Mine is about 7years old and I love it. It has worked flawlessly without problem. Several people on the forum own them and love them. You can get really good deals on the 27" models with the floating glass and aluminum frames. Never had a repair and the temperature stability is unmatched in my experience. I knew that Frigidaire used to have a side opening oven but I was not aware that KA has one. I am shopping for a newer one myself with a steam oven because I am redoing my kitchen and I really want a steam oven too! I can't go back to another type of oven. Having the door open this way allows me to easily baste items without even pulling out the rack and also allows me to have better leverage when I am taking things in and out of the oven because I don't have to worry about burning something on the open door.

Best of luck!

I have been using my double wall oven for 2 years now. It is my favorite appliance. The oven heats quickly, is amazingly stable in temp and cooks evenly. The oven doors are a huge plus especially with kids. Yes they were expensive, but they are worth every penny. I have had no issues of any kind with the operation of the oven. The glass door was cracked when installed but that was covered under warranty.

I'm getting a Gaggenau oven despite the price increase specifically because of using my mother's. The side opening is fantastic, but even better is the performance. Year after year, tray after tray, put the same recipe hors d'oeuvres, cookies, etc., go in the same temperature setting for the same time, first tray, last tray and in between. That kind of consistency relieves a lot of the stress in a busy kitchen.

The manuals seem to have improved some, as well as the online info, but I do suggest you spend a lot of time decoding the instructions. All the info is there, but tends to be written in engineer speak.

We've had our Gaggenau double ovens for 7 years and love them. We are avid bakers, and use at least one of the ovens just about every day. Never had any kind of problem, and they work sooo well. I have no idea why more ovens don't have side openings -- it just makes getting at everything so much easier.

I remember posting on this very forum in 2001 asking about Gaggenau, because even at a discount the price seemed awfully high. Very glad we got them!

Try doing a search for the name Gizmonike. Use the search box at the bottom of the Appliance Forum page.

Gizmonike has written a lot of helpful info about Gaggenau ovens.

They seem very pleased with the quality of all their Gaggenau appliances.

I think it's okay. We have the double 30" wall oven, and it was purchased pretty much solely for the side-opening feature. I LOVE that!

This is what I don't love:
-v. expensive
-old-fashioned racks (not the smooth-gliding ones like can be found in the considerably less expensive Electrolux, Thermador, etc. wall ovens)
-not many racks (only two for the two ovens), instead there are enamel trays (I'd rather have racks, but they are too expensive for me to justify the after-market purchase)
-uneven baking, even when using convection, bottom and / or top heat (this is really inexcusable)

I do love the large, stay-cool glass fronts (my children are now two and four [younger when we got the ovens, obviously]), but those can be found in other ovens. (Electrolux has huge glass fronts.)

I like the way the interior light stays on the entire time something is baking: no need to turn a light on and off, on and off to check on your baking goods.

I like how easy the controls are to use. (Although they are not intuitive -- everyone, from the luddite to incredibly tech-savvy, has needed a quick lesson.)

I like how quickly the oven heats up.

I really like how quiet the fans (both convection and cool-down) are.

Our ovens arrived with the enamel trays chipped and (styrofoam) packing material inside the glass frame. Service was a breeze (the serviceman was a bit surly, but what's new?), although it did take a few months (evidently Gaggenau didn't have any spare 30" enamel trays, so new ones had to be manufactured).

I also had another service call to discuss the uneven baking. Everything supposedly checked out okay (and that person spent a lot of time going over the oven and talking with me about my baking). I then spoke with the v. helpful, patient and kind manager of the nearest BSH showroom, and she told me what I'm experiencing is to be expected. Seriously, I expect PERFECT convection for $5500. I just do.

My parents have a ten+ year-old (maybe more like fourteen?) Dacor convection oven and its convection is perfect.

But I do really love the side-opening feature ....

Rmkitchen,
My seven year old oven bakes perfectly. The convection feature is every even. Where did you purchase your oven from? If there was styrofoam inside the glass frame, I would not have accepted the oven. The glass pieces in mine are very difficult to take apart.
I wish you the best of luck!

Good luck!

I don't own the Gaggs but I've cooked on them. I'll second homepro in saying that these ovens cook the most perfectly of all the ovens I tried - Dacor, Wolf and Miele included (okay, so you practically need a microscope to tell if that this was more even than the others because they are all so good). Rmkitchen, something's rotten in your kitchen if you are getting uneven baking in your oven.

When I was looking amongst the ovens, the Gaggs were about the only ovens in the market that had multiple sensors per oven cavity - I don't recall how many there were but lets say there were two: that would make it twice as many as any other oven in the market HAD at the time. the cooking performance supported that.

I really appreciate both your responses, except mindstorm, something may be rotten with my oven, but not in my kitchen nor with my cooking! (Although I think you were simply alluding to the oven, hopefully not my kitchen or cooking.)

Hmm, interesting. I wonder if it's because I have one of the v. first 30" double ovens (I was told by Gaggenau that I was one of the first ten) that they needed to work some kinks out. ??? I know they've been making 27" double wall ovens and the 36" single wall oven for years -- so maybe it's a first generation thing?

I got mine through Universal-AKB (out of SoCal -- I'm in the Rocky Mountains -- was estimated to come to my part of the country at least six months after the west coast and our remodel couldn't wait that long); when it arrived with some little pieces of styrofoam fluff in between the glass panels I called, first, Universal-AKB; while I was on the phone with them they called Gaggenau (so it was a three-way call) and the Gagg. rep said it was okay to accept it. So I signed off on it.

And the fact that they've (Gaggenau) sent service people out, twice, and the head of the closest BSH showroom told me this was "acceptable" for this oven leaves me, well, nonplussed after reading your responses. Don't know what to think. I'll call BSH again -- do you think altitude (5500 feet) could have anything to do with it? I know it definitely affects other aspects of cooking / baking.

rmkitchen:
Something really sounds wrong with your stove.

Call Gaggenau, and tell them you expected their products to perform better then "X" cheaper brand. Tell them to fix it or replace it, and if you don't get what you want, keep escalating to higher and higher managers until you get someone who listens.

Very often with luxury good companies the higher up management are very willing to correct problems. It is the people on the bottom rungs of the organization who dont want to help. Bottomline: Gaggenau ovens SHOULD cook evenly. If someone tries to brush you off, tell them to send what they tell you in an email. Once you ask for it in writing, they might all of a sudden become more helpful. Also, once you have the email ask for their manager, and forward that email to the manager.

Best of luck to you!!!!

rmkitchen, I am clearly not aging well. 40 cometh upon me and my brain cells are either fainting or dying at the thought of it. Probably shouldn't make post-midnight posts either. That was a malapropism to end all malapropisms ... what I had intended to write was that "something's rotten in the state of denmark" although that probably wouldn't have been comprehended well either: there is nothing rotten at all about your kitchen except that your oven doesn't appear to be performing well!

Now, I don't know anything about the impact of altitude but here at sea level in Boston, the Gaggenaus cook splendidly. My cooking is handicapped by, well, me; and if I could have found the magic with them, anyone can. So I don't believe that you're to blame either. ;-) It may be altitude (but why altitude should impact performance in one part of the oven vs. another, I don't see) but I suspect that it is your oven.

Very sorry to cast aspersions. Hope I'm forgiven. But even more than that, I hope that you can find nirvana with these ovens. I *KNOW* that they can deliver that, at least.

One more vote for calling Gaggenau. Or get someone at Universal or Purcell Murray to help you call them. It really sure work just right.

I can't figure out why altitude would affect the convection, unless there's something about the fan and the thinner air, but you're not nosebleed high and they have mountains in Germany.

Unfounded speculation: Maybe some of that styrofoam got into the works where it can't be seen and globbered up the air circulation...

Some more questions rmkitchens, do both ovens behave the same way? Have you successfully run the self cleaning cycle on both ovens? Have you checked the temperature with an oven thermometer? What are the specifications of the electrical outlet that these are plugged in to? Just trying to make sure that we are comparing apples to apples here. Can you post a picture of the installed oven? Are you sure the vents fully open and not partially blocked in any way?

Thanks!

Thank you all so much for all the advice and reassurance(s)! I'm going to call both the BSH showroom tomorrow as well as Gaggenau. (Although my experience with Gaggenau has been less than satisfying: before I received the ovens I called them asking for the 30" double wall oven
specs [for the cabinetmaker] and they sent me the specs for a Thermador double wall oven. When I called / e-mailed back, they were genuinely bemused: "what's the problem?" is a direct quote. Ahem.)

You know, I haven't run the self-clean cycle because the interiors (neither) are dirty. (We're vegan, so no meat spattering or whatever.) Good thought.

When the first repairman came (to clean the few pieces of styrofoam fluff from in between the two panes of glass) he checked everything to make sure no other shipment damage had occurred. There was a problem with the vents (on the bottom of the two ovens), but he replaced the gasket (I think it's called), tested it and said it was okay. But honestly, what do I know? I'm not an oven specialist ....

Good question, homepro: I have not baked in the bottom oven because that's where we have the trays (not racks). I've pretty much solely used it for proofing (I bake our bread). I'm making pot pie tomorrow so I'll try baking that in the bottom oven. Of course, for me it's cookies which give the truest indicator of the uneven baking (in the top oven). Even with my moving the sheets midway through baking (from bottom to top rack, turning them around, etc.), I still find the cookies unevenly baked / colored. It's harder to tell (I mean it's harder for me to tell) with my other baked goods.

I'm not sure where our (independent) oven thermometer is ... excellent suggestion! I do use the Gagg "info" feature (which tells me the oven temperature at present), but if the sensors are off, then so are all bets.

I didn't think the altitude could be a factor but, you know, grasping for straws to explain why I'm having problems when everyone else has written how their Gaggs are baking nirvana.

And mindstorm, you are v kind. I assumed you meant something with the ovens, but I have thin skin. (I know! I have no business in this medium.) I'm usually able to keep it in check when online (where it is way too easy to misconstrue others words), but I was at a weak moment when reading your penultimate post. Thank you for making the time to respond instead of rolling your eyes and saying "get over yourself!"

I am really encouraged about tomorrow (Monday), calling and hopefully getting somewhere in ensuring an even bake. I know it sounds slightly churlish, but after spending so much money on these ovens (and I think they are v. expensive) it's ticked me off and disappointed me that the top oven bakes unevenly. I do still think it's ridiculous that they don't have the smooth-gliding racks and that for two ovens they only provide two racks, but I'll tell you I am still gaga for Gaggenau's side-opening feature!

Thank you everyone for all the information and encouragement that I can have even baking! I appreciate it so much. I'll post back to let you know what I find out. Fingers crossed.

Thank you.

It sounds like you're doing your due diligence in researching the Gaggenau double wall oven. Gaggenau appliances are known for their high quality, so you can be confident in the investment you're making. Additionally, if you need spare parts, you can look into FixPart (www.fixpart.no/nb), a website that specializes in spare parts. I hope this information helps you with your decision. Good luck!

Thank you for mentioning the FixPart link, Daniel. I was curious about the website, seeing that I was looking for spare parts for my Gaggenau washing machine. To my surprise, they also ship items to the Czech Republic (where I live) and the parts I ordered turned out to be a perfect match. The quality is also great, and the price was cheaper. I'm very pleased :)