Kitchen

[Starpolisher]

After twenty years, I'm looking to remodel my kitchen. We had our first presentation with a company yesterday. We will be getting ideas and estimates from several companies. I liked this reps ideas. I'd asked to have a wall oven and microwave along with a stove and wall mounted hood. She suggested a counter "Cook top" (no stove) and a microwave with a convection oven underneath. I don't have any experience at all with a counter "Cook top" or "convection oven" and would love to hear your opinions. I wanted a stove and a wall oven so that I would have two ovens. I also just wanted a plain wall mounted microwave(with an oven underneath). Do I need convection? Are  counter "Cook Tops" as good as a stove cook top?

[Eileen in Virginia]

It’s hard to answer your question without knowing how much you cook and what kinds of foods you like to cook. One of my good friends is a big baker and she loves the fact that she’s got 2 ovens (1 in her full-sized range and another in her large wall oven). Also, how big is your kitchen and how much room do you have for storage? Any kitchen designer you consult should ask you all kinds of questions about how you and your family will use your new kitchen before making design suggestions.

We have a galley (ie, small) kitchen with an electric ceramic cooktop and a 22” electric wall oven with convection capability. Storage is a key consideration due to our small kitchen. I’ve seen the microwave/wall oven configuration you described in newly remodeled kitchens and they look interesting. It wouldn’t work for us because we need the cabinet space. I’ve used the convection feature of our oven, mainly when baking Christmas cookies, but don’t use it that often (actually, I forget what it’s supposed to be used for). I think the internal depth of a convection oven is a little bit smaller to accommodate the fan in the back. We’ve always had counter cooktops in this house (2 or 3 in 34 years) and they’re fine. You can get them in electric, electric induction or gas. Electric induction is supposed to provide the control of gas without the bother and cost of running a gas line. However, only certain magnetic cookware will work on an induction cooktop. My friend the baker’s range has a gas cooktop with an electric oven, to give her the best of both worlds. I’m green with envy! 

As you consult with various kitchen designers, the others will probably make additional suggestions, too. Ask them the reasons they’re suggesting variations from what you requested. Their suggestions may be based on their experience with other customers whose needs are similar to yours. OR, they might be trying to sell you surplus inventory that didn’t sell well. If this is something you want or need, that’s fine. If not, don’t accept it. Also, make sure they give you a line item cost breakdown in their estimate. This will enable you to make an apples-to-apples comparison when deciding who to select. Good luck!

[faeriemoon]

I have a dual fuel range with two ovens (side by side.)  I wasn't into the wall oven thing because I was concerned about the height of two ovens above and below each other.  Both ovens are convection; I think you would be hard pressed to find ovens that are not convection these days.  In the event that you didn't know, you don't have to use the convection feature if you don't want to.

My microwave is the drawer style.  There is another thread here somewhere on the subject.  Some posters had concerns about them, but I love that it's not on the counter.  I know some people like them mounted above the stove, but I don't think it's great to have that radiation beaming at your head when you're cooking on your stove.  There is always a high magnetic field around microwaves even when they are not in use.

[Fressa]

First: think about what YOU want and how much do you cook. I cook quite a bit and after all these years have found that my "dream" combination is a stove, Brevile microwave and Breville counter top ovens. (1 large and 1 small). I have one full size kitchen and a kitchentte in the family room. Finally, I have all the space for everything that I'm making for a holiday meal or baking. I would prefer a much larger space than I have now and more cabinet space. (You never have enough cabinet space.)

Second: Remember---you are the client/customer and it's your $$$. Ignore what the latest trends are and go with what you want/like. Keep in mind the cleaning of all the cooking appliances. I don't want an appliance that I have to buy special cleaning products or cookwear. Get what you really want because you only remodel once. (budget permitting)

Good Luck and enjoy your new kitchen!!     

[suzyQ3]

We have a countertop stove on our island. It's fine, except there is no hood. There is a down draft instead. I would not recomment such a configuration. We would like to put in a hood, but it would demand major work.

[ScrapHappy]

I moved into a new house two years ago.  A much larger  that has a very large kitchen (I have 2 islands and 3 sinks to give you an idea) that was remodeled by the previous owners.  I have 2  wall ovens that also have a convection feature built in  and they are electric.  I also have a 6 burner cooktop(gas)  and I like it but if it were me when the remodel was done, I'd gone for another stove with cooktop.  I don't know what you're looking for in a kitchen and I'm sure some people would think it's too much but for me, why not.  I have the space and I cook a lot.  I can easily load up the 2 wall ovens and have another oven going on Thanksgiving Day.  I like the idea of the microwave being a little lower than high up harder to reach microwaves, especially if you have children.  In my kitchen, there is a "nook" above the countertop for it which is just okay.  In one of my islands is a warming draw, which is nice, but I'd rather have a microwave there.  In the scheme of things, do what you want...what you like and what work for you.  I remodeled 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and my contractor made suggestions and I took them all seriously, but like he said...at the "end of the day, I'm the boss, and I have to live with it.  Do what makes YOU happy."

[RedTop]

I would stick to your own idea of a regular stove and wall oven.   A 5-6 burner cooktop might be nice, but if I wanted 2 ovens, I would not be satisfied with anything less.   

I have a small galley kitchen with very little counter space, so in my kitchen update several years ago, I had a pantry unit built with a cabinet above, microwave in the middle, and a two shelf cabinet below.   A microwave over the stove is not convenient for me, but this custom cabinet put the microwave space at the perfect height for easy access.   

[fierowoman]

My GE Profile has two ovens and is a regular stove.  One is a convection and the other regular.  You don't need a wall oven.  

[Starpolisher]

@fierowoman

Is the regular oven as big as an oven in a regular stove without the second oven?😮

[peachesncream]

So much of this is going to depend on personal preference.

I've lived in two houses with separate cooktop and wall oven(s), and two houses with free-standing stoves. I much prefer having a stove - which is what our current house has (hooray!). 

My stove has a wider oven than I ever had with wall ovens. That wouldn't necessarily be the case if you got to choose your wall ovens yourself. I had to use what was already installed. I hate narrow ovens.

I find it easier to watch and manage what's going on when I'm cooking, when everything (pots and pans and something in the oven) is right in front of me. I'm not running back and forth in the kitchen.  

Wall ovens always annoyed me because of their height. I'm on the short side, and I felt insecure taking heavy/hot things out of those wall ovens. 

You can replace a free standing stove more easily than wall ovens and cooktops (if you want to upgrade to something new, or the unit fails). There's no installation charge with a free standing stove. And no cabinetry or countertop to try to fit it into - and maybe have to change. 

In my dream kitchen, I'd have a free standing stove - a big one - and maybe an extra oven somewhere in the kitchen, but not up high.    

Good luck to you! It's exciting to be able to choose what will please you most.