Is It Worth It to Get a Wall Oven?
If you’re considering a wall oven and cooktop instead of (or to replace your existing) a range, the first thing to be aware of is cost. The wall oven-cooktop combo is going to cost you more — possibly a lot more. On the other hand, investing in separate appliances does have its advantages. The price of having your oven at a height that doesn’t require stooping? For you, it may be priceless.
Life’s full of choices. Here, we help you break it down.
The Pros and Cons of a Wall Oven
The main advantages of a wall oven are flexibility (i.e., you can customize your cooktop and oven to best suit your cooking needs) and convenience. But these pros come at a cost. Instead of shopping for one appliance, you’re shopping for two — and that adds up.
Pro: You don’t have to bend over.
When you’re trying to make sure you don’t so much as breathe on the soufflés as you pull them delicately out of the oven, there’s a lot less to worry about if the oven is basically at eye-level.
Pro: You have greater flexibility.
Let’s say you’re a baker and you want to invest in a top-of-the-line oven, but you don’t use your stovetop all that often and you want to go super-budget. When you’re buying your appliances separately, you can do that. When you are buying a range, it generally all goes together.
You also have great flexibility in terms of appliance placement. Put your oven there and your cooktop here and you’ll avoid kitchen crowding, especially around the holidays.
Pro: You can get more than one oven.
A wall unit typically lets you have multiple ovens, or pair it with another appliance (like a microwave) so that you’re getting the most for your usable wall space.
Con: You need to buy a separate cooktop.
You’ll have to buy a separate cooktop, which, as mentioned will be more expensive. The three biggest expenses in your kitchen are your fridge, your oven, and your stove. If you opt for your stove and oven in a combo like a slide-in, you’ll pay a combination price.
The Pros and Cons of a Slide-in Range
This is what most people will opt for, as it’s the most economical choice. Not only is the single unit cheaper, but it’s also less likely to involve expensive installation costs.
Pro: It’s cheaper.
Once again, buying one unit that features both your oven and stove is the most cost-effective way to buy your appliances, assuming you’re not going for a statement piece like a La Cornue.
So, how much cheaper are we talking? You can get a good-quality range for $1,000 to $2,000. For separates, expect to spend around $500 to $1000 for your cooktop and $1,500 and upwards for a wall oven.
Pro: It’s efficient for your kitchen space.
Combining your oven and your stove into one unit saves valuable square footage that you could put towards a bigger island or kitchen table. If you have wall space that would accommodate an oven, you can use it for more storage for your three blenders, mismatched Tupperware, and collection of chipped china passed down from your grandmother.
Con: Your oven will be at knee level.
Of course, this might not be the biggest deal to you now when you’re feeling young and spry, but as you get older you might not love having to bend to pull cakes out of the oven, or lean like you’re an Olympic diver to read your meat thermometer. And that 20-pound Thanksgiving turkey can feel like 50 pounds when you’re deadlifting it up from the oven.