many cooking modes to choose from, and has very low temp settings (as low as 80 degrees) so you can use it to proof dough or to keep food warm, and you can set the temperature at small increments. The display shows real time temperature so you know how hot the oven is as it preheats. The broiler is pretty strong and works very evenly. The shelving system has many options for rack height. The only drawback that I can think of is that it has traditional racks and not glide racks.

Also consider the GE Monogram ZET1, with the dial controls. It has glide racks that can be left in the oven during the self clean cycle. It doesn't have as many cook cycles, and the temperature can't be set at as small increments as the F&P, but it is a great oven and people here really like it. (We had a hard time choosing between the Monogram and the F&P.)

Both of these ovens have pretty large usable capacities for wall ovens, excellent lighting, concealed bottom elements, and can be purchased with your budget. Bring your favourite pans with you to the store and go scope them out.

I would say Monogram either the ZET1 or even the new ZET938SM or Bosch's new set of ovens HBL5xxx because thats just about the largest oven on the market.

Thanks for the input you guys; i really appreciate it. I was looking at the new Bosch and was impressed by it's size. Do you know anyone who has one? Does Bosch make good ovens? I was initially looking at the KitchenAid Architect II and the Electrolux but i read about the KitchenAid pre-heat issues (on this site) and thought i should check out other options. I liked the look of the Electrolux though it does not have some of the features that i would like. I wil check out the F&P and the Monogram as well. Any other thoughts? Thanks!

tower, I have the previous model Bosch - the 700 series. I really really like the oven. It cooks really well - very steady temperature holding, I love the convection mode and I've used the bake, broil, and roast modes with convection and without - and I do need regular bake for some of the things I cook, too.

However, one of the things I liked most about the 700 series was that it was not a large oven - in fact, it was one of the smaller ovens around - sort of like the Miele and Gaggenau 27inchers in that, like my Bosch oven (which is a 30"), they are none of them very tall. I really like that about them. It means heating them is energy efficient, fairly quick. It also meant that I could install it undercounter and still have a drawer go under it - it was something I wanted for my UC configuration.

The new Bosch ovens that you'd be looking at, I have no idea about. I don't know how radical a change it is compared to the one I have but there are scores of more modes and features now so I really can't speak to 'em. They do look really good but personally, I prefer the smaller cavity of my 30" - still a nice wide affair to allow a good steady state flow to set up without an enormous volume.

I was in the same position as you--trying to make a decision on what features I really wanted/needed, yet trying to stay within a budget.

I ruled out the Electrolux and the Kitchenaid for similar reasons to you. I couldn't find a Monogram dealer locally, but Fisher and Paykel ovens were everywhere and seemed to be a lot better supported where I live.

I decided on the Fisher and Paykel oven. Can't tell you how its working for me yet as my new kitchen is not up and running. But from the reviews of this oven I've read on this site, I'm fairly confident my decision was a good one.

the new bosch ovens are in essence a thermador designed piece. They are very new, less than 2 months on the market really. I'm not too worried bosch is a good company, and their other products have done well.

Tower24 and WestCoastCan: May I ask why you ruled out the Electrolux? I am 90% sure that's the model I'm going with for my new house and would like to know what you needed that it couldn't do. Maybe there's something I'm missing... Thanks!
try_hard
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the electrolux doesnt seem like a bad product. it is chiefly designed by dacor which is sort of a mixed blessing

FWIW, I think the ZET1 Monogram ovens are likely to be above $2000, unless you get a real deal on one.

heimert, good catch

upon me checking the prices at the store, the zet1 should sell in the $22-$2400 range, the zet938sm is in your budget though and has most of the features of the zet1

Hi try_hard- i love the look of the Electrolux and love the slide racks. It is smaller than average which didn't bother me too much but was a consideration since it would be my only oven. Here are some additional 'issues'; hopefully they are trivial to you. It doesn't have a 'keep warm' or a low temp; i think the low is 175 or 200 deg. The double oven has this feature but the single one doesn't. The display is not as informative as others. For example, the display doesn't show temp while preheating or the target temp, it just shows "preheating". When the timer is on, the clock (current time) is no longer shown. There is no default temp selected when you choose a cooking mode. These are little things of course but i think this sort of feedback is helpful when multitasking in the kitchen. Although i love the look of the touch pad, i saw it at "The Great Indoors" and the display was broken and "always lit"; it never went into that 'dim mode' which made me think it is a potential problem. Also, the touch pad is not as responsive as others. Hopefully, you will hear from Electrolux users who will tell you that all of what i said doesn't make a difference in practice! i know how hard it is to come to a decision on appliances so i really don't want to dissuade you from something that you are 90% sure of!!! Anyway, let me know your thoughts, and other Electrolux users, please let me know your thoughts - hopefully these things are not bothersome in the kitchen and are only noticeable when comparing appliances on the showroom floor!!

I was looking at those ovens as well, Electrolux Icon and Bosch 800 series (touch pad rather than dials) + convection microwave. Does anyone have any feedback on these two ovens?

I have the Electrolux. I find that the touchpad is very responsive. In fact, I can manage to turn it on if I inadvertently bump it with my hip. I would not base whether the controls wok effectively based on whether they are broken at a big box store. There are too many little kids punching away at buttons and too many unknowns with regard to the quality of installation.

Given that even on some of the pricer ovens, people on this forum have noted that the preheat really doesn't leave the oven sufficiently pre-heated, I use an oven thermometer. (It's a habit I got into with my old oven that would incinerate things.) With regard to the timer/clock, my microwave is on the same wall and I've got a clock there so for me, it's a non-issue.

I'm also not sure why you would want a default temp on any cooking mode other than broil. I suspect that if there were a default setting, I'd forget and be baking something at the wrong temp or you have to go to an additional step to put in the temp that you want. The broiler, however, does have a pre-set.

When you note that it's smaller than average, what are you referring to? If you are concerned about the cubic feet of the interior, I was initially concerned, as well. Then I did the math. There is virtually no difference between the Electrolux and the Thermador, with the latter advertising that they have the largest cavity.

Aside from the 3 glide racks, the other big plus is that the door does not get hot. If you have nosy pets or little kids, this is a great feature.

We went for a Fisher & Paykel. It's only been installed two days but I love it so far. The oven is very roomy and all the elements/fans are hidden. It has a ton of cooking options and a temperature probe.

We used the maxibroil feature for our first meal and it really was smokeless as they promised. Minimal spattering. The porkchops we made turned out browned and juicy.

It has 16 rack combinations, all sorts of convection/non convection options. Great temp control -- all the way down to 80 degrees. Plus that pretty blue interior! It came with the 3 piece broiling system, a cookbook, and 2 top quality cookie sheets. I think you get even more goodies with the double oven model.

I like that it has knobs instead of the stupid electronic touch pad that always looks greasy and gets scratched. IMO, it's very stylish looking.

I'm very pleased so far. It's miles ahead of the standard electric ranges I have used in the past. Functional and beautiful!