Will have a range and wall oven, add a speed oven or microwave?

8 years ago

In the midst of our kitchen remodel and we've spec'd out a 6 burner Bluestar gas range and electric wall oven (model tbd). We have space over the wall oven for either a microwave, or speed oven. We were originally looking at microwave wall oven combo units, until we saw all the raves here about speed ovens, but with two ovens available, is a speed oven overkill? Would you stick with a basic microwave? We cook frequently, a lot of roasting of meats and vegetables, bake less frequently. The microwave is mostly for heating water/tea, defrosting/reheating food, and the occasional microwaveable kids meal or bag of popcorn. Thanks!

Featured Answer

plllog

8 years ago

Do you ever want a third oven?
Do you often wish you could make something for dinner but have forty minutes for cook time, not an hour and a half, so end up with leftovers, salads or pizza?

If you're not going to use the speed features, a speed oven is overkill. I thought I'd use the speed features regularly but don't often.

You can get a microwave and convection oven combo that doesn't have the speed features if you need it to be a third oven.

Otherwise, a microwave will do you just fine.

I don't regret my speed oven (Advantium Pro, about five years old), however, even though I rarely use speed. When I do use it, it's the only way I have to accomplish what I need, whereas I have redundancy for the convection oven features. The unit, altogether, is very well designed and very functional. The controls are really weird, but it's very useful. Even when just being a microwave. Still, I might have saved the money if I'd known how little I was going to need the speed.

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Comments (6)

oliverchang10
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you for your comment. I know there have been times we've needed a second oven, can't say I've ever needed 3 simultaneously. Hard to say how we'd use the speed oven since we've never had one before, but we cook enough that I could see its usefulness. Everyone here seems to be in love with them though. With a family of young children, speedy dinners are always a benefit. I'll have to do some more comparison shopping to see if the price difference is that significant.
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I have the Monogram Advantium. It's a multi-purpose oven. It can act as a convection oven - basically just a second oven and it can also broil. I use this for anything small where there's no point in heating up the big oven. Mine can hold a 9x13 pan of lasagna. It's also a regular microwave oven. The speedcook part combines microwave, convection and high powered halogen lights top and bottom. There's an onboard computer that decides how much of each to use for a particular food. The convection and halogen brown, broil or roast while the microwave speeds up the cooking process. We use the speed cook part all the time and we absolutely love it. Browned crispy fish sticks and fries in 4 minutes, crescent rolls in 2-3, etc. It does the best baked potatoes ever. The oven also can act as a moist or dry warming oven which I've used several times but the problem is that when it's warming it can't be doing another cooking job. So I'm getting a new Kitchen Aid warming drawer with my remodel that also does slow cooking like a crock pot. It has a few other features like proof that I use when setting dough to rise and melt or soften for butter. All in all, it's like a swiss army knife. It's the most expensive thing in our kitchen and was worth all the money I saved up to buy it. We absolutely love it. We're glad we got the 220v version too. My mom has the 110 and there isn't enough power. I tried out the different models available at a local appliance store. The Electrolux was nice but the controls were confusing. The Advantium controls were the easiest to use of all the ones I tried with the most features.
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My worry is that if one component breaks, we have to replace the whole thing Why would you have to replace the whole thing? I guess we live in such a throwaway society at this point nobody considers repairing things anymore. However, one component failing earlier is a risk to take into consideration. I went with a KitchenAid convection microwave/wall oven combo and it's worked fine for 8 years, so I can't say I regret the decision. Speed ovens seem finicky to me, and I'm not sure we really need it There are no true speed oven/wall oven combo units. That KitchenAid does not have a speed oven on top, it's just a convection microwave. The closest you'll get is the GE Profile Advantium/wall oven combo, and I'm not a fan of that because the Advantium part is only 120V, which takes longer and gives lesser quality results than the 240V Advantium. I think the best option for you is to get a speed oven or a steam oven with a separate single oven below. That way if one component fails you don't have to replace both. You will need to redo the electrical though.
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I posted this in the appliance forum, but I am copying here in case someone else asks: Miele, Bosch and GE Café/Monogram/Profile make a version of what you are looking for. There are some differences but they all will accomplish 95% of what you are looking for it to do...and the 5% you can probably live without! http://mieleusa.com/Product/Details/1198 That is the miele speed oven. The higher end models have full broilers and can be ordered with a trim kit to match their ovens. Their menu is the most robust with a ton of options for all of their modes, plus some step up features like a probe for cooking. You also have options on there ovens depending how much you want to spend. The combo can range from about $8k to $10k depending on the pairing. http://www.bosch-home.com/us/products/cooking-baking/wall-ovens/combination-ovens/HBL8751UC.html?source=search This is the bosch one. It has a simpler control, less deluxe feature wise but still has a broiler and solid microwave. It does less in the "speedcook" department, but if you just bake/broil or microwave its a good option. This is also easier for install, its 2 units, but they install in 1 single opening to 1 single power supply. So if one breaks you can replace it and the other will work. This should be around $4k http://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-specs/CT9800SHSS The GE one comes a few ways. The Café is a one piece unit, with one power supply. The drawback to that is that if the control panel fails...both units will probably not operate since its a shared control. Otherwise they do some different things. They use convection and a halogen light heating element. So it doesn't have a traditional broiler, but the halogen works well for that. There is a lot more emphasis on speed cooking, as the menu is programmed with hundreds of different items that you can speed cook. Its an established design though they GE has been selling for years. The Café will be $3-4k and the monogram will be separate components so figure more like $5-6K
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We have an oven/microwave combo (KitchenAid). If I could redo my kitchen I might do that part differently. I did not know when I designed my kitchen last year that microwave drawers were a thing. If I had known I might have chosen that with a built in oven instead. I do not dislike our oven/microwave however I do have concerns about the microwave breaking. The fan was actually broken when we installed it, and we had to get it repaired. So if something happens to it, I know we will have to pull the entire unit out to get it fixed which is more of a pain than just fixing a microwave. The other issue I have with it is that microwave is a little higher than I would like. We installed the unit 1.5" higher than they recommend (so I could have a 15" drawer below) and since I'm only 5'3" the microwave is a little bit high for me. Even installing it at suggested height would still leave it higher than the ideal. A drawer would be a nicer height most likely. I definitely like having a separate gas rangetop and built in oven. There are many reasons I want them separate, so a range was never an option for me. But I probably won't combine the oven and microwave again if I did another kitchen.
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plllog
8 years ago
One of the marvels that rode high as speed ovens became the darling (they've been supplanted as the darling by combi-steam ovens, but are still well loved) is the twenty minute roast chicken. I tried one and didn't care for it. Nowadays the recommended recipes start with smaller pieces, often boneless, which, I presume makes even cooking easier. Given your young family, you may well be grateful for the speed when you're rushing one kid to soccer practice and another to the dentist, while picking up their costumes and not forgetting to retrieve the soccer play, just in time to take them home for a quick dinner and back out to the winter concert they're performing in. Having less need for it now means you have plenty of time to practice (and rescue your failures) now, in order to be ready when the time comes.

Or you can get your main oven with a delay timer, put your chicken, potentially pre-cooked so you don't have much bacteria to worry about, into the oven before you leave timed to be completely reheated when you get home.

The price difference between a countertop microwave, which will do everything you mentioned, and a built in speed oven, is an order of magnitude. That is, something like ten times as much. Maybe three times as much as a built in.
huruta
8 years ago
We have an electric oven w/convection that's part of our range, a combi-steam oven and a basic small, plug-in microwave. I use all three. I've never wanted a 3rd oven. Like you before our remodel I often thought a 2nd oven would be nice and it is!
59 Dodge
8 years ago
We've had our Electrolux Speed oven over 8 years now. We love it just as much now as the day we bought it. We like potatoes, Sweet potatoes yams.

Even thou we are retired and no need for hurry up, You just can't beat cooking potatoes, yams or Sweet potatoes in 14 minutes (including preheat) where as our Electrolux regular oven would take close to an hour. Saves a of power too! Also all the speed ovens can be used as regular ovens, and I could probably count on one hand, the number of times that we would have to use the larger oven because something would not fit in the Speed Oven, (Thanksgiving Exempted of course).

I've Speed cooked Turkey thighs, Meat loaf, Stuffed Pork chops, You name it in the speed oven, and I can tell no difference between that which is speed cooked or that which was done in the regular oven.

Even at our age, 70's, we still do more dinner parties than I can count, much less those who shared our meals with us, and yet I have never been asked, "Were those potatoes Speed Cooked"?

I use the microwave function of the Speed oven to heat my instant coffee in the AM, I like my coffee ASAP.

Even thou the Electrolux Speed oven is no longer made, It along with Induction are two appliances I would never want to be without, (even if I had to buy a Miele Speed Oven), if my beloved Electrolux ever takes a dump.

Gary
J K
8 years ago
@plllog--thank you for the wonderful review of the Advantium. I have been considering one, but I don't want it in my oven stack since it won't match my non-GE oven selection. I don't care for any food that is microwaved and I believe the speed cook option combines microwave cooking with the other heating elements. Microwaved chicken (or leftover chicken for that matter) is one of the ickiest things in the world to eat IMO! If I need speed but the microwave won't do, I tend to reach for my convection toaster oven with great results--even for potatoes and casseroles. Not as fast as steam, but quicker than the large oven.

@huruta--how do you like your CSO? I'm trying to decide on a double oven vs. single + CSO. My concern is crisping in the CSO and cleaning it since I don't believe they are self-cleaning.

I'm thinking a 48" range top with grill and griddle, plus oven combo and microwave drawer since I can't say I'm that drawn to a convection microwave for the same reason I'm not drawn to the speed oven.

Am I missing something on the speed oven? Or the CSO? Or a microwave drawer vs. a convection microwave?

@oliverchang10--I also like the idea of both gas and electric. I've been cooking with a gas oven for years and find I prefer it to electric, but I keep hearing electric is more precise. Can you share your reasons for wanting both?

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences and thoughts!

Will have a range and wall oven, add a speed oven or microwave?

plllog

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oliverchang10
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Will have a range and wall oven, add a speed oven or microwave?

plllog

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oliverchang10Original Author

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oliverchang10
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