Wall ovens did not change very much from 1980 to 2000 but the appliance industry has truly embraced new technology when it comes to cooking. There are now more home cooks than ever before. It seems like cooking has become a new fashion trend.
Most ovens now have twin convection systems meaning two fans. Wolf introduced their new dual blower fan technology which provides a much more even heat distribution.
Cooking is now as simple as following directions step by step off of the control panel screen and with some models you can even control the oven right from your smartphone. Technology has taken the art of cooking to the next level.
Whirlpool has invested 300 million in Jenn-Air and you can program your oven to cook any food automatically. Rare, medium rare, somewhat overcooked, however you prefer it. This makes cooking a lot easier for your average home cook.
Miele introduced a new oven in 2014 with a more advanced touch control and can cook 14 various kinds of bread. They've introduced steam assist in cooking.
Wolf also launched their new M series oven in 2015 which may be the oven of the future with their new blower convection system. It appears wall ovens have become a reflection of people's expectations of technology.
That said, let us look at the best of what currently is available.
Features:
The Jenn-Air V2 wall oven was one of the first ovens to bring the touchscreen technology to the cooking world. The touchscreen acts like a smartphone or an iPad. The Culinary Center shows pictures of the meat you are cooking to show you the correct temperature.
You simply plug in the temperature probe and the oven does the rest. Oven features dual convection for even heat distribution. Watch the video for more
You can also control the oven remotely using an app.
Features:
Wolf is the original dual convection manufacturer and now they've come out with an even better design - the dual blower. The blower design distributes heat evenly the best in the industry.
The fan cycles on and off at different times, depending on the food you're cooking. The M series oven has a Wolf gourmet feature, which takes the guessing out of cooking. It will even tell you the best rack location.
Features:
Miele is still one of the best most reliable brands. Their new and improved convection technology with steam allows you to bring a bakery into your own kitchen.
The steam helps create the perfect crust while maintaining a soft fluffy interior to create the perfect textured bread. Their MasterChef controls are incredibly simple to use.
Features:
There is still nothing built better than a Gaggenau. The styling is still the most distinctive in the industry. Side Swing ovens are truly better because you do not have to lift food over the door. The reliability is the best (along with Miele) and Gaggenau has the best warranty in the industry.
Features:
Thermador is still knob control, old school single convection. You should consider Thermador only because of their rebate program with a free dishwasher. In terms of technology, the others are way better but will cost more.
It is only a matter of time before you will tell your wall oven what to cook. The oven will signal the fridge for food and the dishwasher for the correct cycle.
For now, you have some great options to allow the wall oven to figure out how to actually cook for you....by pressing a few buttons.
Additional Resources
Get the Yale Wall Oven Buying Guide with features, specs and detailed profiles of all the major brands. Well over 225,000 people have read a Yale Guide.
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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on September 26, 2014 and has been updated for accuracy, freshness and comprehensiveness.