Built in ovens v range cooker

[MotherBluestocking]

About to do the kitchen. I had been nursing a vision of a hob on the island facing into the room for sociability, then two stacks housing three ovens, a microwave, and a warming drawer. I entertain a lot, and bake a lot, particularly bread, so planned on one quite high-spec oven that will cope with regularly cooking at very high temperatures, and two more ordinary ones for batch baking, roast potatoes etc. One of the kitchen designers I've spoken to says that built-in ovens aren't as robust at high temperatures as range cookers because of the lack of ventilation provided by the housing. But I like eye-level ovens for all the obvious reasons... But then it is a big old Victorian basement kitchen and there's no doubt a range cooker would look better, and you can get them with glass doors, and it would certainly be cheaper than routing gas to the island and installing extraction (I'd put the range in the old fireplace) ... I'd still have one oven in a tall housing for flexibility, as I only have space for a 100cm wide range.
Am going round in circles on this and would massively appreciate advice.

[Tabithasgran]

what a load of twaddle. some built in ovens have pyro cleaning function and I think only one range cooker make has that. ( that's where the oven incinerates all the dirt at a really really high temperature ) so go for what you want for the reasons you like, not what someone else what you to have for what ever reason they want you to ( that they might not have actually mentioned to you, like a deal from the supplier or overstock they need to shift etc)

[MillyMollyMama]

I have an eye level oven, eye level microwave combi oven and a 900 wide under the counter oven. They are Kuppersbusch and believe me, they are far better made than any Range cooker, except the wildly expensive ones. Eye level cooking is a bonus and you can mix and match the ovens. If I was buying an oven at the moment I would seriously consider Miele. Everything I own of theirs is a first class bit of kit. If you cook a lot, I would go for easy cleaning, range of functions in the ovens, durability and size to give the best combination for you.

[kmdesign]

Built in appliances without a doubt. Range cookers dont come close on performance and efficiency

[burnishedsilver]

It sounds like you know what you want and have really thought about it. Don't allow yourself to be talked into something different.

When you see people like Jamie Oiver, Nigella Lawson and Delia Smith baking they're never using ranges. I'll bet they know more about baking than your kitchen show person.

This, of course, is rich advice coming from me. I'm going around in circles because I apparently can't have the shade of paint that I want on my units. This was supposed to be fun but its so hard.

[MotherBluestocking]

This is enormously helpful - thank you all. I think you are right. Built in ovens will enable me to put together the combination I want - and I'll still have the hob on the island (budget permitting) so that I can cook facing into the room.
If you're still around, do you have any thoughts on (i) steam ovens and (ii) combination microwaves?

[kmdesign]

burnishedsilver - a number of companies will be able to colour match paint to suit you. Look around or PM me.

MotherBluestocking - Steam ovens are brilliant but its a different way of cooking so ensure that you are going to use it before investing in the kit. I would recommend Miele steam/combi-steam ovens over any other brand for their quality and results. Combi microwaves have been around for years and are worth it if you need a microwave. However, if the microwave use it limited to a few times a week and only for warming milk etc, consider getting 2 ovens or an oven with a steam oven and sticking a basic microwave in a utility room.

[MotherBluestocking]

Thank you kmdesign!
Not sure the budget will stretch to Miele. Nor am I sure how much I'll use a steam oven, though I was wondering whether it was good for bread. The combi microwave idea was really for the sake of saving space. I definitely want three ovens (which is what I have at the moment) and thought of a combi one as a way of stopping the kitchen being full of ovens. Don't know don't know.

[kmdesign]

Have a look at the actual ovens and carefully scrutinise your requirements vs oven specifications. You may find that you dont need 3 ovens.

An oven and combi microwave combination.