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mays802

Do you like your drop in cooktop with wall oven mounted beneath?

mays802
9 years ago

We are planning on a drop in cooktop with a wall oven mounted beneath the counter. Does anyone have any experience with that combination? We will also have a microwave above, instead of a hood. I am hoping the "headroom" doesn't feel too cramped. Also, wondering if the venting out the front of the wall oven is too hot while cooking at the cooktop. Thank you!

Comments (46)

  • dretutz
    9 years ago

    Have you considered the ergonomics of bending over and lifting out roasts, etc. from a lower wall oven?

  • dretutz
    9 years ago

    Have you considered the ergonomics of bending over and lifting out roasts, etc. from a lower wall oven?

  • texasgal47
    9 years ago

    Hi Mays02. I have a Bosch 300 series induction cooktop mounted above a Bosch 500 series wall oven. My kitchen remodel was almost 3 years ago although the range hood was just ordered today. The only problem encountered with these two built-ins involved a complication using Kraftmaid cabinets. The installers informed me that the base of KM cabinets is taller than the norm. This then brings the wall oven up higher, and the cooktop and oven would not have had the 3" required air space between the two. The installers solved this problem by placing 1" high spacer strips to the perimeter of the cabinet tops.
    The Bosch oven has been awsome. When on, it gently blows cool air so heat has never been a problem when using the cooktop. Also, the bending with a lower oven has never been an issue. I would do this same set up again in a heartbeat.
    However, please reconsider the OTR microwave if you plan to remain in this home for many years. With an OTR microwave, grease will build up on the cabinets and and ceiling over time. Thanks to the folks on GW, they convinced me that a real vent hood is the way to go.

  • huango
    9 years ago

    1. ditto Texas about getting a real hood.
    My kitchen reno started because I didn't have a hood.

    2. one of the benefits of having a cooktop is that you can put the oven anywhere.
    Ie. I like to cook on the induction cooktop, while DH can bake in the oven, on the other side of the kitchen, instead of hovering right near me/waiting for me to move aside, not having to cook over a hot oven.

    3. As we're older, I'm very happy for a wall oven where I barely have to bend over to check on the food/putting hot things in/out.

    Amanda

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    I have that setup, and it's fine, but given the choice (we didn't have a choice) I'd separate the two. It seems to me there's no point if you're going to put them together, just get a slide-in range instead. I would have but there were none with induction when I was in the market.

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago

    Can someone explain the reason for doing this? From what I've seen, wall mount ovens and drop in ranges are each more expensive than an all in one range. If you want them together, why not just but the all in one?

  • mays802
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    amberm145 - it is a cleaner look with the countertop running continuously in front of the cooktop. It allows the appliances to be less visible. It is more money so I am struggling with paying extra for looks alone.

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago

    Thanks for explaining it, mays802. :)

  • scrappy25
    9 years ago

    For myself, I wanted a 36 inch induction cooktop with 5 burners but only want a 30 inch oven. Having them stacked gives me room elsewhere in the kitchen for a steam oven and microwave on a shelf (small kitchen). I am getting custom cabinets so I won't lose drawer space around the oven due to the larger cooktop.

    yes it defnitely costs more and needs a lot more planning than a slide in range.

  • jaynes123_gw
    9 years ago

    We thought we could do this before realizing the problems it caused.

    We wanted a 48" top with 24" griddle but wanted to get a smaller width oven and thought we could just put a wall oven below the rangetop...

    1) We wouldve had to raiise the counters quite above normal height since the wall oven has a panel of oven controls that would be between oven door and top of counter.

    2) The oven controls would not be able to be seen without stooping down in front of the oven as they are made to be seen higher up at eye level, not hip level - its not like the would be up top of range like contorls for a free standing range are.

    3) Granted ours was a rangetop, not cooktop but to have gotten both rangetop and separate wall oven quite more costly than a one piece unit.

    Seriously though, check with the manufacture how high up your counter will have to end up being to allow for the ovend door and controls above it. Even if there were side controls, they would go down even further, even harder to read from standing position.

    This post was edited by Jaynes123 on Wed, Jul 16, 14 at 1:56

  • eam44
    9 years ago

    Honestly, I've never liked the look, and having cooked on this arrangement, it's not that ergonomic for the reasons already mentioned above. Add to this the fact that people usually choose to do this in smaller kitchens where the opening of the large oven door really cramps leg space, and you've got a resounding NO from me.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    âÂÂThe installers informed me that the base of KM cabinets is taller than the norm. This then brings the wall oven up higher, and the cooktop and oven would not have had the 3" required air space between the two.âÂÂ

    Texasgal47:

    I was puzzled when I read this because IâÂÂd never heard of a 3â required air space. There is no such requirement by Bosch:

    âÂÂThis Built-In oven can be installed below any Bosch cooktop as long as long as there is no contact between the bottom of the cooktop and the top of the oven, except for the Bosch induction cooktop, where the gap must be at least 1âÂÂ.â (page 8)

    There is a 3â dimension shown in the section view, perhaps this is where the misinterpretation of the drawing was made.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bosch

    This post was edited by Trebruchet on Wed, Jul 16, 14 at 7:26

  • mays802
    Original Author
    9 years ago
  • kmg67
    9 years ago

    We just did this! Put a 37" Bosch 500 series induction cooktop over a 30" Bosch 500 series oven. We chose this option for the sleek look (vs a slide in) as well wanting a >30" cooktop. We won't have it hooked up yet until the counters are installed next week but I will tell you that my contractor had to do a major hack to the wall oven cabinet. As previously mentioned, you need at least 1" space between induction cooktop and oven. This required the deck in the wall oven cabinet to be lowered. Also, since the cooktop is wider than the cabinet, the sides also had to be cut out in order to fit. Once it was all done about the only thing we ended up using from the oven cabinet was the finished pieces on the front! Rather than ordering the oven cabinet, it probably would have been cheaper to just purchase some the filler pieces for the front and then just build the rest of the cabinet using our own stock.

  • nosoccermom
    9 years ago

    I like the look, and it's easier to clean than a regular range since it's integrated into the counter. Also, the individual components (cooktop/oven) can be replaced if necessary.
    Now, if you have the space, a separate wall oven may be better in terms of ergonomics.

  • Ellen1234
    9 years ago

    I actually was going to do this in my remodel - cooktop/oven combo and then a separate wall oven under a microwave. However, what I found was that the combination of cooktops and ovens that would work together in this configuration was limited. When I changed the cooktop I wanted to go with and learned that the oven wouldn't fit, I decided it's just too restrictive. If you stay within the same manufacturer for both cooktop/oven, then it's probably ok, but you need to consider that when you need to replace one or the other you may be limited in what you can replace it with.

    I ended up going with a 36" Wolf All Gas Range and then a separate wall oven. I do like the look of a cooktop/oven combo, but I also like the look of my Wolf range.

  • Susan St. Pierre
    9 years ago

    We had this in our old home. I think they (the prior owners) did it because they wanted a certain type of cooktop and a certain type of oven, and they couldn't find what they wanted in a slide in range. So anyway, the thing I didn't like about it was that the oven controls were really easy to bump while I was cooking at the cooktop. I was always accidentally turning on the oven. I eventually figured out how to lock the controls, but it was a PITA to have to lock and unlock all the time.

    As to the OTR microwave, we have one in our current kitchen. There is nowhere else for the microwave to go, and we use it A LOT so it can't be hidden away. I don't do a lot of serious cooking, so it's been no problem for us.

  • mays802
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Kmg67 - do you think putting in a 30" cooktop and a 30" wall oven will cause less installation headache?

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    mays802, we have a 30" induction cooktop over a 30" oven. Our problem was not the width, it was the height of the oven, most of which didn't work with our particular cabinets (which I think have a taller toe-kick than many). It had to be jerry-rigged a little (we also got a flush installation, from side to side, which looks great, you can see it in the attached picture).

    I know people don't like the ergonomics of below-counter ovens, but I don't use my oven all that much --- way less than I use the cooktop --- and it's just never bothered me. I've had it below-counter for 9 years now (two houses).

  • kmg67
    9 years ago

    mays802 - it will definitely make things easier as should drop right into the cabinet so you should not have any horizontal issues. Depending on what cooktop and oven you choose, you may still run into vertical spacing issues like I did although to be honest it really wasn't that big of a deal for our contractor. Just a few extra hours of work and now we have an oven cabinet that is much more stronger than it was from the factory.

  • kmg67
    9 years ago

    mays802 - one thing I forgot to mention is that if you are going with 30" induction cooktop then make sure it is ok to put it above an oven. In the case of Bosch, you cannot put there 30" induction cooktops above any oven. Only 37" can go above a wall oven.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    In the case of Bosch, you cannot put there 30" induction cooktops above any oven. Only 37" can go above a wall oven.

    I'm not sure what "cannot" means, because I have a 30" Bosch induction cooktop above a 30" Fagor oven (see picture).

  • jerzeegirl
    9 years ago

    It says in the Bosch manual -

    "Do not install refrigerators, dishwashers, unvented ovens or washers that may fit below the cooktop."

    So if the oven is vented it looks like it would be okay.

  • kmg67
    9 years ago

    Physically it works but if you have a problem down the road and you want to get it covered under warranty, well good luck with that!

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    I don't spend a lot of time worrying about future breakage (I know others do, but I don't...)

  • kmg67
    9 years ago

    Well that is just wonderful. I'm so happy for you! Personally I spend all my waking hours worrying about such things.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    Why the sarcasm? The point is that even if it voids the warranty, it still fits and works.

  • mays802
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    sjhockeyfan - thank you for the picture. I really do like that look. It is so clean and modern.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    "mays802 - one thing I forgot to mention is that if you are going with 30" induction cooktop then make sure it is ok to put it above an oven. In the case of Bosch, you cannot put there 30" induction cooktops above any oven. Only 37" can go above a wall oven."

    kmg67:

    Please see my previous post. According to Bosch, you can put a Bosch induction cooktop above a Bosch oven as long as you leave a 1" air space.

  • kmg67
    9 years ago

    Trebuchet you can't out a 30" induction cooktop over a wall oven. Not on the nest models anyway. Read the installation instructions on the website.

  • mays802
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Foxcrane - thank you! I love your kitchen and the extra hassle of figuring out the configuration seems worth it when I see examples. Can I ask...we will have a marble backsplash with white grout. Do you find staining an issue behind your range?

  • mays802
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    another example in case anyone is interested in the future

    Here is a link that might be useful: wolf drop in range

  • olivertwistkitchen
    9 years ago

    We did it and love it.
    The oven is little lower than I remember my old slide in range being, but it hasn't been a problem, even with the Thanksgiving turkey. Love having the 36" cooktop over the 30"oven. Both are GE. If you use different brands for cooktop and oven, you might have a problem. We almost ran into a problem with the specs for the oven, but safest is to make sure they are the same maker.

    I also have no problem with our OTR micro rather than a real hood. Probably depends on how you cook, and what you are used to.

  • Buehl
    9 years ago

    Mays802...I suggest you find a place that has an oven installed under a cooktop and see how you like it functionally.

    We briefly considered this until we saw it and tried it out - and we immediately discarded the idea. Ovens mounted under a cooktop are lower than ovens in a range - so you will be bending over farther to access the oven interior (and bending over trying to use the controls). When we opened the oven door, it was so close to the floor that the oven handle barely cleared the floor! We're a relatively tall family and this is, hopefully, our "forever" home where we will be aging in place - so it was not a reasonable option for us. YMMV.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    "Trebruchet you can't put a 30" induction cooktop over a wall oven. Not on the nest models anyway. Read the installation instructions on the website."

    I linked to the Bosch wall oven installation instructions. Page 9 clearly shows in section a Bosch induction cooktop mounted above a Bosch 30" wall oven with a 1" gap between. I would be delighted to know which part of this I don't understand:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bosch

    This post was edited by Trebruchet on Thu, Jul 17, 14 at 7:12

  • _sophiewheeler
    9 years ago

    Treb, it's not the oven that requires the additional clearance. Induction cooktops have additional clearance requirements underneath them to keep those specialized electronics cool. Some brands have such large clearance requirements that it makes it impossible to install an oven under them. Bosch doesn't play that game. The Bosch induction cooktop installation instruction specifically prohibit their installation above wall ovens. It's clearly written, without saying, " sure, you can do it, but leave 8'' between the two, so the only way you can really do it is if your counter is 42'' high." They just say, no wall ovens under an induction cooktop.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bosch induction cooktops

  • kmg67
    9 years ago

    Treb - Not sure why this is so complicated. Why are you linking to the wall oven? See page 2 of the spec sheet for 500 series induction cooktop. It states as clear as day that "BOSCH 30" INDUCTION COOKTOPS ARE NOT APPROVED TO BE INSTALLED OVER WALL OVENS".

    Here is a link that might be useful: Spec Sheet

  • jaynes123_gw
    9 years ago

    Can we agree nobody is right or wrong?

    That its only one of these 2 Bosch's docs that is correct, one incorrect since both clearly contradict each other

    1) OVEN INSTALL says can be installed under *ANY* Bosch cooktop, just to allow 1" for inductive cooktops. No mention their 30" tops are excluded/ not approved.

    2) COOKTOP SPEC says outright ovens are NOT appoved under 30" inductive cooktop.

    According to Bosch 800.944.2904, though, and their current documents, the SPEC sheet is correct stating30" are not approved to have ovens installed beneath, something to do with design differences between 30" and 36" inductive cooktops.

    Perhaps ovens were approved below 30" induction previously or maybe the 30" wasnt around when Bosch produced doc stating ovens okay under ANY cooktop including induction with 1" allowance.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    you will be bending over farther to access the oven interior (and bending over trying to use the controls

    The oven is lower than it would be if it were a slide-in, so you might want to try it out in person first. I do not have to bend down to use the controls though (but I'm short).

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    Clearly, Bosch has conflicting installation standards.

    Right above their warning, they have: "The built-in oven can be installed below the induction cooktop as long as there is a minimum 1" (26) clearance between the bottom of the cooktop and the top of the oven."

    Well, Bosch, which is it?

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    Bosch would suffer a considerable competitive disadvantage if it didn't allow the practice:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Dacor

    This post was edited by Trebruchet on Thu, Jul 17, 14 at 13:00

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    The Dacor induction cooktop manufacturer's installation instructions specify 5 3/4" between the top of the countertop and the top of any surface below, minimum. Since the unit is 3 7/8" thick overall, minus the 3/16" glass thickness, this would mean a 2 1/16" gap between the bottom of the unit and the top of any surface underneath.

    Furthermore: "Do not install above this unit above a dishwasher, washer, dryer, refrigerator or freezer."

    Conspicuous in its absence is "wall oven".

    I'd link the specs, but they're a download. You can get to them from my previous link.

  • jaynes123_gw
    9 years ago

    Treb,

    Your link to .manualslib.com is unfortunately of a outdated Bosch wall oven manual. Below is current wall oven install manual cover from Bosch website.

    Bosch website is pretty clear.
    They single out 30" (vs 36") induction tops over ovens as not approved by them. Bosch sites Specs for 36" induction top show over stove instal info, but for 30", does not show any such installation, instead disclaiming it as not allowed

    Whether competitive or not, theyre not stopping anyone from doing it, just covering themselves documenting it was not an approved installation.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    Jaynes123:

    Thanks for clearing that up. At least someone at Bosch saw their contradiction and clarified.

  • HU-964471469
    2 years ago

    I'm consider a similar configuration (greater than 30" induction cook top and under counter wall oven) in part because I like the idea of the two elements having their own power sources. We were looking at 48" induction range/electric oven stand alone/slide in ranges and heard some concerns about power. Splitting the range and oven would help address that issue.