The first thing is to get the install instructions for the oven . IMO wall ovens under cooktops are never a good idea and more so with a side hinge oven maybe that is why you do not see that layout. There is in my head not a clean look at all compared to a range.

The spec sheet for the Thermador POD301RW shows an undercounter installation. Is this a good idea? I insert and remove trays from my range after opening its (bottom-hinged) door to the stop which holds it in position, about 1/3rd of the way. Can one do this with a side-hinged door? Does one have to fully open a side-hinged door -- remember it's 30" wide and could be 500 degrees hot -- to slide out a rack? The installation instructions show the oven only 4-3/4" from the floor. That sounds pretty low.

Remember also how much more difficult and expensive it would be to install two circuits, a cabinet, oven cutout, oven, countertop, countertop cutout, and cooktop than a single circuit and range.

Very good points on the hinged oven and the 500 degrees . The space is already piped for a gas cooktop and has the oven circuit. We prefer the look of the separate units with the countertop surround versus a range. Thanks so much for comments. I also read something against the hinged door as there's not anything between the rack and the floor which could be an issue if you have spills...

You make a good point about spills Lori, but remember also that if you had to choose between spills on the floor versus spills on your oven door, spills on the floor might be easier to clean up then anything that gets baked onto a hot oven door. I actually had never thought about the spills until it was brought up here in this discussion so thank you for getting me to think about this. I have heard it mentioned before on the forum about side, swing oven doors being a potential burn hazard, but I suspect that would be more of an issue in a restaurant kitchen where you have scores of people running around urgently trying to get food prepared. I personally would be far less worried about such an event in my own kitchen, where I’m typically the only one in the space, and even if there is someone else, it’s a bit easier to manage in a restaurant situation. The ergonomically advantages of a swing style oven door are note worthy in because you don’t have to reach way over at an odd angle over a hot open drop-down door nor do you have to stand to the side and try to negotiate anything heavy out of your oven while it’s piping hot.

My husband had brought up the ergonomic part with the hinged door for when he is taking our thanksgiving turkey in and out of our current oven!! I think the under counter is really the question for the hinged - if the oven at a higher height then the side hinge makes more sense. The thermador hinged oven opens pretty far to 150 degrees but there’s obviously a chance your arm could hit the door side from the burn hazard side.

For an undercounter installation, I would use a conventional oven door that opened down, not a side hinged door.

If you are standing over it instead of in front of it when it is at waist/chest height. I am not sure you can really stand any closer to it if there is a side hinge vs a bottom hinge. You are in a different position relative to it, you are still going to be bending over it.

I have had two ranges and two undercounter wall oven set ups in my adult life and although the undercounter wall oven is a little lower, I have found very little difference in getting things in and out of the two.

I do like a cooktop set into and surrounded by counter.

One advantage to separate units is the ability to separate the cooktop from the oven rather than having them over/under. Have you considered separating the two?

Thanks for comment. Agree with the “bending down” regardless of the hinge. For our design we prefer to have the over under instead of another placement for the oven. We are putting deep drawers on both sides for pots and pans.

I know a lot of people want symmetry, but have you thought about deep drawers under the cooktop switched with the oven? Just asking because in our latest kitchen someone being able to get in and out of the oven while someone was at the cooktop was one of the goals in the design

I’ve read and seen that too! Unfortunately it doesn’t work with the design of our kitchen and the other appliances

"The space is already piped for a gas cooktop and has the oven circuit."

There is NO consistency among appliances for the required (or allowed) location of gas supplies and electrical junction boxes/conduits. For example, see GE Profile, LG, and Samsung gas cooktop spec sheets. It's the same for electric ovens.

Understood wdccruise. Appreciate the feedback. We are putting the oven and cooktop in the same location as the existing appliances to avoid issues moving the lines.

Joseph Corlett - the refrigerator is on a different wall so no worries on the oven door hitting it 😀

We are likely going with the conventional door - thanks for all the feedback. This is my first post and love the input from all of you experts!

Have you considered a range like Bluestar's with side-swing doors? I think it's a very nice, streamlined look:

30" Precious Metals Range | Freestanding Range (bluestarcooking.com)

We have the cooktop/oven underneath combo. The real ergonomic solution is an oven with solid glide racks. Pay an upcharge if needed to have two glide racks for the lower positions. If you can extend your rack out over the door, you can lift things out pretty easily.

One of the reasons we like the thermador oven is that there are 3 telescoping racks! Great minds…

The blue star is nice but we are likely going with the cooktop and oven underneath combo.

One cheap & easy thing to help with a low oven is a push/pull stick. Hook it on the rack, pull the rack out with it. That will get a heavy turkey or Dutch oven in a better position for easier lifting. My wall oven isn't super low, but low enough that a stick helps. Keeps my hands far away from a hot door too. Also good for opening & closing the oven door: open the door a bit, push it the rest of the way down with the stick; to close, hook the stick on the door edge, tug to raise the door, grab the door handle & close. Cheap ones are about $10 on Amazon, pretty hand carved ones at Etsy for about $20.