When I first wrote this post my thesis was that there is a hole in the American market, but after doing more researching and self-reflection, I’m now wondering if it’s just our perception. I wonder if just because we are used to a convenience/luxury it doesn’t actually mean we need it or should have it. Today’s appliance tale (and the 6 I’m seriously considering) is an exploration in just that.
For the farm, I wrote that I’m shopping for an induction range instead of natural gas for environmental reasons (read this post as to why if you are just catching up). But my intent to find that 48″ induction range of my dreams has been thwarted by, well, what feels like a massive hole in the American market. This has been frustrating for everyone as it has totally held up the design of the kitchen and with long lead times, my lack of decision will most certainly hold up the construction. So what happened? I was so sure!!!
It seems like, after a lot of research, I have not found a 48″ beautiful full induction range that has the large oven capacity that we are used to (if I’m wrong – please, PLEASE let me know). But maybe I’m used to a big SUV (double wall oven) and shouldn’t be surprised that by getting a beautiful crossover (a 48″ range/stove) we’d have less storage (interior cooking cubic feet). What I’ve kinda come up with is that you really can’t have everything, and furthermore exploring whether we actually NEED everything anyway. Americans specifically think we “need” all these conveniences in life, and the bigger the better, and we are learning more but perhaps we really don’t (and shouldn’t). Just because we are USED to something does not mean we need it or that our life will be less fulfilling without it. It’s a “more is better” mentality, and we all know how this ends – it’s not. Today we are talking ranges, but it’s a larger conversation that we are having a lot at our house and in the office.
Another good example of this is our main bedroom in the farm. We are adding on 8′ to make it larger (so we can have a big walk-in closet) and sure for resale I think this is smart, but the reason we are doing this is because we are used to a large bedroom here so now we “need” it in our next house. This is a dangerous way to consume and is making me rethink a lot. Working with Anne (who is European – from Germany) has been very enlightening because this mentality (and I’m even pretty conservative in this way) is very American. But I still struggle with the deprogramming that “bigger is better”, and it’s worth chatting about (and asking you all). So here goes:
I want full induction range to reduce our natural gas consumption (again, Oregon is electrifying really quickly meaning that we have a lot of green energy sources in which to electrify our houses, thus reducing our use of fossil fuels in our home). Brian wants lots of oven and stove capacity – many burners as well as big oven space for some fantasy future dinner parties. I want it to be BEAUTIFUL. Brian is fine with it just being normal.
Currently, at the mountain house, we have a 36″ gas cooktop and a double wall oven with 24″ wide by 17″ deep interior space. It’s GREAT. We’ve never struggled with fitting in ANYTHING and I’d say we use both ovens at once at least twice a month. We hosted Thanksgiving during Covid and it was quite the success. Of course, maybe on a day to day, we could stagger the cooking times, and not NEED both ovens but this is a case of “you use what you have, if you have it”. It’s like how you can dirty 15 towels a week if you have them, but if you only have two towels, you’d only dirty two.
At our old house in LA, we only had a 36″ range with a single oven and you know what? We lived happy fulfilled lives, but we also VERY rarely cooked and now Brian and I have both found the pure joy of cooking together and know it’s something we want to continue to pursue when we move to Oregon.
But after HOURS and WEEKS of researching I’m realizing we just can’t “have it all” – full induction, 48″, with large oven capacity and beautiful (please tell me if I’m wrong). So here are our options:
Option #1: Downsize To A 36″ Induction Range
If we could let go of our 48″ dream size there are SO MANY more options. Apparently, these are plentiful on the market because a lot of apartment buildings or new construction homes don’t have gas lines so induction (which is electric, but not the ’80s electric) is the best if not the only option. So if you are in the market for a 36″ range you have a lot of beautiful options.
Pros: There are a ton of 30″ – 36″ induction ranges that are awesome, beautiful, and well-reviewed. And obviously the smaller they are the more affordable they are.
Cons: My fear is that our kitchen is on the medium to big side and we cook a TON so it might be too small, both aesthetically and functionally. A 36″ one would likely look small and not meet our cooking needs – but also, that might just be my perception and it might be totally fine!
1. Bertazzoni Professional Series 30 Inch Wide 4.6 Cu. Ft. | 2. Viking 30″ Electric Induction Range | 3. 36″ Transitional Induction Range | 4. Majestic II 36 Inch Electric Freestanding Range | 5. 30″ Retro Electric Induction Range | 6. Cafe 30 Inch Wide 5.7 Cu. Ft.
Option #2 – ILVE 40″ Full Induction Range
Like I said we lived with a 36″ range in our old LA house and we didn’t die, so would a 40″ range with a double oven be enough? Maybe! These are awesome are VERY pretty and while I know very little about them besides being made in Italy, it could work.
Pros: So pretty. Lovely colors. Full Induction, with still two ovens.
Cons: The interior size of the large oven is 17″ wide by 14″ high by 16″ deep which is technically big enough for most large roasting pans (16 x 13″) but still on the smaller side. And the other smaller oven could be for sides. Would 40″ feel too small for our kitchen? I don’t know!! Maybe not???
This could work, it really could. We’d have to change some of our habits and we might only be able to do a 20lb turkey in the future, but It’s doable.
Wait, Why Are There So Few 48″ Full Induction Ranges In America??
There are SO FEW 48″ FULL induction ranges in America and that’s because the market just doesn’t support it right now. The electrical output for this size of a range is a lot, and until more states start electrifying then not a lot of people or states will likely purchase these. “Electrifying” is a term that means switching our dependence on natural gas to clean energy via solar and wind power (not coal). California has now mandated it with new construction, and Oregon is certainly up there too, so we could do it, but it’s good to know and something I didn’t realize. Also, yes, currently for many states an induction range is more expensive to run on a daily basis than natural gas – so your bills could be higher. We know this and are willing to pay more to reduce our footprint and hoping that the market changes and clean energy can be more democratized for all. Of course, induction is so much more energy efficient (not wasting nearly as much heat), but in our current electrification status in most states, it’s indeed more expensive to run. I didn’t know this before and was SO FRUSTRATED to only find a handful of options. But when I did I realized they all had something in common – smaller oven capacity.
As we were about to pull a trigger on one of these below beauties, Anne warned that a friend of hers had one of these and they ended up adding a wall oven in their pantry because they felt the oven size was too small. That would be a REAL BUMMER. So I actually went and experienced one for myself and indeed they are much smaller than what I was used to… But here are the options and thus begs the question that just because we are used to something (double wall oven) doesn’t mean we NEED it. Does it??
Option #3: La Cornue – Chateau 48″ Full Induction
This full induction 48″ range is STUNNING.
Pros: I mean, so beautiful. So many color options. Reviewed SO WELL in regards to cooking, baking, etc. It’s epic and can make a kitchen.
Cons: The oven size is so much smaller than we are used to. The interior oven size of the larger oven is 17 1/2″ wide by 18 1/2″ deep, and 9″ high. I tried a turkey roasting pan and it fit, then I tried a slightly bigger one and it didn’t fit (the handles made it unable to close) but that might just be a handle problem. But almost all reviews that I’ve read are that you just have to mentally adjust your thinking and often use two cookie trays instead of one. Also while we don’t typically host for Thanksgiving, Brian was not psyched about possibly not being able to do so in the future. And I get that. But I also don’t want to make huge decisions based on a future fear of inconvenience. But Brian is a real “Thanksgiving guy” and the possibility of this future fantasy day being thwarted by a current design decision was really bumming him out. Also, this model has a very long lead time and is not cheap (nor should it be). But boy would it make me happy.
Option #4: Aga 48″ Elise Full Induction
Another BEAUTIFUL option from a very trusted brand.
Pros: So beautiful. Classic if not a bit more modern. Full induction at 48″. Less expensive than La Cornue. Lead times seem doable. Each oven can have different functions meeting a lot of different cooking needs. It’s GREAT.
Cons: Interior oven size. When we looked at the specs we realized that it is 17″ wide by 14″ deep. That felt very shallow but when we confirmed with a salesperson they said that they’ve never received any complaints about it. And when I looked at most turkey roasting pans they are 13″ x 16″ so technically they can fit, but it’s a tight squeeze for sure. And again you need smaller baking sheets, but that’s just a slight lifestyle adjustment. These don’t come in as many colors YET, but they are launching new colors in 2021 and I confirmed that you can get it with the brass knobs (which I was very excited about).
This is a firm contender and I’m excited to see it in person at a showroom.
Option #5 – La Canche 48″ Dual Fuel
Now this one is duel fuel for the burners which means they have some induction and some gas, but the oven is electric as well so it’s MOSTLY electric. Usually, when it says Dual Fuel it means all gas burners with convection or electric oven. Technically we could use the induction almost exclusively and reduce our energy bill and gas output. But it’s not available in America yet in full induction.
Pros: These are also SO BEAUTIFUL. AND the interior capacity of the larger oven is 21″ wide by 16″ deep – WAHOO!!! So certainly big enough for Brian’s future fantasy turkey. Brian is campaigning hard for this one and it might have my vote, too.
Cons: Not full induction burners, which is something we really wanted. I’d love to reduce the use of gas when possible, but if we truly can use the induction burners most of the time it seems responsible still. Also, these do have a 10-11 month lead time as they are made in Europe and shipped via boat (which is better for carbon emissions, but certainly far away).
Option #6 – Get A 36″ Induction Cooktop With A Separate Electric Wall Oven (BlueStar)
While we did kinda want larger than 36″ to have more space, I know that 6 burners are plenty for the Hendersons as it’s what we have now (Brian tried to argue this one, but I’m right:)). I love BlueStar as a brand so I’m considering them.
Pros: Full induction cooktop. Relatively affordable. Made in America and so beautiful with a lot of customization. The wall ovens are so pretty in the colors they come in and can be panel ready as well (integrated)
Cons: We’d have to literally redesign the kitchen as we’ve designed it for a 48″ visually epic range and have left no place for a wall oven. We have already ordered the windows so this is not an easy redesign AT ALL. We would have to lose a window and the overall kitchen design might suffer. Also, the 36″ induction cooktop is way more contemporary than a range in style. It looks far more modern, which is obviously fine but we are going for a casual, shaker, farmhouse vibe, and this doesn’t have that same impact so we’d need to redesign the whole kitchen to de-emphasize this area and make more of a design statement somewhere else.
Option #7: Use A 36″ Or 40″ Range And ALSO Put A Single Wall Oven In The Pantry
This is where Brian looked at me with a hard side-eye and he worried about my common sense. In his perception, my obsession to have a beautiful induction range means we are now buying TWO separate ovens and putting one in a pantry? It didn’t make a ton of sense, but sure, it would solve the problem… but if we are trying to reduce consumption does having TWO ovens do that? I guess we could find a used one?? I can tell you what he’s going to say about that:) We could also see how it goes and when we go to redo the Victorian house (which has no oven or range now) put in a 36″ range with a large oven for overflow. Again, not the most relatable choice but an option for us because this special property came with that original farmhouse. This would take likely 4-5 years, though.
So that’s where we are at. All of these are valid options – all BEAUTIFUL, all truted brands. But there are a lot of unknowns – mostly about the future lifestyle of our family. I’ve read a ton of reviews on all of these and as you can tell I trust that most of these will meet or surpass our cooking needs so I didn’t really emphasize that as a pro or con in our considerations. This is more about size, number of burners, and oven capacity. I love ALL of these stylistically.
HELP – FEEDBACK ABOUT OVEN SIZE NEEDED…
So what next? Well. First off I wanted to write this post to get your experiences, specifically those of you who have one of the stunning ranges with the smaller capacity ovens. Does this really bother you? Like in your heart of hearts are you bummed that your oven space is a bit more crowded? Or is that just a fear that we all have that should be debunked? If so I’m HAPPY to do that publicly with your endorsement. My hope is that you’ll have a similar experience to many bloggers that have reviewed these (that I worry are sponsored) where the smaller oven capacity is actually fine, because the larger one was not really NEEDED anyway. Brian will be reading EVERY SINGLE COMMENT 🙂
Beyond listening to your experiences I’m going to challenge Brian and I to not use the lower oven and see if we truly need TWO or if so, note how often we do. I’m also going to buy some smaller cooking sheets and see if we can get away with them – like maybe we are just used to those big 22″ trays and once we move to using two smaller ones we’d be fine! And lastly (and possibly more importantly), we are going to a ton of showrooms in Portland to test as many out as possible. I might even bring my dutch ovens and a turkey roasting pan to pretend cook 🙂
Of course, what we end up choosing will also be dependent on lead times, color options, availability, and cost. So my hope is that we don’t finally decide on one and then realize it’s an impossibility or out of stock for 3 years:) But like I tell my kids all the time – almost every problem has a solution and no one is going to die if I don’t have my dream range.
I hope that through these conversations we can A. get the induction market going in more price points and sizes, and B. create more conversation around noting what conveniences truly enhance our day to day lives and what “luxuries” aren’t exactly a daily value-add, we are just “used” to having them. You guys have taught me so much about this, so thank you 🙂
So what are the pros of smaller oven sizes from those of you who have them and THANK YOU. xx
Opening Image Credits: Right – Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp, From: It’s Finally Here: The Reveal of the Mountain House Kitchen | Left – Photo by Tessa Neustadt, From: Our Modern English Country Kitchen
Hi, we have these induction range cookers in the UK – https://www.rangemaster.co.uk/ – and my 110cm one with two ovens does turkey and the full Christmas dinner easily. If you want the best cooker with an induction, welcome to https://www.everhot.co.uk/. Much better quality than Agas, and no servicing. I’m saving up!
ooh i’ll look them up. curious if they sell in the states. thank you!
OH i DID look into this now that I clicked on it. I believe they aren’t sold in the states anymore or not legal. Anne asked a salesperson about them because she has one and they said they aren’t sold here… so beautiful though.
What about a moven in the pantry? Combination microwave/oven, we have one in place of a microwave but can use as an oven when needed.
https://shop.miele.co.nz/en/kitchen/ovens/microwave-combination-ovens/
I like this idea. We have a Bosch speed oven (microwave/ smaller convection oven) installed above our Bosch convection oven and while not everything fits in the speed oven, we definitely use it as a second oven. For smaller things I tend to use it first because it seems more efficient to just be heating up the smaller oven. (I haven’t actually researched if that’s true though!) I do get the concern about oven size because not all of our baking trays/dishes fit in the speed oven. But if you have a decent sized main oven being able to bake smaller sides in a moven/speed oven would help with Thanksgiving.
this seems smart, too!!
My mom has made this work in her house for 30 years now. Her retro style oven is on the small side but large enough for a 22 lb turkey. We use the microwave/convection for the casseroles/rolls etc. while the turkey is in. On a non-holiday basis she almost exclusively uses the microwave/convection. It’s fast and easy. Yes it doesn’t fit a full cookie sheet but that has only been an issue maybe 2 times when we made a jelly roll and had to have a full size pan. You just learn to adjust and buy new bakeware.
We had a convection microwave in our motor home and it worked great. It was an LG. That said, I’ve cooked a Thanksgiving for 12 people with one oven so…
Also consider the cost in dollars and fuel used to ship one of those heavy ranges from Europe. They are goreous, though.
I have a Lacanche range, and cook a lot, and I think the smaller oven is totally fine. The distributor claims it can hold a 26 lb turkey, but I haven’t tried that. I stopped using a roasting pan most of the time, in favor of sheet pans, because food gets crispier without sides, so that eliminates the handle problem. (Brian, also remember that the best things about Thanksgiving are the sides, so nobody will care if you make a smaller turkey :). ) Some European manufacturers argue that food being nearer the walls means it benefits from radiant heat in addition to hot air, and thus cooks without drying out as much. Not an expert in that department. It does seem more efficient to me to not heat up a bunch of unused space though. If you are downsizing only part way, I’d vote for multiple, but smaller ovens. You are more likely going to want to cook foods at different temperatures than to cook something huge. What I’d consider for the cooktop is if you have enough room for multiple pots to fit next to each other without touching (test your widest skillet or sauté pan — that’s… Read more »
P.S. Should’ve clarified that my lacanche is one of the models with smaller ovens (not the one shown). Promise I did not confuse it with the La Cornue (which I also considered, but was a lot more expensive and reportedly less reliable).
I agree with checking the space on the cooktop. We moved to a European apartment with a small cooktop and a smaller oven. When I need bigger pans to cook pasta and sauce at the same time it gets quite crowded and I can only use two burners with the pans off center.
P.S. I managed to cook Thanksgiving dinner with 4 crowded burners, a small oven, and a kitchen the size of many US closets. Humans are much more adaptable than we give ourselves credit for. Don’t be afraid to downsize just because it is different.
Totally agree with this, at least the way my house cooks: “If you are downsizing only part way, I’d vote for multiple, but smaller ovens. You are more likely going to want to cook foods at different temperatures than to cook something huge.”
thank you Amber. Super helpful. a lot of the articles I read also agreed with you – that the multiple functions of more ovens is more practical than like 8 burners. like who needs 8 identical burners if you aren’t a restaurant? that didn’t really occur to me before. thanks so much for taking the time. and yes I LOVE the La Canche SO MUCH. all of them are so pretty. xx
By the way, my sister in law has a Savigny, which I think is what you pictured above. The vertical oven is great for things like cookies and appetizers – you can stack a bunch of sheet trays on top of each other.
Second all of this from Amber. I also have a LaCanche with electric ovens and end up using the smaller oven 90% of the time because it fits a ton and heats up much faster. My ONLY complaint is that the way the coils go around the light at the top of the ovens leads to uneven browning, especially when broiling. Otherwise, I enjoy how analog it is.
I have a LaCanche too…in a crate waiting for install-Can’t wait! These beauties have so many options to make your perfect oven and stovetop configuration, maybe not all induction but I love a good stir fry and I love my hand-hammered stir fry pan. LaCanche is beautiful without being too glamourous or uptight, she would fit perfectly in any kitchen. PLUS you can change out the color of the panels if you should choose to in the future. Mine is a 39.5″ and has 2 ovens, I think the smaller oven size is good for keeping your food moist while baking, quick to replenish heat if the door is opened and prevents you from using a lot of energy you may not need. Do you really need a full size 36″ oven to bake a sheet of cookies? Consider a warming drawer or a larger toaster oven which can double as a warming drawer instead of the wall oven for a compromise Brian might like and would take up less real estate. Check with your LaCanche rep to see if they still offer a discount for anything, at the time I ordered they offered a $500 discount on your 2nd… Read more »
Erin, you are so fortunate to have a Lacanche on the way! I ended up purchasing a La Cornue for a few reasons, but one of them was the total lack of responsiveness from the customer service/sales reps, and no knowledgeable installers that I could find in my area (I’m in Northern Virginia). Just curious but how long ago did you order yours? I ordered my La Cornue in early May and I have a Sept. 17th delivery date.
Hi Deborah, I ordered mine late Sept 2019 and it was ready to ship by Jan 2020. Both LaCanche and La Cornue have long waiting lists and are made to perfection and IMO worth waiting for. Transit and customs took another month, I had it in my garage by February 2020 right when most construction shut down in our state. Our “local” LaCanche sales/showroom was in Seattle over an hour away, our “local” servicer is 30 minutes away. My husband and I will be installing the oven after we lay the flooring, the gas company installed the propane line. Installation seems pretty straightforward:
https://www.frenchranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Bienvenue-2016-web-3.pdf
connect gas and power, add back-spacer and level. Pretty standard, I think some contractors are just nervous of doing anything off-script. Enjoy many wonderful meals from your beautiful new range!
I was going to make that point about heating up space that you don’t need if you go doe a huge oven. I’m sure it’s be great for that monster turkey at Thanksgiving, but rather wasteful the rest of the year when you’re mostly doing a sheet pan of chicken fillets or a tray of cookies.
While the more stylized ranges are beautiful, imo not having any windows on the oven doors would drive me crazier and be harder to cook with than any size issue!
I hate how gross the space between the 2 glass panels gets, how do crumbs even get in there?? and more importantly, how do you clean them out?
You have to take the oven door apart. I’ve done it once each on a couple of oven after I couldn’t take it anymore (when I was renting). Never again. It doesn’t require rare expensive tools, although I did have to go buy a torx wrench/driver, and it wasn’t hard. But, oh it was so many steps and little screws to keep track of before I even got to the cleaning. Then I had to put it all back together. Now, with my own home and oven, I’m just way more careful. I never ever use the door as a holding surface when getting things in/out of the the oven. I cover almost everything with foil or parchment for most of the cooking time. It’s still getting buildup in it, but at a much slower rate.
I have been researching La Cornue and they claim you can just open the oven door to look and it doesn’t lose heat as much as other ovens because of the shape/size. This may be true with the other smaller European ovens.
Good food for thought, think back to Thanksgiving at our grandmother’s house … small, inconvenient kitchens but great get togethers. Maybe don’t make your decisions based on cooking a 20 pound turkey. We have the largest sized separate electric roaster that is ONLY used at Thanksgiving time, for the turkey. It works great.
Yes, grandmothers! My grandparents have 2 small stacked ovens and a separate induction cooktop. They hosted holiday dinners for over 20 people for over 20 years and did just fine.
I second the electric toaster for turkeys! I also have one that is only used on Thanksgiving. It makes planning the meal and cooking times so much easier. And the turkeys are always delicious.
yes! i’m going to look this up now! a turkey toaster … never heard of it. thank you!
My stepbrother does Thanksgiving every year, and they use an electric turkey roaster to save their main oven space for all the sides (and they even have a double oven, ha!) – the rest of the year that beast gets stored in the basement. The turkey is always delicious! All of these are SO DREAMY! I’m loving following along in this process.
We used to use the roaster to heat up sides (that had been made the day before). But now we deep fat fry the turkey and it totally frees up the oven for everything else. Plus, the turkey is absolutely delicious and the guys are responsible for the turkey so it gets them out of the house and gives them a job to do! Win-win.
+1 on the deep fat fryer! Total game changer, and Thanksgiving is indulgent anyway. My parents have one with an app to track cooking temp and timing. We cooked our last turkey that fed 5 people (2019) in 45 mins! I’m pretty sure you can reuse the oil or there are places to recycle it into biodiesel.
another plus one for the deep fried turkey! we deep fry two turkeys every thanksgiving, our oven is free for all the other food that needs to be cooked, so we can feed 20-30 people with our 30″ viking range. you can make do with whatever you have, and can buy inexpensive small appliances if you need something extra (fryers, roasters, etc).
Turkey Roaster 🙂
That is what we use for Thanksgiving for 40.
Or sous vide the turkey! I was a skeptic until I figured out how to make the gravy and now I will never go back.
This! People across the decades and across the world now somehow manage to cook feasts for large groups without a specially designed, brand-new kitchen and massive five-figure appliances. Even in a new build (which is basically what this is now), you still can’t get every single thing you want so design a space for how it’ll be used most often, not for the once-a-year hypothetical.
agree 🙂 but good to hear peoples experiences with smaller ovens. makes myself and brian less concerned about future regret 🙂
Yes! Another similar option is to cook Thanksgiving turkey on the outdoor grill. It tastes great and frees up the kitchen.
Grilling the turkey is a game changer! Works best if you spatchcock (butterfly) the turkey so it cooks more evenly and faster.
We also made our turkey in our outdoor grill and it turned out great! Used our oven for sides.
Was going to post to suggest this – tastes WAY better, is WAY faster cooking time, turkey doesn’t dry out as much and is tastier, you can fit a huge turkey on it, and you don’t need a massive oven for 8 hours out of the entire year.
We have done this for like 5 years now and it is so easy and always gets rave reviews!
We have a Traeger (wood pellet grill) and have cooked everything from Turkey for Christmas, to frozen pizza, to a fruit crisp on it. It can be set to a temperature, just like an oven, so almost any oven recipe can be adapted to work on a Traeger (or similar wood pellet grill). I’ll never worry about oven space – worst case scenario we fire up the grill and move half the cooking out there! We have a “blanket” for it to make it run more efficiently in cold temperatures, and had no problem smoking a turkey on it for Christmas in Kansas. I get that it’s not the most environmentally friendly for everyday use – it uses electricity to run, but would also have the emissions from burning the wood pellets, but if you’re going to own a grill anyway and you’re thinking about what you can do for occasional overflow baking with only one oven, I think this is a good flexible option.
Agree with the turkey roaster!! I have used one for Thanksgiving dinner for years (I place mine on the counter in my laundry room) the turkey is so moist and cooks faster in the roaster. And they cost less than $50!
I only have one oven and with the roaster, it is not a problem for a large dinner 🙂
Get the range you love and a roaster!
I’ve made lots of Thanksgiving dinners in small European ovens! You just have to plan in advance, and you cook the turkey in a tray that slots right into the sides of the oven (in place of the wire racks). Don’t forget that you have to let the turkey sit for a half hour before serving, so that’s the perfect time to warm everything else up in the oven!
Yes to the electric Turkey roaster!!! My mom started doing this years ago when we were all still at home and the gatherings were huge. It started as a way to free up the oven for sides, but bonus, it made the best, moistest turkey. Now it’s the only way she makes the turkey.
When the gatherings were really huge and the turkey would be almost gone after dinner, she sometimes would make another turkey the next day just for leftovers so all us kids and friends could have sandwiches the rest of break….
You could do two 30 inch ovens side by side?
Chris loves Julia did this in one of their houses. Personally I don’t think it looked completely successful but it didn’t look bad.
36” is plenty! I’m an avid cook and have cooked on 32” ranges my whole life and never felt deprived.
My European mind is reeling at the concept of a 4ft wide cooker! The standard here in Ireland is 2ft wide (really), which is 4 burners – two large and two smaller, and below that a full sized oven with a smaller “top oven” that doubles as a grill. Plenty of people (ahem, not me) cook for large gatherings with it. But I’ve lived and stayed in houses and apartments in several other European countries and the setup/size has been pretty much the same (there are even smaller sizes). Re Option No. 2: “technically big enough for most large roasting pans but still on the smaller side” is also known as “perfectly big enough for most roasting pans”. Just because it seems small to you now after having a behemoth, doesn’t mean it will feel small in a year or two when you’re used to it. Also, what is the point of heating empty oven space when all you actually want is to heat enough to cook your food in? Re Option No. 3: I presume “9” high” is a typo, as you’d really only be cooking turkey burgers in that oven… Re Option No. 6: the induction cooktop with… Read more »
Your point about installing the oven under the range is a SPOT ON. Yes, it would save them from a complete redesign. Also, that design choice has a tiny following on interiors social media, so Emily will certainly be able to pin some inspirational and helpful images. I’ve seen that sometimes people need to increase their counter height, but usually only when they had lower than average height to begin with in an old kitchen. Some have solved this by making the cooking area a real “moment” in the kitchen and doing a surround (which really works with Agas since so many were in cooking niches already in the UK) or making decorating choices to draw attention to the counter height changing only at the cooktop – rather than looking slapdash or ignorant, it looks intentional “yes, my range/stove is beautifully designed, I’ve lifted it so you can get a closer look”. Repeating design elements from the stove (like the ILVE or the La Cornue) on the surround or the cabinetry the stove is set into makes this sing.
we could do the induction with the single wall oven and have thought about that, but we lose that range moment that I love. but am not married to. And re the 9″ I measured it in person. its the arched door of the oven and its LOW. maybe you could clear it and there is more space inside, so that might be my fault. but i’m going to check my notes 🙂
We are doing a kitchen remodel with a 36 range and two wall ovens – one regular, one speed (microwave convection combo). We won’t have a grand range moment but are hoping to let the island and the tile stand out while maximizing functionality.
can’t you detail the wall oven below the range in such a way that it makes for a great moment? I think you can!
Could It be kind of a cool moment and more unique and newsworthy to make a total new type of design that was more climate-friendly? LIke gorgeous lower wood shelves that held stylish pots.. or a drying rack or who knows some integrated compost garden appliancey thing I don’t even know about? Great tile? That way the space wouldn’t need to be shifted around too much (and maybe other people have this problem). Yeah, don’t put in an NG line if you can avoid it! Personally, I wish I could have a wall oven (double would be even more dreamy) as I dislike cooking on the stovetop near a hot oven sometimes and I want to be able to peer in more easily. I’m an energy climate person professionally and struggle too with wanting more and nicer things- but knowing the climate/social impacts. More energy goes into maintaining things than production typically (think some fancy organic t-shirt vs. using a drying rack for a regular t-shirt over its life span) but that’s often hard for us to visualize. I know you are working with some green experts- maybe they can help life cycle cost the energy for one new mid-size… Read more »
More energy goes into maintaining things than production typically (think some fancy organic t-shirt vs. using a drying rack for a regular t-shirt over its life span) but that’s often hard for us to visualize. Love this. This is such an excellent point and something we should all try to remember. My couch may not be made out of eco-friendly material, but if I flip the cushions, fix the stray threads, air it out in the sun once in awhile, don’t drag it, add in extra stuffing when it starts to go limp, etc etc… I’ve done far more for the environment by not needing another couch to be made, even if it was made out of recycled so-and-so. It feels like after awhile, we’re just buying more than our fair share… how many couches can we say each person can reasonably and sustainably buy in a lifetime? And if you buy your goods secondhand, all the better. And if you learn basic maintenance tasks, for everything from clothes to furniture to appliances, all the better for that, too. I can’t tell you my shock when a friend said that the button came off on her coat, so she was… Read more »
A smaller oven heats up more quickly, so is more efficient when you are cooking less. I live in Belgium where smaller ovens are standard, and when I make large batches of granola I use 2 trays on 2 shelves and switch them half way! Also, one other consideration for wall ovens – they are easier for older people as you don’t need to bend! My mother can’t get anything out of my range oven anymore, but still bakes in her wall oven!
We do similarly in our oven! Just set a time for about halfway through the cook time and swap shelves. It’s fine!
And use it as an excuse to get out of things you don’t want to do anyway! “Oh, I can’t help greet everyone right now, I have to switch the baking trays halfway through. Can’t you man the front door and I’ll be out in a little while?” …Or is that just me? 🙂
that is another thing – we love the height convenience of the wall oven. Not a huge deal, but it is nice to have it at eye level. and yes to two cooking sheets and swapping!
I do not have any of the above ranges…..but will tell you we have a 30″ range and I cook 2 10-12lb turkeys every thanks giving for our crew of anywhere from 30-40 people. I have never felt deprived and it works beautifully. I did have to ditch the roasting pan and use foil roasting pans, but for one to two large family gatherings a year it is not a problem.
Here here. I’ve only ever had a 30 inch range and cook all the time. I’ve also done thanksgiving for 20 plus people multiple years and never had an issue. I get the whole issue with will the size look off, but this I have to have mentality is what bothers me. Its the same issue as people who can’t believe a family can live in an 800 sq ft house. I mean Americans are so skewed in their thinking.
Come and live here for a while! We think and believe as does our community! It doesn’t feel skewed to us unless we make a real effort to travel, or people with other perspectives communicate to us without derision (hint, hint.) Applause to Emily for investing her family income to offer these less-consumption vibes to her community;).
This! I was born on Thanksgiving so my mom ended up hosting every year from my first birthday until I left for college for our extended family of almost 40 people (it’s grown as my cousins have gotten married, had their own kids, etc). We had ONE very basic oven growing up and always figured it out. It takes some planning, but it IS very doable. …and no one has EVER left one of our get togethers hungry (ha!)!! If all else fails, get a smaller turkey and then roast some turkey breasts the day before – you can steam them in an electric roasting pan in a different room that morning and they’ll be very delicious and give you easy meat to cut. You don’t need to get a whole extra oven just for one or two days each year.
agreed 🙂 but hearing more experiences makes us feel more confidant in our decision. thank you!
You can do it! We’re all rooting for you!
that’s so good to know and hear. exactly the experiences i need to hear going forward and aligns with my thinking. xx
Oooh, ditch the foil pans for half sheet pans and get crispy skin all over. Lift the turkey on root and cruciferous vegetables to get delicious veg that requires next to no work. Sheet pans also make it much easier to baste without burning yourself (well, myself) on the edges of the oven.
Yep – and spatchcock the turkey and it not only takes up even less space but cooks more evenly and tastes SO MUCH BETTER.
I only learned about spatchcocking about 4 years ago (I am not young) and it changed my cooking life. I can spatchcock on/in my largest cast iron pan and it is always always the moistest, most flavorful bird. So little clean up, and it presents better when I serve at table that plonking down a half sheet pan, ha!
We keep an older model electric range in the basement for Thanksgiving needs. The Turkey gets cooked in that one so the upstairs oven can be used for the other things that require more frequent attention. The rest of the year the second oven unplugged. I don’t think having a oven that’s used a few times annually counteracts your environmental desires.
The smaller sheet trays would greatly impact cookie baking for me, however.
There may not be a perfect solution for you, but I bet wherever you land will work and you’ll adjust to the differences.
I just got a 36″ Aga Elise (it has 6 gas burners) but I chose it for the looks and the one large oven. (The handles didn’t yet come in brass and I had them plated along with the ends of the handles.) It is blue and gorgeous.Happy to send a picture if you want to see it. I was coming from a Viking which died after twenty years. In my island I have another oven which I find very useful. When that oven goes I will replace it with a microwave/convection oven although I haven’t seen one that would go well with the Aga.
I was worried about the small ovens on some of the European brands and I think this gives me what I need. In a past house I had a 48″ Viking but that second oven didn’t really work for much. I think this gives me more oven space and the six burners are plenty.
I’d love to see pictures! Especially of your plated handles – how did you manage that?
I found a plating place that would do it. The one I found was in NYC but I am sure you could find a place where you live. I can’t quite manage to attach the photo but if you send me an email I would be happy to send it to you.
kennedy.erinr@gmail.com—thanks, Peggy!
great to know. thank you!
I did a ton of research because our “new” kitchen came with 18 year old appliances and less counterspace than our previous one. I cook and bake a lot and finally decided on a Cafe duel fuel in matte white and I love it. It not only functions well but looks beautiful and is so easy to clean. It barely shows any smudges or dust. I have 6 burners and a large oven capacity, which was very important to me. I agree that some of the other ranges I liked looked great but were not practical. Also important to me was a self cleaning oven….not a feature on some that I liked, such as the Bertazzoni. My oven will steam clean or self clean. A manual one just did not appeal to me. Once I finally decided, it took another 5 months to get the range. I couldn’t get new countertops (which are being installed this week) until I had the oven because of the template and the old oven was a drop in that had to be cut out. I guess what was good about all of this was that the old range continued to work (somewhat), and I… Read more »
I love this discussion! I’m so glad you are questioning our need for bigger things. For energy use, for pan size, and for looks, bigger just means more. I don’t think you need 48″ for anything except that you have been planning it that way this whole time. With our stove (40″) it already feels so luxurious to have 5 burners. You will never need all 8, and for oven space, it is fantastic having multiple smaller ones. That 26lb turkey could become a 20lb turkey plus a beautiful salmon.
Honestly, the entire time I was reading this I was thinking, “Why not just get a 30″-36″ option, and put a single wall oven in the pantry?”, and then I got to no. 7 🙂 Seems to make most sense for your family and how you guys will want to live, entertain and use your house.
This is what I have and I cook every day and bake a lot of bread. I have the gorgeous Cafe option (white) with a wall oven and wall microwave combo. Honestly, I have used the oven on the range all of twice in the 3 years I have had it. I almost exclusively use the 27” wall oven and I cook a lot!
it is an option! Brian thought it was nuts, but reading these comments he’s coming around to all of these ideas.
You should look into Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) and see if it’s available in your area. It’s natural gas produced from landfills. Generally it gets blended with “regular” natural gas and you can work with your utility to select the blend you want to purchase. You could get a range that’s electric for the ovens, and natural gas for the cooktop and do the RNG blend. Not perfect but not bad. Especially if the rest of your house is heated/cooled by renewable electricity.
I love what you’re trying to do for your environmental footprint but the emissions from the natural gas you’d use in your cooktop in a year pale in comparison to say, one round trip from Portland to LA. I guess what I’m saying is if your goal is, for example, cutting your emissions in half, there could be another way to make up the difference, still meet your goal and get the oven that works for your family.
On the point of your question, though, I would go for the range with the ovens that are more of a 70/30 split in terms of size rather than the two ovens the same size. Larger one has best chances to hold the biggest possible turkey, smaller one for sides. Agree with the posters saying you don’t need all the extra air space around the food you’re cooking. It might seemed jammed in at first but you’ll get used to it!
This is a great point. While I know Emily is committed to induction, there are clearly a variety of ways she can reduce her carbon footprint while still meeting the family’s needs.
I agree with you, too. we are trying all the things and just trying to be as mindful as possible. If we weren’t renovating and choosing new appliances i wouldn’t be obsessed with the natural gas output, but since we are it seems like a good opportunity to choose induction. but agreed that there are many ways to increase and decrease our footprint that we have to be mindful about and not just obsess about natural gas.
I think they are not only concerned about environmental footprint, but the health effects of having regular emission of gas cooking byproducts in their home. There have been studies that show it can cause higher rates of illness and they have small children and in-house pets who would be more affected than Brian and Emily. It’s the kind of thing that is (and the studies revealed the kind of percentages that are) in the middle ground for many people who agree generally but think these particular numbers would be slightly higher for them to worry or slightly lower for them to not worry. It’s one of those issues where individual comfort levels with long-term risk comes into play, and it’s is impossible for any of us to speak fairly about what risk someone else should assume for their family.
Thank you for teaching me about RNG! It doesn’t look like it’s in Iowa yet, but that’s certainly something I’ll look into in the future.
I just have a regular 30 inch electric range. Not the prettiest, but I’ve never had a problem cooking Thanksgiving dinner. We do have a countertop air fryer oven. I like being able to cook things at different temperatures at the same time. You probably don’t need a double oven BUT it is very nice to have if you like to cook.
Wondering if you could arrange an induction cooktop over a built in oven? I think this is sometimes done in Europe. You could build in the Blue Star appliances into the cabinetry something like this: https://pin.it/34hq65I
Where is the oven going to be located in the kitchen? Will it really be a feature such that the look is so important? In my opinion, a huge benefit of a standard size appliance is that it can be replaced with relative ease and if it is discontinued, you will not have to change your cabinet configuration to accommodate a new oven with different dimensions. If you really think you need that much cooking capacity, consider 2 standard 30 inch ovens.
I live in a NYC brownstone and our kitchen is considered pretty luxurious by most standards, but we “only” have a 30” range. We have 5 burners and enough oven space for 2 half-sheet pans on each rack, so I’ve never had issues hosting large gatherings. I spent my early 20s working in professional kitchens (as a caterer), so the half-sheet pan is both my go-to and my minimum acceptable standard. (A half-sheet is 18”x13” with 1” sides.) A 36” range should easily accommodate 2 per rack (although you should always check because interior space is something a lot of manufacturers screw up).
If you feel like there might be times when you really do need more cooking space, a combo microwave/oven like the Advantium or a convection toaster oven (we use ours a lot in the summer when we don’t want to heat up the regular oven) add a lot of extra capacity, and an individual plug-in induction burner is easy to pull out for holidays.
great feedback from your experience. thank you!
There are multiple ways to cook a turkey that don’t involve an oven – BBQ, smoker, fryer. I have a 36″ Bluestar range and love the size, from burner count to oven capacity. Also, during our reno, I bought a convection toaster oven and we still use it to this day (no microwave for us), so much better than warming up the oven for a few chicken tenders on a summer’s night. Also, my Bluestar has had a few technical issues, so I would put reliability and serviceability at the forefront of this decision. (And when said Bluestar is out of commission, once again convection toaster oven to the rescue! I’d like to someday upgrade it to an air fryer convection toaster oven, even better….)
I love turkey smoked on the grill! I would choose that option over an oven every year.
Do they make 48” cooktops? Why not that and two wall ovens?
i don’t think i found any 48″ induction cooktops. and I do think that 36″ is enough. it was just the oven space associated with it, but with all of these comments its looking up!
I believe Miele does make a 48″ induction cooktop, but when I read up on it, it has more issues than the 36″. My vague memory is that’s just a long way for a weight-bearing, electronic glass span. And most people found the extra space unnecessary.
We have the 36 inch Bertazzoni induction in your Option 1 group and LOVE it. It’s gorgeous and my husband is a serious cook who makes dinner for our family of five – which includes 3 teenagers – every night – and we cook for a crowd routinely as well. No issues with the size. Our refrigerator on the other hand is way too small! Strongly recommend!
great to know!
We just went through this same process with a kitchen renovation. I thought we’d move up to 48” but my husband zeroed in on the smaller oven sizes and vetoed. We’re bringing our current 36” Bluestar range to the new house and adding a wall oven and speed oven (in lieu of microwave). Soooo we’re not models of buying less.
Could you use a smoker for the future turkey? My granddad smokes turkey and brisket for thanksgiving and it’s so much better than when it’s done in the oven. You could also use a large slow cooker or instapot for larger everyday cuts of meat.
We have had a a Jenn Air induction 30 inch range for about 5 years. The oven is large with a small separate oven drawer.
Have you considered a cooktop with a separate oven below the cooktop? You may find larger oven options. It might not get you the statement look you are seeking
Having cooked with a professional gas cooktop and cleaned all those burners and grates multiple times, I would never go back. Induction is fabulous.
I’ve had double wall ovens and now my range due to size constraints . It all works. That’s part of the fun😊
i’m so excited about cleaning an induction top 🙂
It is the best! We’ve just moved to Portugal, where induction is king. So easy to clean up after my messy husband! 🙂
I went induction about 5 years ago and will never go back. I am also looking at the 48″ AGA for the new house I am planning.
Couldn’t you have 2 ovens side by side under the counter? and a large induction hob/cooktop set into the counter above them, or on the island?
This is a key design change, but hopefully one that only means reconfiguring one or two cabinets – not a whole kitchen layout. Instead of having a grand range, I would suggest to make two side by side in built ovens and a really large induction on top of them.
Could you put the wall oven under the cooktop? I feel like I’ve seen that done…
I agree this is another good option. Sarah Richardson did it in the Monogram show kitchen featured here: https://houseandhome.com/gallery/see-sarah-richardsons-beautiful-kitchen-design-monogram-canada/
The one thing I’d consider, though, is that the benefit of a wall oven means not having to stand in front of the hot oven while cooking on the stovetop. So make sure you get a wall oven that’s well insulated and insulated.
I did consider this, but not for long. It didn’t excite me design-wise, but looking at sara’s kitchen is pretty convincing. add it to my options list 🙂
Have you thought about what Chris Loves Julia did in their last house? They butted two 30” ranges up next to each other to have one big, beautiful 5ft range for an affordable price. Personally I will always prefer the look of a cooktop with wall oven underneath and you can mix and match sizes to achieve what you want and need.
i thought about it. 🙂
Have you looked into getting an air fryer toaster oven combo? You could put that in the pantry. It could help with overflow cooking and air fryers are awesome! Some have a rotisserie setting, dehydrator, etc.
If the main issue right now is the turkey then I’d like to suggest buying a counter rotisserie or Turkey roaster.
Our family is quite large (think 30-40 people at every holiday) and many people who host only have one oven.
My aunt purchased a LOVELY Turkey roaster that sits on the counter and fits a huge bird. It comes out PERFECT every time and at the correct time. It frees the oven for everything else and makes cooking a much nicer experience. It’s also electric and seems like a much better solution than buying an extra oven.
Then I think you’ll be great with any of the options above.
GREAT experience feedback. THANK YOU!
We have double 27” ovens (interior measurements 22”Wx16”Dx17”h) . Using quarter sheet pans (9×13) is a lifesaver; two pans fit, side by side, on each rack. Quarter sheet pans also fit in the dishwasher so no handwashing. As for turkey, buy a Greenberg smoked turkey for holidays. Absolutely the best tasting turkey, no work or prep. Roast a regular sized turkey for the feels/smells and supplement with the Greenberg which you can buy in any size. But, warning, everyone will only eat the Greenberg.
We have a larger oven but still prefer to use quarter sheet pans! They’re so much less cumbersome and fit easily in the dishwasher, too, afterwards.
i could get behind that 🙂 brian (and I) INSIST on the turkey smell, but you are right – we could do a small turkey for that purpose.
My family also always does a roast turkey and a smoked turkey from Greenberg! But two years ago we couldn’t get the smoked turkey because the Greenberg smoke house burned down. (We didn’t gather for Thanksgiving in 2020). Are they back in business?
Yes, the fire was 11/2020, but they are taking 2021 orders. Their website is, of course, https://gobblegobble.com
We bought a used 30″ viking induction (#2 on your list). We try to buy used appliances as part of our commitment to reducing consumption. People were shocked we didn’t go 36″ but we are absolutely happy with our choice (and it took a 60 amp electric service so I can’t imagine going bigger!) If anything, the oven is too big for daily use. I used to have two 24″ wall ovens and they preheated so quickly compared to this giant thing! My vote is for a 30″ or 36″ and a combination microwave/speed oven in pantry if you’re worried. This American obsession with ranges, cars, houses… as you aptly describe in the post…is so damaging. Firm believer that smaller ovens are actually more useful for people who cook a lot. And I think your kitchen will still be absolutely stunning with a 36″, especially with one of the gorgeous ranges shown here. Good luck, can’t wait to see!
great feedback. thank you!
Get yourself a roasting pan and your holiday problems will be solved.
We have a 30-inch induction range in our kitchen, and we love it. My husband and I both cook a ton, and we’ve hosted big Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, and have never had any issue.
Have you thought about getting 2 smaller ranges like Chris Loves Julia did in one of their previous houses? I have always thought that was a great solution and it really looked like one big range.
Would you have room to do two 30″ ranges side by side? I’ve seen it done and its beautiful. For the world looks like one range and often less expensive than a 60″
I don’t understand how the smallest option here would ever not be enough, and I grew up in a Turkey and ham eating family of 5, and I’m a big baker myself. This post makes me kind of sad.. Emily, this is by no means criticism of you, as I really appreciate that you try to make more sustainable choices (induction is so fun to cook with, too). But as long as Americans don’t question everyday things like double ovens, giant gas cooktops, giant cars, laundry dryers, air conditioning, packaging, etc. etc. I don’t know why Europeans are even trying to combat climate change anymore 🤷♀️. I don’t fly or drive a car if I can avoid it at all. I cycle everywhere, pay extra for 100% renewable energy, would never use a laundry dryer or air conditioning, and eat meat maybe once a month. And I don’t really have the capacity or money to be climate conscious most of the time, so I consider this the bare minimum. I’m still far less sustainable than most people in my cultural sphere (European capitals), who shop at packaging-free stores, are fully vegan, only shop second hand, etc.. I grew up in… Read more »
The US grew by manufacturing in the industrial revolution. As a result, we are great at making vaccines and our kitchens, cars, and houses are too big and we replace our stuff too often. Change can come, and will come if we all focus, but we are an ENORMOUS country with a myriad of cultural and beliefs myths about our awesomeness and learning from anywhere else doesn’t come easy to us.
BTW, not forgetting that we grew via the Industrial Revolution but set ourselves up on the backs of others.
I live in the US (in Portland) and I think there is a really interesting discussion to be had around this issue! I totally agree with Franny, but our culture and our infrastructure here in the US make it SO HARD to do better environmentally. Our cities are sprawling which makes it difficult to bike everywhere, packaging-free stores don’t really exist, and it’s difficult to buy a house that is small and laid out in an efficient or environmentally sustainable way. As Emily is finding out, often more sustainable options aren’t even readily available to us and have to be shipped from Europe. It will take a huge cultural shift here (or a long, slow period of time) for us to catch up to European standards of sustainability. Some of us are really trying (my family is vegan and minimalist, we bike as much as we can to school/work/grocery stores, we compost and recycle even when it takes extra work to access the facilities, we bought a small, efficient Miele washer/ventless dryer and use a clothesline in the summer, etc. …. but then we took our annual trip to Texas to visit family and everything there comes in styrofoam and… Read more »
Thanks Dani. i was in Utah a couple of years ago and we were dining IN (like sitting at a table, with table service) and our food came in styrafoam to go containers with plastic utensils – AT THE TABLE. I was SO CONFUSED and of course said something, but yah, we are a big country and not all of us are aligned or even want to be. I love how good portland is trying to be about all of this. when we were there last we forgot to bring out our refillable water bottle and literally couldn’t find a plastic water bottle to buy which made us very happy (if not thirsty :))
I totally agree with you. thus the shift and the self-reflection and criticism. i think its important to analyze all your choices to know what is best for your family and the planet. we are such a huge country and we all don’t align culturally (or politically – shocker) so its like moving the titanic. But hopefully these conversations help move the needle a TINY bit. and I too am a huge cycler – we hope to share a car in Portland (except my flea market haul days) and I can just ride everywhere. 🙂
I felt the same reading this post. This stage of Capitalism in the US has brought pretty crazy expectations about how much we need to consume in order to be comfortable at home. I am from the US, but even living in a city with older houses (Philadelphia), it’s pretty striking what have become “must haves” in a lot of the country, based on the suburban/exurban new builds from the 80s and 90s I guess. I don’t think people where I live are particularly environmentally conscientious, and we consume a lot more than the rest of the world, but the houses are all 100+ years old and even the large ones don’t have mudrooms or garages or walk-in closets or en suite bathrooms or room for 10 ft islands in the kitchen etc etc etc and it’s . . . fine. Really, I don’t think it makes your life harder AT ALL to not have a lot of this extra stuff.
It seems like Emily is struggling with how this design blog business model works without driving and normalizing overconsumption. Of course she doesn’t have it all figured out, but I appreciate thinking it though.
indeed 🙂 i’m trying and with a large platform hopefully my exploration on consumption can help others question their choices. but mistakes will be made and I will not do this perfectly, this I know. xx
i agree with Franny, this post made me a bit sad too (even though the sentiment is there). Living in the US for 10 years, I’ve become much more accustomed to the gigantic everything. On a side note regarding “clean” energy: Yes, electricity can be produced from renewable resources, but depending on where you live, the electricity may well come from fossil fuels, even if renewable energy is being produced. Many states don’t have significant energy storage, so renewable energy produced during peak times (lunchtime) may be counted as produced, but not actually consumed – and then fuel-based generators will kick in for the evening demand peaks, when many people start to cook, charge their electric vehicles, run laundry etc. Efficiency (reductions!!) is still more meaningful when it comes to downsizing our footprint. Solar hot water, living in smaller homes, oriented to catch breezes or light, within walkable neighborhoods.
This is a great discussion, and just knowing people are talking about this for their own households is meaningful. We have done some necessary home improvements over the years, and we always are very mindful of energy efficiency, environmental impacts, and need vs. want. We have a really nice sized kitchen but it is aging, terribly designed, and the materials aren’t the best quality, particularly the cabinets. Every family member cooks seriously, and we would love to remodel. But it is a cascading set of issues that would result in a total gut job and involve parts four “rooms” because we have an open floor plan. We have discussed this endlessly and it comes down to what do we need and what do we want. My husband’s most recent observation was that for all the problems and things we hate about the kitchen, nothing about it has ever kept us from cooking great meals. We always find ways to work around or manage. So for now, doing nothing is the best solution.
I am German in Germany, and lived in Italy, UK and the Netherlands as well. My personal impression of so many reveals, kitchens and living rooms especially, look a bit like an adult child in a giant´s home. Same for Em´s pics of the Portland project. So out of dimensions. Like a doll, if we assume this setting is a “normal” sized home.
THIS. Every time I see Shea McGee in photos of her projects I wonder if she’s really only 4′ tall. I think maybe there is an aspirational aspect driving influencers to push this overscale design aesthetic, which is quite frankly unachievable for the majority, even in the US. Unfortunately, seeing imagery of this aesthetic everywhere drives people to think it is ‘typical’ and what they need to be a successful person. America is a capitalist society, and the constant churn and wanting is exactly how capitalism works.
We have the GE Cafe Series range in white and…WE LOVE IT. I mean LOVE. It’s wonderful to use, and so beautiful! Our 1840s lodge house also has a studio over the garage with an old electric range, so we will use them both for Thanksgiving, etc. For everyday use, the GE induction range has been delightful to use, and easy to clean up. I say get a smaller range and augment with another oven!
I’m torn by this discussion. On the one hand, I’m deeply relieved by this post. You’ve got two kids! Of course you don’t need the ridiculously giant oven and I’m delighted you recognise it. I come from an undeprived family of nine (piano lessons, violin lessons, ballet lessons etc etc) and we had a small double oven and simple stove top and it was more than fine. I was appalled to read in another post some reader casually reference that you are planning two washing machines and two dryers. It was in the comments and I couldn’t see it in the blog post so I hope they were wrong because to me that is the epitome of profligacy and waste for a family of four (or nine). Apparently if everyone lived like the average American we would need four earths. I’m not American but I’ve seen enough of America to know there is significant and disgraceful wealth disparity and if that’s the average, some are taking up ten earths and others not many at all. Just get a normal sized oven – there isn’t much point reducing your footprint to go induction if the materials and energy used to produce… Read more »
I kind of felt the same. There seems to be a lot of options to choose from. Pre-heating an enormous oven, for daily use just cost a lot of energy. And buying a big oven just for the thanksgiving turkey seems very wasteful. A good cook can work with what is available and be inventive on the days it’s necessary.
I agree with Sally. I know it’s a big “dilemma” for you….but it feels out of touch, both at an environmental level and at a financial level. To frame it more positively, I probably enjoy Caitlin and Jess’ dilemmas more because they’re more financially relatable (and I’m not even an apartment dweller…I’m a mom of two kids living in a small Midwestern home who couldn’t imagine fitting a four-foot range in my compact kitchen).
I totally agree. We all love Emily, but want to see accessible design. It is certainly a conundrum.
I’d like to add as another Midwesterner living in a small home with a family of 5, that not all Americans live in giant homes and over consume. While I am personally very fine financially, many of our fellow citizens are not. I understand Americans are generally into bigger and “more” compared to many countries but giant ranges in super sized homes that we’re talking about here is not accessible or desirable to lots of Americans.
Totally agree, Sally. I’m so worried that nobody in this country can even recognize excess anymore. Things that make daily life slightly more inconvenient are deemed inferior, impossible, useless. The constant, needless renovations, the consumerism. It’s getting to be a bit much. I think I might need a little break from the design world.
I live in New Orleans and our Thanksgiving tradition is to fry a Turkey. It is done outside in a really large pot that only comes out for Thanksgiving and Christmas and is such a fun attraction for the day. Everyone wants to see the Turkey drop in, there is excitement if the grease is hot enough, everyone has to stand back when Dad drops in it. Some people even do a pulley system from a tree to drop the Turkey into the hot grease so no one has to stand near. It’s so fun! It gives everyone a chance to have outside cooking and stand around it like a grill. After the drop in there isn’t major needs to be addressed so no one is stuck outside but fun to pop out and check on it. Oh, and fried Turkey is DELICIOUS!! The skin is crispy, the meat juicy, and it is often a treat most people haven’t had before. This eliminates any oven Turkey needs and will honestly be your favorite part about Thanksgiving. Google “equipment for frying a Turkey” to see the set up needed.
Yes!!! Deep fry your turkey. Been doing it annually for almost 20 years. It’s easy and you will NEVER go back to a baked turkey again.
Don’t they catch on fire sometimes? Or is that just in AllState commercials?
They do, when the instructions for how to fry things is not followed. There is no increased risk of fire from the frying, just from ignorance of how to fry (and an unwillingness to look it up).
Hi! Would a stovetop with the built in over under it work? You could get each in the size you would like and not have to redesign for the wall oven.
I’ve been responsible for cooking for nearly forty years and I can’t imagine any situation that necessitates a 48″ cooking appliance (a veritable behemoth) unless you’re going to run a catering business out of your home.
hahah. i’m NOT going to run a catering business. this is all so enlightening and appreciative. lots to consider thanks to all your feedback based on your experiences. xx
I have also wondered what kind of meals they are preparing that require a restaurant sized cooker?!?! I spend summers cooking dinner for 20+ people every night and have only rarely needed extra space on my standard sized stove or in the oven. I mean, just the idea of having to wash up that many more pans makes me doubt anyone would be in the habit of cooking every night on so many burners. Whenever I see those massive cookers in a magazine kitchen I immediately think “oh, this is just a show kitchen”
Consider buying Bryan an electric RecTeq grill/smoker. My dad has been in charge of our Thanksgiving turkey for a few years now and it’s absolutely delicious smoked! Keep in garage and bring out to patio when you need. He will love it! Go with a smaller set up inside…when in doubt simplify your life.
looking into it!
I make two turkeys every year. Each year we argue over which was better. It is usually the spatchcocked smoked Traeger one❣️I also do a traditional oven baked whole Turkey too. 🤷🏼♀️
Also, I am so in love with the GE Cafe line, but the range with the combo gas and induction would be amazing. I cook and bake a lot also used to be a caterer. Hubby was a chef too. I too have a fancy toaster oven which we use a lot. I also bake a lot in my Traeger when it’s hot 🥵 💋💋💋
One other thing I’d add to your consideration set is reliability. Bertazonni’s are beautiful but known for being finicky. Viking used to make reliable ranges, but the quality has reportedly declined in recent years. Even an induction range isn’t sustainable if it ends up in a landfill after a few years.
I TOTALLY agree. we want to buy ONCE, thus the big discussion to make sure its the right choice.
The easy straightforward answer is no, you don’t need a giant 2x- oven. You’ll be able to make perfectly great, healthy meals for your family with a single (or smaller double). Holidays will require slightly more planning (to make sure you’re timing the oven right) but will still be fine. People will beg to bring over dessert and sides anyway (even if you’re adamant that you have it covered). The turkey will fit. You just want it. And we, Americans, have been accustomed to getting what we want – when we want it – assuming that we have the disposable income (or will take out loans and financing). It’s really hard to resist that instinct to super-size your life. We’ve been trained since we’re infants to believe that buying = happiness, and then feed that by working too hard, to get more money, to buy more stuff that we don’t need. All that being said, can I vote for smaller size options in the US 🙂 ? The Euro market has narrower fridges and single vessel washer/dryers, both of which are rare in the US market. A lot of the appliances they make here don’t actually fit in apartments or… Read more »
agree. we have a lot of deprogramming to do (myself included, obviously) 🙂
We live in America and have a small oven! Our house came with a very fancy GE Monogram range that has a perplexingly small oven. I would prefer a standard size oven, but the only time it’s been an issue has been when cooking the Thanksgiving bird. However (!) our solution to that is to spatchcock the turkey, and it works beautifully. We can cook a full Thanksgiving meal and the turkey cooks much faster and comes out delicious. So, unless you’re aiming for the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving presentation, I think you can get a slightly smaller oven and still be happy for day to day use and holidays. Full size cookie sheets fit in our oven without an issue.
A family of 4 does not need a 48″ range and multiple ovens. Period. End of story. The earth cannot sustain that type of excess.
This is fascinating to me thank you for sharing your conundrum. I’ve never had more than a 30 inch oven. Would it possible to share what you cook regularly for a family of 4 that you need such a large cooktop? I’m asking out of interest. I’ve never needed more than the 5 burners i have even for large parties but I’m admittedly not a fancy chef! It’s all about timing and potluck for me on thanksgiving etc.
I’m also interested on the energy usage from such a massive range vs a smaller one. It seems to defeat the point of being environmentally friendly if it uses more energy to heat unless you are truly on 100% non carbon energy sources.
I do think that the smaller ranges have less energy use, agreed. and we’ve definitely used 4 burners at the same time (that don’t fit easily) but I wasn’t THAT bummed out about. all the feedback is super helpful to help us downsize and not feel like we need the bigger ones. I think seeing them in person is SUPER helpful, too. Very excited about that.
I’m curious if your #7 option would actually be your most affordable, since you can use standard sizes and it’s not shipping from Europe. Funny enough, your idea of putting a second 36″ range in the Victorian house for overflow is the most relatable to me – my mom has an old range in her garage for this exact purpose – overflow during big events (mostly thanksgiving), and my grandma did the same thing.
If it were me – I’m a person who values form/function and design 50/50, so if you have designed the kitchen around a big range moment, I would get the least expensive most beautiful 48″ range disregarding the oven size, and put a normal not super specialized full size wall oven in the pantry.
The AGA is the most affordable 48” range and it is more affordable than most of the smaller options. It makes it really appealing.
The option of having the second oven in the Victorian house does give the introverts in the family a “job” on holidays that they can do to get a few (or a lot) of minutes to recharge once all the people in the main house start to sap their energy. 🙂