Introduction
- Ovens
The first choice many consumers will
face is whether to buy a cooker or an oven so it is important to know
the difference.
A cooker is freestanding and will feature
an integrated oven (or ovens), grill and hobs in one unit, whereas an
oven is built in and does not have hobs. An oven is often more suitable
for fitted kitchens as it is built under the worktop or into the units
at a higher level. The choice will primarily depend on the layout of
the user's kitchen and the space that the cooker or oven is to fit
into.
Ovens usually fit into a space 60cm
x 60cm x 60cm wide (for single ovens) or 90cm x 60cm x 60cm (for double
ovens), although other sizes are available from some manufacturers,
such as compact ovens which are 45cm or extra-wide ovens at 90cm. They
can either be built into a kitchen unit or under the work surface. The
benefit of an oven which is built into the kitchen unit is that less
bending is needed to take dishes in and out of the oven.
If you are planning to buy a cooker,
please see instead the buyer's guide to cookers.
Product Types
The main types of ovens are:
- Conventional electric ovens
- the heat is controlled by a thermostat in the centre of the oven
which results in the top of the oven being slightly hotter and the bottom
slightly cooler than the middle. Conventional ovens also need to be
pre-heated as they can take longer to reach the designated temperature.
- Electric fan ovens - the
heat is distributed around the oven by way of a fan at the back of the
oven which contains a heating element. This ensures that the temperature
throughout the oven is more even and also means that the oven heats
up more quickly and efficiently.
- Gas ovens - these are
usually heated via a flame at the back of the oven, and generally speaking,
the top of the oven is hotter than elsewhere. As gas cooking produces
moisture it can be better for certain types of cooking as food dries
out less easily. Gas ovens are often cheaper to run than electric ovens
however there must be a source of gas in the home to run them from,
either bottled or mains gas.
- Steam ovens - although
less common than other types of oven, these ovens have a reservoir of
water (usually detachable for easy filling) for steam cooking. One benefit
of steam cooking is to reduce cooking time and it is also said that
the food is healthier (as more vitamins are retained) and better tasting.
- Combination ovens - these
multifunctional electric ovens offer a range of features such as fan
and conventional oven, grill and roasting. Some also offer a microwave
function.
Product Advice
The user should analyse what use the
oven will be put to and which specific features are needed.
- Consider how often the over
will be used and for how many people. If it is to be used frequently
for entertaining and dinner parties than an oven with a larger capacity
or a double oven will be more suitable if there is available space in
the kitchen. The advantage of a double oven, apart from the capacity,
is that the user can cook food at two different temperatures but the
same time as they are independent of each other.
- If mobility is a problem
then an oven built into the kitchen units might be a better option rather
than under the worktop as it will mean that the user has to bend less.
This might also be a better choice if there are children in the house
as toddlers will not be able to reach it so easily.
- If easy cleaning is important,
there are models which offer catalytic
oven liners or pyrolytic
technology for self-cleaning and/or
removable glass panels.
- Consider which safety features
are important, especially if there are small children in the house.
Some ovens have special safety features such as child proof locks and
non-tip shelves.
Many models have different cooking
programmes, with some examples being programmes for:
- Fan defrost - a defrost
function where the fan in the convection oven gently circulates air
around the food either at room temperature or at a low heat.
- Fan grill - this distributes
heat from the grill around the food similar to a rotisserie.
- Dual grill - with a dual
grill the user can choose to use either part or all of the grill as
required thus saving energy
- Bottom Heat - this function
is designed for finishing off pizzas and pastry that need to be heated
from the bottom.
- Top Heat - this function
is designed to brown the top of foods such as cheese topping.
- Sabbath - this programme
will cook for 72 hours to allow families to use the oven during religious
holidays.
- Automatic programmes - these
automatically calculate the optimum time and temperature for a food
type such roast meats, fish, cakes (baking and proving)
- User's favourites -
the user can programme in different heat and time settings of their
choice.
Most ovens have either a minute minder
feature or fully programmable
timer.
Buying Tips
- All electric ovens are tested
for Energy efficiency, A being the most energy efficient.
- Most ovens open top down,
but there are some models available which feature a side-opening.
- Many manufacturers offer
a range of matching kitchen household appliances which are designed
to complement each other in their design, such as fridge, ovens and
dishwashers.
- If space is at an absolute
premium, the user may opt for a combination microwave with oven and
grill feature. These are no larger than the size of a standard microwave,
but also offer basic oven and grill facilities. Some models even have
integrated hobs.
- Warranty varies from manufacturer
to manufacturer, from the standard 1 year warranty up to more generous
terms such as 5 year parts warranty.
Brands
CDA - they manufacture a wide
range of single and double electric and gas ovens, including compact
ovens.
Belling - they are a manufacturer
associated with cookers, partly due to their space saving Baby Belling,
so loved by students. In fact they offer a wide range of built-in and
built-under ovens.
Candy - they offer a selection
of built in ovens including a compact integrated dishwasher, oven and
hob.
Neff - they have a full range
of ovens using their CircoTherm fan technology including some with steam.
Smeg - their selection of design-led
ovens includes double, single and compact ovens.
Whirlpool - the range of ovens
that they offer includes double, single and steam ovens, some featuring
their Six Sense automatic sensor technology.
Baumatic - they offer built-in ovens
in contemporary colours such as stainless steel and red. They also offer
pyrolytic ovens and side opening ovens.
AEG Electrolux - they offer an extensive
range of electric ovens, single and double, including multifunctional
ovens with grill and steam ovens.
Stoves - they offer a wide
selection of electric ovens in different sizes including the smaller
than average 450mm size and the larger 700mm and 900mm sizes.
Indesit - this Italian manufacturer
has a full range of integrated ovens, both single and double.
Miele - this high end manufacturer
offers a full range of integrated ovens including steam ovens, larger
sized and compact ovens, as well as combination microwave ovens. Their
high end models feature a cordless food probe.
Hotpoint - their oven ranges,
which also includes the Creda brand, includes models with 'Intelligent
Cooking System' functionality and touch control.
Electrolux - they offer a selection
of built-in ovens including the Inspiro oven with automatic sensors.
Bosch - this German manufacturer
offers a wide range of integrated ovens from their value for money Classixx
ovens through to the Avantixx and Exxcel ranges and the high end Logixx
ovens.
Jargon Buster
- Catalytic Liner - these
liners are treated with a material that absorbs grease, which is then
automatically burnt off at high temperature. Some liners are removable
while some are permanent.
- Minute Minder - this device
counts down how long food has been in the oven for, and makes a noise
at the end of the cooking time to alert the user.
- Programmable Timer - this
device can be used to programme the oven to come on or off at a set
time.
- Pyrolytic - this is a
self-cleaning oven which reduces any food spillage or grease to ash
at high temperatures, which can then be easily wiped away.
- Storage Compartment -
some ovens have built in storage compartments to hold pots and pans.