Dual fuel range or cooktop and wall oven?

[Targhee]

We are building and I’m planning the kitchen. I enjoy cooking and usually prepare hot/cooked meals for my family of six 12-15 times a week (other times are cold, leftovers, or dine out), so I get fair use of my appliances.  I had been thinking of getting a gas cooktop and an electric wall oven (and a microwave oven with convection bake).  Now I’m rethinking dual fuel ranges.  Input from those who have either set-up?

Space is a big consideration - I have 15.5 feet to put my fridge and cooking appliances, plus cabinets and work surfaces (the sink and dishwasher  will be on the island opposite the wall with fridge and cooking appliances). 

[Liz CA]

Not sure if I am on the right track here... please feel free to let me know.

Dual fuel range. I had one years ago when we lived in an area where the power was prone to go out during storms. The cooktop was gas and therefore could be lit manually and the range was electric. It worked great for me. Even though I had no oven during power outages, I still had a cooktop. I have heard that gas ovens discolor cookware permanently.

I currently have a wall oven (electric) and a large toaster oven that functions as my go-to oven and has convection options. Love this one too.

[LJPPKGFGSC]

I have a dual fuel range ( gas stove - electric oven) and I love it!  In fact, it is a double oven (one small, one larger compartment).  But I would gladly give up some space to have a cooktop and a wall oven.  We lived in a rental for six months with that arrangement.  It was wonderful to be cooking at the stove without the hot oven right in front of your belly. 

[Targhee]

2 minutes ago, LJPPKGFGSC said:

I have a dual fuel range ( gas stove - electric oven) and I love it!  In fact, it is a double oven (one small, one larger compartment).  But I would gladly give up some space to have a cooktop and a wall oven.  We lived in a rental for six months with that arrangement.  It was wonderful to be cooking at the stove without the hot oven right in front of your belly. 

Good point I hadn’t considered.  What brand and width dual fuel range do you have? 

[Ellie]

2 hours ago, Targhee said:

We are building and I’m planning the kitchen. I enjoy cooking and usually prepare hot/cooked meals for my family of six 12-15 times a week (other times are cold, leftovers, or dine out), so I get fair use of my appliances.  I had been thinking of getting a gas cooktop and an electric wall oven (and a microwave oven with convection bake).  Now I’m rethinking dual fuel ranges.  Input from those who have either set-up?

Space is a big consideration - I have 15.5 feet to put my fridge and cooking appliances, plus cabinets and work surfaces (the sink and dishwasher  will be on the island opposite the wall with fridge and cooking appliances). 

I love my gas cooktop/electric wall oven. There's storage below my cooktop for all the pots and pans and whatnot, and storage above and below the single wall oven (oh, how I would love two ovens!). I have a microwave oven over the cooktop.

[KungFuPanda]

I have this style stovebin a different brand. I’m pretty sure someone makes itbin dual fuel. I use both ovens way more often than I thought I would, but I’ve never found myself needing two full-sized ovens at once. It’s a great way to get more ovens in less space. 

[gardenmom5]

I have a dual fuel range.  I love it. 

 

however,

if you have the space - and the budget - do separate.    make sure to get the full-size wall ovens. (wall ovens have twice as much insulation as a free standing range, so you want as wide as you can get.)

[gardenmom5]

the other thing you want to look at is btus put out by the burners. I have two high output front burners - but I'm seeing fewer and fewer of those, and more with only one high output burner.  - again - cook top you have many more options.

for space - you can do a cooktop - and put a single 'wall oven" underneath.

and DO NOT get a vent that is right next to the burners (think jenn-air), as it just sucks all the heat off of the burners.

a gas cook top does require a stronger, exterior, exhaust vent.

but I love the control.

gas ovens do cook differently.   dh's neice couldn't figure out what she was doing wrong with his roll recipe.  - it was her gas oven.   she baked them in her neighbor's electric oven, and they were perfect.  (the neighbor did offer to save her from any risk of food poisoning by eating them himself.)

[Bootsie]

I had a dual range Kenmore oven with five gas burners and two ovens (upper was smaller and bottom was larger).  I loved it.  The upper oven was great for bread and other side dishes when a Turkey was in the large oven.  Often, I used only the smaller oven for casseroles.  It had a "toast" function that DH loved.  We now have a double wall oven without that function and he really misses it.  

[Ellie]

1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said:

I have this style stovebin a different brand. I’m pretty sure someone makes itbin dual fuel. I use both ovens way more often than I thought I would, but I’ve never found myself needing two full-sized ovens at once. It’s a great way to get more ovens in less space. 

It has always looked to me as if using that bottom oven would be awkward. Do you think so?

[Carol in Cal.]

Sigh.  I looked at my dream French stove at a lovely local appliance store, and the helpful lady totally burst my bubble by gently pointing out that if this is for my final, ultimate kitchen, I should consider whether I am going to want to be leaning down to get things out of my oven for the rest of my life.  It's really a good point.  But I can't easily rearrange my kitchen to incorporate a wall oven, and actually would be hard pressed to incorporate the wider than normal French range either.  So I'm leaning toward a range with a gas top and an electric oven, with a warming oven under the main oven.  DH objects that this necessitates installing 220 in the stove space.  Pshaw to that, I say.  Clearly he does not realize what big expense bullets he has already dodged in my deciding against rearranging/replumbing the entire kitchen, and importing a special built to order French stove at tremendous expense. 220?  It is but to laugh.

Having said all that, up at our cabin we have a great room, and the Jennair fan pulls the cooking smells off the stove top so completely that DH can cook eggs and I don't have to vacate the premises, which I did not think was possible.  Love me that Jennair cooktop.  Next to it on the kitchen island is a tiled area under which there is a WARMING OVEN.  Brilliant, I say.  Into this you can put all those things that you cook and then 'reserve', and they stay hot.  This is particularly crucial at that altitude, where things don't heat up quite as much as at our sea level home, so they cool off much more drastically.  Then over on the wall is a wall oven, which is waist high on me, absolutely perfect. 

I love this set up, and if I could figure how how to shoehorn a wall oven into my actual home, I would do it in a heartbeat.  Alas, it is an old house (1922) with a weirdly configured kitchen, no outlets on exterior walls, and a chimney behind the present stove that vents the furnace and hot water heater so it can't easily be moved.  There is really no place for a wall oven unless I reconfigure *the roof* and that is more major surgery than I am willing to take on.  Hence the paragraph 1 plan.  I imagine that when I am very old and can't bend over anymore, I will buy the biggest, best 'toaster oven' I can find, and set it out on the counter, in the manner of a fussy old lady who does not cook large Roast Beast type meals anymore.

[hellen]

I've had both and don't have a strong preference either way.  The one thing that does bother me about my separate gas cooktop is that it's not very deep.  I have trouble fitting a pot or pan on both the back burner and front burner at the same time.  I don't know if it's possible to have deep cooktops, but it's definitely possible to have deep ranges.

[KungFuPanda]

8 hours ago, Ellie said:

It has always looked to me as if using that bottom oven would be awkward. Do you think so?

I don’t really have any issues with it and it allows a second oven without remodeling. I’m fit and agile though, so I couldn’t recommend it if you have back problems or the like. Truth be told, I use the top oven most of the time. It heats fast and is more convenient. I use the bottom when I need a second oven or if what I’m making won’t fit, or if I need convection heat. 

[LJPPKGFGSC]

[LJPPKGFGSC]

I attached a picture in the post above, and forgot to explain it.  This is a Jenn Air 30 inch dual fuel gas range with two electric stoves.  The top one is smaller.  But it is big enough for two 8 x 13 pyrex casserole dishes.  So it is enough for any typical meal for my family of five since I can still cook two items.  It is short and a bit more narrow than a typical oven.  The bottom one is the size of a typical oven (there is no storage below).  It is very low to the floor when opened.  So, yes, you do need to bend over and lift hot items quite a distance when using the bottom oven. I usually bake tall items (like a turkey, popovers, or a bundt cake ) in the bottom oven.  And sometimes, for instance when I am baking things at different temperatures, or a dessert that should be served warm, I will use the second oven.  Another positive is that since  the top oven is so small is heat up quickly and it does not heat up the room as much as a larger oven.

But as much as I love this oven, my next house will have a range and a wall oven.  (Even if I have to go back to one oven.)

[prairiewindmomma]

I have a JennAir dual fuel. I had it installed a few months ago (to replace a broken 12 yo Jenn Air). I really love the 17,000 BTU gas burner and the oven has a nice bake. 

[prairiewindmomma]

I should add.....I had to get a JennAir downdraft model.  If I didn't need a downdraft exhaust, I would've gone with a different dual fuel unit, just for budget reasons.  If you are only working with 15.5 linear feet and you have a family of 6 like I do.....go for the biggest refrigerator you can, go for a large dishwasher and sink, go for adequate cabinet space and line up a huge pantry.  Make sure you have a good length of countertop on which to set groceries, prep veggies, etc.  If you're like us, you either completely fill a cart or spill over into 2 when you grocery shop.

[prairiewindmomma]

The Air BnB that we spent a few weeks at had this new slide-in range, and we liked it, fwiw: https://www.lowes.com/pd/KitchenAid-5-Burner-5-8-cu-ft-Self-cleaning-Slide-In-Convection-Gas-Range-Stainless-Steel-Common-30-Inch-Actual-29-875-in/50354018  

I probably would've bought this if we didn't need a downdraft: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Whirlpool-5-Burner-5-8-cu-ft-Self-cleaning-Slide-In-Convection-Gas-Range-Stainless-Steel-Common-30-in-Actual-29-875-in/1000079681

It's the same size as the KA, has a similar look, and is several hundred dollars less. If you look under the specifications, it also has a 17,000 BTU burner and a 15,000 burner. Those are great for bringing things to a quick boil...but the gentler burners (5,000, 8,000 and 9,200) are great for some of the more delicate sauces that require gentle simmering.

[Targhee]

9 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I should add.....I had to get a JennAir downdraft model.  If I didn't need a downdraft exhaust, I would've gone with a different dual fuel unit, just for budget reasons.  If you are only working with 15.5 linear feet and you have a family of 6 like I do.....go for the biggest refrigerator you can, go for a large dishwasher and sink, go for adequate cabinet space and line up a huge pantry.  Make sure you have a good length of countertop on which to set groceries, prep veggies, etc.  If you're like us, you either completely fill a cart or spill over into 2 when you grocery shop.

Thanks for that specific input. We shop at least twice a week!

I am going for a large LG fridge. I loved my 28 cubft LG in my last house, and now they make a 30 - wahoo!

[prairiewindmomma]

I can relate.  We have a 28ft as well.  Samsung makes a 34 cubic foot, but it's pricey. 

Our current set up is an upright all freezer, a 28 ft house fridge, and a garage freezer/refrigerator combo (came with our current house).  We *STILL* run out of room after a big Costco run. Teenage boys. I buy 10 dozen eggs at a time to last the week.

[nevergiveup]

I like my 6 burner stove with griddle and two ovens.  I had thought about wall ovens but I like having a big commercial vent above me that can suck out all the heat and smoke, etc. 

 

[Targhee]

42 minutes ago, nevergiveup said:

I like my 6 burner stove with griddle and two ovens.  I had thought about wall ovens but I like having a big commercial vent above me that can suck out all the heat and smoke, etc. 

 

What make of range is this?

[Targhee]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I think I’m going to go with a separate gas cooktop and electric wall oven.  Now, to figure out which of those to get...

[nevergiveup]

14 hours ago, Targhee said:

What make of range is this?

It is an American Range.  I had a Capital before and it had a number of problems so I returned it.  This one isn't perfect, but it fits my needs and bakes well.  I can fit all my huge canning pots on it without any problem and the griddle makes a nice area to put hot things when its not in use or I can use it to keep things warm.

I like having my ovens under my vent hood--fruit pies are done when they boil over and that results in smoke.  A pizza stone smokes when you put cornmeal on it.  Roasting meats smoke as does broiling.  And, who wants the smell of baked fish floating around?

[TravelingChris]

Late responding to this but that is what I really would like.  What I currently have is a Electric cooktop in one area and the wall oven and microwave/convection oven separated.  It really is very nice not to have to bend low to get to the ovens. But when we do our kitchen remodel, I think I would like to see if we could possibly get a gas range.  Probably price prohibitive but one can dream. (We have gas fireplaces and gas furnace but I think it would be too expensive to try to run the gas especially since we do not plan to remodel our great room.