Should You Place a Wall Oven Under a Cooktop?

Picture your new kitchen.

Your countertops can be soapstone, caeserstone, granite, marble in endless permutations.

Now let's look at cabinets. They can be sleek glossy modern high sheen white or a very traditional wood with aged brass accents.

What will you do with your floors? What finish is your tile back guard. I like colorful tile, but my friend has a beach house with blueish, beachy tile. I liked that as well. Now we have to light your kitchen and add plumbing fixtures, door hardware and sinks.

I mention the common elements of a renovation because they are the personal, unique elements of our kitchens. From a style standpoint, it is not the appliances per se. So you want to try to accentuate the best elements of your kitchen.

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Wall Oven & Cooktop Combination

There are some real advantages to a wall oven/cooktop set up.

1. Cleanability: There are no seams on the sides so spills stay on the top and not in the crevices on the sides
2. Appearance: This is the big one. Your granite runs straight across the back. The toe kicks and cabinets are not compromised, so it’s a much cleaner look
3. Function: Wall ovens and cooktops have better controls and functions in most cases than slide-ins and professional stoves

 
Real Disadvantages to Wall Oven/Cooktop Combinations

1. Price: You will spend $500-$1,500 more for a wall oven and cooktop than a comparable slide-in. 
2. Ergometrics: For any range, you will be bending for your food. You do stoop less when the oven is installed in the wall however.
3. Installation: It’s a tougher install. Stay with the same brand, so the connections line up.
4. No Pro: You cannot place a wall oven under a professional cooktop. Pro cooktops are too tall.

Other Alternatives

 
Freestanding, slide-in and pro ranges comprise 99% of the range sales. As you can see, the cabinets, toekicks and countertops stop at both sides of the units. The freestanding unit also adds a back, which blocks the tile work behind the unit.

Final Words

I remember the Uba Tuba granite craze in the 1990s. Everyones kitchen looked the same. You had a stainless steel slide-in, a counter depth fridge and the same granite.

I think this is different and an interesting alternative to a range. It’s an especially great look with the right cabinets. However, it is pricier than a range with similar features. Then again, your kitchen will never look like your neighbors.

Recommended Reads

• Makeover Mondays (every Monday, we have a design type article similar to this)

Additional Resources

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