Double Oven Kitchen Layouts for Serious Home Cooks

For passionate home cooks, few kitchen upgrades deliver as much utility as integrating a double wall oven. With two spacious ovens housed in a single unit, you gain extra capacity to create complete meals with ease. You can roast vegetables or meat in one oven, while baking a tray of cookies in the other--all simultaneously. But to truly unlock the potential of a double oven, careful planning of your kitchen layout is a must.

Below, we'll explore how to optimally incorporate double ovens into kitchen designs of all sizes and styles. From placement considerations to storage solutions and beyond, these tips will help you craft a layout made for serious cooking.

Choosing the Right Double Oven

With double ovens now available in a wide range of sizes, fuel types, and finishes, selecting one suited to your space and needs is key. Consider what and how you cook most often to determine the best double oven model.

Size and Dimensions

Standard double wall ovens measure about 30 inches wide and anywhere from 27 to 30 inches high. However, more compact units are available at 25-27 inches wide. Opting for a narrower double oven can help maximize every inch of space in a smaller kitchen layout.

Be sure to measure your existing cabinet cutout or frameless opening if you're replacing a double oven. Custom cabinetry may be required if changing layouts significantly. Wall ovens require a minimum cabinet opening of 28-29 inches high and 25-28 inches deep. This must accommodate the oven itself, ventilation, and some clearance for openings.

Oven Features

Consider how you utilize your current oven(s) to determine which features to prioritize. Convection cooking, heavy-duty broiling, warming drawers, and self-cleaning modes are just a few popular options. Wi-Fi connectivity for remote preheating and monitoring can also help streamline workflows.

For serious home cooks, intuitive controls and readable displays are essential when multi-tasking several dishes at once. Opt for easy-to-reach and -read touch panels, if possible. Programming different cooking modes should be simple, while displays should showcase all critical information simultaneously, like cook times, set and actual temperatures, oven modes, and preheat status.

Aesthetics

Aesthetically, double ovens can mirror surrounding cabinetry finishes for a unified appearance or make a statement with contrasting colors and materials. For a more cohesive kitchen, select a double oven in stainless steel, black or white finishes that coordinate with other existing appliances and fixtures.

Or use your double oven as a focal feature by choosing a bold, unique color like cobalt blue or burgundy. This eye-catching look works especially well in contemporary, rustic, or industrial style kitchens.

Incorporating Double Ovens Into Your Layout

Once you've selected the perfect double oven for your cooking needs, careful positioning within your layout is critical. This ensures convenient access and usability by all users, sufficient ventilation, and seamless kitchen work triangles.

Placement and Accessibility

Standard double wall oven height can make accessing controls awkward for children or shorter adults. Consider lowering at least one of the two ovens to increase ergonomics, provided adequate room for ventilation up top. Side-swing doors also improve access over traditional drop-down styles.

Ideally, position double ovens close to prep and cleanup areas, following classic kitchen work triangle principles. This prevents excessive movements traveling between sink, fridge, and ovens when tackling elaborate dishes. Just confirm adequate clearance around appliances when planning placements to allow fully opening doors and removing hot pans.

Ventilation Needs

With two oven cavities producing heat and steam, sufficient ventilation is a must. Overhead range hoods mounted 18-24 inches above cooktops effectively capture airflow. Ducted range hoods remove air externally for optimal steam and heat reduction. Where ventilation ductwork is impossible, high-CFM ductless range hoods can work almost as well.

For kitchens relying on natural airflow, strategically placed windows help. Just avoid putting ovens on any walls with major drafts, as this can impact temperature regulation accuracy.

Storage Solutions

From wire racks to baking sheets and roasting pans, double ovens warrant ample nearby storage space solutions. Install pull-out shelves or drawers right next to or below wall ovens for handy access to bulky cookware. Door storage holds essentials like oven mitts and cooking utensils within quick reach.

Consider including a pantry closet or tall cabinetry near ovens to consolidate spices, oils, and other staples. This prevents cluttering counters and makes ingredients easily accessible mid-recipe.

Enhancing Functionality

More than just extra capacity, double ovens also introduce new ways to streamline cooking workflows, accommodate different users, and maximize energy efficiency through smart layouts.

Streamlining Workflows

Creating efficient sequenced transitions between prep work, actual cooking, then cleanup is essential for serious cooks' smooth operations. Make sure clearance exists allowing multiple users to work simultaneously--like one arranging ingredients as another removes finished dishes from the ovens.

Minimize movements traveling unnecessary distances between tasks also. This prevents chaotic, crowded work for busy cooks maneuvering hot items around each other.

Accommodating All Users

Consider users of all ages and abilities who interact with your kitchen when planning appliance placements. Lower one oven to make controls comfortably reachable for children assisting with meal prep or for seated users. Position the other oven at a typical height to accommodate adult cooks.

Side-swing oven doors also improve accessibility over traditional drop-down designs--especially in narrower openings. And they eliminate the hot door exterior hovering dangerously at face level after opening from overhead.

Saving Energy

With heavy usage, double ovens can impact energy bills over time. Choosing an ENERGY STAR(r) certified model ensures optimal insulation and temperature self-regulation. This prevents excessive power usage maintaining heat.

Wi-Fi-connected ovens also help conserve energy by allowing remote preheating. You can heat your oven just in time for inserting dishes, rather than wasting standby power for an uncertain readiness time.

Achieving an Optimal Layout

Creating a seamlessly functional kitchen layout with a double oven relies on making the most of available space. Careful planning should enhance workflows and accessibility for all users alike. The end result can reinforce your kitchen's aesthetics and role as a welcoming focal point in homes.

Maximizing Available Space

While a double oven itself expands capacity, smaller kitchens may still struggle housing such a large unit. Compact ovens measuring just 25-inches wide save precious surrounding cabinet space in tight layouts. Creative alternative installations like oven columns or combined wall oven/microwaves work in the most space-constrained kitchens when traditional double ovens won't fit.

But even standard 30-inch units can squeeze into modest kitchen spaces with some clever planning. Optimize storage with pull-outs surrounding the oven to reduce unused void areas. Or align layout triangles minimizing traffic lanes for smoother workflows in confined floorplans.

Kitchen Triangle and Traffic Flow

Speaking of kitchen work triangles, an optimal double oven position minimizes traffic congestion and messy bottlenecks. Make sure pathways facilitate easy transitions from fridge and prep zones to cooking, then dishwashing cleanup areas.

Include enough space so multiple cooks can collaborate simultaneously without excessive dance routines maneuvering around each other. Just confirm appliances align logically following natural cooking sequences for seamless operations.

Visually Cohesive Design

Tying your kitchen's aesthetics together visually relies on aligning double ovens with the existing style. matching cabinetry finishes and hardware makes appliances recede seamlessly into cabinetry faces. Consistent backsplashes and accent tilework also strengthen uniform designs.

Or make your double oven a dramatic focal point with bold colors and materials making it stand apart. Use lighting placements emphasizing the unit's positioning. Contrasting finishes on cooktop hoods behind ovens create attractive vignettes anchoring kitchen spaces.

From compact ovens maximizing narrow layouts to improved accessibility accommodating all users, smart double oven positioning unlocks serious cooks' potential. Align efficient kitchen work triangles minimizing foot traffic congestion for smoother meal preparation workflows. Don't overlook ventilation requirements and storage solutions also essential for seamless functionality.

Most importantly, creative layout planning allows you fitting double ovens into virtually any kitchen. Making it an invaluable upgrade delivering extra capacity and flexibility enhancing passionate cooks' end-to-end experiences.