What's Cooking? Double Your Productivity So You'll Have More Time To Relax
Written: Aug 19 '08 (Updated Aug 19 '08)
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Pros: Flexibility, durable, pre-heats quickly, easy to use.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: I would highly recommend this double oven.
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| coldsteel7's Full Review: Whirlpool 30" Double Electric Wall Oven - RBD305PR... |
I have never owned a double oven before. There have been times in the past that I wished I had one. Now I do. One distinct advantage of having a double oven is that it enables you to prepare dishes that require different cooking temperatures at the same time. I can already see what a great advantage this will offer whenever I have company over (especially for Thanksgiving Dinner). Even in daily use...if I decide I want to throw a dessert in the oven while my dinner is cooking, I can. It seems they are never designed with the same cooking temperature which means you can only cook one item at a time. Now I can cut my cooking time in half, when I have two items to cook that require different cooking temperatures.
The Whirlpool Gold RBD305PR Double Electric Wall Oven is a wall or cabinet mounted oven that is not a free standing unit. This oven is installed in my cabinets with enough room below for a short drawer and above is a full sized cabinet. The oven comes in four finishes, Black on black, Stainless Steel, White on White and Biscuit on Biscuit. I have the Stainless Steel which is actually black on Stainless. The cooking touch pad located above the top oven section is black, as are the oven door handles. There are two large windows located in the door of each oven, which also has a black appearance. The list price for the stainless steel option is $1699 while the other three options are substantially cheaper at $1399 each. The plug for this oven is located inside the cabinets and is connected to an outlet that it not visible from the kitchen. If your kitchen is already equipped with a built-in electric oven then this unit will work fine. If you are remodeling your kitchen and intend to install a unit like this, you should ensure that you have provided a place inside the cabinets to power the unit.
I did not install this oven myself. It was an upgrade option in a spec house that I recently purchased, so it was installed by the builder. I am not sure how much this oven weighs, but based on my past experience with ovens, I would not have wanted to lift this oven into place. It is a good sized unit with a 4.1 cubic foot capacity in both the upper and lower ovens. The unit stands fifty-one inches tall and is twenty-nine and three quarter inches across. The depth of the unit is just under two feet, which should be plenty for most cabinets. I have not looked for ovens recently, but the 4.1 cubic foot capacity is about average to slightly small for an oven. Because this unit actually contains two ovens of that capacity, the total cooking area in this oven is over eight cubic feet, which is about as much capacity as you are going to find in an ordinary oven. Basically, you sacrifice a small amount of capacity per oven in exchange for the ability to cook at two different temperatures. This is attractive for two reasons, the first being that you can cook different types of food at different temperatures simultaneously. An added bonus is that the unit heats up more quickly and expends less energy when you are only in need of one oven. This is a great energy saving feature.
The Whirlpool Gold RBD305PR Double Electric Wall Oven has a self cleaning mechanism in the upper oven. When the self cleaning mode is activated the oven will automatically latch (as opposed to those older units that have the lever you pull across). The lower oven does not have a self cleaning feature but does have a delay bake feature. This allows you to pre-set your oven to begin cooking at a specified time. I have not used this feature and probably would not be inclined to use it even though it is available.
The display and control panel located above the ovens is easy to read and understand. There are two buttons on the left side (my left side looking at the oven) that indicate upper or lower oven. If you touch either button, the display window will indicate 350 degrees in orange numbers. By pressing the Start button located on the right side, the oven will begin pre-heating. There is a countdown clock for pre-heating displayed right on the oven so you know how long it will take for the oven to reach your selected temperature. If you use the default 350 degree setting the clock will begin at six minutes. There is an arrow pad located on the display that allows you to cycle up or down from 350 degrees to your selected temperature. If you need to choose a different temperature, simply cycle through the numbers and push start once you reach the desired number. There is also a clock located in the display which also can be used as a timer. There is a clock option on the display to make it easy to set the time.
I am unfamiliar with the Accubake Temperature Management System. The Accubake system claims to promote consistent cooking temperatures so your oven doesn’t experience cold zones. Although unfamiliar with the technology employed in providing consistent cooking temperatures, I can say that the cooking temperatures are well managed. I have a couple of good examples of the way this system works. I sometimes use the oven to toast croissants (cut in half, inside facing up). With other ovens you might expect the front croissants to brown slower or faster than the back ones. I have been impressed with the even distribution of the cooking, which browns evenly throughout the oven. Frozen pizza is another item that I have experienced a wide range of cooking temperatures when cooked with other ovens. It is not uncommon to see the pizza brown unevenly on top depending on the oven. This oven cooks pizza evenly as well. I may not be familiar with the Accubake Temperature Management System, but I know what it looks like when I’m cooking. I don’t need to know how they do it to know it works. It works.
The Whirlpool Gold RBD305PR Double Electric Wall Oven comes equipped with five different cooking positions in each oven. Each oven is equipped with an individual incandescent light. The lights are operated from the display window and can be turned on individually. The lights offer ample illumination for the ovens, making the interior completely visible from outside. The doors each have a handle that runs the length of the oven which does not conduct heat. The doors open easily on the hinges and appear to be completely flush when closed. The overall composition of the oven appears durable and well fitted. The operation of the components has been flawless so far. The electronic components are easy to understand and have worked without any issues. I know and trust the Whirlpool name and this product seems well equipped to continue that tradition. This double oven comes with a one year warranty on parts and labor.
Cleaning is another factor that is a constant issue with ovens. The bottom of my oven is lined with foil, which is just easier to me than using the self clean function. The interior of the oven is easy to reach. The doors provide enough access to conduct a thorough cleaning if necessary (although they are a bit smaller than a traditional free standing oven). The exterior of this unit is primarily stainless steel, which will hold fingerprints and will streak. I have not had any problems keeping the stainless steel clean. A simple wipe down when I am cleaning clears up any smudges that accumulate during routine use. The majority of this unit is concealed inside the cabinets, with only the doors exposed. Overall, the cleaning of this oven is relatively easy.
I have gotten by for years without a double oven. If I didn’t have a double oven it would not cause any dramatic changes in my cooking habits. Having the luxury of owning a double oven has been a nice treat. In addition to the flexibility two individually controlled ovens allows, the other features on this oven are equally attractive. The AccuBake Temperature Management System is awesome. I have seen the noticeable difference in the even cooking which seems to eliminate the cold zones that some of my other ovens have had. The capacity of these ovens seem smallish when considered individually. This might be a negative, but taken together, the capacity is on the high end. Additionally, for smaller cooking projects, the double oven offers energy savings. The oven heats up quickly and seems to be very accurate. The digital temperature controls are easy to adjust. The self cleaning features and time delay are bonus options that are also nice to have. I have been very happy with this double oven, although I am not sure if I would have spent $1699 on a new oven if it had not been part of a new building project. The price is at the higher end for consumer ovens, but worth the money. I would give the Whirlpool Gold RBD305PR Double Electric Wall Oven five stars out of a possible five.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1699
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