Why is the wall version more expensive? It's just the nature of the industry. Built in appliances like wallovens will always be more expensive than functionally identical appliances in different configurations. They have a more premium look, tend to go into more upscale, high budget kitchens, and less of them are manufactured.

Why should you get the wall Advantium over the OTR version? The main reason is so you can get a hood instead of an OTR microwave. OTR microwaves are jacks of all trades and masters of none. Hoods look better and vent better. If you are using a more powerful range or range top, you don't really have a choice in the matter as OTR microwaves are unacceptable over those cooking surfaces.

I read through the installation manual for the OTR Advantium. Nothing says I have to mount it over a range. The unit is a complete standalone appliance. At this point, I'm not too concerned about how it will look. The kitchen will be highly customized anyway so what's one more appliance I have to trim by hand.

I'm just wondering if there is some kind of functional difference from the Wall oven Advantium 240.

Well the OTR version certainly isn't designed to go in a cabinet or on the counter. It has lights and a fan on the bottom. Installing it like that would certainly void your warranty. If you wanted a hood you could set the Advantium up for recirculating and mount it above a counter somewhere... but at that point I would just keep it simple and put it over the range.

You can check the manuals if you want to compare functionality. They look pretty much the same to me.

http://products.geappliances.com/MarketingObjectRetrieval/Dispatcher?RequestType=PDF&Name=49-40678-1.pdf

http://products.geappliances.com/MarketingObjectRetrieval/Dispatcher?RequestType=PDF&Name=49-40686-1.pdf

Okay, I rechecked the installation manuals for both ovens. The OTR Advantium simply says it can be installed over ranges as wide as a 36". It never says it must be mounted over a range. The Wall Advantium doesn't have an exhaust fan hookup, or light, so they apparently are not needed for the oven function itself.

I rechecked the user manuals and both ovens have internal cooling fans, but nothing that I find in the OTR user manual says the exhaust fan has to run to operate the oven.

If I did buy the OTR version, I would likely mount it in a bank of uppers exactly like the instruction manual describes but just over a counter. I would use the oven's bottom light for that purpose, but unless GE specifically tells me that I have to use the exhaust fan to use the oven itself, I would not even hook it up. If they said I did need the fan, I could do that too, but at this point I see nothing indicating that the fan must be on to use the oven unless I missed something.

You are right, I can't find any real functional difference between the two ovens either, although the user manual is slightly longer for the wall oven but I don't yet see what the difference is from a function standpoint.

Yes, you can mount the OTR version under a raised cabinet over a counter with impunity, and no, you don't need to hook up the lights or fan, though it might be useful to hook up the lights. It sounded you like you meant to trim it out the way some freestanding microwaves can be trimmed into a cabinet to look built in.

I'm not currently up on it, but I thought the OTR had a smaller cavity? Mine would be awfully big OTR...

The cavity size is identical. No the exhaust fan does not need to run for the oven to work, but the point is you would be covering the openings. Mounting it over counter is fine, the warranty would only be void if you enclosed it into a cabinet.

Thanks, plllog and hv. I understand the concerns, but frankly the $1000-1200 extra for the wall unit is a good chunk of money and that amount would buy some really nice building material for the kitchen. In fact, it would pay for a slab of soapstone big enough for the counters and that is a trade off I would gladly make.

Yes, oven size is identical. Power levels are identical. I think I would even prefer a side-opening door for the straight drop down to the counter. I've heard so many good things about the Advantium and now it looks like I may actually be able to use one.

I have an Advantium 240v wall oven, and have used the over-the-cooktop version too. The oven interiors are NOT identical. Far from it - the wall-oven version has a much deeper interior, about 4" or so deeper than the over-the-cooktop model. That's because the wall oven fits into a cabinet that's 24" deep, whereas the over-the-cooktop oven has to fit in-between 12" deep cabinets without sticking out too far. Common items like a pizza box won't fit into the OTC Advantium, which was the main reason I wanted the wall-oven version.

On the minus side, the wall oven has only one rather than two racks above the turntable (the 120v Advantium wall oven doesn't even have one rack, just a riser that fits on the turntable), and the black and stainless-steel over-the-cooktop Advantiums (the 240v models anyway, not sure about the 120v) have an illuminated button panel that I don't think the wall ovens have. As far as how they cook, both wall oven and OTC cook about the same.

Weird. Their website says the capacity is the same.

You have to dig into the specs PDFs sometimes to get the full story (the overall space inside is similar due to the OTC version being wider and a bit taller. Or look at photos - this is of the A240 Wall Oven model; these trays are much too wide and deep to fit into a OTC oven:

Thank you for that information. I should have noticed the discrepancy in depth you pointed out. It makes a difference for sure. My problem is that I just don't think I can have a true wall oven anywhere in the kitchen. Haven't found enough room yet on different layouts, so I was thinking range and a MW over the counter, but a speed oven would be really nice to have for everyday use.

At least you verified they both function the same. That's good. It will come down to whether we need the extra depth or not because we will have a regular oven in a range at the very least.

Electrically, the OTR version uses a plug. The wall oven is hard-wired. The plug will need to be a 240v outlet.

The vent should come from the factory set for recirculation.

When I was deciding about this, the biggest thing for me was that the OTR model would not rotate a 9x13 dish and the wall oven will. Can't recall who had posted that, but I figured if I ended up loving it and using it a lot, I'd really want to be able to do that. So the question became do I want to save a little and risk loving it but being frustrated by the limitations of the OTR and then regret the savings?

Good point, Williamsem! Mine will hold my 16" pizza pan, but just barely. The 17" Pyrex baking dish has to go on the wire rack in convection oven mode. Which is fine. That works well too. :) I've also had two 2-qt. Corningware casseroles and one 1-qt. on the carousel with the 17" on the rack. That's about the limit. :)

Just out of curiosity, does the Advantium do well on pizza? Because in my opinion microwaved pizza is absolutely disgusting (as well as anything bread-based, really). I wouldn't be surprised the halogen and convection made a real difference though.

Williamsen- I think I posted that a 9x13 will rotate in the wall oven when you were looking.
Hvtech- reheated Advantium pizza is awesome! It comes out crispy and the cheese and dough are great - just use the speed oven option with the metal tray. You are supposed to put the pizza directly on the tray but I usually use an interface such as an oven safe plate or Corning. I might try parchment paper.

hvtech42 - I'm only slightly embarrassed to say, but reheating pizza is one of the main reasons I can think of for one of these speed ovens, and for baking potatoes. I agree that MW pizza is truly disgusting and the big oven takes too long.

The baking part with larger pans would be the wife's department, but then again a sheet of cookies or pastry does not weigh a whole lot, so a range oven for that might work okay. I'm just trying to make life easy for the two of us as we get older.