Browse Forums Kitchen Appliances 1 Feb 01, 2010 1:50 pm We had our hearts set on a 900mm stand alone cooker but everyone has somewhat talked us out of it and I thought I would get your opinions on what you would rather and why RHI - BALDIVIS PERTH 2005 Bought/Finished WA Housing Centre Home 2010 Building the Benchmark with REDINK Homes in The Avalon 2013 Building the Michigan with Cont3nt Living In Highbury Estate! Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 2Feb 01, 2010 1:57 pm Hello, The only reason why we opted out for the standalone version is due to the fact that we have the same in our current unit, and we are simply tired of cleaning the crumbs which fall on to the sides and get wedged. Also which means dragging out the whole unit once in a while to mop the area behind We have hence chosen the benchtop embedded cooker. hope this helps. Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 3Feb 01, 2010 3:28 pm We had a 900mm Ilve in our last kitchen and LOVED IT!!!!!!!!! Functionally any Ilve unit would prob be as good. Aesthetically it looked sensational. I will never put in an under bench oven again. We have a wall oven in this rental which is a nice height but I think dangerous with the kids when the door is open - its right at their face height! I'd rather bend down to get stuff out than risk one of them walking into the open door. Also the ones with a retracting door - what if you spill scalding meat juices/ drop a cake?? It lands on your foot!!! Or worse, on a little person! We're getting a freestanding 900mm Westinghouse in the new house because that the only brand our builder will supply and they won't let us supply our own or handover without an oven - stupid! I'll keep it for a while and save up for a dreamier version. Benefit of freestanding is its so easy to drop in a new one!! Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 4Feb 01, 2010 3:39 pm I do tend to use the oven a lot too Then again it cost more dollars fitting two rather than one appliance. Cook tops tend to have less features and smaller burners that the stand alone cooking units. However, when considering refitting benchtops split units have an advantage of easy relocation. Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 5Feb 01, 2010 3:42 pm I agree with rupz - I would always get a built in unit, we have an underbench oven and bench cooktop, I think it is so much more practical, no grotty sides like there is with free standing one, no matter how close the fit,there is always a small gap. We are not gourmet cooks so the standard oven/benchtop are fine for us Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 6Feb 01, 2010 3:56 pm rhi3384 We had our hearts set on a 900mm stand alone cooker but everyone has somewhat talked us out of it and I thought I would get your opinions on what you would rather and why If you had your hearts set on a 900mm stand alone cooker why don't you do what you want? Why let other people talk you out of something that you want and will probably want in the next house or the next house if you don't have it this time. I have had a wall oven in 2 builds and a built in cooktop and oven in the last build, so this time I am having a freestanding oven. I have been talked out of having gas cooking for 3 builds and I this time I am having gas cooking! Three builds I have had plastic cisterns so this time I am having the good old fashioned porcelain cistern and basins. I am having what I want because I have done what everyone else said I should do in the last 3 builds. Sorry to rant on but my theory in life now (should have done it years ago) is that - you are here for a good time, not a long time. Work to live, don't live to work and last but not least - you can live for today because tomorrow may never happen! Phew! glad to get that out of my system. PCI Done Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 7Feb 01, 2010 6:14 pm I agree completely that people should do what THEY want, rather than what "everyone else" says is the best. But, I fail to see the advantage in free-standing cookers.....unless it's a fashion thing. But then, I'm old enough to remember when everyone except those with new homes had free-standing ranges. (In those days, kitchen renovation happened less often than it does now and most people kept the same basic kitchen for many decades) Anyway, having lived with the idea for a very long time that the free-standing kitchen was a feature of old, unrenovated houses or holiday shacks, it's hard to adjust to the new trends. And I really like a kitchen to be as easy-clean as possible. To me this means streamlined surfaces without dirt-collecting gaps. But I'm not a complete luddite.....a very helpful salesguy took the time and trouble to explain to us the advantages of induction cooktops and we would never swap now. And we're also sold on the pyrolytic self-cleaning oven process, cordless meat temperature probes, automatic recipe programming etc etc. But I guess most or all of the topline features can be had in the free-standing ranges? Cheers zeke Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 9Feb 01, 2010 6:42 pm We've been in our house for almost 14 months now and I have never pulled out the stove to clean under/behind it, and probably never will. The broom and mop get under the front of it and that's clean enough for me. I also don't clean under/behind my washing machine unless it needs servicing or replacing and is being moved anyway. As far as I'm concerned, it looks sensational, it cooks like a dream, and the oven is huge. Great for parties or big cook-a-thons. And did I mention I like how it looks? We seriously thought about having two 600mm underbench ovens (which was a no-cost option with our builder), but the shiny monster won out. And my mother and nephew, who are both chefs, think it's the bee's knees. Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 10Feb 01, 2010 9:17 pm Standalone cooker's pros: Bigger cooktop surface (full 60cm deep cooktop space and no space lost for control panel as in a drop-in cooktop) and less spillage on control knobs. Simpler and often cheaper installation cost: no need to make a cut-out on the benchtop and a cabinet to house the oven and therefore less labour cost. And you'll probably pay less for bencthops since you don't need the section of benchtop where the stove is, unless you have a very deep bench where you'll need some benchtop behind the stove. Easy to remove. storage drawer under the oven may get slightly warm and you can warm your dishes there. Cons: gap between stove and benchtop can be hard to clean. If the oven or cooktop breaks down in a few years time and you want to replace it, you'll have to replace the whole thing. May look bulky in a small kitchen: The stove breaks a straight benchtop into two sections and can make a small kitchen look even smaller. Unlike a wall oven and a separate cooktop, a stand alone cooker is for one person's use unless you have one of those gigantic 150cm stove with double ovens and 8 burners! Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 11Feb 09, 2010 11:41 am For me it was a mix of functionality and fashion. Functionality: I couldn't find an in-built oven that had the features I wanted without either being ludicrously overpriced or the wrong size or ... a whole host of reasons. For the cooktop, all the standalones I looked at were horrid things that I instantly disliked with the notable exception of the Highland units which were out of our budget. Trying to find a cooktop and oven that matched was almost impossible. Fashion: modern built-in ovens and cooktops look terrible. I dislike the stainless steel look and it just would not have looked good in our kitchen. A good sturdy range though, now you're talking! Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 12Feb 09, 2010 12:03 pm I love love love my freestanding cooker - as does everyone that comes into my house and sees it. My Mum loves to cook and as she comes over to mind our 2yr old each week on a Tuesday she takes the opportunity to cook the whole day she is here. Mine is actually on wheels so it can be moved quite easily for cleaning. It has a separate grill - which for me is an absolute must have. Cannot stand stoves with internal griller , two ovens - one fan forced and one conventional both of which are a good size; ceramic top which has six burners plus a warming / storage drawer. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Some things are worth waiting for. Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 13Feb 09, 2010 1:34 pm I'm a big fan of freestanding cookers. The cleaning underneath issue has never been an issue, they are easy enough to give a vacuum and mop under if they are on legs, and if you get a kickboard put around them, then there is no issue really. As for stuff getting stuck down the sides, I never noticed any dirt or grime down there. The top of the cooktop is usually sunken a bit, so anything that overboils or spills, doesn't get the chance to go down the sides. I find myself cleaning more gunk in this rental from around and under the lip of the sink, than I ever did down the side of my freestanding cooker. The first house we built had an underbench oven. Was 60cm and too small. The house we are currently renting has a wall oven and it stresses me with the kids running around when the door is open. It is easy to clean though at that height. Again though, too small. Our last house and the house we are building has a freestanding one and I have no complaints. I often have more than one dish cooking at a time, and I love the room. Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 14Feb 15, 2010 6:19 am Knees---> Bending them. Love the look of freestanding, but I am going for a wall oven. More practical for me! Life's too short too drink bad wine Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 15May 04, 2010 8:51 am kek We've been in our house for almost 14 months now and I have never pulled out the stove to clean under/behind it, and probably never will. The broom and mop get under the front of it and that's clean enough for me. I also don't clean under/behind my washing machine unless it needs servicing or replacing and is being moved anyway. As far as I'm concerned, it looks sensational, it cooks like a dream, and the oven is huge. Great for parties or big cook-a-thons. And did I mention I like how it looks? We seriously thought about having two 600mm underbench ovens (which was a no-cost option with our builder), but the shiny monster won out. And my mother and nephew, who are both chefs, think it's the bee's knees. Hi Kek, I was just wondering what brand/model of oven you have? It sounds great! Life is; then you tell yourself a story. Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 16May 04, 2010 11:33 am When we started our build process we were quite excited about getting a 900mm freestanding oven. We were always jealous of my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's oven particularly when they could roast massive items and put in huge trays of stuff. But then the more we looked into it and the more we spoke to our family we started to get a little put off for the following reasons: - Uneven temperature (I love baking and cooking fish and this would not help.) - Compromise on the stove (I want a massively powerful wok burner) - Inefficient (heating such a large space for small dishes) We are now going for two 60cm ovens (St George) with 93L capacity each compared to the 113L of the freestander we were going to get and a Highland stove. This was a no compromise option for us and I will let you know if I can handle our Christmas party this year (fingers crossed we are in by then). View our blog at: http://room4acubby.blogspot.com/ Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 17May 04, 2010 1:04 pm room4acubby When we started our build process we were quite excited about getting a 900mm freestanding oven. We were always jealous of my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's oven particularly when they could roast massive items and put in huge trays of stuff. But then the more we looked into it and the more we spoke to our family we started to get a little put off for the following reasons: - Uneven temperature (I love baking and cooking fish and this would not help.) - Compromise on the stove (I want a massively powerful wok burner) - Inefficient (heating such a large space for small dishes) We are now going for two 60cm ovens (St George) with 93L capacity each compared to the 113L of the freestander we were going to get and a Highland stove. This was a no compromise option for us and I will let you know if I can handle our Christmas party this year (fingers crossed we are in by then). I doubt very much that your 60cm ovens will have 93l capacity. Most I have seen in a 60com oven is around 70l. However I do think your rationale is sound. 90cm ovens are not as efficient as 60cm (unless you buy a Gaggenau). Better option (if cooking is your thing) is to go with 2 60s if you can fit that configuration. Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 18May 04, 2010 1:17 pm Melrich I doubt very much that your 60cm ovens will have 93l capacity. Most I have seen in a 60com oven is around 70l. However I do think your rationale is sound. 90cm ovens are not as efficient as 60cm (unless you buy a Gaggenau). Better option (if cooking is your thing) is to go with 2 60s if you can fit that configuration. I was just as sceptical about the volume of the oven in fact I am still. But of course the internet never ****** (sorry I meant 92 litres but what's 1 extra litre between home oners): http://www.sga.com.au/built-in-single/s ... 8_1001250/ Proof will be in the pudding, or the turkey whichever takes up more room View our blog at: http://room4acubby.blogspot.com/ Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 19May 04, 2010 1:31 pm I'm with room4acubby. Originally wanted a free standing, but when I thought of how we cook (DH likes to cook too) we opted for a double wall oven and separate cook top. We often get in each others way when one of us needs to use the cooktop and the other wants to get to the oven. I also love the idea of the double oven...more efficient, more space, different temperatures in the different ovens...can't wait Oh and room4acubby, that's most probably the gross oven capacity. We're getting the Electrolux double oven, and each oven has a gross capacity of 80lt, but a usable capacity of 63lt. Oh and we're also getting the Highland gas cooktop...can't wait for that either... 'chelle We have a hand-over date...15/10...but I won't hold my breath! http://people-in-glass-houses.blogspot.com/ Re: PROS AND CONS TO STAND ALONE OVEN COOKER 20May 04, 2010 4:40 pm Thudd For me it was a mix of functionality and fashion. Functionality: I couldn't find an in-built oven that had the features I wanted without either being ludicrously overpriced or the wrong size or ... a whole host of reasons. For the cooktop, all the standalones I looked at were horrid things that I instantly disliked with the notable exception of the Highland units which were out of our budget. Trying to find a cooktop and oven that matched was almost impossible. Fashion: modern built-in ovens and cooktops look terrible. I dislike the stainless steel look and it just would not have looked good in our kitchen. A good sturdy range though, now you're talking! I LOVE this cooktop Thudd!! I don't think i've seen one like it before viewtopic.php?f=31&t=22766 - my build thread! Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Chuck Norris. Sorry! I'm new to this forum and have made a mistake in my posting! I'm looking for a structural solution to a stand alone wooden pickets fence with no structural rail… 1 3290 Standard uninsulated double brick has an R value of around 0.7. An insulated standard 90mm stud timber frame can have an R value of around 2.7. Even if you insulate a… 17 12046 2 15463 |