Bosch HBL5451UC 500 30" Stainless Steel Electric Single Wall Oven - Convection

We have enjoyed this (HBL5451UC/03) electric convection oven, until recently.. We have had it for several years, so I expect some routine maintenance. The lower element, which is concealed beneath the oven bottom, burnt-out, so I had to order a new part.. The part is only available from foreign manufacturers, and the shipping took too long.. The second complaint is; The rear safety panel on the back of the oven must be removed, which, of course, requires removing the entire oven from the cabinet.. The 2nd access panel to the lower burner is heavy guage steel that is connected to the bottom of the oven at a 90 degree angle, so it must be "bent" down, which is difficult... After bending the 2nd access panel down, there is a third thin panel that must also be bent down.. The engineering of the access for this lower element sucks.. I'm not an engineer, but I could have designed an easier way to replace this part.. Bosch has decent quality metal, but it should have been removable for easier, less frustrating access.. Bending all the metals back in place was no fun either, and had to be precise in order to align the screws that secure them.. A removable panel inside the oven floor would have been MUCH easier and would even allow the replacement of the panel for a fresh flooring in the oven.. I also replaced the oven light bulb. The removal of the screw-on glass cover required borrowing a soft-strap-rubber-type oil wrench from my shop.. Again, good quality materials, but poor engineering.. I had to use alcohol to soften the seal on the bulb cover, but with moderate force and the strap wrench, it came off.. Don't tighten the cover, just run it up to slightly finger tight for future maintenance.. I do like the ease of removal of the front door on the oven, flip 2 levers and it can be lifted off and set out of the way during cleaning or maintenance.. The door is a bit heavy, which is good.. I would have given this oven 5 stars had the lower heating element and the bulb been easier to replace..

Clean simple design, quiet, heats fairly quickly, but forget it has a timer. It is impossible to set. Use the timer on your smartphone instead.