Buying an oven is quite the investment. Not only is it a lot of money, but it could make or break the style of your kitchen. There are a lot of brands that offer quality ovens, but which one is the best?
We will be examining the brand Thermador.
What is a Thermador Oven?
Thermador was established in 1916. Since then they’ve been known to redefine the kitchen with luxury appliances. They boast of having craftsmanship, culinary performance, and exceptional design.
They were also the first company to introduce the Professional Range with their patented Star Burners.
Thermador ovens have an array of industry leading features. Their ovens are combination ovens that use both steam and convection. This gives taste, texture, and quality to match a professional’s cooking.
They also come with the fastest preheat in luxury appliances, an industry exclusive Softclose door, and a record setting 2 hour cleaning mode.
They offer wall ovens, single ovens, double ovens, and steam and convection ovens.
What to Look for in an Oven?
Whether you buy a Thermador oven or one from another brand, you should know what to look for when it comes to finding the perfect one.
Fuel Type
What kind of fuel do you want to use? You have the options of gas, electric, or dual fuel. Gas is the lower cost option, if you already have a gas line set up. If you don’t have a line already set up, then it will get costly fast.
This the preferred fuel type for professional chefs, it gives a good level of precision on the stovetop that electric can’t manage.
Electric ovens are more popular with consumers because of the sleek design they have. They use more energy, but if you don’t have a gas line, it’s the cheaper option.
Bakers prefer electric ovens because they produce superior baked goods due to the heating being more even.
Duel fuel range is a good combo of gas and electric. It has the precision of gas with the evenness of electric. They usually cost more than gas or electric separately. It good for anyone who does a lot of cooking and baking.
Heating Settings
For standard baking, ovens heat from the top and bottom. If you are broiling, only the upper part is used.
Think about what heating settings you want. Also make sure that oven has a fan to spread the heat evenly.
Size
A key aspect to think of is the amount of space you have to put this oven in and how you can use that space. Do you want one large compartment or 2 smaller ones?
Large compartments are good for large pieces of meat or baking. Make sure to measure any pans that you have.
Service and Parts
Everything breaks down eventually, so it’s best to think about how easy it is to fix. Is it a common brand and maybe has a store in your area? Will you have to send away for parts?
Or is it just impossible to get it fixed after a certain amount of time?
How Easy is it to Clean?
You are going to have to clean this oven. You should make it easier on yourself and consider how easy it to clean.
Many ovens offer a self-cleaning mode, but depending on the oven, how long it takes to clean will change.
Also make sure that there isn’t any hard to clean seams or cracks.
Features
Think about some of the extra features you want. Some ovens offer automatic settings, safety features, or adjustable racks. Also, not all ovens have a clock on them so be aware of that if you want one.
Specifications
Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty. We are going to lay out specifications of a few different ovens to give you an idea of Thermador offers.
Single Oven
The first example is 30 Inch Masterpiece Series Single Oven.
- Manufactured to the Highest Quality Available.
- Design is stylish and innovative. Satisfaction Ensured.
- Great Gift Idea.
General Properties
Modes - (18) Bake, Roast, True Convection, Convection Bake, Convection Roast, No Preheat Speed Convection, Warm, EasyCook, Broil, Convection Broil, Pizza, Proof, Dehydrate, Cook Control, Cook Control Probe, Self-Clean, Sabbath, Favorites, Fast Preheat
Cleaning Type - Self- Clean
Telescopic Rack - 1
Oven Performance - Hallogen
Interior Lights - 3
Oven Performance
Bake Element Wattages: 2,000 W
Broil Element Wattages: 3,600 W
Convection Element Wattages: 2,000 W
Technical Details
Watts (W): 7,300 W
Circuit Breaker (A): 30 A
Volts (V): 240/ 208 V
Frequency (Hz): 60 Hz
Plug Type: Fixed Connection, No Plug
Conduit: 66 Inch Flexible 4 Wire
Energy Source: Electric
Dimensions and Weight
Overall Appliance Dimensions (HxWxD) (In): 29 1/16x 29 3/4x 23 7/8 Inches
Oven Cavity Size (Cu. Ft.): 4.7 Cu. Ft.
Net Weight: 166 Pounds
Double Oven
For the double oven example, we will be using the 30 Inch Professional Series Double Oven.
- Manufactured to the Highest Quality Available.
- Design is stylish and innovative. Satisfaction Ensured.
- Great Gift Idea.
General Properties
Modes - Upper Cavity - (14) Bake, Roast, True Convection, Convection Roast, No Preheat Speed Convection, Warm, Dehydrate, Rotisserie, Maxbroil, Max Convection Broil, Cook Control Probe, Self-Clean, Sabbath, Fast Preheat
Modes - Lower Cavity - (13) Bake, Roast, Convection Bake, Convection Roast, No Preheat Speed Convection, Warm, Broil, Convection Broil, Proof, Dehydrate, Self-Clean, Sabbath, Fast Preheat
Cleaning Type—Upper Cavity - Self- Clean
Cleaning Type—Lower Cavity - Self- Clean
Telescopic Racks - 3
Illumination Type—Upper & Lower Cavity - Halogen with SoftLight Function
Interior Lights—Upper Cavity - 4
Interior Lights—Lower Cavity - 4
Oven Performance
Bake/ Broil Element Wattages—Upper Cavity: 2,000/ 5,000 W
Convection Element Wattages—Upper Cavity: 2,000 W
Bake/ Broil Element Wattages— Lower Cavity: 2,000/ 5,000 W
Convection Element Wattages— Lower Cavity: 2,000 W
Technical Details
Watts (W): 9,000 W
Circuit Breaker (A): 40 A
Volts (V): 240/ 208 V
Frequency (Hz): 60 Hz
Plug Type: Fixed Connection, No Plug
Conduit: 66 Inch Flexible 4 Wire
Energy Source: Electric
Dimensions and Weight
Overall Appliance Dimensions (HxWxD) (In): 51 3/4x 29 3/4x 23 7/8 Inches
Oven Cavity Upper/ Lower Cavity (Cu. Ft.): 4.7 Cu. Ft./ 4.7 Cu. Ft.
Net Weight: 294 Pounds
Combination Oven
The example for the combination oven is the 30 Inch Professional Series Combination Oven (Oven and Convection Microwave).
- Manufactured to the Highest Quality Available.
- Design is stylish and innovative. Satisfaction Ensured.
- Great Gift Idea.
General Properties
Modes - Upper Cavity - See MCES for Microwave Features
Modes - Lower Cavity - (14) Bake, Roast, True Convection, Convection Roast, No Preheat Speed Convection, Warm, Dehydrate, Rotisserie, Maxboil, Max Convection Broil, Cook Control Probe, Self-Clean, Sabbath, Fast Preheat
Warming Drawer - N/A
Cleaning Type—Lower Cavity - Self- Clean
Telescopic Racks - 2
Illumination Type—Upper & Lower Cavity - Halogen with SoftLight Function
Interior Lights—Upper Cavity - 1
Interior Lights—Lower Cavity - 4
Oven Performance
Microwave Power: 1,000 W
Bake/ Broil Element Wattages— Lower Cavity: 2,000/ 5,000 W
Convection Element Wattages— Lower Cavity: 2,000 W
Warming Drawer Wattage: N/A
Technical Details
Watts (W): 10,200 W
Circuit Breaker (A): 50 A
Volts (V): 240/ 208 V
Frequency (Hz): 60 Hz
Plug Type: Fixed Connection, No Plug
Conduit: 66 Inch Flexible 4 Wire
Energy Source: Electric
Dimensions and Weight
Overall Appliance Dimensions (HxWxD) (In): 50x 29 3/4x 23 7.8 Inches
Microwave Cavity Size (Cu. Ft.): 1.5 Cu. Ft.
Oven Cavity Lower Cavity (Cu. Ft.): 4.7 Cu. Ft.
Net Weight: 250 Pounds
Steam and Convection
We will be using the Professional Series Steam and Convection Oven for our next example.
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General Properties
Modes - (13) Steam, Steam Convection, True Convection, Reheat, Keep Warm, Defrost, Slow Cook, Proof, Dish Warming, 40 Easy Cook Program, Favorites, Steam Clean, Cook Control Temperature Probe
Cleaning Type - Steam Clean
Oven Performance - Hallogen
Interior Lights - 2
Oven Performance
Steam Element Wattages: 1,960 W
Convection Element Wattages: 1,960 W
Technical Details
Watts (W): 1,960 W
Circuit Breaker (A): 15 A
Volts (V): 240/ 208 V
Frequency (Hz): 60 Hz
Plug Type: Fixed Connection, No Plug
Conduit: 48 Inches Flexible 3 Wire
Energy Source: Electric
Installation Type: Non-Plumbed
Dimensions and Weight
Overall Appliance Dimensions (HxWxD) (In): 19 5/8x 29 3/4x 22 11/16 Inches
Oven Cavity Size (Cu. Ft.): 1.4 Cu. Ft.
Net Weight: 78 Pounds
Triple Combination Oven
The 30 Inch Professional Series Triple Oven (Oven, Convection Microwave, and Warming Drawer) is our next example.
- Manufactured to the Highest Quality Available.
- Design is stylish and innovative. Satisfaction Ensured.
- Great Gift Idea.
General Properties
Modes - Upper Cavity - See MCES for Microwave Features
Modes - Lower Cavity - (14) Bake, Roast, True Convection, Convection Roast, No Preheat Speed Convection, Warm, Dehydrate, Rotisserie, Maxboil, Max Convection Broil, Cook Control Probe, Self-Clean, Sabbath, Fast Preheat
Warming Drawer - See WD30JP for all Warming Drawer Details
Cleaning Type—Lower Cavity - Self- Clean
Telescopic Racks - 2
Illumination Type—Upper & Lower Cavity - Halogen with SoftLight Function
Interior Lights—Upper Cavity - 1
Interior Lights—Lower Cavity - 4
Oven Performance
Microwave Power: 1,000 W
Bake/ Broil Element Wattages— Lower Cavity: 2,000/ 5,000 W
Convection Element Wattages— Lower Cavity: 2,000 W
Warming Drawer Wattage: 450 W
Technical Details
Watts (W): 10,500 W
Circuit Breaker (A): 50 A
Volts (V): 240/ 208 V
Frequency (Hz): 60 Hz
Plug Type: Fixed Connection, No Plug
Conduit: 66 Inch Flexible 4 Wire
Energy Source: Electric
Dimensions and Weight
Overall Appliance Dimensions (HxWxD) (In): 61 3/8x 29 3/4x 23 7/8 Inches
Microwave Cavity Size (Cu. Ft.): 1.5 Cu. Ft.
Oven Cavity Lower Cavity (Cu. Ft.): 4.7 Cu. Ft.
Warming Drawer Cavity Size (Cu. Ft.): 2.6 Cu. Ft.
Net Weight: 324 Pounds
Pricing
Thermador ovens can range anywhere from $2,000 all the way up to $8,000. The prices depend on the size and how many features it has.
Image Source: blog.thermador.com
How Does a Thermador Oven Compare to Other Brands?
Even though Thermador boasts about being the best in the field, many people feel like that claim is false. Many feel it lacks the functionality of other premium brands.
Thermador is around $2,000 to $3,700 cheaper than brands like Jenn-Air, Miele, or Wolf.
If you are looking for better, more intuitive controls and a more advanced convection system, then experts suggest that you look elsewhere.
Though if you are looking for a good quality oven for a cheaper price, Thermador is your brand.
Consumers have complained about the fact that all Thermador products seem to fall apart within 5 years. It also seems extremely difficult to get it repaired. If you try to get it repaired, it gets expensive fast.
Pros
Cons
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It May Be Worth More Research
While a Thermador oven is a decent oven for a reasonable price, it seems like overall it may not be worth it.
The most common problem is probably the biggest problem, which is the durability of the oven. If you are going to spend thousands of dollars on an oven, you want it to last a while. For it to fall apart in within 5 years is pretty bad. It’s not worth your money.
To add to that problem, it seems really difficult to get any part of the oven repaired. You either have an unhelpful customer service, that will pass you around from one person to another, or a unhelpful repairman.
It costs you money for a Thermador repairman to come to your home to just look at your oven. Many former customers claimed that the repairmen had no idea what they were doing and had no idea how the products work.
Then the individual parts get so expensive that it would probably be worth it to just to get a new oven.
Because an oven is such an expensive investment, it’s worth skipping this brand and doing more research. There are plenty of other brands within this the same price range of Thermador, give or take.
Think about how much money you want to spend, what features you are looking for, and the amount of space you have. As always, make sure to read customer reviews. Thermador is the perfect example of something looking good on paper and then turning out bad.