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lisaa007

27' or 30' wall oven quandary

lisa_a
14 years ago

Our kitchen remodel was spurred by two things: the need to replace our yucky, cracked vinyl floor and my desire for an oven that will hold more than the bird at Thanksgiving. I wanted a 30" wall oven to replace my 15-year old 27" GE Profile (size is the only issue, it's been a great oven otherwise).

Then I discovered that any new 27" oven will give me more interior space than our current oven. At a minimum, I would gain about 1 cu. ft. of interior space but more importantly I would gain a minimum of 1-1/2" in width, which means that I could finally use pans I haven't used since we moved in. So maybe a new 27" would solve my problems, which would save us rebuilding 3 cabinets (wall oven column, lower and upper cab next to wall oven column).

Then I started hunting for ovens and learned that 30" ovens are the norm for new construction (at least they are in my area) and that translates to fewer options in 27" ovens. I am intrigued by the GE Monogram but the models I'd prefer (one of the ZETs) only come 30" wide not 27". I have found very positive reviews for the Frigidaire pro oven, which does come in 27". It doesn't come with as many bells and whistles but it offers more than our current oven and appears reliable, according to on-line reports and Consumer Reports.

(live_wire_oak - you posted on another thread (Wolf taste, Sears budget) that the OP shouldn't consider Frigidaire but didn't say why (even though another poster asked). I'd like to know why, please.)

So here's my quandary:

I can stick with my current oven size, get the Frigidaire pro oven with a good rep, install the convection/microwave above it and put a 27" warming drawer in the base cabinet next to it. This would require minimal cabinet work, saving us money. But will I be sorry I didn't go with a 30" oven?

OR

I could go with a 30" oven, possibly a GE Monogram, install the convection/microwave above it and put the warming drawer below it (there wouldn't be enough room in the cab next to the oven anymore). I think I'd find the warming drawer set-up a little less convenient but since it won't be used daily, it might not be an issue. This would cost more initially because I'd have to have the oven column, the upper and lower cabinets rebuilt but it would remove oven choice limits now and quite possibly in the future.

Any thoughts? Anyone else deal with a similar issue? If so, what did you decide? If you stayed with a 27" oven, any regrets?

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