The 30" Gaggenau is a beautiful oven with a nice large cavity - just looked one over on Wednesday very carefully. Really nice. The Wolf M is also a wonderful oven - and a fair amount cheaper if I recall correctly. There are pros for each and not many cons if you discard the price issue. Everyone I have ever spoken to owning either is a happy camper. The auto open side swing door versus the drop door tends to be the major deal for most people. The Blue Star isn't in the same class IMO - and the french doors basically require two hands to use. Plus, I don't happen to have a third hand to hold the food. With an oven we are typically placing things in and taking them out - so for me french doors on an oven is a poor choice. Twice as many hinges and almost twice the gasket material plus opening adjustments kill them for me as well.

Yale Appliance in Boston is also a good barometer as they sell and service in volume (I think they are the only one like it left in the country of substantial size). (FYI: I'm not affiliated with them and never have been - and live on the other side of the country). My read from their blogs (which are well done and good reads IMO) is that it's a personal choice between Gaggenau and Wolf as both have top customer satisfaction and minimal service issues.

It is kind of a tough time to buy a wall oven right now. We really haven't had actual user reviews yet on Bluestar and the "m" as they are so new. I think you need about 6 months of reviews unless you can go try them yourself. There is also the blue enamel issue with Wolf and that may take years to see if that is resolved. Electric ovens with all the modes can be tough to get right, as far as heating evenly. When you combine that many elements and fans controlled by a computer and then balance it with the radiant heat from the walls of the oven it can be a puzzle box. I am not sure how much the Gaggenau has changed. I always take marketing material from whatever source with a grain of salt.

I do quite a bit if baking and if I were buying a wall oven now it would be a Gaggenau or Electrolux. Electrolux has recently changed their design to have dual fans and you can now leave the racks in while you clean it. It worked great with just a single fan. The door may be slightly lighter. I currently have Wolf DF range and it is very even but so is my Electrolux. I tend to use them loaded periodically which is a good way to tell. I use the Electrolux daily. The Wolf has become nonfunctional now due to the chipping of the enamel. I also use all the modes. I am kinda with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" camp so not sure what benefit the tower of fans in the Wolf and even dual fans in the 30 inch Electrolux oven will provide. I do think the dual fans is a good thing in the 36 inch oven.

I think the BS looks promising but is such an unknown and BS seems to release products and let the customers test them, as in the Platinum range. It does hold a full sheet but I would ask if it has variable fan speed as most higher end ovens have a slower speed for the bake mode so it is less drying and then higher speed for roasting and dehydrating. They might just have the fan on and off They also mention that the preheat is very intense heating and food cannot be in the oven during that cycle so I would want to know how that works. Because of the intense heat, some ovens that work that way don't allow the preheat to come on until the temperature drops by 150F or so. They can struggle to keep the temperature high enough in the oven.

I would read all the user guides and warranties as these may give some additional insights.

@zeetree I did speak to bluestar this week and the guy on the phone did say that the doors do not close together- I saw another brand of french door in the showroom where you close one door and the other just goes with it, requiring one hand. This design does seem like a fatal flaw....

@wekick all good questions regarding the convection.

@plllog good practical advice. I did not take me stuff with me last time, but will do that this week. I mostly use the 13 x 18 half sheets and glass pyrexs which are 9 x 13 or smaller, so shouldn't be a problem I don't think...

Wow, if that is true about how the BS electric version French doors operate, then it is quite diff than their Gas French door oven (which I love.. One hand to open both... Which is great for loading up or checking or pulling a pan with mitts on)

Counter intuitively have to CLOSE using left first. And as I think about it, have to close the right with an extra push to click closed

The gas model convection is fine but not aware of two fan levels. The interior space is the BIGGEST plus on the BS models

Yep. Am doing from memory as I am not there.

Open one hand is a for sure... Pull on right door and both open.

Close left door and the right door moved but you have to click the right door into place. Still can use one hand, of course but it's "2 keystrokes" not one

FWIW (although this post is a few years old) I was researching the same topic. What I've learned regarding BS vs. Gaggenau: BlueStar is the residential division of Garland. Garland is recognized as one of the best manufacturers of commercial kitchen equipment. BlueStar ovens are old-school work horses, made in Pennsylvania, and all-analog which means less things to break. Our sales rep said we could consider not buying a warranty because the equipment is made so well. Gaggenau is German made, much more sophisticated and technically advanced. About the same price-point but we are going with BlueStar because they are less likely to need repair, especially for computers and high-tech gadget thingys.

I need up getting a blue star cooktop & gaggenau wall ovens - could not be happier! The cooktop is HOT! love the grill - haven’t used my outdoor grill since my kitchen was finished! Regarding the ovens- the side opening oven doors is a dream. Cooking temps are fantastic & cook much quicker than other ovens I’m used to.