Not sure about getting those Neff's here, but Bosch just released their new Benchmark ovens that feature side swinging doors. Instead of opening a door from top down and then having to reach over it, the door swings like a fridge.

There's another maker with double doors that open french-door style.

Plenty of alternatives to importing something from down-under.

That slide and hide door is cool! Wonder if the mechanism is prone to breaking?

I have used a side opening oven door in a commercial setting and actually got the worst burn I have gotten from an oven on that door. Maybe just because I wasn't used to it? But maybe because the door was out of my sight line? It would help with lifting heavy things in and out because of the shorter reach though I assume.

Genius!

The original reason for the bottom hinged oven door is that it allowed hot pans to be pulled out onto what was effectively a shelf. Of course, when glass was introduced into the doors, this did not work as well.

If I remember, bottom hinged doors came in with gas ranges. The old coal and wood burning ovens had side opening doors.

Live long enough and everything comes back full circle.

Gaggenau ovens open to the left / right as well.

I would need a pot holder that fit my right elbow if I had an oven door that opened like the one pictured above. I like the idea of being able to reach into the oven more easily but it would just not work for me. The slide and hide would make more sense for me.

My neighbor has one of those Neff ovens (I live in France) and is very happy with it. I played with the door once and it is easy to operate. Their oven does not get much use though as this is their second home.

If you factor in the shipping cost, the fact that you could not get servicing from Neff in the USA and that these are 24" ovens, I doubt that importing one would be worth it.

I'd like to see one of these: the Siemens liftMatic is mounted on the wall and opens from the bottom, therefore eliminating bending over to fetch things and reducing the amount of heat that escapes every time the door is opened. Not sure if I'd actually like using one of these and it's probably not sold in the US anyway, but it's an interesting idea.

How would that last one work with multiple items cooking on multiple oven racks?

I grew up with a side opening Westinghouse, which was shoehorned in by being in the doorway to the service porch. It was replaced with a Gaggenau specifically because there isn't room for a drop door there, and I have Gaggenau now, in part because once you're used to a side opening door, dropdown doors seem very inconvenient (and I had many in the intervening years).

I should say that side opening doors are meant for ovens mounted at about counter level. It's not required, but it is optimal for getting the most out of your oven. If you have to crouch down, it's not going to be very different.

I don't know about other brands (though Bosch is a sister to Gaggenau), but my oven door doesn't get burning hot unless it's at 500 degree pizza temperatures. Recently, I forgot about that and bumped it with my hip (bare top of leg, below my shorts, is what hit) because I hadn't opened it all the way and was having trouble getting the (overloaded) pizza off the peel. It felt ouch. I put a plastic ice cube on it. Nothing happened. A week later, I found a few dead cells coming up. Not a serious burn by a longshot, but that's the only one I've gotten on the side opening door. My oven is mounted a little lower than optimum, which is how that whole hip temptation happened. :)

I'm pretty sure you could get the lift oven, branded Gaggenau (a daughter of Siemens), in the U.S., at least a few years ago. It's meant as an accessible option for old folks and people with limited mobility. They showed it with food items put directly on the floor, besides having the rack. I don't remember if there were multiple levels, but the oven isn't really for people doing heavy duty cooking so much as those cooking enough to maintain their independence. The lift mechanism is supposed to make it easier to put things in from the counter, where the lift goes down to within a few inches. As shown in the picture posted here, I don't see the advantage, unless it's for short people who want high ovens.

There used to be an off brand American oven that had a retracting door, like the Neff, but in the video it looks like Neff has a much more elegant mechanism. On the one hand, it's very nifty, but on the other hand, I wonder what happens when it gets jammed...

You can check with Neff to see if they make a model that's compatible with American electricity (it's the Hz). There are some Middle Eastern countries, for instance, which run on the same current. Sometimes appliances are made for those even though they don't say so. I have a European induction cooktop which was actually made for either 50 or 60 Hz, but you'd never know it from anything but the installation instructions.

If you do import one, besides being without warranty or a service company (though someone ought to be able to do repairs, it might take a long time to get information and parts), you have to consider code and insurance. Some building codes exclude anything that isn't UL approved, period. Others will allow European certification (which, I believe is even stricter), and might also accept Australian. In addition, you should have a letter from your insurance company--not your agent but the insurers--stating that they fully insure you with this non-UL appliance. My company only required that my Euro cooktop be installed by a licensed electrician, which I'd think they'd want for any cooktop, but I guess not. :)

I have a double French door oven. I have not burned myself yet. No more reaching over a hot oven door with a heavy pan.

That Neff is astonishing! On the one hand, I love the idea of being able to position things exactly where you want them, and taking things out easily. On the other, as someone who's burned herself on oven racks many times, when I see those exposed racks, I cringe to think of the damage I could do with them!

In the 70's my SIL had a side opening wall oven, but the door opened all the way. For me, I would definitely burn myself on that Bosch. I've opened the MW door, knocked it when taking something out, and had it "bounce back".

That oven is cool! But I am also concerned about burning myself.

Re: importing. I live in Europe and am remodeling in America and have the possibility of self-importing European appliances (no duty, shipped with my household goods). But I have been discouraged from doing so on various boards due to the reasons that pillog explains above. Frustrating, since there are many innovations and cool products here - not to mention they are generally cheaper!

pillog - what brand induction cooktop do you have that is both 50/60HZ?

I really love that oven. And while the side opening ovens are nifty....having the door retract is extremely nice. Loved the glides for the racks also.

It seems like the US is so very far behind on appliances (and other things that I won't get into here as this isn't the board for it). We need to step it up a bit!

Hi folks, thanks for all the responses! The bottom-loading oven was new to me, as were the side-opening ovens, but I still think that retracting door is just the best approach to this problem that I've seen.

Having said that, the points that people have made about service availability have discouraged me from trying to import one of these unofficially. I guess what I need to do is write Siemens and see if they have any plans to sell these in the U.S.

Have you looked at the Slide & Hide ... sadly only sold in Vic Australia :( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkJNDaTVEdM

From someone who is on the short side of tall, I'd love an oven door that opens then slides underneath. I have a friend in France who just put one of these ovens in her kitchen, and she loves it. I just wish I did not have to move to Europe to enjoy the ease of use these ovens offer.

My double oven in my old kitchen - a 1961 Frigidaire - had french doors on the top oven, which I loved. I was surprised and dismayed to find in 2011 that the only french door double oven (American Range) was way out of my price range. My old oven's doors would not have bounced back. They were on a sort of lever contraption, where you opened only one and both sides opened, and they stayed put, out of the way. I would be surprised if the Bosch side swing door could swing back accidentally, but I haven't seen it IRL. French doors would also be great for a narrow aisle. But I agree, side swing and french doors are for wall ovens. I don't think you'd get much benefit in an under-counter oven or range.

That Siemens oven is so tiny, it's more like the idea of an oven than an actual one. And I don't see how it could possibly lose less heat than a front door-opening oven, especially if it has convection - heat sinks, so it wants to leave an oven from the bottom edge anyway. Some of the foreign options, while beautiful, are similar in function to a fancy microwave, and those tiny, fancy microwave ovens are actually available here, now, for the U.S. Market. You can check them out in the Appliances forum.

I was watching a show from England which had ladies competing for a baking contest. They were using Kitchenaid mixers and had a lovely stove with gas burners and the sliding door on the oven. It dropped down and slide inside the stove.

Heat sinks? Are you down under?

I first saw these ovens while watching The Great British Baking Show. I love them, really wish they were available in the US. It's so tough on your back if you have a very heavy cast iron pot with lid, or anything bulky and heavy that has to be lifted from our traditional ovens. Maybe letters to Bosch???

I owned a home 15 years ago that had Thermador side by side wall ovens, one solid unit, with individual glass doors that slid UP. They were installed by the original owners in the late 60's early 70's but I have never been able to find them again. Would LOVE to have them in the new home I'm building.

I did see these on a cooking show. I have been searching for them ever since. I know they will be a big seller if we can get them here in the US.

loved my Neff slide and hide oven in Europe. looking for one in the usa

How about going retro with a slide-up oven? There's a Frigidaire Custom Deluxe Flair for sale at a local consignment place for $550.

I’ve been watching the Great British Baking Show for years. The first thing I noticed were the slide in oven doors.

Yes Neff make a slide and hide wall oven and I would love one in my new kitchen but apparently unobtainable in Vancouver Canada where I live or the USA. Such a shame. I checked out America on their website and you can get Neff products in Chile - go figure!

As an aside to my above comment I see that Houzz isn’t in Canada either

This is not a new feature by any means. I had a Simson 26 years ago which had an oven door which slid away underneath so that I didn't have to reach across a hot oven door to get to whatever I was cooking. Why an't all ove makers include this feature???

I saw these first on the great British bake off show. Haven’t found anything like it here