It would be for me, maybe not so much for you.

My problem-- when I had this layout-- is that there was no decent landing zone for either appliance. There was a tiny area accross the aisle, but it filled up very quickly. Not enough room to set the refrigerator items from a typical grocery expedition, and nowhere to put more than a pan of cookies at a time, either on the way in or out of the oven.

Even worse, the doors interferred with each other-- if someone was in the refrigerator, the oven couldn't be opened and vice versa. Since it was an open door broiler on the oven, you were blocked from the oven for the duration. More than once, the oven got closed ['just for a second'] while someone was getting in the frig, but not reopened, ruining a lot of good steaks.

Now: if there's an island or a lot of wide open counter space in the area and the hinges doors don't interfere, it might still be the best layout for your space. But unless both those criteria are met, I wouldn't even consider it.

Thanks for those insights. There will be an island close by but the door-interference thing needs some more thought. I really need to post my floor plan for a good solid GW critique.

I wonder if some ovens are better for this application (better insulation?).

btw -- just a little gratuitous sucking up here -- Can I just say as a long-time-lurker that I'm always amazed by the quality of the information on this board. Thanks.

R.G.

We had that arrangement for 20 years in our old kitchen, and it worked fine because there was an island directly across that was the landing space for both appliances. Also, the fridge was standard depth and stuck out, so there was no issue of the open refrigerator door hitting the oven handle.

We'll have the same arrangement in our new kitchen, only with a built-in fridge. I worried about hitting the oven door handle; the double oven I eventually chose also has door handles with sides that angle in toward the center, giving a little extra clearance for the open refrigerator door. Also, the refrigerator door hinge has an automatic stop at the point (a 110-degree angle, I think) where the bins and shelves can just be removed. The door looks like it won't stop anywhere near the oven handle.

Here's my warning: Check the wording in the refrigerator's installation manual that says what the manufacturer's policy is on placing it next to ovens. Some manufacturers ABSOLUTELY FORBID it in writing, in which case their warranty would be void if you do it. Other manufacturers advise you that it is not an OPTIMAL installation and to try to put 3 inches of space or material between the two appliances. In this case, their warranty will not be voided if you put the two appliances next to each other. I made sure that I got a statement in writing from KitchenAid that their warranty would still be in effect if I placed their built-in fridge next to my wall ovens.

We had that set up in our previous house, and it was not a problem at all. I think the warranty issue depends on the type of box used for the ovens and refrigerator (because there will be some materials in between the two appliances) and the type of refrigerator.

Here's an old thread (I was asking about cabinet depth refrigerators next to walls), but there are some nice photos where you can see wall ovens and refrigerators put in banks of cabinetry together. Thought it might help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Refrigerator walls

sarschlos -- thanks for the link

maydl -- Do you recal what other manufacturers (in addition to KA) were ok w/ a fridge/stove setup?

just a little bump to see if anyone else has any rec's re: specific stoves that are better insulated vs. specific refrigerators that have warranty issues w/ placement adjacent to stoves. Thanks!

R.G.

Be sure to make sure you choose an oven whose handle doesn't stick out far enough to damage the fridge door when you open the fridge door far enough to dig in the back of the veggie drawer.