Column oven

Column oven in the kitchen

The column oven is now an almost obvious presence in the compositions of the kitchens, classic or modern, especially in the photos of the magazines or in the models shown in showrooms. The composed solution is really appreciated and is one of the most common requests in the process of purchasing a new kitchen.

One of the reasons that have made the initial success of this solution was, in fact, a greater security in the presence of very young children. The oven placed at the top, in fact, does not expose them to the risk of accidental burns. This risk is now almost entirely cleared, thanks to the new ovens with the device called cold door, due to the double or triple glass, as well as to various other precautions, depending on the model.

The choice of the column oven remains, in any case, the most practical one, since it surely avoids inconvenient movements to place or remove the trays, it allows a better control during the stages of cooking and, not least, with this position, the operations of cleaning are facilitated to the maximum. This explains the reason for this success, that I would add to the aesthetic factor.


About the aesthetic factor, which increasingly influence the buyer, you should consider that not always, though, you can repeat this solution at home, especially if the available space on the wall does not allow to have a work top big enough. Do not forget, in fact, that positioning the oven high, necessarily entails the loss of space on the top.

We should also keep in consideration the fact that this solution in some way conditions the position of the built-in hob, that would better be placed away from the side of the column of at least 15 cm.

The same needs to be addressed when deciding the location of the sink, especially if this is a recessed model on a laminate top, in this case there would be too many surface discontinuities that would compromise an optimal sealing of the materials in the case of liquids, as normally occurs in this work area.

Given all these variables, that should not be underestimated at all, we have to consider, however, that the industry now makes available more than a solution for the column oven ...

Column oven with high column

... Starting with the classic one, the so-called high column. In this case the cabinet container is connected, in height, with the upper line of the wall cabinets, high (96/100 cm) or low (72 cm), or is a bit higher if you use cabinets so-called mini (36/48/60 cm), typical of most modern compositions. It goes without saying that the column, in view of these and also the height of choice for the socket of the bases, can get to 215 or 238 cm.

In the case of high column space is lost on the floor, but you gain in volume of containment, since the upper part of the column becomes a useful pantry, well more capacious of a wall unit, with the same height, since it is deeper (60 cm).

Aesthetically, very often this solution attracts the presence of a column of the same height, to place matching or framing of the composition, ie the two columns are arranged at the beginning and the end of the composition. The twin column could be either a pantry, the fridge is built-in.


In the latter case, ie when one of the two paired columns has the built-in fridge, there is no fear of ruining the structures or create problems for appliances, thanks to new materials of the structures of the furniture but, above all, thanks to the excellent isolation of new ovens, fitted with the tangential cooling fan device, provided in column solutions but also ideal for built-in ovens in the bases under the work plan.

Built-in oven in the low column

There is the forniture/ low column, which doesn't necessarily involves the aesthetics solution of the twin column. This choice excludes the convenience of having a convenient extra pantry on the oven, but it can be an attractive solution for settling items to have on hand or small appliances, or even a small TV for the kitchen, thanks to this convenient height. Even in this case, however, it takes away space from the work top.




An alternative, in this sense, can be represented by the new low semi clumns now provided in the catalog by almost all the companies, as the standard article and not as oversized. In practice they are low columns that have the built-in solution at a height such that the location of the oven, with respect to the collection classic, is lower than an equal measure, just to give an immediate idea, with one or two drawers.


This allows to have the convenience of the oven at the top and, at the same time, one can take advantage of the shelf as a support during the preparation of food.

Like all intermediate solutions, it may seem a bit more uncomfortable than the other two, but it is an excellent alternative in the absence of sufficient space on the floor, without giving up to a column oven, also considering the fact that the oven is not an appliance used very frequently when compared, for example, to a hob or a refrigerator.

For photos: Kitchen Vismap and Sicc