Slow preheat is a not a reason to avoid this oven, it like Wolf and a few others use a "true preheat" algorithm. Ovens that do this get complaints about slow preheating, but in actuality they're just being honest. Most ovens will beep when the sensor reads that the air temperature is at your setpoint. This oven adds preheat time so it beeps when the full cavity, including all surfaces, are preheated. This leads to more even baking. Other ovens you should wait a while after the beep to get really even baking.

I have a similar KA oven, it is a bit older but it is after they implemented the self clean fix, so it has the more powerful fan. It really doesn't bother me. If you're worried, I would be looking at Bosch and Electrolux. Bosch did a ground up redesign of their ovens recently, so most of the comments you will read about the 500 series are talking about the old models and aren't applicable to their current ovens (which there aren't many reviews for yet).

Thanks for the reply. Part of me just wants to stay with my original choice, especially because I got it on sale. The reviews on the Lowes website were 4 out of 5. It was only after I joined this website that I read the bad reviews... These are big ticket items and no one wants to have to replace!!

Thanks again for your level-headed replies!

It makes a lot of sense that people tend to reply more only when something is going wrong. I tend to be pretty laid back, and 4 out of 5 stars would suffice. I'll keep what you said in mind! ;)

In regard to the loud fans, loud is a very subjective term. What some think is loud may not be an issue w/someone else. I have 3 ovens in my home, one at times gets complaints about the fan noise from other posters (BS). I have 2 Wolfs, a CSO and a 30" E-series convection. IMO the Wolf convection has the loudest fan and it continues to run long after the oven is turned off (cooling). Even when not using conv. mode it still uses the fan to help pre-heat. The CSO only has convection mode so the fan runs always, also when cooling down. It's over the conv. oven and is probably the 2nd loudest. The BS has a toggle switch so the fan can be turned off manually. I must have gotten a well built one as I've heard some complaints about the BS fan being loud but mine is quieter than the other 2 ovens. We use the Wolfs the most, the E-series fans can be annoying as they run for a long time and are not particularly quiet. Our home is semi open concept so fan noise doesn't affect any other areas. I would go listen to a few in the appliance store just to compare if it's something that may be an issue.

Good replies here already. Any new oven will be a big change, and expect a learning curve. We replaced a 26-year old GE wall oven with our remodel, two years ago, and I'm still getting the hang of all the features. I chose E-lux Wave Touch over KA solely because I like how the racks roll out. The E-lux takes 10-15 minutes to preheat but a service tech told me to allow a full thirty minutes so the oven will be evenly warm ( not sure I said that right). IMO a the fan is noisy but I have nothing to compare it with, so I ignore it as best I can. The convection fan is noisier, slight rattle in the frame of the oven accompanies it, but E-lux tech couldn't do anything about it so I've gotten used to it. Nothing is perfect.

I have Wolf and I actually thought the fan was quieter than others I looked at. I can't be sure which brands those were now, but I have an open kitchen, breakfast and family room and the oven fan has not been a problem. The fan comes on in convection mode, preheating, generally above 350 and as needed for cooling. At lower temps, that can be only when the door is opened. I think there are at least two different fan modes too -- one for circulation and one for cooling, and the cooling seems to be a little louder, but still not objectionable.

I also wanted to comment on preheat times. My ovens reach 350 in 8-10 minutes. I generally give them a bit longer to stabilize, but not 30-40 minutes.

As many have mentioned here in Garden Web, it takes at least 30 minutes for the oven to preheat and properly equilibrate.

Here is, (from the Miele Service Manual), the specifications that there Service people are suppose to use when checking for proper preheating performance in a Miele oven.

"5. Turn the oven on. Select “Convection Bake” with the temperature set to
320°F (160°C). Set the timer to 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the oven
should be at 320°F."

6.5.2.2 Test Procedure 2
1. Repeat steps 1 to 4 in Test Procedure 1.
2. Turn the oven on. Select “Surround” with the temperature set to 375°F
(190°C). Set the timer to 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, the oven will be at
375°F.
So one can see, the Miele, (one of the most expensive Ovens made, (and some say the best oven), figures it takes
30 mins to get to 325 F and 40 minutes to get to 375 F.

As HV tech mentioned, some oven manufactures "cheat", (Paraphrasing), by just measuring the hot air when it reaches the temp probe.

Gary

PS, thanks again for the Miele Service Manual, hvtech42, I saved it this time in my cmptr!

The length of preheat necessary for any oven will depend on what you are making. Something like a casserole or baked potatoes, I don't worry about preheating necessarily at all. I just tack 10 minutes onto the time. Some things I turn the oven on and put food in when it reaches temperature. I do worry about the oven being preheated for any kind of baking unless the recipe specifically does not require it. I plan in at least 30 minutes. I also want it preheated for any kind of meat that is being cooked by a high temperature roast. Even heat happens when the walls of the oven are properly heated and provide radiant heat. This also decreases the amount of temperature fluctuations when the door opens.

I have a new KA double oven also. Yes, they take longer to pre-heat, but at least it does it quietly. My issue is that the Microwave fan continues to run for up to 20 minutes if the door is not open. It shuts off immediately after the door is open though. I have owned other microwaves and all of them completely shut off when they timed out. KA says it is for cooling, but why would the "cooling fan" shut off as soon as you open the door? Would recommend looking into this issue further before installing it.

^You don't have a double oven, you have a microwave/convection combo. Assuming the OP is using the term "double oven" correctly their unit will not have a microwave, so a non-issue.

BTW, KA isn't the only one that continues to run the fan until the door opens. My parents just bought a Kenmore Elite micro/convection combo (made by Electrolux) that does the same thing. If the lower oven is also on when the microwave is started it will also kick the lower oven cooling fan from low to high until the microwaving is done and the door opened. There has to be some reason for it especially if multiple manufacturers are doing it. Don't see why most normal people would care... everyone I know removes their food from the microwave when its done, I don't know why anyone would leave it in for 20 minutes afterward as it would get cold. And even if you do leave it in... come on, it's just a fan.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Mon, Jan 5, 15 at 22:16

I don't leave my food in the microwave for 20 minutes (unless I get sidetracked with something else like a phone call). Issue is that the fan does not have to run for 20 minutes, especially when KA puts in a cheap, noisy, sounds like its out of balance fan. Here is another gee whiz, we use the top oven in convection mode (bake a potato for an hour at 375 degrees, and when done open the door and the fan stops. Would think that if you have a hot oven the mfg would want the fan to run then to cool down. The lower oven fan keeps running after baking. Anyhow sent in a report on this to the Consumer Product Safety Commission as a possible safety hazard.

CPSC will do nothing because it is not a safety issue. The cooling fan is there to protect electronics, not people.

A year or two ago I was here about my new double oven. While it had gotten good reviews for cooking and we got a great deal on ours, all the rigmarole we spent getting it installed went out the window when we turned it on the first time. The fan was so loud we could hear it upstairs through a closed door. We had it removed the next day. We arranged a closing-time visit to our dealer and turned on a Bosch to hear the fan when the store was quiet. See if you can do that, it convinced us we could live with the Bosch fan.

My two year old KitchenAid single oven and Microwave/Convection oven are both excellent. I got really nervous the first Thanksgiving after I bought them. After reading some of the comments about KitchenAid on this website. I bought an oven thermometer and an instant read thermometer for my turkey. I found out that my oven was highly accurate and the 20 pound turkey was perfect. Even the oven probe told me the exact moment to take it out of the oven. Most days I use my microwave/convection oven for dinner because I do not need to heat the whole big oven. I am very happy with both.

I am very interested in this thread. We ordered the KA double convection for our remodel, then got told it had been DC'd so ordered a bosch, then got told the warehouse found one more KA, so went back to plan A. Our KA will be installed in a few weeks. We chose it for the larger interior and double convection, but even the dealer warned us of the fan. We decided it was worth it for the size and second convection oven, but have yet to hear the fan. We did visit a showroom bosch 800 which was almost silent in the fan department. Fingers crossed about the KA

Kts, please let us know how the KA oven works out. I am the OP and can still change my mind if I need to. I would like to go with the KA only because it will be a hassle to change it , plus I love the look of the ovens. Thank you!

I have a twelve year old KA double oven Superba and it has been a great oven. You only hear the fan when you shut it down, aware of it but not too loud and I have an open concept. I just ordered the new 500 double oven for the upgraded features and decided between this and the Wolf, took me a while but for the price this seemed like the better choice.

I love my KitchenAid double ovens! I researched many, Wolf, Thermador, Viking, etc. I had good luck with my former KitchenAid double ovens (no repairs in 13 years) I figured why would I spend twice the money for the Wolf. I do have a Wolf cooktop which I love also, easy to clean!

for reasons hvtech42 mentioned earlier...having trouble finding a lot of good information about the KA wall ovens I am looking at. Happy to have found this thread which - although over the course of 3 years - actually has some good comments in it!

I was at Yale Appliance last weekend and the salesman was showing me a KA double wall oven. I liked the aesthetic and couldnt find any appreciable way in which it was worse (or better) than any of the alternatives.

In continuing my research I started to explore ovens which offered a steam assist (which is supposed ot be great for baking breads...and other stuff). I was surprised when one salesman I spoke with tonight on the phone (at a different store) mentioned that KA was one of the few brands that offered steam assist. So I started to look into it, and first I found some reference to a steam "tray" or "rack" which appeared to be a little pan you could slide in right over the heat element and fill with water. Not sure thats much different thanputting a pan of water in any normal convection oven?? But then as I continued looking online, I found the KODE900HSS model....

This model has what is described as "Smart Oven+ Powered Attachments" which include a grill and a steam attachment. It sounds like these go in the oven and actually plug into the oven (inside) to get their power and are then controlled via the main control panel. Incredibly I cant find much information online about these attachments, the system, or anyone's experience with it (good or bad). I dont even see a whole lot of marketing online about it (would expect there to at least be some dog and pony show marketing video on youtube, or some appliance dealer demo video).

Does anyone have any more information about this system or this oven? Is it something they tried and it failed and thats why there is no chatter? Or is it brand new? Incredibly the KA website doesnt even show the KODE900HSS or mention Smart Oven+ Powered Attachments!

Probably just talking to myself in this thread (since its so old) but I will add that I made some calls today and the wall ovens I mentioned above are actually brand new. The dealers I called who had them listed on their websites did not even know about them and they are not listed yet on the KA website. Basically they are doubleovens with this "Smart Oven+" technology and wifi.

Its pretty interesting (IMO). Here is a link to a doc I found talking about SO+

https://www.plessers.com/manuals/00066/662299.pdf

Still love my KA double convection wall ovens. They were great around the holidays with the probe for a perfect tenderloin, convection for layers of dishes all reheating or cooking perfectly.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/kitchenaid-smart-oven-revolutionizes-smart-kitchen-ces-2019/

I have the KA double wall oven which I bought in 2014. It looks very nice but the incredible amount of noise it makes means it mostly goes unused. Even using just the bottom (non-convection) oven, it is loud from start to finish, and that finish is long after the oven has been turned off. That's just the "normal" KA "sounds like a jet plane taking off" noise. About two years ago it developed a new sound, an intermittent whine that continues long after the fan sounds quit. The only way to stop it is to shut it off at the breaker. I've spent plenty of money to have someone come in, switch out the fan, etc. What a waste.