My oven died on Christmas Day as it was roasting a 15 pound turkey. SIL ordered an igniter but that hasn't seemed to fix it. As a precaution, we've begun looking at replacements and I'm intrigued by the new dual oven ranges. Do any of you have any experience with or knowledge of them to share? They're awfully expensive, and if they aren't all they're cracked up to be, I won't spend the money. Thanks!!!

Do you mean the dual fuel ovens, that have the electric cooktops and the gas ovens?

Theresa

I have a whirlpool double oven and the top one is convection but it isn't gas. I love it because I can bake more then two layers at a time.

I mean the kind with a larger and a smaller oven; is the smaller one actually useful? And one that I looked at has the larger oven so low (with no broiler unit) that you had to practically kneel on the floor to get the rack out.

Mine are both full size ovens.

I have a Kenmore that has a large convection oven and a narrower non-convection next to it. I absolutely love it- especially around the holidays!
http://www.kenmore.com/shc/s/p_10154_12604_02299613000P?vName=Kitchen&cName=Ranges%2C+Ovens+%26+Cooktops&sName=Freestanding+Ranges&prdNo=12&blockNo=12&blockType=L12
hope the link works! If not, it's model #99613

This is one I've been looking at...hope the link works.

http://www.sears.ca/stores/shop/search?langId=1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10001&N=0&Ntk=level1&Ntt=gemini+range&Nty=1&D=gemini+range&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&initialquery=true&internalSearch=true

My oven oven only works at 350
After that it turns into a giant broiler. It must hit 500 and just kills everything. I put in frozen fries at 400 and within 10 min they were black, and smoke pouring out when I opened the door!

Minwe is a wall oven with a seperate cook top.

My day job is selling appliances, just so you know. The one from Sears that you are looking at is a Maytag that is built by Whirlpool now. I have sold a few that were built by Maytag. The last few that I have sold have been the GE brand. People who buy them, love them. However, most buy them for the use of the small oven. They don't want to heat up that large oven just for a pizza or one pan of cookies. The large oven they only use when they are having a larger gathering. That's not all but most.

If you want to bake more than one cake at a time, get convection. Third element convection, that is. If you are willing to take the time to learn how to use it, it's a time saver and then some. Convection ovens tend to be less expensive than the double ovens.

HTH

Wow..such wonderful advice! I'm open to all you can provide. You're giving me a lot to think about. As always, thank you CC friends.

If you're going to look into convection ovens, you might want to look into ovens that offer convection & conventional combined.

I have a set of Jenn Air double wall ovens. My lower oven is a regular conventional oven, (a regret I've had since the day I chose the set) My top oven is convection, conventional combined and I love it.

I have the choice of using whichever baking mode I want on my top oven, depending on what I'm baking/roasting.

I don't use the convection setting for my cakes, cup cakes, or any other delicate baking, as I don't like the way convection bakes them up. Breads, quick breads, biscuits etc., I'll usually bake convect.

Keep in mind thats just my opinion on convection for baking cakes. I'm sure I'd be out numbered by the amount of gals that love baking cakes in convect!

my oven has the convection option but i've never used it because i'm scared of it lol- could anyone explain it to me? like how it works and whats different about it when it comes to baking cakes. i know it blows the hot air around or something, but thats about it

Sorry I didn't get back here sooner!!

Home models of convection ovens have the option of using convection or not. The better ones have a mode for single rack and multi-rack convection bake too.

From personal experience, I highly recommend getting the "third element" convection. Different brands call it different things, but make sure it is "third element" or you won't like it if you do any baked goods at all.

There is a learning curve to using convection. I can't bake without it. Not all items should be convection baked. Delicate items MUST NOT BE OVER BAKED. One extra minute can mean a dry cake or a moist one. Box mixes are sturdier than some from scratch cakes.

3 degrees of convection:
1. Just a fan that blows one way in the oven.
2. A fan that reverses direction every minute or so.
3. A reversing fan with a third element around it.
(4. One or two brands have come out with what they call "bow tie convection". I have not used it.)

Benefits:
1. No hot or cool spots. More even browning.
2. More even heat. Less temperature swing throughout the oven cavity.
3. Blows the air across the element to heat it before it goes into the oven. This is the best and most even heat of all I have used.

Right now I have a GE free standing range with third element convection. We are going to remodel our kitchen in March. I will be getting an LG double wall oven. (both ovens will be convection) (SO excited!)

Please feel free to pm me any time if you have more questions.
[email protected]

HTH

Poki, You're a veritable encyclopedia on this oven tgopic!!! I learned a lot. Another question...at a friend's house, she had 2 ovens side by side in whatg appeared to be a slide in situation. However, it seemed VERY large to me. Would this arrangement be possible only with what they call a "professional" or "chef's quality" stove? Thanks...Pat

The short answer is yes. However...

If you want to get commercial style, do your homework on the brand you are wanting to get. Do the research. Some are better than others. Don't believe everything the sales person tells you! (yes I'm one of them! LOL!) Most of the larger sales operations are only interested in how many dollars they can get you to spend. Chances are a "local" sales and service place will be able to tell you the repair history of a brand they sell. (Always ask about the repair history of a brand and model of any appliance that you buy.)

I happen to sell 5 Star commercial appliances. We can get just about anything (ie Viking, Monogram...) Most brands have a 60", double oven, dual fuel range. Dual fuel means gas cook top with electric ovens. One or both ovens can be convection.

More on convection:
The propaganda says that it cuts down on time of cooking. Yes and No. My most common example to use is for chocolate chip cookies. A batch for me makes 3 dozen cookies. I can put 3 pans in the oven and set the timer for 13.5 minutes and have 3 dozen cookies that all look identical. In a "not convection" oven I would do one pan and have to turn it around half way through for 10 to 12 minutes. Huge time saver! But for things that cook longer, the time savings is not as much. But again, you can fill the oven with more items and cook for the same amount of time. (Does that make sense?) 3 or more pies at one time, for instance. (I haven't done as many cakes as I have cookies. But that is changing!)

HTH!!