Built-In Wall Ovens: Single and Double Electric

Single or double, and the cutout it needs

Wall ovens come in nominal widths, with 30 inches the most common and narrower models for older cabinetry. The listings here point to a 30-inch cabinet and a double oven about 50 inches tall, which needs a tall tower of cabinetry or a framed wall. Use the maker's cutout width, height and depth rather than the outside dimensions, and leave the ventilation gaps the instructions call for. Weight is substantial, so installation takes two people.

A double oven stacks two cavities, so you can roast and bake at different temperatures at once. Fan convection circulates hot air around the food, which browns evenly and lets you cook on several racks, and many recipes call for a slightly lower temperature than in a conventional oven. Electric wall ovens are usually hardwired to a dedicated 240 V circuit through a junction box in the cabinet, so have an electrician confirm the circuit rating.

Telling a wall oven from a circuit board that shares its name

This aisle contains a mix: genuine electric wall ovens and a number of electronic modules, relay boards and sensors whose titles carry the words built-in oven. They are electronics parts, not cooking appliances. Before buying, confirm that the listing states a cabinet width, an overall height and width in inches and an electric power source, and that the product name reads like an appliance, for example a double electric wall oven with convection.

Questions about Built-In Wall Ovens: Single and Double Electric

What size wall oven fits a standard cabinet?

Nominal widths are 24, 27 and 30 inches, with 30 the most common. The cutout is a little different from the label, so read the maker's template for width, height and depth, and check that your cabinet can bear the oven's weight.

Does a wall oven need a special outlet?

Most electric wall ovens connect to a dedicated 240 V circuit, often hardwired rather than plugged in, and double ovens can need a heavier circuit than single ones. Ask a licensed electrician to confirm the supply before you buy.

Is convection worth having in a wall oven?

Convection adds a fan that moves hot air, so food cooks more evenly and often faster, and you can use more than one rack without swapping them. It helps most with roasting and baking trays of cookies; delicate cakes may need the fan turned off.