French Door Ovens Are Back

[xraytech]

This morning I went out to look at the Miele dishwashers as I decided I want one as I do a semi-redo of my kitchen. The store I went to has a lot of high end brands like sub zero, Thermador etc. they also have more MOL brands too. As I was paying my bill I happened to notice the GE Cafe series kitchen setup, what really caught my eye was a 30" french door wall oven. There was no price on it, though from the very hefty feel of it I'm guessing it's very pricey. I was impressed with the feel of it as well as the fact that it is controlled with knobs instead of the digital buttons.

Here are some stock photos as I didn't think to take pics

 

[frigilux]

That's one handsome wall oven. Has a substantial-looking convection system, as well. The double doors remind me of the Vulcan or Hobart convection ovens seen in commercial kitchens.

 

[launderess]

Looks like a Blodgett Commercial/Professional

Convection oven.

Now you know why.

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[toploader55]

You'd be better off...

If you want to buy gas or electric,

Rather than pay GE's $4000.00 Price tag, get a commercial one.

Yeah, you'd probably have trouble building it in the wall, but fabricators can do anything to get it to code.

But than again, most people that would buy the GE oven might use it twice a year to bake Pillsbury Croissant dinner rolls on the holidays or make a "Real" frozen Pizza.

But none the less, GE did design a handsome looking oven and Yes... Kudos for no Total Electronic Bullshit Pads. Rotary Dials are hopefully making a come back.

http://www.bigtray.com/blodgett-sho-series-convection-oven-sho-e-sku-bldshoe-c-10900.html

 

[frigilux]

Trust me, you do not want a true commercial convection oven in a standard residential kitchen. Might as well install it in the living room as a fireplace.

 

[logixx]

This vid has a short segment on the oven.

 

[appnut]

The Monogram series has this same oven--one with French door design and one with traditional door design. 

 

[passatdoc]

My parents' first (purchased) house had a built in GE gas wall oven with French doors, circa 1958. This was standard builder-grade, nothing fancy. I think it was 27" maximum, and possibly only 24" (which today is the "standard" size for the few gas wall ovens still made in USA). Thinking back on it, the French doors meant you could reach in and insert/remove something without standing at arm's length (to avoid touching a full size door). In addition, almost everyone who bought a house in this neighborhood had lots of baby boom little kids, and a full-size door hanging out at a 90 degree angle was a safety hazard (Kids running around and either burning themselves or hitting themselves in the head----which was less likely with a range, since the door was much closer to the floor). So I think the moms appreciated the fact that the doors did not jut out as much, given the hazards of mixing wall ovens and little kids. Their second home had an old kitchen that they remodeled, adding a Frigidaire double wall oven, but it was in a corner and by that age we were old enough not to play "chase" in the kitchen. The gas wall oven was in the middle of the kitchen and presented more of a hazard had the doors been single-slab.

 

[dustin92]

Yeah, would definitely need some high cfm venting to suck out the heat that a commercial oven can produce, not to mention the noise of the fan. I work in a commercial kitchen, and when it is running, ours can make you sweat in the winter if the exhaust system isn't on. The exhaust system has a noise level similar to a vacuum cleaner, although a lower pitch, so I definitely wouldn't want THAT running in my home kitchen! I come home and appreciate our 1961 Frigidaire even more! I can cook 90% of the time without opening a window, no noise, and believe it or not, better performance. Would much rather have 3 or 4 of those lined up in the camp kitchen than the gas monstrosity that is there! I can't seem to get a grasp on this new trend of having commercial style appliances in the home, I can cook anything I will ever need on electric coil elements and a conventional oven. No drama, no choking fumes, no noise. In my opinion, gas takes an age to boil a pot of water, can't retain heat, and easily scorches things, while a (good) electric range will do everything that gas can't. I just got home from cooking at another camp this weekend, and the kitchen I used was supplied with a single smoothtop electric range with conventional oven, and I prepared 3 meals for 25 people. Not a single thing was scorched, burned, or dried out. Water did take a LONG time to boil, but I was using warped pans. I used another oven in another building for one meal (electric with convection) but everything was made 85% from scratch. I got many complements on the food and even I was impressed. Truthfully, I couldn't say the same for my usual kitchen- I am never totally pleased with how food comes out when using the commercial appliances. I will agree that commercial appliances are many times more durable, but not necessarily better performers.

 

[jetcone]

Wolf

made a single door model a few years back it was a nice oven. I've biked by the Blodgett factory up in Burlington, peeked in , stacks of ovens in assembly. 

The GE site looks very un-GE too me, this must be done by Electrolux now, I think the purchase was complete by now.

 

 

 

[passatdoc]

My concern is that some consumers will see this as a must have item, without considering the venting requirements and heat generation.

 

[combo52]

New GE French-Door Wall Oven

Pretty Cool, This looks to be GE designed and Built, and diffidently the first FDWO that is self-cleaning so we know it didn't come from a commercial maker or Europe.

 

But don't be fooled by the control knobs it is fully electronically controlled.

 

I have not seen any GE-Frigidaire appliances yet and parts of that whole merger have not been worked out yet.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I think I saw a few other french door ovens in different colors from another manufacturer.

Since we mentioned commercial ovens:
It made me wonder that since steam self cleaning ovens are popular now, is there any chance for steam-assisted ovens being introduced, or have they been already?

Something like a Blodgett Combi oven for home use?

 

[norgeway]

I wouldnt trade

A new old stock Frigidaire French Door wall oven for a truckload of any thing made today!!LOL

 

[tolivac]

The GE French Door Monogram French Door Oven-for THAT price of 4 grand--will eat out!!!The Blodgett one at the lower price and ANALOG controls-would be more of a possibility-being a commercial machine--would it need three phase power to operate it????Or a gas supply?At the prices of many appliances these days--easy to see why restuarants are doing well!

 

[combo52]

Eating Out VS Buying A New $4000 Oven

Hi Rex, A couple eating out for just one year, even at McDonalds would waste more than $4000, LOL, and if you ate a decent restaurant you could save $4000 in a about 6 months, We love cooking and eating at home, Smitty and I don't eat out twice a month.

 

[tolivac]

For me I eat out about once per week-sorry the 4K oven just doesn't cut it for me.Will stick with the old Hotpoint that came with the house and the Advantium I added after buying the place and moving in.Both machines work just fine.All I need.I just can't see spending 4 K on just an oven.There is a $3700 Electrolux oven at the Lowes place near me-it just gathers dust.No one wants it.Surprized it hasn't been put on the Lowes bargain bin table.Same with high priced washers and dryers at Best Buy.Slow sellers in my area.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Actually, I hope these outrageously expensive french door ovens sell well so the design will make its way down the line.

I watched Logixx' vid. The guy's subtle double entendre about "getting right in there" was cute, but for me the main benefit would be not having to stoop to use the oven.

 

[lordkenmore]

>the main benefit would be not having to stoop to use the oven.

I think that's a big advantage of wall ovens in general. No offense to those with a Beloved Range, but my preference in an ideal world would be to have separate cooktop/oven.

I grew up with such an arrangement...sort of. There was a wall oven, but it was broken most of the years we lived in that house. In time, to get an oven, we got a Farberware convection oven that sat on the counter. That thing really spoiled me when I first started baking--no bending, no stooping, so easy to keep an eye on what was going on... In more recent history, I've been stuck with a conventional range, which works, but it's more of a pain to use the oven. I have been, at times, a heavy toaster oven user, and now as I think of it, one advantage (and one that I might have seen subconciously all along) is the convenience of having it on the counter.