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What is a Cooktop Oven?

G. Wiesen
G. Wiesen

A cooktop oven is a standalone unit that features an oven and a cooktop range of stoves on top of the oven itself. This is typically held in contrast to a wall oven, which features only an oven placed inside of a wall, without any stoves built into it. Neither type is inherently better, as each has its own strengths and weaknesses; the type of oven used in a kitchen will usually depend on personal preference and the space available. A cooktop oven often features at least four stoves, several removable racks for within the oven, and a number of different settings.

Sometimes called a range top oven, a cooktop oven is generally a self-contained unit that is a major part of any kitchen. This type of oven is usually like a box in shape and will often come up to about the waist of a typical adult user. The oven will often feature a door on the front that can be opened and closed to access the oven itself. This door is hinged at the bottom to open down and allow unobstructed access to the oven. On top of the oven is the stovetop that usually features a range of stoves.

Cooktop ovens are available with gas or electric heating units.
Cooktop ovens are available with gas or electric heating units.

One of the major strengths of a cooktop oven is the fact that it contains an oven and a stove range all in a single unit. For smaller kitchens, this means that the space is typically being better used. The design of a cooktop oven, however, also means that most users will have to bend down to get food in and out of the oven itself. The oven is also typically accessible to children, and so special care is required to ensure small children do not play with a hot oven of this type.

A wall oven, on the other hand, is usually raised to be more easily accessible to adults, and is typically above where small children can reach. This type of oven, unlike a cooktop oven, requires a separate range, however, and this is often impractical in smaller kitchens. A cooktop oven will usually have a number of features, such as removable racks that can be placed at varying distances from the heating units and a broiler function that sets the heat at the top of the oven for grilling. While different types of energy sources for these ovens exist, the most common are electricity or gas.

Discussion Comments

lonelygod

@Sara007 - I would just buy a regular cooktop oven that runs of electricity if you aren't forced to install a gas cooktop due to hookups in your kitchen. Gas ranges can be really expensive to purchase, and while I feel that I have better control with an actual flame, regular cooktop ovens still get the job done.

I think you will notice that if you ever go into a professional kitchen that they do have those huge gas cooktop ranges installed. They are put in by pros, and if you did get one, the company would install it for you too, so on that note, you wouldn't be fiddling with a gas line. I really think it comes down to how much money you have to spend and how much stove you really need.

Sara007

Can anyone tell me whether it is better to buy an electric cooktop oven or one of the gas cooktop ranges?

I have been watching a lot of cooking shows recently and it seems like they all have the more expensive gas cooktop ranges, and while I love the look of them, I am not sure if it will really make a huge difference in my cooking.

Also, I am a bit concerned about hooking up a gas range. I imagine it is a lot more complicated than just plugging in an electric cooktop oven. I am not sure if I really want to fight with a gas line.

wavy58

I like the convenience of my cooktop oven. I can fry apple pies on the stove and quickly stick them in the oven to crisp up for a minute. I can do the same thing with french fries, which I like to fry in hot oil and then bake for several minutes so they’re extra crunchy.

My oven has a timer on it, and I can also use it for things on the stove, even when the oven isn’t on. I was surprised to learn this, and it is very helpful.

I often cook noodles that require a certain number of minutes to boil, and I used to set the alarm on my phone. Now, all I have to do is punch the number into the kitchen timer.

seag47

I have a cooktop oven, and I love having two things in one. I generally cook three or four things for dinner, and I usually have to use both the stove and the oven.

I can fry chicken in a skillet, boil green beans, saute zucchini, and bake biscuits all at once. I can keep an eye on the biscuits simply by stooping to peek in the oven window, and all I have to do is stand back up to monitor the other food.

This is particularly helpful when I’m cooking a sauce on the stove to go on top of something that I’m baking in the oven. I generally cook sauces on low heat, and I have to stir them until the food I’m pouring them over is done. I have a piece of wood that juts out from the range, and I use it to hold hot pans when I remove them from the heat. I can take the food from the oven, put it on the wood, and immediately pour the sauce over it before it has a chance to separate and need stirring.

orangey03

@OeKc05 - You have nothing to fear. I have one of these ovens, and it has a safety feature that prevent it from coming on when you don’t want it to.

The eyes will only activate when you press the “on” button with your fingertip. You can’t turn it on by pressing it with a spatula handle or any other object. You can’t even turn it on with your fingernail. It only accepts fingertips.

This makes me feel safe. Like you, I was concerned at first, but the salesperson in the store demonstrated how particular it was.

OeKc05

My husband is trying to talk me into getting one of those cooktop ovens that you only have to touch to turn on. The surface is totally flat, and circles tell you where the eyes are.

My fear is that if a mouse runs across it or something falls onto it, the eyes could be activated. I am afraid this could happen while we’re not home, and the house could potentially burn down if something falls onto the heated eye.

Does anyone have a cooktop oven like this? Is there a danger of it coming on if something falls on it?

golf07

With our busy lifestyle I don't spend much time in the kitchen. Because of this, my microwave oven gets used way more than the cooktop oven that is in my kitchen.

I have a self cleaning oven and hardly ever have to use it because the oven doesn't get turned on very often. I always used the front two burners on the stove and never have more than two pots cooking at one time.

I don't think the back burners on my stove have even been used at all. I have a friend who has a large kitchen and has a double wall oven that she uses all the time.

My kitchen is small, and the cooktop oven is the right size, but doesn't get used very often. I would have no use for a double wall oven!

John57

It has taken me awhile to get used to gas ovens and cooktops. Now that I am used to them, I feel they produce a more even heat.

The house I live in now has a gas cooktop stove and a gas wall oven. I like having the oven at eye level so I don't have to bend down when I take something out or check on the progress of something while it is baking.

The biggest thing I don't like about the gas stove is the burners always seem to have black residue on them from the gas. No matter how often I clean them, I feel like they always look dirty.

SarahSon

I have had just about every kind of oven in my kitchen at one time or another. When I lived in places where there wasn't a lot of room, having a cooktop oven was a good space saver.

The ones I liked best were the electric cooktops that had the flat burners on top. These were so much easier to keep clean than the other burners and I thought looked much sleeker as well.

Some people like cooking with gas ovens, but it always made me nervous to have gas and I prefer to use electric ovens and stoves.

candyquilt

@SailorJerry-- I agree with you, I think a cooktop oven is more advantageous. I have a small kitchen already, I can't imagine how I would fit everything with a separate oven and cooktop. I would have to have the cooktop on the counter which leaves me even less counter space, considering everything else that already goes on it.

Having a low standing oven is also not a problem anymore because the new ovens are completely safe for kids. They have heat resistance so even if toddlers and kids get to the oven and touch it, they won't get burned.

A cooktop oven is just better, more affordable and more efficient space wise.

ddljohn

We've been using a gas cooktop oven for years in our house and we're very happy with it. I think a cooktop oven is great for large families and especially if someone is cooking the meals every day. As the mom, I do the cooking and use the stove everyday and the oven every other day. Many times I have them both running, cooking the meal on the stove and cookies and cupcakes for the kids on the oven.

My oldest son just started college and we needed to get him a stove. I was going to buy a cooktop oven but he said he doesn't need one. He just wants a stove and a microwave, he won't use the oven at all. So I just got a stove for him and a microwave.

So it doesn't make sense to get a cooktop oven unless you use both all the time like I do because they do cost more. You can use your money more wisely and get the kitchen appliances you do need.

rugbygirl

@SailorJerry - Well, the height thing is a big deal for some people. Also, with a wall oven you can have a double oven if you have the space and the cash for it, which is not an option with a range oven.

For me, though, the ideal arrangement is gas cooktops and electric ovens. I actually had a kitchen once that had this setup. The wall oven was actually set at regular "floor" height, like a range would be, and the cooktop was right on top of it. (Because of the part of the country we were in, it was actually configured for propane rather than natural gas.)

You really get the best of both worlds that way. You have the gas cooking surface, which has a lot of advantages, but the electric oven, which most people prefer (and they do tend to self-clean better).

I've heard thaty ou can get a similar arrangement with a dual-fuel range - i.e., one piece where the top is gas and the oven is electric - but I don't know much about them.

SailorJerry

Aside from height, are there any other advantages to having an electric wall oven and a separate cooktop? Wall ovens tend to be smaller than range cooktops and I'm sure that buying them separately is more expensive, so I'm kind of at a loss to see the advantage.

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    • Cooktop ovens are available with gas or electric heating units.
      By: corepics
      Cooktop ovens are available with gas or electric heating units.