Definitely easier. Easier in every aspect of using an oven.

My one DD has wall ovens. I am not sure I like them. I am close to 6 ft tall and cook in Le Cruset type pans frequently. They are just as awkward to remove from a wall oven as a conventional stove oven. Instead of bending over to get the pan you are extending yourself out over the hot door. (I am talking about using the top oven of a dual oven set up )

I am a little fearful of burning myself on a hot door. If the pan weren't heavy , the issue wouldn't be a big. I feel you do have to be weary of the door with the wall oven whereas I do not worry about burning myself on the door when bending over it. YMMV.

I don't cook for crowds anymore, so I don't need double ovens. I like the idea of a side opening door! Would definitely make it easier to use.

Any other aging in place type of kitchen tricks I should be thinking about?

I've never had a wall oven - the only time I used one (making a roast at my sister's house) - I burned myself when taking the pan out of the oven.

However, I do see how they could be helpful for aging in place. I have a double oven currently - and the bottom oven is very low when grabbing pans out. I am trying to decide what to do for my kitchen renovation. I do like the French door ovens - I didn't realize that they made ones with just one door that opens from the side.

I would get the side door, wall oven and put it at a level that works for you. Also drawers are much easier to get things out of than shelves or even pull outs. I redid my kitchen a few years ago and got a lazy susan that I hate. I like the kind that has a hinged door, so the items are more visible without getting on your knees. Depending on your height, you may also have your counter top built to a height that works better for your height.

I prefer a wall oven at the right level for easy access for my height. Not only do I like the ease of access, but I like having my pots and pans in drawers under my cooktop which is very convenient.

I like the idea of a side-opening or French door oven.

Whether you select a range or oven - check to see how many telescoping glide racks come with it. They extend on ball bearing rack glides and they don't bend or tip when fully extended. That makes removing a roast turkey and heavy cast iron Dutch Ovens so much easier.

Other aging things to consider. We have several heavy skillets and they were stacked under our island in 2 rows - which meant if you wanted the big one on the bottom you had to remove the ones on top. In this house we had the kitchen designer measure for a skillet or pot and pan rack with adjustable holders. something like this:

or if you had a large cabinet or pantry you could this.

I do think a wall oven is easier to lift heavy-big pans from. At THIS house, I opted for ONE wall oven with a microwave above it. The BIG microwave allows me to defrost a turkey, if I forget to do it ahead of time. I forget a LOT of things these days. The other thing I'd consider....is an undermount sink depth. No deeper than 9"...or your back will hurt leaning over it washing things in the bottom of it. Also...I like an up-draft exhaust hood with good lighting, not a down draft exhaust over my stove top.

@maire_cate..very pretty!

We put a stack in and love it. We microwave all the time, far more often than we bake, so we put the MW at a convenient level behind doors that nest back in a cavity with an outlet in the back. This way, we can get any MW that fits rather than pay $$$ for one with the a fancy surround that has to be a specific size. Below that, we put an oven that sits higher than the one under the counter. We find we use it most often because of the height. Below that is a drawer for baking trays and such. Above is tall storage for bottles and pitchers and such.

I’ve had both and prefer a wall oven. When we did a kitchen remodel we did double wall ovens and I found I used the second one more often to keep things warm rather than cooking. Our new place in SC has microwave at eye level, single oven below that and warming drawer at the bottom. I really like this arrangement along with my induction cooktop and a good exhaust fan.

I have a friend with a GE Cafe French Door Wall Oven. She loves it. If I were re-doing a kitchen to age in place, that is what I would choose. (They come in a variety of finishes.)

The other thing I would have for aging in place is an induction cook top.

I have double wall ovens and have in every house we've owned since I married. It is a choice both to have 2 ovens and to have them up off the floor. I'm tall, have neck and shoulder issues and ranges and front loading laundry machines without pedestals are not for me. I've looked at some French Door types, but haven't found one I'm sold on. I just had a new glass panel put in my lower oven and am having the lights in the upper one repaired. Hoping that takes us out a number of years since we just replaced the fridge and DWs. Not likely to go single oven and micro -- my son has that and it works for him, but I have a drawer microwave and much prefer it to having something I have to reach up into. I chose it because it gave me better use of my cabinet space, but I also like the way it works. With the drawer, you can open, stir and close without removing the dish at all and that is something I can appreciate almost every time I use it.

So many great things to consider. Thanks all!

I do want a drawer microwave. I also want better storage for our heavier pots and pans.

Some sort of appliance garage is on my wishlist. My DH insists he needs a toaster AND a toaster oven and I'm sick of seeing them on my counter!

I konw you want a microdrawer and i dont know if you airfry, but if you do consider a combination microwave/steamer/airfrer. my dtr has one—its built-in over the cooktop where the old microwave was, it has a huge fry capacity, and it airfries the most delicios things ive ever eaten. id love to have one.

I've have heard lots of not good things about drawer MW. I also like to watch when I'm cooking something like oatmeal so it doesn't overspill and I don't know how you do that unless it's on your knees if it's a drawer. I don't know how you clean the ceiling of the MW drawer either. If you MW often then you might want to rethink it. If you MW seldomly than it probably won't matter.

No matter where your oven is the door is an issue so the swing doors sound perfect--and why didn't they think if this from the beginning!! Any watch the British baking show. Those cooks SIT on the floor to look into their ovens. Low appliances are not easy to work with IMHO.

Here are the new Bosch wall ovens (as of Dec 2024) that I have:

They took a bit of time to get used to, but I love them now, and I use them much more than I did the ovens that I have had in free-standing ranges.

One thing to remember is that after opening the oven door, it is necessary to pull the oven rack out all the way to take pans out. However, the racks have glides with ball bearings that make them slide out very easily and smoothly, and you can order extra full extension glides, if you need them. Anyway, take this into consideration when doing space planning for the kitchen, as you will need plenty of space in front of the ovens for this, which I do have.

(Photo taken before microwave was installed)

My peninsula is also close enough for me to put things on it that I take out of the oven.

I agree that the French Door option would make oven access much easier, but I didn't see that in time. However, I do not regret what I have.

Lots of us on the Kitchen forums with Sharp MW drawers that are very happy with them and have had no issues with them. Sharp makes all the MW drawers, so don't bother with more expensive re-badged models.

Get the Basic Sharp MW drawer with the tilting control panel, which is the most important feature.

Annie, I don't like to stand and hover over most things in the microwave, but I will bend down and look to see if cheese is melting or something is bubbling or puffing up at time. You can see through the glass on mine when it is running and the light is on. When it is off, you don't see inside. As for cleaning the interior, avoiding splatters by covering things likely to splatter is always the easiest when appropriate to what is being heated. I do wipe the top by reaching in from time to time. If I find it seems to need more than a quick wipe, I will heat a cup or bowl of water and let it sit closed to steam, then wipe down. The hardest part is not getting sidetracked while giving it time to steam.

I was so happy to find the micro drawer -- I was finding it impossible to put one above the counter in any place that made sense but didn't ruin the cabinet layout. The only drawback I have found if the height and I don't know if that has changed. I can't put some mixing bowls or the tallest mugs I had. I no longer have the mugs - I think one broke and I parted with the other -- it didn't fit under the spout of our Jura either, and with mixing bowls, if I need to melt butter I just use a cereal or other smaller bowl and transfer it to the mixing bowl. Nothing I can't work around.

Same, czarinalex. Following your journey!

@Lars - good to hear you like the Bosch ovens. I'm afraid I will need a new oven stack one of these days (current KAs are 20 years old) and I've been looking at Bosch. I'm very happy with what I have so hopefully it will keep going strong. Fitting a new built-in into existing cabinetry is always a challenge and I just got done doing that with my refrigerator so not looking forward to the ovens.