Transcript:
Hi, I'm Steve from Yale and today we will be looking at Thermador wall ovens and comparing them versus their competitors like Wolf, Jenn-Air, and Miele.
Thermador is one of the first American premium appliance brands. They are credited for manufacturing the first wall oven and were one of the first to implement convection in their ovens. Convection is a fan forced heat, so the heat is distributed more evenly, so you will bake better. For those who have been at Yale and had a fresh baked cookie, you may have noticed how the cookies all had the same color and texture. They are always baked in convection.
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There have been advances in convection and cooking technology, but Thermador has stayed the same over the last 8 years with just single fan convection. They also have a meat probe for more accurate roasting and basic electronic controls on their base series.
Their top of the line double oven has knob controls with some electronics at $5,999 or roughly $1,600 more than their base model. This oven is available with convection in both ovens and adds a rotisserie in the top oven if you like to baste meats.
They are decent ovens but are more comparable to affordable luxury brands like Bosch, Frigidaire Pro, and KitchenAid in terms of features yet at a higher price. They do have a free dishwasher promotion, but still, it is higher than the other affordable luxury brands.
Thermador also lacks the new features and functionality of the high-end ovens like Jenn-Air, Miele, and Wolf. Instead of basic electronics or knobs, these wall ovens will calculate time and temperature based on what the food is and how you like it cooked. All you have to do is touch a button…so if you want roast beef cooked medium well, the oven will do the work. There is no more guesswork on your part. Should you cook that big Thanksgiving bird another 10-20 minutes? With this newer oven technology, you don't have to worry, because the calculation is done by the oven itself automatically.
They also have better convection delivery systems for more even temperature if you really like to bake. Jenn-Air and Miele offer twin convection for even better temperature distribution than the single fan Thermador.
Wolf has a new convection system using blowers instead of fans for delivering temperature faster with more even consistency. The oven will even tell you what rack position is best for your food.
Jenn-Air has their Culinary Center and will give you pictures of what the food will look like at the end of a cycle and can be controlled by an app on your phone. In addition, Miele adds steam in their MasterChef ovens for baking bread and hardening foods automatically.
So should you still buy a Thermador?
It does lack the functionality of the premium brands, but it lacks the price as well. Although they are more expensive than affordable brands, Thermador is rough $2,000-$3,700 cheaper than Jenn-Air, Miele or Wolf plus you get a free $1,200 dishwasher if you also buy their cooktop.
So it depends on what you are looking for...if you want better, more intuitive controls and a more advanced convection system, then Thermador is not what you should be buying.
However, if you want a decent oven for a more reasonable price, then Thermador should be a serious consideration.
Additional Resources
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