I have the new side-opening Bosch benchmark oven, and its been functioning for 2-3 weeks. I love it. The door is substantial, and it stays in the position you place it when opening. Its taken me a bit to learn to open it fully so a sliding rack doesn't bang into the side.

I only have a single side-opening oven. I went this way because the oven is in a corner of the kitchen, and it seemed better than the standard opening. But your image of the two adjacent ovens is really awesome. Spendy, but very cool looking.

Kids get hurt on lowered doors by banging into them, or touching the hot edge. It's not common either way. I grew up with a side opening oven in the middle of a doorway (small kitchen). No burns. We were taught not to goof around in the kitchen altogether, to be careful of the hot ovens, and to wait to pass while the oven was open. Unless your kids have special needs that prevent them from learning or are hellions who refuse to learn, it's fine.

One thing to be aware of is how much the door will actually open on the oven you're considering. Gaggenau will open the full 180 degrees. Bosch Benchmark will only open to a right angle due to their capability to be flush mounted. Not sure about other side swing ovens.

Are you sure the Bosch is limited? The Gaggenau can be mounted flush too, in which case it is limited to 90ð. I think, in practice, the Gagg only opens 170ð but that's immaterial.

Addressing the kid caution. I have had a side opening wall oven (single) installed since 1/13 and my kids are young. They are now 10, 9, and 7 with no kitchen related injuries, so far ;) I even have a cooktop in a 24 inch wide island and we've managed to avoid burns. They like to gather on the other side and watch.

I'm pretty strict as to what goes on in there, though, to avoid ER trips. If you aren't calm while we're cooking, you go somewhere else...preferably outside!

I like the regular door. For me it is a safety net for the kids and my mother in law. The foot and a half of open door horizontal surface is a safety net from falling on your body or feet. I work in a profession where severe burns are a daily risk, and I can tell you this is absolutely the worst injury one can suffer from. The safest movement for kids is pulling out the tray and lifting up. If there is an issue, it will fall down away from their face and chest and land on the door. The higher the door is from the ground, the higher the risk is for serious injury.

I would rather a regular door for a range or low oven, but I found it incredibly awkward to remove heavy vessels from my previous GE wall oven, with the traditional door. It was a 24", so narrow for today's models, and my reach was maxed out. Of course, gliding racks would have helped so that I could lift from the side instead of over and somewhat into the oven. However, I didn't love the gliding racks because moving them from one level to another was so challenging that I gave up in the showroom. I move my racks often, so this was an issue for me.
It will be easier for my kids to use the oven when they've advanced in their kitchen duties, too. It's great for short people!

Getting a slightly used Gagg for less than 1K overrode the door/rack argument! Soooo happy with it.

Gaggenau sells glide-out racks for their 24" and 30"w ovens if you want one. Like the ovens they fit in, they're expensive (about $400).

I have the exact oven shown in the photo at the top (though only one), which includes one glide-out rack as well as a standard rack and two fitted trays, one of those being a deep pan. The side-hinged door is great - it makes it much easier to insert or retrieve food. These open well beyond 90 degrees btw.

I don't think they're any less safe - indeed, I insisted on a side-opening door because I had fallen once with the undercounter oven door open. With a side-hinged door, I would have landed on the floor instead of a hot open oven door. When lifting a large or heavier item such as a turkey, being able to hold it close to my chest rather than with my arms outstretched to reach over or around a door makes it easier to lift out of the oven, especially if the oven is under the counter.

When lifting a large or heavier item such as a turkey, being able to hold it close to my chest rather than with my arms outstretched to reach over or around a door makes it easier to lift out of the oven, especially if the oven is under the counter.

I don't understand this. Don't you pull it out on the rack first whether its a drop-down door or a side opening door? It seems to me that to actually lift the pan, you're not reaching over or around either door.

I rarely pull out the rack to remove something in my side opening oven. The item is right there and the door is out of the way. If I do, it isn't very much.

thanks for the info! My kids will be approximately 10,7, and 4 when I move in so safety is my biggest concern. I suppose it will take some time getting used to, but in the long run it just seems to make so much sense. Please feel free to post any updates here should anyone come across any more pros/cons.

What Mayflower1032 says about the door preventing spills on self during lifting makes some sense. I wonder if there's any actual data on it comparing side vs. drop down door accidents. I wonder that because it seems to me that when I've slopped hot on myself, it's not in the lifting, but on the second or third step. I can see where for a kid, however, picking up something too heavy and dropping it, the door could provide a shield. OTOH, if you lift out of the oven, as with a side opening, rather than up from a rack, if it's too heavy it probably never leaves the oven. Interesting quandary beyond my experience or knowledge.

Sjhockeyfan, with a side opening oven mounted at hip or waist height, I almost never slide the rack out. I'm sure that's why the roller racks are an expensive add-on for Gaggenau. I put on gloves (because I'm sensitive--pot holders would be fine), and lift the pot of the rack same as I always have from wall ovens, even with drop down doors. Every once in awhile I pull out the rack for something, but only a few inches, and more for turning or basting than removing the pot. The thing is, when the door swings away, it's easy to lift a pot out with bent elbows, giving good control. With the new big door drop downs, it's much harder to even get at the pot, and harder to lift correctly, unless it's mounted very low.

Height matters a lot. Lifting a pot out, at waist height gives a lot more control and is easier on the back, no matter what kind of oven (so long as you can reach comfortably).

Thanks pillog and alex -- I love the look and concept of the side door oven, and will definitely consider it in my NEXT remodel!

The Bosch side open door opens more than 90 degrees, even when flush mounted. Its maybe 170 degrees?
I find it really easy to use a wall oven, and even easier with the side opening. I have such an easy time getting things in and out!

Side opening ovens are handicapped accessible & increase your resale value.

Just put a sturdy pull out shelf under the oven with either a ceramic or stone insert to safely transfer pans down out of the oven....& pay attention to have a slightly lower height so someone in a wheelchair can reach it.

My vote for the side opening oven door. I purchased the Bosch because of the door. A big yes for age in place, handicap and vertically challenged client construction.