NEVER have a combo of a wall oven and MW the MW will die and then you need to replace both. Are you thinking gas range or top I need a bit more info. I aslo need to see your kitchen plan .

Get the french door oven if you're looking at the Cafe line. They are one of the few brands that offer it, and I think it's fantastic. I agree with PCC not to get the micro/oven combo. Put the micro on a shelf somewhere (high or low). Or on the counter.

Rangetops are exactly what they sound like - the top of a range. They are different from cooktops in that the controls for a rangetop are in front, while the controls for a cooktop are on top. Rangetops usually look heftier/more industrial, as they extend in front of your counter, and have a greater depth to them (so you may lose drawer space underneath).

With a 36" rangetop, you will need to reconsider ventilation. For our 36" rangetop, we have a 600 CFM hood (probably still insufficient but that's as high as our builder will go in our production home, and better than the 300 CFM provided for the 36" cooktop).

And yes, the rangetop/wall oven combo will likely be more expensive than the range by itself. As will the ventilation.

I agree with what Patricia said about the combo MW/wall oven. Not only because if one function breaks, the whole thing is broken, but because whenever you have a combo appliance of any kind, both of the functions are compromised in quality than if you had them as standalone appliances.

I am full on board with getting a rangetop - I think they're wonderful because, unlike a cooktop, you have the full "real estate" of 36" width for cooking. I.e. you don't have the knobs on the top like you would with a cooktop. I also think it's a very nice "pro" look. I also like how it lends itself to drawers underneath to store your pots and pans - very efficient kitchen design. I like having a wall oven so that you don't have to bend the way you do with a range to access the oven.

I don't know the Cafe line of rangetops, but just from a glance online, I always like grates that are cast iron the way the Cafe's are. I recommend you try to see one in a store - bring your favorite pot and pan with you, and "pretend" to cook on it and see how you like the layout and the feel of it. Don't be embarrassed, this is an expensive purchase, and lots of people bring their pots and pans with them to the store. Same with a fridge - I always recommend when shopping for a fridge to bring an empty milk carton and a few favorite containers and see how they fit in the fridge.

Thanks for the comments all! Such good insights. I was quoted for microwave and oven as separate units which could be stacked on top of each other but I did see they have a combo and thought that seemed more cost effective. So thanks for the insight in avoiding that mistake! As for the rangetop I do like that chunkier look. I’m just wondering if it’s worth moving to wall oven design. I haven’t fully designed my kitchen. I have some sketches but it’s pretty much a blank slate that I can design around Erne appliances I choose. I’m building an addition off my house for the kitchen and it will be an L shaped kitchen with island that leads into family room. Size will be roughly 16 x 14. My current kitchen will turn into walk in pantry and half bath so I’m very much looking forward to much more storage.
With that said I started looking at other comparable brands and really like the look of jennair rise rangetop. A little pricier than cafe. And I’m wondering about mixing the brands to get what we want.

Something else to keep in mind: There's a huge thread on the lack of availability of Café appliances. If you are most interested in function, you will end up choosing appliances from different manufacturers because no one manufacturer excels at all appliance groups.

I love a wall oven, especially now that I'm older. More ergonomic to use, easier to see into (aging eyes, & all that). It's good to have an oven away from the cooktop area too, for workflow. I bought a GE Twin Flex oven, & I love the shallow doors. It's great not having to work around a large hot oven door. The French door oven would offer this same advantage. So easy to work with.

I learned the hard way not to buy a combo oven/microwave -- we lived with a dead microwave for 15 years waiting for the oven to get to the point where it needed replacing.

The rangetops are great looking, but since you're in the planning phase, take a look at induction cooktops too! They are fast, responsive, super easy to clean, and don't throw off heat & steam as much since the heat stays concentrated in cookware bottoms. The vent requirements aren't as rigorous, nor as noisy.

"And I’m wondering about mixing the brands to get what we want."

Definitely mix brands. First, no one cares or notices if the appliances match (test yourself - quick, do the appliances of your friends and relatives' kitchens match? Do you notice?). Second, you should buy "best in show", and not by brand, to get what you want, like you said. Third, the idea of matching appliances is from builders who buy thousands of the same appliances at a time to save money, not because they are the best appliances for the job, and somehow people think that is what they should do too.

"really like the look of jennair rise rangetop"

Just from pure appearance, since I am not familiar with the JennAir Rise rangetop, I don't like that it does not have continuous grates the way Cafe does. The grates also seem quite high off the flame, which can be an issue and frustration for cooking, it's hard to know. Note that JennAir is a Whirlpool brand, which is a good thing for easy service and accessible parts; however, Whirlpool not known for its rangetops. These are just superficial observations, since like I said, I have never used one, but thought I'd share my thoughts.

Option 1: Leave 30" opening. Slide in range. Done.

Option 2: Buy/install 36" cabinet. Cut cabinet to fit rangetop. Customize countertop for rangetop. Install rangetop in cabinet. Buy/install tall, deep cabinet. Cut opening for oven. Build platform to support oven. Install oven. Done.

Worth it?

Thanks again! I’m teetering back and forth now between double ovens and rangetop or a 36” range. I’ve been playing with a design tool to see both options and I have to admit I do like the additional counter space by just doing a 36” range. I’m not pro so don’t mind the height of cabinets but I’m a visual person and needed to play around with option to see what it may look like. I omitted island but island would also be included with the microwave. What do you think? Wall ovens or not? I know it’s a personal preference but would love to know practical experience. I’d def be gaining more oven space with the 36”.

I’m also not sure I like having the ovens there but seems like only logical place, given the space. This will lead in family room.

@Shannon_WI: "A rangetop does not need a special cutout of the countertop."

What do you call the 1/2 x 2-1/2" cutouts on both sides of the the countertop shown in the installation instructions that are required to fit the rangetop into the cabinet?

@Shannon_WI: "acting like the installation of rangetop and wall oven is difficult."

How many a 200-lbs ovens have you lifted into a cabinet?

What did you end up going with? We have the 48” GE Cafe Rangetop and are about to install and are just now seeing the cutouts @wdccruise mentioned above.