December 1, 2009 - 11:07am
NEED A NEW OVEN RECOMMENDATION
Our current gas stove/oven was a contractor special that came with the house 15 years ago. It's time to upgrade. I am soliciting recommendations. I recently ready something about a Whirlpool that has a "proofing cycle" for bakers.
I haven't seen an oven/stove review by the major cooking magazines / websites.
What would you recommend?
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I have a GE Profile oven that includes a proofing cycle that I never use. I love the oven though. The only things I would change are: I would like a bigger oven, and I'd really like to have a double oven again. Those greedy issues aside though, I really like my GE.
It has three 22"w x 18"d racks, and I can cook bread on two at once with good results. It has both convection and conventional bakes available. It has a very even heat distribution that gives me even color throughout the oven without having to rotate my loaves. It has two self-cleaning intensities, and does a good job on the lower/faster cycle. It preheats reasonably quickly, but not extremely fast. I have learned to start the oven an hour ahead of baking bread to give my tiles plenty of time to heat soak and even out.
I guess the other thing I'd like is to have it be separate from the stove. In my ever more seasoned years the bending over to load/check/unload is harder and harder. A free-standing oven at stand-up height would be more comfortable, but I still manage.
I hope it is some help.
OldWoodenSpoon
I'm thinking a good place for reviews might be Consumer Reports magazine, and the web site(if a member).
The oven is the biggest I've ever had, 24 inches. Electric, coil-top range and I love it.
When we remodeled I found that the folks on this forum http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/appl/ provided great advice on appliances. These folks take their kitchens and appliances as seriously as the folks here take baking -- and that's saying a lot!
-- Barbara
When we bought this house last year, one of the selling points was the kitchen, with dual-fuel range. Top is 6 big burners in gas, bottom is an electric, multi-element oven. Other than a steam generator (and i'm looking for one,) the oven is great. For bread baking, it has a proofing cycle but also an integrated stone/element setting. When you turn the oven to "stone," having first replaced the bottom rack with the special stone-holding rack, having installed the stone, and finally, having inserted the special 'extra' element immediately beneath the stone, wonders happen. There is the broiling element, there is the stone's element, and there is a third element beneath the floor of the oven, along with two convection fans. The oven gets hot, stays hot, won't cool off a bit even if opened a few times. Always perfect loaves (or as perfect as I can make them.) Highly recommended, though I imagine very pricey, esp. for the add-ons.
Christopher
So, how is the wolf doing? Have you had chipping in the interior enamel of the oven? This seems to be a huge problem with wolf and is unacceptable. I am on the precipice of doing a full kitchen remodel, and am looking at the wolf, but I cannot seem to see that it is a totally resolved problem.
You don't say where you live, but if you can find the European brand Neff then some of them have a proofing setting. They make 6 ranges of ovens ranging from the basic Series 1 to the top of the range Navigator. Navigator and series 4 & 5 all have a proofing setting. I have the double oven from the series 5 range and I just love it. Proofing dough is quick and foolproof. You can view their ovens here.