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I'm just wondering how practical this would be. Most of the remodeling shows make it seem like everyone is a master chef that needs a huge commercial oven. My girlfriend and I are far from it. Heck, in my family, I only know of one aunt that likes to bake a lot. Most of us are on the go too much to spend hours in the kitchen. When we do use the oven, it's never for anything bigger than a medium/large pizza. Once in a blue moon we'll make a small batch of brownies or cookies. We use our cooktop/microwave a lot and we eat out 3-4x/week. The only meals we could possibly have time to prepare in the oven are on the weekends, but who wants to spend any part of the weekend in the kitchen? Now for those with 5-6+ people in the house, sure - a large oven is probably needed.
One can buy a very large toaster oven for $100 that's big enough to cook two large pizzas or even a whole chicken. Therefore, it seems like for many people a huge oven is a waste of space. Aesthetically, it seems like all the nice looking ovens are over $1000. That's a lot to pay for something that's rarely used, prone to breaking and expensive to fix. IMO, eliminating the oven also gives the kitchen a cleaner more streamlined appearance.
I say you can do what you want.
But when you go to sell, people will expect an oven in their kitchen.
There ARE choices between a toaster oven and " a huge commercial oven".....
IF it is rarely used, it will not be prone to breaking.
My oven is used often and has never needed a repair.
Yes, all ovens aren't commercial, but even a standard sized oven is pretty large. I was just pointing out the fascination I often see with commercial ranges on remodeling shows - "I can really do some cooking here" seems to be used a lot. Are that many people really throwing down like my great grandmother feeding 15 people every week...or am I in the minority here?
Resale isn't a huge issue - offer the buyer a concession for a range or put one in when it comes time to sell. If my thinking is correct, in 20 years modern kitchens without conventional ovens will be common.
And that's the point - if rarely used, why have it? When does rarely used become unneeded? Used once every 6 months? Once per year? Once per decade?
You can do what you want to with your own house of course, but this goes against one of my mottoes, which is "Never unnecessarily limit your options." In the scheme of things, a basic oven just isn't that expensive, and this will really strike future buyers as odd. It's a negative that even an allowance for an oven won't completely overcome, because in spite of that, the lack of an oven in a kitchen is very likely to make potential buyers think, "What ELSE weird is going on in this house?"
I see no trend whatsoever that suggests that ovens will be obsolete in kitchens twenty years from now. I understand that you and your GF don't use one often, but believe it or not, many people really enjoy cooking and that is, after all, the purpose of a kitchen -preparing food.
I really, really wouldn't recommend what you're considering, but of course you can and will do as you please!
I would doubt that.
I have kids in their 20s and 30s. They (and a great number of their friends) are quite the foodies and use their ovens often.
But the question is - when they use them, how much are they cooking....enough for 3-4 people (large toaster oven) or enough to feed a large group of people?
A few things I would note...
- We are eating out more than ever. "The average American went to a fast food chain or a restaurant four times a week last year, up 60 percent since the end of the Great Depression."
- The stay at home mom that has supper ready is becoming/has become a thing of the past.
- Single parents are much more common now. It's harder for single parents to find time for cooking large meals.
- The birthrate is at an all-time low. Fewer children means less food and smaller dishes. Who can afford 4-5 kids nowadays?
- The 40 hour work week is a thing of the past. We are working longer which means less time for food prep. Who feels like cooking a big meal after work?!?
But the question is - when they use them, how much are they cooking....enough for 3-4 people (large toaster oven) or enough to feed a large group of people?
Both... and you can add having enough for leftovers.
I just cook from my family but if I am cooking a chicken I also might be cooking potatoes in the oven at the same time. If I'm cooking pizza for my family, I need room for two. I have a regular sized oven and I really wouldn't want anything smaller then that. It's an old oven but we've never had to do any repairs and we do use it frequently.
I get that you are anti-oven... but you seem to be on a mission to convince others that they do not need one either!
And no, they are not the exception to "the rule". Perhaps you are.
As I said back in post #2... do what you want.
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