Why does anyone do this? What's people's issues with a free standing range with burners and oven all in one? I am seriously curious.

We have a stack of a Miele CSO (XL) and a Miele SpeedOven. The CSO is at the bottom and the bottom edge is maybe 6" - 8" lower than the countertop. That works quite well and leaves usable cabinet space both below and above.

I don't think I would like lowering it much more. But where the ovens are right now, both of them are easily accessible. And that's great, as we use them all the time.

We also have an oven in our range. It gets used occasionally. But it sure is harder to access and I need to crouch on the floor, if I want to watch my food (e.g. because using the broiler).

Maybe being "too low" is a matter of personal opinion and preference. It may not be an issue for someone short and fit, whereas the same oven may present a problem for someone with mobility issues or who is older. Being on the shorter side, I find most wall ovens too high for me, so I would have to have it custom placed anyway. I prefer a freestanding range with the broiler in the oven itself, not in the bottom.

I edited my original post because it was too vague, asked a subjective question, and included information that was distracting from the issue.

So I apologize for any confusion relating to responses to this point, and I appreciate all the comments so far.

I have dogs. Low ovens of any kind are a deal breaker for me.

I am not a fan of reaching "over" the wall oven door either - so I am moving to all side swing wall ovens in new house.

My short T-Rex arms may have something to do with all this.

@just_janni, did not realize T-Rexes cooked their food.

I didn't realize that side-opening ovens were available! I want one, no matter where it ends up in the kitchen!

I have the Bosch side opening oven and I love it.. I got it because it seems insane to install a wall oven at an ergonomic height and then have to stand to the side when the oven door is open because whose arms are long enough to stand in front to access.

I don't understand why people put the oven under the counter. It makes no sense on any level except for some reason it is perceived as aesthetically more "upscale" than a stove. It couldn't be performance/function because there are high end stoves that are as functional as any "wall oven" and I never got the sense that any of the kitchens I was in with this setup had it because the people wanted some kind of functionality in their oven not available in an stove with oven.

A wall oven installed in a wall at a comfortable height does indeed make the most sense, but sometimes that's not possible. Like when there's no wall. Or when using the only available wall would result in the oven door opening into a key walkway that's outside the work zone of the kitchen.

So why not a range? It's a great solution. Just not for everybody. Some people prefer using the space below the cooktop for cookware. And if the oven is used less frequently, or used primarily for baking, it might be nice to choose a separate place for it. Probably not an option in a smaller kitchen, but in a larger kitchen it might make sense.

arcy-gw

Don't know how old you are or what your physical limitations are..obviously none from your post.

I never had an issue before but then after back surgery 4 screws and fusion of vertibrae I am definitely limited or end up with severe pain for days. To hoist a 25 # turkey from a low oven is doable but I will pay with pain. So, one adjusts to things as we age. I have 2 counter height wall ovens planned for the remodel. It takes up a lot of counter space but is necessary for me. I would guess, I'm not the only one since none of us, sad as it is, stay young forever..

As for the height of the ovens, it all depends on how tall you are. There are charts that give you the ergonomics of your height and pulling something hot out of an oven without burning your forearms.. Hope that answers your question.

Petula67,

I'm getting a GE French door wall oven. Even better than a side swing IMHO . check them out.

I've had both and the french door is great.

@ifoco - Thanks - I will check those out!

I had a range and an undercounter oven as my second oven when I was much younger than I am now and I didn't feel like it was too low. (I didn't have the wall space for a wall oven). I didn't find it any lower than the oven in a range.

I got a push/pull stick to help with my somewhat low oven:

https://www.etsy.com/search?q=oven%20sticks

You can get inexpensive ones on Amazon, but I love my hand carved walnut stick from Etsy.

The stick definitely helps to keep hands & arms away from hot doors. And I can hook the stick on the edge of the open door to pull the door upwards a bit, then shut the door. Less stooping that way. It is surprisingly easy to give my oven door a gentle lift with the stick.

Most ovens have roller racks now, so a stick is a great help there. Also keep in mind that you don't use the bottom-most rack too often. Heavy turkeys or cast iron Dutch ovens might be a problem, but only occasionally. At least with a push/pull stick you can easily pull a rack out to get the heavy item in a better position for lifting.

My issue with low placed ovens are the controls. Bending over to see the control panel is a bit awkward. I find with my oven I sometime hit the wrong selection just because I'm not bending down enough to view the control panel straight on. Some tiimes I use the phone app for the oven -- those controls are always at eye level.

They are called wall ovens for a reason and IMO need to be higher than the oven you would get in a range or they really don't work .

Thanks for the comments so far. Especially from the homeowners sharing their choices and experiences.

barncatz said

@just_janni, did not realize T-Rexes cooked their food.

THIS ONE DOES! ;-)

I have a full size range plus a wall oven installed under the counter and have no issues with the height of it. I love having a second oven and given the layout of my kitchen, under the counter was the only place to put it. I use that oven daily and have never felt like it was too low or awkward