Wall oven-microwave combos offer an upscale look while preserving precious counter space, making them a reasonable choice if you want that streamlined design—and happen to have a flexible budget.
After all, they can cost between $1,000 and $6,000, significantly more than what you might pay for an entry-level single wall oven and a freestanding microwave. If you’re really looking for a cost-effective kitchen, a range paired with a freestanding microwave is the most budget-friendly option of all. The ranges in our ratings start around $900, and you can snag many microwaves for under $150.
Nevertheless, a combo appliance may make sense if your kitchen already has a separate cooktop and wall oven, and you’re looking to replace the latter while also adding a built-in microwave into the mix. But if you bake frequently—and often tackle different items at once—it may be more helpful to opt for a double wall oven and buy a separate microwave instead.
Already have a range in your kitchen? You can certainly install a separate combo wall oven-microwave, too, but it makes sense only if you’re an avid cook who’ll often make use of both ovens concurrently. Otherwise, it’s a waste of space and money.
We also don’t recommend wall oven-microwave combos if you depend on the microwave for a lot of your meals. Our freestanding microwave ratings include options that offer far better performance (such as more even heating) than those you’ll typically find built into a wall oven-microwave combo—and they all cost much, much less.
