Are you saying it makes no difference to you inters of counterspace which you choose? Very often a range saves on counterspace. If you have plenty of that to spare, then the question is about ergonomics. Would you prefer not having to bend to open the oven? And then the question is about looks. Do you want a range to be the star of your kitchen. I have had both. I prefer using my more modern kitchen, with side opening ovens and an induction cooktop. My kitchen with a gorgeous black range is a stunner, but a lot less convenient to operate in. Mind you wall ovens are not particularly modern- it's just my wall oven kitchen is a bit more modern.

Hi Rita! It doesn't make a difference because we wouldn't have a counter in either situation if we had a wall micro/oven vs just a wall micro. If it was just the wall micro, it'd be more pantry/cabinet space underneath it (instead of counter). Thanks for the feedback.

I would like our range to be the *star* of our kitchen but thought I could potentially accomplish that with a beautiful hood.

I can't decide about the bending piece because I lived in a kitchen that had a range and found it to be easier to get things in and out of the oven than the wall oven we have now, but that could be due to the mounting height being too high of this (double) wall oven.

Hmmmm .... there is a poster who once suggested flipping a con in a case like this to make a decision. Then once it lands, see your reaction. Is it: Perfect. Heads. I get my range. Or do you think; Heads, I was thinking a wall oven would be better?

PS A range might be slightly less expensive.

I do tend to use that logic when making my decisions - asking for advice then seeing how I react to it. But I keep going back and forth on this! My gut had been that a range may look higher end and that's why I had initially picked a range. I thought that the stainless steel contrasting against the cabinets below and to the sides didn't look at nice on a range top; but then, I saw range tops in a bunch of gorgeous, high end kitchens, and I was back to square one!

The costs would be close enough that I'm not too bothered by the difference.

OK I have one more plus for the range top. I love having my pots and pans in a higher drawer- there, how about that ;-)

So I weighed that, I’m not sure how much of a nuisance it would really be to have a range considering we’ll have the 36” deep drawers directly to the left of the range so they’ll still be right there and accessible. The main differences other than aesthetics, I think, are the bending over farther for range, separating the cooking from baking (which has pros and cons because sometimes my husband is cooking with me but other times he’s not - when he is, it’d be nice to have separation so you never have to move out of the other’s way, but when he’s not, it’d be nice to have everything in one location), and lastly, we could fit large caterer sized trays in the 36” range that we couldn’t fit in the wall oven. I do like to cook and bake a lot at a time but I’m not sure if the large trays are THAT big of a deal. At first it sounded great to me but the I realized that unless I’m cooking a ton of the same thing, I may want separate trays anyway since everything cooks at a different speed. But it would be nice for things like cookies which I do like to do in large volumes.

The only wall oven that holds a full sized tray is BlueStar and it might be tight. For me I don’t use full sheets but would like to be able to fit two 1/2 sheets side by side.

I have a 36” range and 30” wall oven. My MW is away from the cooking area, by the fridge because it is used for preheating. Even with a 36” range some do not hold a commercial full sheet. I would try two half sheets or the full sheet and see how much room you have.

I do wish that I had done a rangetop and each oven separately. You can pick each component on its merits vs liking the oven, so you get the burners along with it. There are some who would pick maybe a combi oven and a convection oven. Consider the difference in using a gas and electric ovens. What do you have now? If you are using electric and go to gas, you might notice the difference a little more.

A 36” oven can take awhile to heat up.

That's a good point - I didn't think about the trays side by side. Maybe I'll bring my trays to the store tonight and see how they fit, haha. I currently have electric but I don't know that I'll notice a difference going to gas?

Wall overs are nice but they take up a lot of space in a kitchen. They are also more expensive than just a range with an oven. Do you have the room without making a major sacrifice of counter space? Can you afford it?

Some people don’t notice a difference between gas and electric. I have used both over the years and I always attributed the differences just being different ovens but there are some differences in the way they bake or roast that people seem to notice and comment on in baking and cooking forums.

-Gas ovens are great for roasting because things brown better. Often this is attributed to the “moist heat of a gas oven” but if you read about the science behind the browning chemical reactions and look at the way gas ovens are constructed, you will see it is the other way around. Gas ovens have more ventilation because the products of combustion, one of which is water must be vented out. The much larger vents allow more heat and moisture into the kitchen both from the combustion of gas and from the food cooking. Bakers who add steam at the beginning of baking also report that it is hard to keep that steam in a gas oven.

I have have seen some bakers comment that in going from electric ovens to gas that cakes do not rise as well. Electric ovens hold any moisture from food cooking and in the case of a cake, that moisture promotes starch gelatinization which gives a little bit longer rise. Baking is very complex with many variables though so it doesn’t mean you can’t bake in a gas oven but recipes might come out a little differently. Over time if you always baked with a gas oven, you probably have kept recipes that worked. My sister and I make the same cookie recipe with the same ingredients and pans. Hers come out thinner and crispier and mine are softer and thicker.

She has a gas oven and I have electric.

Another difference is that electric ovens have the potential to give much more control over the direction of the heat, direction of convection fan airflow and speed, and even humidity. Gas ovens mostly have heat from the bottom except the BlueStar platinum which has all heat from the back.

You did did not mention what ranges and wall ovens you were considering, but another thing to consider is the broiler. If getting a gas range, I would want a gas infrared broiler vs a conventional gas broiler. It heats more evenly and is much hotter. Check the size though.

Read the use and care manuals for any appliance you are considering. There can be a few surprises in the way they work sometimes.

Since you have the room and the money - a few further considerations

Some people who use the oven and the burners at the same time complain because it can get hot from the range oven. That may depend on the specific model.

In terms of ergonomics, I got a side opening oven which means that I can stand directly in front of the oven as opposed to having to load from the side as is true of every wall oven. Therefore there is a significant ergonomic advantage over a range with an oven.

A wall oven and cooktop is 5-10K more than s range.

We actually went with both in our remodel. Previously had a gas cooktop with microwave hood and dual wall oven stack. Replaced with an all gas range and proper vent hood (what an improvement!) and in the area where the oven stack was, a single electric wall oven with built in microwave over. Very satisfied with the arrangement and we can choose gas or electric depending on what we are cooking in the oven.

“I got a side opening oven which means that I can stand directly in front of the oven as opposed to having to load from the side as is true of every wall oven.”

Not everyone has to load from the side with a regular oven door. I’m 5’3” and can easily reach my oven from the front with the door down. The racks slide out if I could not reach but I don’t need to do that. It might be a problem if the oven was placed too high.

I prefer the drop down door because it provides a barrier to any hot liquids or even solids that are sloshed or dropped onto anything that might be below, legs, toes, fur babies or littles that might dart in. I also like having a surface to place a cookie tray or other dish if I am moving stuff around. I use a commercial oven with French doors occasionally and that oven is placed so that it has a space in front of it that serves the same purposes as a drop down door.

This was a real debate in our remodel process as well. We knew we wanted to switch from gas to induction, and we also knew we wanted to get a speed oven no matter what. So what ultimately made the decision was the aesthetics. My DH just loves the sleek look of the induction cooktop vs a range. Plus we are both tall so a wall oven is a slight advantage from a functional standpoint.

There’s the cleaning aspect to consider. Spills and dirt don’t collect under a cooktop like they do a range.

Before our remodel, we already owned a perfectly good 30" Bluestar RNB range that I didn't really want to give up. So, we ended up having an all-gas range, and two 24" Miele wall ovens. We now have both a combination steam oven and a SpeedOven.

I am actually extremely happy with this combination. It is very rare that we use the big oven in the range, other than for its superior broiler element. But just this week, I catered lunch for ~100 people. And having three ovens was quite convenient. Also, this was one of the few occasions where having a really large oven helped quite a bit.

With those exceptions, I could absolutely see getting only a range-top instead of a full range, though. And if it hadn't been for the fact that we already owned a range, I might have decided to do that.

In day to day use, I much prefer my 24"-wide CSO though. It doesn't take up much space, but it is extremely versatile. It gets used for pretty much every meal. The SpeedOven is nice too, as it gives me an additional oven in the same physical location as my microwave. But if I didn't need a microwave, I'd either omit that oven entirely, or make it a second CSO.

With a wall oven, you don't have to bend over. Makes baking a joy rather than a chore. In addition because the cooktop is separate, if one needs service you can still cook on the other. If you have a french door wall oven, it takes up less aisle space when the doors are open. I don't know of any advantages that would make me choose a range other than space--and then I probably wouldn't use the oven part because it's such a pain.

I have a 36” dual fuel range. Is wrong to say I just love how fat and beefy it looks in my kitchen? :) Plus...I love having a gas cook top and electric oven so just a win win for me all around, lol.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Thank you everyone for your input! I’m sorry for the delayed response, I somehow missed the last comments. The models we’ve zeroed in on are about a $2500 difference in cost - with the wall oven being cheaper but providing slightly less capacity. We don’t have the space to upgrade to a double wall oven or do both the 36” range and the wall oven. Do you guys think the extra space is worth it? We’ll be in this home “forever.”

There is plenty of room in our Bluestar wall oven for a dozen loaves, and you can use a full size sheet pan, so I don't believe there is a lot of benefit to a 36" range and there are a lot of downsides to the range. Bending over is not going to get easier as time goes on :-)

Hi Jerry! We actually need to have the microwave right above the wall oven - given that info, do you think the bending over is as big of a deal considering the wall oven will only be a little higher than a range?

Also, we wouldn’t be doing Blue Star which I believe you said you have and I know is the largest of the wall ovens, but deeper than a standard cabinet and we didn’t want that wall to stick out any further than the standard depth!

We actually use a countertop micro as I've not read anything good about the built in ones. (and we don't have space for one anyway). I think that even a little higher would be beneficial. That last 12" of bending is the killer, plus you'll be standing closer to the wall oven because there's no door in the way.

Actually with the broiler, we don't use the micro that much except for reheating.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>It’s definitely something to consider since I broke my tailbone and ever since, going from bending to standing makes me feel like I’m 90!

I believe it's only the doors of the Bluestar that stick out because they have to swing. However, it's kind of hard to tell in my setup because of how the house is where the wall oven sits (the fridge and oven are quite a bit further out than the rest but that's not because they are that deep. Also there is a kind of seal around the oven so the heat stays in the cabinet rather than heating the kitchen.

I wouldn't want one where you can't use a full size baking sheet, but if you never use that size, then that's not an issue.

I never use them but I’ve never had an oven that would fit them. The 36” range we would go with does accommodate them. Are they challenging to wash? We do plan to get a wife and deep sink. Also curious if they get really heavy?

Get the aluminum ones, they don't warp in the oven the way stainless steel do. Both weigh about the same because the aluminum is much thicker. Neither are particularly heavy. Almost everything I bake on them I put parchment paper (or silicone baking mats), so there is little cleanup to do. Just a rinse in the sink.

And think two or three times about a deep sink. They are real back killers. We put in this 42" Rachiele sink. All the prep work is done in the sink so counter cleanup is really just dusting, and sink clean up is just a rinse, and a wipe when you feel like it. Anything you can do to make cooking more fun (or at least less tedious) will pay dividends far beyond the initial outlay.

Looks great - and great ideas!! Thanks so much for your tips.

Lisa, I am mid renovation of our kitchen. I went with a 36" Bertazzoni induction range, a GE French Door wall oven and a GE Advantium speed oven. I went back and forth for over a year re: 36" range vs. 36" cooktop. I decided since this is in our forever home that I wanted it all. I normally cook for six people each day and we entertain larger groups often. I was willing to give up some cabinet space to have the three ovens. Here's my logic: I wanted the 36" oven for big items like our 40+ lb turkeys, entire standing rib roasts, and for large group entertaining. The French Door oven is for our daughter and her baking and my bread baking. The Advantium doubles as our microwave and to roast/bake when it is just DH and I for a meal. Lastly when I am cooking for a large group, I have three ovens to work with.

Moosemac- I’ve entertained the thought of it, but while I do entertain fairly often and my family is growing, we don’t eat meat and neither does my entire family (siblings and their children/parents). So, I’ll never need space for a large turkey or something. The times when I often need more space are when I’m baking cookies because I’ll often do 60+ at a time and have to run the oven for multiple cycles. But I don’t know if that’s enough reason?! We’re definitely doing a convection microwave!

Lisa Foreman -- There's only two of us, so the challenge is to make things and not have leftover perishable ingredients (they never get used). So when baking cookies the recipe calls for one egg, but you can only purchase six. So I make a 6x batch. Only takes one baking cycle. Those are full size trays, but the cookies are large.

Lisa, we have both a range and wall oven/micro. Our range is a Bosch induction with the flex zone on the cooktop. We are quite happy with it.

In my current house I had a wall oven and couldn't wait to switch to a range. I always felt like I was accidentally going to touch the hot door. I mention this only because you indicated that you feel like using your current wall oven is awkward. Have you ever tried using a wall oven at the height you are considering? Unless you know you are going to like using it, I would stick to a range, which you know you like using.

I thought about that too before we got ours, but a set of long oven mitts (hanging from the vent hood) solved the problem. The french door models are better in that respect than a drop down one because you're not reaching over.