Kitchen renovation - ovens

[Fulloffalafel]

Hi,

Currently in the very early stages of a kitchen renovation. Never done anything like this before. It's a renovation to get our dream home, but the hugeness of the project is a little frightening! I may well post numerous questions over the next few months! But here's the first.

In the kitchen, we want two ovens. Our first thought was both at eye level, next to each other. But now we're thinking one on top of the other, in order to have an eye level cupboard for the microwave, next to the eye level oven, where the second one would have gone. So one oven would be lower, at the level if you got an all in one oven/hob. Most of the time we'd only be using the one oven, which would probably be the higher one.

Which would you prefer? And why?

And any other kitchen renovation tips welcome. Things you did that worked, and (possibly more importantly) things you regret. As I say, this is a dream kitchen scenario, budget not set, and we have quite a large space. Any advice welcome!

Thank you!

Have no opinion about the oven - seems fine to stack them and have a micro on one side.
I'd definitely get a boiling water tap!

Have you much experience of an eye level oven? I cook a lot and would never have one; I think they're dangerous as soon as you start using liquids as there's greater risk of you (me) spilling them all over yourself when you take things out.

I have two identical ovens on top of each other. I have Neff pyrolytic ovens. The fridge is on one side and a pull out larder cupboard on the other. I looked at a large oven with a half size oven grill above but I'm very happy with my two ovens.
I don't have a microwave.

I agree with UserOne, check out an eye level oven if you haven't got one already. I'm short (5ft3) and I find them too high to be able to take heavy things out safely.

I have 2 ovens side by side, above 2x deep drawers, really happy with the layout and ease of use. Originally I was going to have an intergrated microwave but decided against it as the cost of the microwave was daft, got the sparky to add plugs in a number of cupboards and now have microwave above one of the ovens, very accessible but not on show.

We have one above the other because we are a foot apart in height. So one at the right height for me and one at the right height for DH. Microwave is built in inside in our larder cupboard.

Two neff pyrolitics side by side but one is a combi microwave with a warming drawer underneath. The combi microwave has all the programmes of the full size one and we use either one when doing a roast for instance as it has plenty of room. The warming drawer is invaluable.

@Livingintheclouds

Have no opinion about the oven - seems fine to stack them and have a micro on one side. I'd definitely get a boiling water tap!

I'm looking at boiling water taps! Part of me thinks yes, part of me isn't sure.

@Livingintheclouds - definately second a boiling water tap - totally life changing IMHO. I would suggest you also go for a tried and tested make like Quooker.

I have an eye level single oven with a hideaway door - brilliant.

Beside a micro combi oven with plate warmer below. Plate warmer if brilliant.

I hate boiling taps

I have 2 ovens one above the other. As long as you don't have any drawers underneath the bottom one it's fine height wise even if you are short (I'm 5" 3).

We then have a space with a plug above the higher oven where we have a free standing microwave, they are so much cheaper than integrated. That's okay for me heightwise as we don't put big heavy pots in it, I couldn't use an oven that high.

I have a pull out spice rack with 3 shelves, and a pull out oil rack with 2. Both are brilliant and I'd highly recommend them if you are a keen cook with lots of spices / oils etc

Boiling water tap and plinth lights on a motion sensor were the best things from our new kitchen.

Bin cupboard! We got ours from binopolis and it isn’t cheap (£250) but it’s AMAZING. Enough space for 4 days rubbish and recycling, rock solid, no smell, hidden bins. It’s under the food prep area as well so you can sweep straight into it.

In the final stage of planning our new kitchen and we are also wanting 2 ovens and a microwave/combi. Our design has 3 tall units with appliances at eye line and 3 large drawers under each one.

We have gone for oven, micro/combi with warming drawer to balance in the middle and then second oven. Looks amazing in the mock up photos!

We are also having a qooker flex tap and have codenames a tambour unit to be our appliance garage housing the mixer toaster etc.

I have 2 neff pyrolytic ovens, one normal and one compact oven/microwave, no problems with them. They both do the job well.

I have a micro/combi oven stacked over a regular oven. I’d slightly prefer them side by side but I feel that anything at that height needs to earn its place by being used every day, and the lower oven is only used a couple of times a fortnight.

Clarify the actual height of the oven before deciding and check how that feels to you.

One of my favourite decisions was raising our dishwasher. My back feels the benefit!

This thread is old but still essential reading.

I have had an eye level oven before, and it was fine, but those were the days of my early 20s where the most advanced thing I put in the oven was fish fingers and chips. I hadn't thought about the safety aspect of lifting something hot and heavy out of it. Plus I now have kids, and they wouldn't be able to reach it if they baked cakes or whatever.

Pan drawers are in the plans, as is an island as big as we can fit. Bin cupboard is in there too, and a larder cupboard.

I like the sound of a combi microwave and oven. I'll have to look into those. And plinth lighting. One design we had said that we'd not be able to have plinth drawers (one of the other designs said we could) so if we go with that design, I'll enquire about lighting. Spice and oil storage I need to look at too. I have a wall mounted spice rack, and there is somewhere it could fit, but it's not big enough, so the stray jars have nowhere to go and just look messy.

I know I'll hate this project while it's happening, but I can't wait for my new kitchen!