Is A Double Oven Right For Your Kitchen? Here's What To Consider

Hosting a holiday gathering or large dinner party is a reminder just how fast a standard oven fills up. Roasting the perfect turkey takes up a large amount of oven space. Add in the green bean casserole, cheesy potatoes, and rolls, and you're out of room quickly — not to mention the compromises you have to make with varying temperatures for your favorite dishes. That's when you might start considering a double oven. You get more flexibility with the two separate cooking compartments, and you may gain space over a single oven. But double ovens often come with a higher price tag and require more kitchen space and energy to operate.

Double ovens work like regular ones except they have two separate sections, each with their own door, rather than one large cooking compartment. They come in a variety of options, including wall ovens and double oven ranges. If you choose the wall version, you typically get two separate oven compartments of the same size. Range versions are usually a little different. Many of them feature a smaller oven cavity at the top and a larger compartment below. However, you'll find a wide variety of oven sizes, configurations, and features, like conventional or convection ovens, that help you match the appliance to your needs.

To decide if a double oven is right for your kitchen, consider your cooking habits. If you rarely use your oven and don't entertain often, you might not benefit from having two oven compartments. However, if you like to try new recipes, bake frequently, or entertain a lot, having the extra oven space and the ability to use two different settings at once could be worth the extra money.

One of the mistakes everyone makes when buying an oven is not thinking through what they really need and want. Your cooking routine, habits, and preferences play a role in deciding if you need a double oven. Having two separate cooking spaces is convenient if you entertain frequently, have a large family, or prepare varied recipes in your oven. Double wall ovens increase your baking capacity by twofold, which allows you to prepare more food at once. That comes in handy if you bake lots of items simultaneously or prepare large meals.

Each compartment offers separate controls, which increases flexibility while you're baking. You can bake items at two different temperatures instead of averaging temperatures to bake the items together. The separate functions also let you choose different modes. If you have a double convection oven with the option to shut off the convection feature, you might bake one dish with convection and one without. When you're preparing multiple dishes, you can use one section of the oven to keep food warm while the remaining dishes finish cooking. It's easier to accommodate different temperatures and cooking methods with two independently controlled oven compartments.

That could also save time if you want to bake items separately, like when you're roasting a savory dish for a meal and baking a sweet dessert. It's possible for the flavors to mingle, which could affect how each item tastes. With a double oven, you can bake the items at the same time in separate compartments to prevent flavor issues without waiting until one is done before baking the other.

If you're choosing the perfect oven for your kitchen but you're on a budget, you may want to skip the double oven option. They're typically more expensive than single ovens. For a single wall oven, you'll often pay between $1,250 and $2,250 for the appliance and installation. The price for a double wall oven is usually between $2,200 and $3,700 installed. You may save money on the installation process for a single oven since it's easier with fewer cabinet modifications needed. If you prefer a range with a double oven, options typically start at $900 and run much higher.

Space is also a concern, especially for double wall ovens. If you already have a wall oven, you can easily replace it with another single oven without making additional modifications. For a double oven, you'll likely need to take out some of the surrounding cabinetry to accommodate the extra compartment, needing about double the space as you use for a single oven. That not only adds to the complexity and cost of the installation, but it also eliminates some storage. In smaller kitchens with limited space, giving up any storage can be challenging. Make sure you have room for the larger oven and that you're willing to sacrifice the cabinet space.