Homeowners warm to double-ovens practicality

Bob Kelly of Fox Chapel says he knew he was tired of the juggling game as soon as he had his first double oven.

It was no big decision for him to add another one when he and his wife, Gretchen, remodeled their kitchen earlier this year. He is one of the many homeowners who are moving to a double-oven kitchen for reasons that are more practical than extravagant.

Mark Uchida, owner of A ReMARKable Kitchen in Blawnox, says two-thirds of his kitchen-remodeling customers bring up double ovens when they start talking about their plans.

It can be a status thing, he says. But a lot of these people are amateur chefs, and they are getting into it for practicality.

Paul Bristow, product manager for Built-in Cooking at GE Appliances, agrees. He says double-oven users tend to be cooking enthusiasts who find the appliance helpful or aspirers who are growing into that role.

He says 35 percent of GE oven sales involve a double oven in one way or another. That number includes traditional double ovens, two smaller ovens in the space of one and appliances such as the GE Advantium.

The latter is equipped with a traditional oven and what he calls four oven in one that acts as a microwave, a speed cooker, a convection oven and a warming device.

Julie Ann Metz, a designer in the kitchen and bath center at Plumbers Equipment in Plum, agrees to the popularity.

There's a whole lot of Texas going on out there, she says about customers who are happy to be dealing with kitchens that get bigger all the time.

While she jokes about their installation often being a matter of show, she says most of her customers are people 45 and older, who like to entertain or cook a great deal and are looking for more convenience.

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Homeowners warm to double-ovens practicality