Wall Ovens

Fuel: Electric wall ovens are overwhelmingly the most popular type. In our tests of ovens in ranges, we find that electrics tend to perform better, particularly at broiling. 

Capacity: Many manufacturers make misleading claims about oven capacity—typically, they include every square inch of space, even if there’s no way to use it to cook (like the area below the bottom rack). We look for usable capacity, and find big differences between models. For single-oven wall ovens, the smallest models in our test offer about 2 cubic feet of usable space, and the largest models (those that we’d rate as Excellent for capacity) have more than 3 cubic feet of usable space. It might not matter much for a tray of cookies, but you’ll be glad you have the clearance when you’re finessing a giant turkey into the oven next Thanksgiving. 

Configuration: Wall ovens come in single- and double-oven configurations, and we test both. A double oven lets you cook more, and allows you to cook foods at two different temperatures, which is particularly helpful around busy cooking holidays. A double wall oven is a lot bigger than the double oven you might find built into a range (which is really just a single oven divided into two cavities). For a true double wall oven, both cavities are the same size. 

Single vs Double Wall Ovens

If you enjoy cooking for a crowd or want that truly gourmet kitchen, a double wall oven is the way to go. Double ovens give you more capacity, so you can essentially cook twice the food in less time. You also get the flexibility to cook different foods at different temperatures. Roast your Thanksgiving turkey in one oven while you bake pies in the other. 

Like your standard range, a single wall oven has one cooking area for which to bake, roast or broil your favorite dishes. Even though it's called a wall oven, it is not limited to just in-wall installation. Single wall ovens can be installed below a cooktop, under the counter, or built into a set of cabinets. For added convenience, consider a microwave and wall oven combo.

Top Wall Oven Features

Today's wall ovens offer a variety of features to help you get a tasty meal on the table in no time. Most will come with some type of self-cleaning feature, digital timer and digital temperature controls. The control lock function is popular for homes with children and helps prevent mishaps, like mistakenly turning on the oven. Newer models also may also feature WiFi capability, to control your oven's temperature and cooking times remotely on your smartphone or smart home device.