Excess kitchen heat from gas oven in range

10 years ago

We recently bought a new house with a 30 inch Kenmore gas range (we have natural gas, not liquid propane). The heat coming out of the oven makes the kitchen intolerably hot. Most seems to come out of the rear, but the front also gets too hot. In our old house we had a 50 year old GE electric wall oven that worked just fine and produced very little outside heat, and a separate gas cooktop.

Is excess heat an unavoidable consequence of a range with gas oven? If so, do gas wall ovens have the same problem?)

One possible solution is to substitute a Bosch dual fuel 30 inch slide in range. (I must have a gas cooktop.) I am a little concerned because someone wrote that the slide-in Bosch has a noisy fan in both convection and non-convection modes. In fact I am concerned about modern cooking appliances generally, since I read about so many problems on the web.

Another, but much more expensive solution, is to add a new section of cabinetry where I can have a separate wall oven (perhaps a double oven). Then I could put a separate gas cooktop where the range is now, with new cabinet space below.

Another option I am considering is a reconditioned vintage (probably 1950s) gas range--but do those old ranges also make the kitchen hot?

I don't want to spend money unnecessarily, but I will spend what I have to for a satisfactory kitchen where I can enjoy cooking.

I would appreciate advice about the kitchen heat issue, as well as recommendations about specific appliances that perform well and don't break.

Featured Answer

dadoes

10 years ago

"Is excess heat an unavoidable consequence of a range with gas oven?"

Pretty much. Gas requires oxygen to burn and produces moisture so there must be airflow through the range ... moreso than electric ovens require.

That being said, of course ALL ovens add heat to the surroundings ... that 350°F or 400°F or 475°F of heat inside the oven cavity will always ultimately dissipate into the kitchen. The amount of insulation (self-cleaners have more) and ventilation design is a factor in how quickly the dissipation occurs.

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Comments (7)

rococogurl
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I don't know anything about Kenmore stoves. But it sounds like you don't like gas ovens. That pretty much answers the big question.
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Joe Henderson
10 years ago
Any gas oven/range will make release heat into the room. Electric wall ovens will do it as well but more slowly (the cavity is a sealed system, but they circulate air to remove heat from the system and electronics). Your 50s vintage wall oven may have actually had a vent to the outside on it to push the heat outdoors.
gilbert_friedman99 thanked Joe Henderson
gigelus2k13
10 years ago
Heat coming out of a range oven is not an issue at all if there's a rangehood above it. You just turn on the hood and the heated air, naturally rising from the oven's vent(s) will be captured by the hood and removed from the kitchen.

Instead of fighting the heat, better make sure you have proper ventilation, with the added benefit of having the grease and odors being removed together with the heat.
wekick
10 years ago
As stated above, gas ovens put more heat and moisture into your kitchen because they require more ventilation.

Electric ovens vary considerably in how much heat they put out. If the oven is more heavily insulated, it will require less heat to maintain a given temperature so even though this heat is eventually dissipated to the kitchen it may be anywhere from a little less to a lot less overall. I have had two different brands that were very different.
gilbert_friedman99 thanked wekick
gilbert_friedman99
Original Author
10 years ago
Yes, that seems right. Your comments, along with those of dadoes and Joe Henderson, have been informative and helpful. I suspect that my vintage 1960 GE is well insulated and efficient, keeping most of the heat inside and only very slowly dissipating it. I am going to deal with the ventilation first in my new house first. I was planning on a simple hood from Xtremeair, but I may go further. Perhaps external blowers that are quieter, so that I can run it more often with less noise. Perhaps adding a source of makeup air. Keeping this furnace-like range for the time being could be a good test of how much really good ventilation can do. If good venting solves the heat problem, I will consider a Blue Star range. If not, a dual fuel Bosch or a separate gas cooktop with electric wall oven.
wekick
10 years ago
I would go for a separate wall oven and rangetop if possible so that you can pick the best for each appliance for the way you cook. Also if the oven goes out, you only have to replace that component. I would love to recommend an Electrolux oven but I would have two reservations. They have had issues with the blue enamel in the past and it seemed to be fixed but recently a poster complained about theirs chipping, so I am not sure where that stands. Mine is very quiet but not sure about the fan on the new redesigned model. I do think that most ovens with electronics have noisier fans.
gilbert_friedman99 thanked wekick