I purchased a Gaggenau electric wall oven.

The consensus is the dry heat is better for baking, and given the same class the electric oven usually provides more even heat.

I will purchase either a Bluestar RNB or Capital Culinarian AG range.

It is the consensus that the moist heat from a gas oven is better for roasting/broiling meats.

Plus, you get this oven under your range hood. And if you have Fish in their the smells get vented.

The Gannenau and Kuppersbusch electric wall ovens have an air catylist that remove grease and odors from the air before it is vented out. So if you get either of those that advantage of the range oven is eliminated.

I am in nearly the same boat re: oven decisions and am particularly intrigued by deeageaux's point about venting. Have those with gas ranges found this to be the case with odors from fish, etc in the oven and I wonder about what types of fans they have used if so? There are few things I hate more than awakening to the smell of last night's fish or steak-yuk!!!

If I had the room I would go with a single wall oven and a range. Broiling fish in my DCS under the hood is great. No after smell.

If space were not a limitation I would choose a rangetop and separate oven. But in my kitchen I am getting a range -- better layout with more counter space. And I'm rationalizing that the look will work better in my vintage kitchen. But from a purely ergonomic perspective, I think a range or cook top and wall oven wins. (I will have an undercounter speed oven that I think will get used much more than the range oven).

I have an all gas double oven range and a single electric wall oven. My family has done taste tests with roasts, turkeys, ducks, souffles, custards, breads, cakes. The differences are imperceptible to most of our guests. The biggest differences to us are in poultry results: superior in the gas range. Since we do a lot of roasting and braising, I'd opt for our arrangement again. I'm in a rural area and everyone here tends to have redundant systems, electric for when the propane runs out (although it never has), and propane for when the electricity is down (often, during storms), so that is another reason for the two appliances. I do not bake cakes very often. If I did, I would want to look at the most recent research into which electric oven maintained the most constant temperature. I do make custards, tortes, and souffles in both the gas and the electric ovens and have been successful with both.

Thanks everyone for the replies so - everything is very helpful.

Kitchendetective wrote "I would want to look at the most recent research into which electric oven maintained the most constant temperature."

For the life of me, I cannot find this kind of research. Two of the most important things in an oven are evenness of heat and the ability to get back to temperature quickly when the door is opened. The latter is somewhat easily measured by wattage/btus. But I cannot find any research that describes the evenness of heat across models (esp higher end models).

Rococogurl is pretty exacting about this sort of thing (four cookbooks to her credit, etc.), so I'd search for her posts here, in Kitchens, and at her Atticmag site. I use an American commercial gas range, which is a no-no for most people here, although okay for my insurer and area, so one cannot go by my experience. However, good old, turn of the last century, gas, non-computerized, simple technology works really well, doesn't break down, maintains constant temperature, etc. Very reliable. It's probably the reason restaurants rely on it, day in and day out. As for electric, I have a five-year-old 36" Dacor convection wall oven that has sufficed for my needs as I do get consistent and good results from it; however, many people here completely reject Dacors; the model is no longer made; I'm reluctant to recommend anything based on five-year-old experience because appliance models and reputations change so rapidly these days; there are many things that could be better about it; and quality control seems to be a big issue with Dacor. (I have had five Dacor appliances over a nineteen year period and only had one problem, which was resolved promptly, but I learned on Gardenweb that is not the Dacor usual.) Overall, I like their cooktops more than their ovens, although their warming drawers are fine.

I'm in the same boat... We're plannign double ovens (just bought some used Miele's) and either a 36" drop in cooktop or a rangetop. I think this makes the most sense so I can have the drawer space under the cooktop for pots and pans. I did however just find a 36" all gas wolfe range for 2800 and I was drooling! Hm... thought about getting that and maybe only installing one of the Miele ovens. But then I'd have this big 36" oven and kind of a hodge podge of appliances (also planning on a kitchenaid fridge, so the handles would all be different). Anyway, think I'm just going to go for hte rangetop and double ovens.