Advice and reviews: choosing a new wall oven

Are you looking for the perfect wall oven to complete your kitchen? Here are a few of the answers you may seek.

Photo Credit: Jeff Irving
By Misty Rodriguez

Are you looking for the perfect wall oven to complete your kitchen? You may find yourself confused by all of the options and features. What is a convection oven? Why buy a double wall oven? These may be questions that you find yourself with when comparing wall ovens. Here are a few of the answers you may seek.

First, let us discuss some of the usual features. These features are common among wall ovens and should be included in the original price. These features include electronic controls, child locks, and self cleaning features. Check out your wall oven and make sure that at the very least these features are included, as they are standard to many wall ovens.

Now some features may cost you extra. These features may include stainless steel, different timers, auto shut off, storage drawers, and a built in meat probe. Stainless steel looks nice, but you are going to pay for this feature. It may cost as much as $250 extra to add this option to your wall oven. The built in meat probe is just a meat thermometer which will allow you to be certain that the middle has cooked thoroughly.

You can also buy a single or double wall oven. Obviously the beauty of a double wall oven is the ability to make multiple dishes at one time. You can also buy the wall oven in electric or gas.

Some of the variables you can expect include color, amount of oven racks, window size, and inside space. Many ovens come in white, black, or the stainless steel. However, as stated above, the stainless steel will cost extra.

Now, let me explain what a convection oven is. A convection oven has a fan that circulates the hot air throughout the inside of the oven. This speeds up baking and roasting times considerably. The only draw back is that the inside of the oven may be a bit more cramped as the fan takes up some of the inside room. Some convection ovens come with a recipe conversion feature that translates the cooking time from that of an original thermal oven, to a convection oven.

Prices vary according to which options you choose, however some brands are naturally cheaper than others. For a single wall oven you can expect to pay between $800 and $1500 for an electric oven. The price lowers about $100 dollars for a gas oven. Some of the manufacturers carrying lower prices include Kenmore, GE. Maytag and Frigidaire are towards the middle, while Thermador and Dacor are at the top of the curve. You can expect to pay a lot more for a double oven, going up to $4,000 dollars and more.

Now that you are armed with some information, you are ready to choose which wall oven is right for you. Whether you want all the options including the stainless steel feature, or just the basic thermal wall oven, you at least have the knowledge to know what you are getting and what you are passing up.