Wall oven below cooktop?

[fan-of-fans]

I used to see in 80s/90s kitchens it was sometimes common to have a separate wall oven and cooktop, with the wall oven installed directly below the cooktop, similar to a range, but with separate units.

What was the reasoning for this? I still see it done sometimes but not all that often. I know Sears and Whirlpool also used to sell drop in ranges that were made to resemble a separate oven and cooktop, where the top burner controls were along the right side of the cooktop such as in the link.

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/RS675PXGQ.html

 

[circlew]

I've also seen single wall ovens installed in base cabinets with the cooktop located elsewhere. One kitchen I saw had two ovens with a tray base cabinet between them to store bakeware. A countertop was above, with the cooktop in the island.

 

[mattl]

I've done it in a number of kitchens I've done, got it in mine too. When I do a kitchen design if the space is on the small size it helps by not cutting up the visual with the counter top flowing across the space. I did it because I wanted a gas cooktop but electric oven, plus I prefer the look. I feel it's overall a cleaner look without a big box stuck into cabinetry.

 

[logixx]

That's still a frequent sight in Germany. The oven goes underneath the cooktop and powers/controls it. These sets are common if your kitchen doesn't have the set-up for a wall oven or you're a landlord and just want a basic, cheap kitchen.

Mounting a wall oven underneath a cooktop is another option. In that case, both are powered and controlled independently, with the oven simply connected to 230V and the cooktop 400V.

Free-standing ranges are usually considered bottom-of-line here.

 

[foraloysius]

Ranges here are popular in the more deluxe versions, like 90 cm stainless ones. Some people even try to get one into a tiny kitchen. Never saw the sense of that, because you loose counter space of the bit you have.

The combination Alexander posted is very rare here. There is still a connection between the oven and the cooktop. Overhere in the NL those were never popular, at least not after the 1980's.

Wall ovens and seperate cooktops, like Alexander mentioned too, are pretty much preferred. Although some people with small kitchens only install a combo oven microwave. But you often see a wall oven under a separate cooktop like in this picture.

 

[logixx]

Browsing one of German's larges appliance retailers, I see just 50 ranges, while there are 250 ovens. The most expensive one does come with induction but the oven still has knobs. Meanwhile, even MOL oven by Bosch have some sort of touch interface.

There are the extra-wide ranges by Smeg and other companies (I've never heard of) but only a very few. Miele also sell their US ranges here... but you can get an entire kitchen for the price of the fully-equipt model.

This is pretty much a landlord kitchen you'd find here. Oven and cooktop come as a set and are connected (and the cheapest unbranded garbage one can find).

 

[bobbins]

36" Cooktop

There are many reasons. In my case, allow for a 36"gas cooktop and 30" oven below. Allows for more installations options.

 

[foraloysius]

I had a look at mediamarkt.de. They too have built in ranges (Einbauherde). It's a category the Dutch Mediamarkt doesn't even carry. Ofcourse the German market is way bigger and there is a replacement market. That replacement market is apparently not interesting here.

I've seen such landlord kitchens. Very cheap. I guess some people who have to buy their own kitchen for a rental buy these too?

 

[coldspot66]

Never understood putting a built in wall oven directly below a cooktop. Always thought a wall oven's advantages were eye level convenience. Who knew!

 

[foraloysius]

As mentioned, lack of space is a good reason for putting a wall oven (or single oven if you want) under a cooktop.

 

[henene4]

IKEA over here sells just separate ovens and cooktops while other brands offer both connected style and separate oven and cooktops.

They often sell separate oven and cooktops as set's which makes them cheaper.

One big reason I stear people towards separate ovens and cooktops is that if either breaks, you can replace just one.

With induction cookers, the power electronics in the thing often just give out after 5-10 years while many even cheaper ovens last easily 10y or more.

The sets cost pretty much the same no matter if you get it with the knobs integrated in the oven or with separate controls for both.

Technically, manufacturers often offer some form of cross-generation drop in replacements so you could just buy a separate cooktop and just replace that.

But these are usually prohibitively expensive and for some mysterious reason *cough* every 5-8 years the connection standards between oven and cooktop change so you can't replace one of both.

Thus it's just easier to buy both separately.

Oven and cooktops usually run on 3 phase 1 neutral.
Each phase gives 240V to neutral at 16A, just about 3.6kW.

Your cooktop is usually split in 2, one large and one small burner, each on one phase.
The oven on its own phase.

If you have the knobs on the oven, all 3 phases plus neutral go into the oven which then splits the power as needed.

If these ovens are coupled with an induction cooker, the oven usually just passed the 2 phases along and communicates digitaly with the cooktop.
Power regulation is done by the cooktop electronics.

If it is a radiant cooker, power switching can be done either by the oven or the cooktop.

When you hook up 2 separate things, you just hook 2 phases to the cooker and 1 to the oven and all share one neutral and earth.

Have the setup of a separate induction cooker and oven mounted above each other back home and in my flat.

There are pre done upgrade wall plates with 5 triple wago connectors that I used at all 3 installs I've done.

More often than not you just have a cable coming out of the wall.

Screw the plate to the wall behind the oven.
Pull cable throug.
Put one cable in each WAGO terminal.

Then first mount the cooker.
2 phases. Neutral earth.

Then the oven.
1 phase. Check no phase is double loaded.
Neutral and earth is shared.

So the 3 phase terminals have 2 wires.
Neutral and earth have 3.

Cover on, done.
Check everything is running before screwing oven in place.

Oven and cooker installation have come a long way over the past dozen of years here...

 

[logixx]

Kitchen in rental

Most people probably go for something like this in a rented place. You go to a furniture store (or select one online), pick up the boxes and assemble the cabinets yourself. When it's time to move, you pick the cabinets up and take them with you.

 

[luxflairguy]

My last 4 kitchens have had a wall oven under an electric cooktop. Very common instillation! Though it's a loong way down to open or close the door and lifting a heavy pot or turkey roaster means you have to use your knees and the blast of heat/moisture in your face takes a bit of getting used to! There are trade-foo's to many installations! Greg

 

[foraloysius]

My parents had a 1975 Siemens built in stove with role out oven door with baking sheets that you could hang on the oven door. Here's a picture of a later model. Very convenient for under the counter installation.

 

[tolivac]

Oven under the cookstove----OH MY ACHING BACK!!!!Prefer the eye level wall oven.MUCH better.

 

[logixx]

Your parents were early adopters then. Siemens are currently celebrating 50 years of this feature, being first released in 1970.

I went to the UK Siemens site and discovered something else that is a rarity here: double ovens.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Yes, the kitchen in GOLDEN GIRLS:

Pardon the flames as in another kitchen fire, ditzy Rose Nylund has done it again!

But that clearly is a free standing cooktop, of which in front of is the occasional use of an unattached built-in oven installed into that part of the counter the cook top in on, that you never see...

-- Dave[this post was last edited: 1/24/2021-02:05]

 

[warmsecondrinse]

#14

I want to give you 10,000 likes for that!!!

The next kitchen I have any say in will have 42" high countertops and either a hob with wall oven or something like one of these. And the refrigerator will be a bottom freezer, counter depth and 2m tall. EVERYTHING i use regularly is in the overhead cabinets!

 

[foraloysius]

I never looked at those ovens with "Backwagen". I'm quite surprised they are still available. I thought it was kind of a gadget back then. It was convenient, but only if you used one baking sheet. The top one is easy to reach, but it's quite a hassle to get to the other ones. Best way to do that is to remove the baking sheet(s) above.

I had a look too at the Siemens UK website. There is even an under the counter double oven!

 

[henene4]

Backwagen

Very German feature indeed.

Had an early 90s version my ex-landlord put in used.

Actually kinda liked it.
Once you got the hang of it it is far less finicky than pull out shelves.
Also very nice if you preheat and want to drop something in.
Cleaning is amazing since the interior is 100% smooth.

One great thing with these was during self clean.
No extra accessories to self clean a tray.
Just leave it in place.
And still full pull out flexibility.

 

[vacerator]

They were popular

in the US in the 90's, and still may be. That was more so before dual fuel ranges entered the market. It's a more custom install compared to a slide in range, or a wall oven away from a cook top. The oven is also very low to the floor if below the cooktop, as there is no storage or warming drawer below. The cooktop needs that space between the counter top and oven top.

 

[dermacie]

I was once in a very large home and it had a range and a built in wall oven. I was jealous because it was the best of both worlds in my opinion. If my kitchen was big enough I would have done that when I remodeled last year.

 

[mattl]

My wall oven below the cooktop is only a bit lower than a standard range and I also have a storage drawer under the oven.

 

[vacerator]

Matt, is your's a 30 inch

wide oven? I have never seen a 30 inch model with a drawer when installed under counter, only a narrow filler panel like drop in ranges have.

 

[mattl]

30".

 

I created the drawer from the filler strip and the toe kick area, it's about 6-8" deep and used a lot.

 

[sudsmaster]

I agree that an oven is far easier to use if it's at eye height.

I bought this house in 1997. It's a 1941 home, but had been remodeled I think in the 70's, when they expanded the kitchen, added a master bed/bath, and turned a bedroom adjacent to the kitchen into a family room open to the kitchen area. As part of the remodel they installed a tall cabinet next to the fridge, and put an 24" GE P*7 electric oven at eye height in it. Where the old range probably used to go, they extended the counter top from the sink area and put in a 36" electric cooktop. I replaced that electric cooktop (vintage but worn Corning) with a gas unit.

My only complaint about the wall oven is that it's electric. I much prefer gas, but gas is probably safer to run in a dedicated range. But the GE P*7 runs well and has relatively even heat. I don't bake much, usually just frozen lasagna etc, so it's not a big deal. I bought a small Oster counter-top convection/oven that's big enough for a 12" frozen pizza. As long as I remember to rotate the pizza 180 degrees half-way through, it works well enough. Although I admit the P*7 would probably do better. I just think the Oster uses less juice per pizza.

Prior to this, all my residences were rentals with the obligatory gas range, in various states of repair. So that's what I'm used to.

This house also has a patio kitchen with a built-in Frigidaire Compact 30 electric range. Never used that oven. Have used the surface elements, rarely. I'd like to replace it with a gas drop-in range, even have one in storage, but haven't got around to running the gas line to that location. Since I rarely use it, there's not much point.

 

[combo52]

GE P-7 24" Wall Oven

Hi Rich, That GE probably uses less power per hour than the countertop toaster oven.

 

The early GE P-7 ovens actually ran all three of the elements on just 120 volts when in the clean cycle, and it could be powered on a 120 20 Amp outlet and reach its cleaning temperature of around 800F.

 

A well designed kitchen should always have the oven elevated to a convenient height.

 

John L.

 

[mattl]

I'm updating my electrical panel and checked to see the rating on my 30" Electrolux wall oven - Min circuit rating is 20 A 220V. So yes, a wall oven is not power hungry. Will down size the breaker as right now it's a 50A that was put in to feed my long ago Corning range - that was power hungry...

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, the breakers for the P*7 in this house are two 40 amp ones. Probably more than is needed, but there you go.

 

[norgeway]

You could not give me

A wall oven under a cooktop, I have back trouble and arthritis, no way am i going to stand on my head to get a turkey out of the oven!! Why have a wall oven if it isnt at a convienent height .