It really depends on the way you cook. On average, I'd say I use the two ovens at the same time about 3 times a week. It's usually when I have two things that require extremely different temperatures, or different cooking modes. Examples: broiling fish and roasting red potatoes, broiling veggie burgers and cooking oven fries, you get the idea. Also, at times when I have bread rising in one oven and the kids want to make brownies...NOW!

At the holidays, well, we're maniacs with the ovens. We bake several hundred dozen cookies (family tradition---really insanity), and we tend to host the dinners. Those ovens are priceless then.

I think it comes down to how you cook. It's one of those luxuries that once you have it, you get used to having it and use it more. It's hard to give up after you've had it, and I've had three different double ovens in two houses over the past 15 years. We're hooked.

I grew up in a house with double ovens and, later, a separate microwave. I would say the second oven got used about once or twice a month, and the microwave got used several times a day.

However, I don't think we would have replaced the second oven with the microwave. If you do decide to go the oven/microwave route, I would stack two separate units so the microwave can be replaced separately from the oven.

Here is a product i recently discovered on the Appliance forum. It's called the GE Double in a Single. If you are space challenged like we are, this looks pretty interesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: GE Double Single wall oven

I have a convection oven & convection microwave combo (KitchenAid Architect II) and I think it is the absolutely best thing since sliced bread! It ranks right up there with my foot pedal trash drawer in competing for my favourite gismo of the kitchen!
I had no idea just how useful it would be but thought it would come in handy as that second oven at holiday time. What I've found is that I use the convection/crisp/steam features on that little oven almost every day. So far I've used it even more than the regular oven.

I did inquire about replacement of either/or and was told that if the micro goes then it can be replaced, but, if the main oven was to give up the ghost then yes the whole thing would need replacing.

from someone who has never had a double oven - I have only wished for one about one day of the year - Thanksgiving. Actually one other time when I was making lasagna for a football team. I had to use my MIL's double oven (who lives next door)

I suppose if I had one, I'd think I couldn't live without it. Guess its whatever you're used to.

I have double 30" ovens. I usually have it set up so the upper oven rack is set for broiling and the lower oven rack is set for baking/roasting. We use both (at the same time) several times a month, usually when entertaining. It is so convenient to be able to roast a chicken a bake a pie at the same time.

anna_bannana, I've been wrestling with this question, too. When we started this remodeling venture, I wanted two 30" ovens (currently have one 27" oven), a warming drawer and a convection microwave.

Then I stepped back and wondered, do I really *need* all these toys?

Like seaglass7, I like to make meals with dishes that require different cooking methods and temperatures so having more than one oven will come in handy on a regular basis, not just at the holidays. However, I have to admit that the idea of heating up 2 30" ovens for 1 dish each for the 4 of us struck me as wasteful. I'm not rabid about it but I do try to use resources wisely whenever possible. Plus, the set-up isn't the best for my reaching-to-be-5'4". One is too low, the other is a bit too high for my comfort.

I've decided to go with a single oven set at a convenient height, a convection microwave and a warming drawer. I hope this gives me the flexibility I want without eating up too much cabinet space. And too many of my remodeling dollars.

I'm still trying to decide between a 27" oven and a 30" oven (that would require more new cabinets). A GWer suggested that I carry my biggest baking pan to the stores to test out oven capacity. You could do the same with 2 pans since it sounds like you are thinking you need 2 ovens, one for each pan. You might find out that one 30" oven will be sufficient. Or it might solidify your decision to go with two 30" ovens.

When I was designing this house, I almost went with a double oven. But then it occurred to me that I have been cooking huge holiday meals for 30 years now with a single oven and did just fine. I decided to free up the counter space and get a built-in looking microwave to go above my single wall oven. I also bought a counter-top convection oven which I try to use whenever possible to save energy and also not heat up the house any more than necessary. I do not regret my decision one bit. But honestly....it really all depends on how you cook.

I won't do it again......I use mine only on Thanksgiving for a turkey and a ham. I also have a warming drawer and that doesn't get used much more.
My next house will have one wall oven and a micro/oven comb.....I think I would use that a lot more.

I know you are asking about wall ovens, but I've been looking at freestanding ranges. I don't know whether I would use it enough to justify two ovens. I do not do major holiday baking. I saw several reviews where most people use the little upper oven only. Also, the lower oven (usually the convection one) opens practically on the floor, and I'd be worried I'd get a burned cat, especially at TG time, when one of mine goes completely bonkers for turkey.

It really does depend on how you cook. I recently removed my 27" DO and replaced with 30" oven and microwave. I rarely used the DO. The real difference is having the 30" oven. Yesterday I had two roasting pans in there with room to spare and everything turns out better so far.

Whatever you choose, recommend you get separate pieces. With combos, you have to replace the whole unit if one goes out.

I anwswered from one point of view and now I will answer from the other. I live with a former chef who manages to do production level baking with a single 30" oven. (And only a couple of feet of counterspace.)

So you need to analyze how you cook, but also, do a cost benefit analysis. Will the expense of the extra oven used occasionally be worth it, or take out of the budget somewhere else. How about room? Will the extra oven take up room that would be best used for something else, or do you have plenty of space?

That's something I considered too palimpsest. I figured if that second oven cost me $1200 and I only used it twice a year, that worked out to $60 for each use over a 10 year period. That's a lot of money for something that is going to take up a lot of room when it's not in use! This is what I ended up with. The oven is at a very comfortable height and the microwave with a trim kit to make it match the oven is just a little higher. And I have no ugly microwave sitting on my pretty granite.

Thanks for all the wonderful advice and insight!
We are leaning towards one oven and a microwave w/convection. Your combo is beautiful, ccoombs1.

I think that going from a 24" oven (that barely holds the Thanskgiving turkey!!) to 30" will feel like a huge luxury.

thank you. They are GE Profile.

Late to the party, but my 2 cents worth....

We have double ovens and use them both several times a week...usually at the same time. They're both used at the same time for a variety of reasons:

(1) I'm using speed cook in one and convection in the other
(2) I'm roasting in one & baking in the other
(3) I'm using two very different temperatures
(4) I'm baking so many items that I need both ovens
(5) Anything that gets put directly on the rack for baking (like pizza) for the family goes in the bottom oven; if it's for me (gluten-free), it goes in the top oven.

Sure, I could probably use just one...but then I'd have to wait around for round 1 to get done b/f round 2. It saves me a lot of time and foods are done around the same time I don't have to go back and reheat the items that were done in round 1. And, yes, I did live with one oven but I would always sigh (grumble a little) and tell myself...I can't wait until we can afford to remodel & get double ovens! (It became even more of an issue when I was diagnosed w/Celiac Disease.)

[I have the GE Profile Trivection Double Ovens. It has a speed cook on top and convection on the bottom. Top can be used as speed cook/broil, convection single/multi/roast, or traditional. Bottom can be used as convection single/multi/roast, or traditional.]

If you are considering getting a MW/Convection or Advantium as your second oven, remember this....*** If you are using either of them as an oven, you don't have a MW. *** You'll have to wait until you're done using it as an oven b/f you can use them as a MW. This point was the deal-breaker when we were planning our appliances. We use our MW a lot, just about all our veggies are cooked in the MW. So, rather than give up counter space, we got one of the Sharp MW Drawers. Others have put their MW in the pantry, others had upper cabinets modified to hold a MW in the bottom, still others built MW alcoves in base cabinets, etc. If counter space is an issue, there are a lot of things you can do to get a MW off the counter.

All of the above pertains to our family. It's provided simply to give you things to think about & allow you to make an informed decision, not to try to convince you to get a double oven. As others have said, think about how you cook OR how you would like to cook and base your decision on that. Are there other issues that two ovens would solve? Is it worth it to you to solve those issues? (Maybe not, e.g., maybe you rarely bake or rarely use the oven for more than one item and when you do it's too rare to worry about.)

BTW...Going from a 24" to a 30" would not have addressed any of the reasons that we had for getting the double ovens...but YMMV.

Buehl,
I had not factored in about the "no microwave available if using the convection oven" until you mentioned it. Thank you!! That is very helpful!
I am intrigued by microwave drawers now...time to do a GW search. :-)

I'll add one more comment. The oven I got is convection. And since it's convection, I can load up all three racks in there at the same time!! For Christmas dinner, I had a turkey breast, Stuffing, Green Bean casserole and Macaroni and cheese all baking at the same time. so even though it is just one oven, you can cook a lot more at the same time than you can do in a regular single oven. And since my microwave is not a built in (it has a trim kit so it looks built in), I can use it at the same time as the convection oven.

I don't use more than one oven at a time very often, because I use my toaster oven as a second oven for a lot of things -- french fries, or biscuits, etc. But I knew the one absolutely-must-have in my new kitchen was two ovens. Because while I don't NEED two full size ovens very often, when I do need two ovens, I really do.

I make Thanksgiving dinner for 20+ people every year. I make a BIG turkey, and usually lasagna, plus about a dozen other dishes. I've been doing this for about 15 years, starting with my tiny NYC galley kitchen. And every year, it has been insane trying to do it with one oven. I tried every kind of substitute for a full size second oven -- the biggest toaster oven I could find, a turkey roaster to cook the turkey etc. But inevitably, it became utter chaos when the bird came out of the oven trying to get everything else IN, and trying to get everything on the table HOT.

Now I actually have three ovens. I have a Cornufe which has two smallish ovens. I thought about just having that, but decided that the ovens were too small for my annual turkey, so I also got a 30 inch Dacor wall oven.

Seems crazy for just one day a year, but that one day a year is very important to me. It is MY holiday, when everyone from both my family and my husband's, and any stray friends and their visiting relatives come to my house. I did it in my small NY apartment, and all I ever wanted was a second oven, and a dining room. We moved four years ago to a big old Victorian house in NJ, and I got my dining room. And finally this past Thanksgiving I got my new kitchen. It was BRAND new for Thanksgiving, so I burned a few things in my new oven -- not used to convection yet. But it was heavenly.

I use more than one oven a few times a month. It is very convenient, but the big meals, Thanksgiving, parties, etc. are when it is key.

Thank you all again for the thoughtful and very helpful responses.

The current (and not-set-in-stone!) plan is for double ovens and a small microwave either on a shelf or under the counter (such as GE spacemaker). (Just in case the microwave breaks down, would like to easily and inexpensively replace it, so decided to avoid built-in type models.)