The 3 Wall Ovens Rated Highest By Consumer Reports Have One Thing In Common

Buying an oven is a big investment, which is why you want to make sure that the one you choose is going to last long and be a joy to use. Most American kitchens make do with a range oven, but if you have the opportunity to start from scratch, a wall oven is extremely appealing. Being set into a wall anywhere in your kitchen offers a lot of design flexibility, and having the appliance at chest height also makes it more user friendly. But you might not be as familiar with which brands are top of the heap for wall ovens. Thankfully that's why Consumer Reports exists, and the organization's testing points to one brand: Café.

Consumer Reports tested hundred of wall ovens based on a variety of factors, and all three of its highest scoring appliances were manufactured by Café. The top three models — CTS70DM2NS5, CTS70DP2NS1, and CTD70DP2NS1 — were also electric ovens, which is the standard for wall options because electrical lines can be easily run anywhere compared to gas lines. Made by the beloved American kitchen brand, GE Appliances, Café was launched in 2018 as a higher-end, designer brand. It's certainly a more expensive option, but according to CR's testing, it seems like the money is worth it. On Consumer Report's 1-100 rating system, Café was one of only two brands of oven walls that held the highest overall scores, and with only one LG model coming close. This was true across both categories of single and double wall ovens, with Café topping each.

The overall score from Consumer Reports blends expert testing with customer feedback, and Café's high scores were a result of having the most consistent ratings across the board. The two customer feedback categories are: predicted reliability and owner satisfaction. The former measures how likely users were to report problems over the first five years of ownership, while the latter simply measures how likely customers were to recommend each oven. There were a few wall oven options that scored higher in reliability, but all three of Café's top appliances still scored within the highest (81-100) level, and blew any competition out of the water in regards to owner satisfaction surveys.

Consumer Reports also does expert tests that measure performance, with ovens being graded on baking, broiling, capacity, and the oven's self-cleaning ability. Baking is measured by how evenly the ovens bake cookies and cakes, and broiling is measured on the appliance getting hot enough to sear burger patties well, along with measuring the uniformity of heat; in both areas, Café's CTS70DM2NS5 and CTS70DP2NS1 single wall ovens, as well as CTD70DP2NS1 double wall oven, scored a perfect 5/5 rating. On oven capacity and self-cleaning the appliances scored a 4/5 rating, which is still good, but behind a few other brands. When you combine every category that was measured, however, Café was the only brand that scored "good" or "great" in each one.

As mentioned, Café ovens aren't cheap, as wall units cost anywhere from $400 to $1000 more than other top options recommended by Consumer Reports. But if you want the best, and are investing for the long haul, it's clear what choice should be made.