Thank you for the feedback. I have read that it is a mistake to use it, but in my case it isn't offered. The dealer I am purchasing from remarked that for those Thermador's that offer self-cleaning, there's a disclaimer in the owners manual. So I'll forgo it.

Now, I'm wondering about a second question. . . is the Thermador range a good one? I am ordering the 36" PrG366WH one. I've read some bad reviews - and I'm using the bundle option, which includes the hood, dishwasher, refrigerator, and microwave-in-a-drawer.

Most here will tell you not to bundle and to buy the best in each class that fits in your budget.

Don't bother going with a branded MW drawer. They are all made by Sharp so just get a Sharp model, which usually have better features. You want one with a tilting control panel, so it is easy to see without bending down.

For dishwasher I would suggest Miele.

Don’t lock yourself into mediocre along with the good. Skip bundles of anything.

I've used the "self-clean" option once or twice a year on the GE Profile range I owned for 13 years as well as the GE Profile Trivection/Convection double oven I've had for 15 years and never had an issue. I've never fried the electronics. Maybe I've been lucky, but my experience is positive and I probably would not want a range or oven without self-clean.

As to the "bundling" idea, no one manufacturer makes all good products. It's best to purchase each item separately.

For the MW Drawer, definitely get a Sharp model, preferably 24", not 30". The 30" is the same size as the 24", just with more trim to make it look 30" wide -- so, don't waste those 6" on the MW drawer, add them to an adjacent drawer base.

For DW, get either a Miele or Bosch. Both are very highly rated. Personally & based on my experience, I would stay away from GE/Café/Monogram and any KitchenAId (and probably by extension, new Maytag & Whirlpool -- all three are made by Whirlpool). I've had both and neither lasted long. The KitchenAid also never did a very good job at cleaning and it was a higher-end model. We've had a Bosch for 8 or 9 years now (not sure right now & I'm not home to check on what year we got it), and it's lasted at least twice as long as the KitchenAid and the GE and its cleaning is far superior. to both the GE & KA (We had a Maytag from the late 1990s that was great, but that was b/f Whirlpool bought them out.)

ETA: I know you didn't ask, but a piece of advice that I received and am grateful for is to get all drawer bases, not cabinets with stationary or roll out tray shelves!

I’m one who has had issues with self cleaning ovens in the past. For me, it wasn’t the electronics (thankfully) but I’ve had the glass doors shatter twice during self cleaning mode. Two different brands of ovens. I refuse to ever use a self clean cycle again, and the last two ovens I’ve bought (2 different homes) have not had that feature at all and I’ve done it that way on purpose. I prefer to just keep on top of wiping them down on a regular basis before they get gross because I also hate using easy off or products like that because I feel like I can never get it all wiped up from every crevice. Hope that helps!

I, too, have had bad experiences with self cleaning ovens including fried electronics and cracked glass. Even the steam cleaning option gives me pause.

I would never buy an oven without self clean. I've had GE and Gaggenau and never had a problem. Having said that I never ran the self clean program more than once year.

I think it's kind of ridiculous that the self-cleaning mechanism ruins the electronics or other things and this seems to be something they can't fix. We ran the self clean on the GE double ovens in the house I grew up in for 45 years maybe twice a year and they were fine. And the oven interiors looked brand new when the house was sold.

We ran the self clean on the of the Frigidaire Gallery stove that came with this house and it scorched the enamel brown around the vents, permanently. I probably will not run in on the replacement oven we are installing soon.

I'm nervous about the self cleaning issues I'm reading about here. My 30 year old Whirlpool oven just died. I used the self cleaning function once or twice a year and never had a problem. I wonder what has changed . It has the electronics.

The issue is confined to the era of computer chip motherboards, and super insulation around the cavity. It squishes things to try to fit it in "the same" space, and keep the oven cavity size the same. It collides with the competition for biggest 30" oven cavity known to man that can handle a 56 pound turkey. The chips are too close to the heat. Older ovens with less complex electronics and smaller cavities seem to do mostly fine with self clean.

Which is why the 36" oven was introduced, and promptly died on the vine. It wasn't retrofittable, and no one wanted to have to go to custom cabinets for that extra 6" on a new kitchen.

You can get by without a pyrolytic cleaning function, but you need to ask yourself will you do the frequent cleaning necessary to prevent the oven from getting dirty.

I hand clean the oven every time I roast or air fry. Depending on how much grease gets blown around by the convection or air fry functions, I'll either wipe it out with a dish soapy rag, or spritz with Windex & wipe down with a paper towel. Spot clean with fume free Easy Off (blue cap). I can't use the more effective yellow cap Easy Off because the lye etches the coatings on the oven enamel. I do use the steam clean function because it helps with wiping down a light film of grease or with softening spills. But the steam function won't budge baked on soil.

All this is a lot of work, but after 2 1/2 years, my oven interiors still look new. The convection fan in my new oven doesn't blow splatter around like my old convection oven did. Maybe the Thermador convection is similarly gentle? Maybe it blasts splatter around like my old oven did.

I just spent 3 days cleaning my son's oven, which has never been cleaned in 8 years. Still can't get it clean despite two rounds of blue cap Easy Off, baking soda, Bar Keeper's Friend, Weimann's products, steam, & Brillo. Used a razor blade to clean the glass, but it scratched the glass despite all the recommended precautions. Frequently wiping down an oven after use is a PITA, but it's still easier than cleaning a filthy, grease encrusted oven.

I would never choose a range/oven that isn't self-cleaning (pyrolytic high-heat method) after having one for the past 19 years, unless there's absolutely no other choice on the market. I don't bake messy dishes often enough to run self-clean even yearly but I do run it. No failure thus far.

My neighbor bought 10yo used appliances from a coworker when they updated their kitchen, for use in a house he (neighbor) remodeled as a rental property. The appliances were in storage until the remodel was finished a couple months ago. I don't think the oven (GE set-in range) had ever been cleaned, it was rough. I ran self-clean, no failure occurred. The residual ash needed to be wiped out with a damp cloth but that's much easier than dealing with an oven cleaner product. A second cleaning cycle would have improved it further (other than the door glass which doesn't catch enough heat for self-clean to have an effect) but there wasn't time, the tenants were moving in the same day.

Our old GE double ovens had metal screens that pulled up to shield the windows during cleaning. (1969)

GE invented the electric self-cleaning oven process. I vaguely recall reading that the name P7 (pyrolytic? 7) was a reference to the electric cost of a cleaning cycle (7 cents). The early design had an additional element around the front perimeter of the oven cavity to directly apply heat to that area, and less-directly to the door panel although moreso than the interior bake and broil element could provide to it.

About 2014, I bought a KitchenAid double oven with the beautiful blue interior to replace a single oven from 1997. I regularly used the self clean feature on my original oven. However, however, however, when I went to clean my new oven, i called KitchenAid customer service because some kind of yellow, puffy insulation seeping into the interior. I was warned by KitchenAid customer service that day that I should not use the self clean feature because the beautiful blue interior could flake! What?!?! I told the rep I would just use Easy Off and she told me that would void my warranty! My new kitchen has a Thermador all gas range without all the electronics and without the self clean feature. I urge you to read reviews about all the different brands before buying your new range. They were eye openers for me.

It's not unusual that front-line phone reps have wonky information or personal opinions. Do you really believe an appliance manufacturer would intentionally produce a product with a feature that is not to be used? However, it's true that KA (and other brands) have had trouble with blue porcelain oven interiors flaking (moreso than non-blue). WP/KA also had a problem with cooling fans in some wall oven models producing insufficient airflow to properly cool the electronics during self clean which caused a protective thermal fuse to blow. A revised fan assembly eventually was issued for affected models.

I'll bet Thermador tried self cleaning in the R&D phase of the unit but found out the high heat burned the sh*t out of a lot of stuff so just scrapped the self cleaning idea. Cheaper than redesigning the oven not to burn things up.

Most oven vents are right below the control panel on the back where all the electronics are and I've read reviews of various brands running the self cleaning feature and turned the main board to toast. I bought a brand and model where the reviews were plagued with self cleaning horrors, but I bought it anyway because we had no intentions of using the self cleaning feature.

If you like the stove and don't mind using a little elbow grease to clean it then buy it. Unlike the people who think manual cleaning is to hard or oven cleaners will damage the inside finish. your proposed stove doesn't have self cleaning so I'm sure it's Ok to use oven cleaner.

The GE set-in at the neighbor's rental has the oven vent above the door, beneath the front-positioned control panel (there is a cooling fan, oven controls are electronic, cooktop is rotary knobs). My GE freestanding range has the vent beneath the backsplash control panel, halfway between center and the right side, oven controls are electronic at the center, cooktop is rotary knobs split to both sides, and there is no cooling fan (19yo, no failures).

Oven cleaner generally doesn't damage self-clean units which are typical porcelain, although the advisory is to never run self-clean after using chemical cleaners because noxious fumes may occur when chemical residue is exposed to the high heat of a self-clean cycle (unless very thorough rinsing of the surface is done). Continuous clean for sure (which pretty much are no longer on the market) is damaged by chemical cleaners, and possibly some steam or "aqua" clean ovens may have a different cavity finish which could be damaged.

I would double check on the insulation in the oven. When we moved into our condo, the previous owner had put in a new stove that did not have self-cleaning. When I used the oven at 350 degrees, i couldn't even stand next to it. The heat coming out of the front and sides was unbelievable. If I had a small child, I would have been worried about burns. When we redid the kitchen, I bought a range with self cleaning for that reason.

"Oven cleaner generally doesn't damage self-clean units... "

New oven owners need to check the manual. Many new ovens specifically say not to use oven cleaners or else the coatings will etch/be damaged. Mine has that warning. I've had pretty good luck with fume free blue cap Easy Off, but won't use yellow cap Easy Off with lye. Too bad because the yellow cap stuff works so much better. There are also warnings to not use foil or oven liners lest they fuse to the oven floor.

I think it's the newest Frigidaire ranges that ditch the wimpy steam clean function & have oven interiors where you can use regular oven cleaner? Thought that was an interesting move.

Pryolytic self-clean reaches in excess of 930°F. I'm wondering what kind of coating may be applied to a porcelain interior that won't be damaged by such heat but would be damaged by a typical oven cleaner product?

Self-cleaners have more insulation because of the high heat of self-clean so they're more efficient during baking. All the heat eventually disperses into the room, there's nowhere else it can go.

The warning against foil or other type of liner on the oven floor is related to hidden bake elements beneath the floor which results in the full red-hot heat of the element applied to and radiating/conducting directly through. Gas oven floors also shouldn't be covered because the bake burner is under the floor and there are vents in the floor for air circulation into the cavity.

I lived in two houses that had self clean ovens. In both when the self clean feature was used it melted the cabinets on either side of the door. It also smelled up the house. Now this was a long long time ago so maybe they have improved.

In previous house and current house we had all gas ranges and no self clean. Was a non issue for us. I use the blue cap low fume Easy Off and it does a decent job. Not having self clean would not be a deal breaker for me.

I've had a double set of Thermador convection wall ovens. They were excellent ovens. Yes, I did fry the electronics after using the self-clean. It melted a wire. We were able to fix that. The repairman showed me what had happened and how the wiring and control panel were situated to cause the issue. There was nowhere for the excess heat to vent in a double wall oven cavity cabinet. Never self-cleaned again. Never had an issue with them again. I know I must be a dirt ball, but I don't really care if my oven is dirty. Wiped out is good enough. I don't wax my floors, either. Neither did my mother.

To answer the OP's question, the lack of self-clean wouldn't bother me. Thermador makes a good product, but I wouldn't buy them as a suite. As other poster's have said, buy each appliance on it's own reputation.

I love my Bosch dishwashers that I have had in the past. Right now, I have a very nice KitchenAid dishwasher that is excellent. My tupperware comes out dry with KA, it doesn't with Bosch. Different technologies.

Thanks to the forum, I replaced the built-in microwave with a Sharp. It does it's job without issue.

I"ve got an KA Architect II FD 36" refrigerator/freezer in the garage. It's been a great purchase.

I got rid of the Bosch front load washer and dryer. Good riddance. Love my manual top load Speed Queen washer and it's companion the SQ manual dryer. Great purchase. Thank you GW appliance forum.

Buy each appliance separately.

I've fried the electronics using the high heat of a self-cleaning program. In some cases, the problem can be the oven door seal getting old and not sealing as well as when new.

I agree to buy the best appliance in each category. And I'd look at a Bosch or Electrolux induction range. Benzene.

dadoes, I think it's the strong bases that etch the coatings. Yellow cap Easy Off is pH 14, I believe. Blue cap is pH 11. The manuals warn against abrasive scrubbers too. I think but am not sure that these coatings are supposed to facilitate the steam clean function.

I can't say for sure, of course, but I doubt there's a coating on any oven equipped with pyrolytic/high-heat self-clean that can survive 930°F but not exposure to chemical oven cleaners. My supposition is that an advisory against chemicals on those models is related to the concern of noxious fumes from exposure of residual cleaner chemicals during subsequent self-clean cycles.

However, models equipped with only steam-clean may have a coating of some ilk to help avoid soils adhering to the surface that could be damaged by chemicals. I have seen a few models that have both steam-assist cleaning and regular high-heat self-clean, user choice which to run at any given cleaning operation.

Yeah, I never use the self cleaning function for fear of burning out the electronics. I used it in my previous house for the double wall ovens and I felt like I had to stand by with a fire extinguisher. That thing got so hot I thought the cabinet surround would go up in flames. That's the last time I used the self-cleaning function.

Wall ovens are, of course, enclosed in the cabinetry on all sides except for the front so rely on airflow from a cooling fan to disperse the heat.

Years ago I was excited to finally own a self-cleaning oven ... and the first time I used it, my expectations were high! Instead, the oven heated up super-hot and would not turn off! My husband cut off the power circuit, and once the oven cooled off, pulled it out from the wall and unplugged it.

$500 later (and this was at least a decade ago -- it would be more now), a repairman installed a new "board" of some sort, and I have never again used the self-cleaning feature. Can't afford it!

So I'm in the camp of, "Even if my oven is self-cleaning, I won't use that feature".

After all the horror stories I’ve read on these boards, I would be afraid to use this feature.

This was just posted today ...

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6395277/self-cleaning-oven-cycle-house-burned-to-ground#n=7

My Thermador technician adamantly advised against using the self cleaning oven feature. He said it fries the electronics. I switched from gas to dual fuel.

I'm a little curious pantryforpam how you feel now about self cleaning ovens now, and if you're going to stick with the model without the feature after everything people posted here and the other post chispa linked to.

I ran self-clean yesterday evening on my 2003/2004 GE range. It hadn't been done in a couple/three years, the oven was already heated to 425°F, and weather is cool so the additional heat is useful, haha. No failure and it still looks like new after a little light elbow grease with a blue scrubbie sponge and a bit of Dawn on the window and lower area of the door while warm and damp wipe-out of the interior. The racks are porcelain so don't need to be removed during self-clean.

Isn't nice to have a forum where the posters appreciate a sparkling clean oven? It's beautiful, dadoes! Now bake some holiday cookies & enjoy :)