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A good oven should last ten years or more, so you need to choose an oven that suits your cooking needs.
Modern ovens can include many high-tech features. However, if you do not master the correct basics, you may end up with a food that heats slowly or cooks unevenly.
The best oven will quickly heat to the correct temperature and distribute the heat evenly throughout the oven.
Read our summary of Best Buy built-in oven recommendations and find the best oven for you.
Watch our video to help you determine which type of oven is right for you.
The first decision you need to make is whether a single oven is sufficient, or whether it is best to use a dual oven.
Although there is only one oven in a single oven that can bake, bake, and grill, there is usually enough space to cook most things. A single model is about 60 cm high and can be placed almost anywhere in the kitchen, such as under the counter or in a cabinet with flush view.
Advantages You will find more single ovens in the store than any other type of oven, especially if you choose an electric model, and the single model oven is larger than any of the double ovens.
Disadvantages For some people, only one oven can cook is a limitation, especially if you want to bake and grill at the same time, or if you have a lot of cooking to do.
Check out our top five best single ovens in 2021
Having two ovens can provide you with more cooking options. There will always be a grill in the smaller top oven, and on higher-spec models, you will sometimes find one in the main oven. The double oven is about 90 cm high and needs to be inserted into a cabinet that is flush with the line of sight.
Advantage: You can use the grill in the top oven while cooking in the main oven. Or you can use two ovens at the same time to cook dishes that require different temperatures.
Disadvantages: It occupies more kitchen space than a single oven, and there are fewer models to choose from.
Check out our five best dual ovens of 2021
The compact oven is smaller than a single oven, only 45 cm high. Its size is not much different from the large built-in microwave oven. Compact ovens are usually equipped with grills in the oven compartment. You can also buy compact steam ovens, although they are more likely to be used as an additional cooking option than the main household oven.
Advantages: If your kitchen space is at a premium, this is a good choice.
Disadvantages: The price of its compact size is that there is not much internal space, so don't plan to cook Christmas dinner for the crowd in a compact oven.
If you need the flexibility of two ovens, but the kitchen space is limited, a dual under-mounted oven may be your best choice. The double built-in oven is about 72 cm high and can be installed in an under-counter unit or placed at a position flush with the line of sight.
Pros: You can still get two ovens, but it won't take up the extra space of a full-size double oven.
Disadvantages: The dual built-in oven may be smaller than you expect, especially the main oven. This is because the manufacturer installed two ovens in a space that is only 12 cm higher than a single oven.
If you buy a single oven, it will also have a grill in the same compartment. This means that you cannot bake while grilling.
However, if you choose a dual oven or a free-standing cooker, you can choose to do it at the same time. Some double ovens even have a grill in each oven compartment.
Combination microwave ovens are larger than ordinary microwave ovens, and can also be used for convection cooking, and have grills. Some combination microwave ovens are built-in rather than stand-alone, so they look neater and more like ovens than ordinary microwave ovens.
If you often run out of space in the oven, you may consider buying one of them because it provides you with an additional cooking compartment.
Use our built-in oven reviews to find the right oven for you.
Most of us prefer the type of fuel used in cooking, and some of us may have no choice. For others, this is our assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of cooking with an electric or gas oven.
These are by far the most popular ovens. Like gas ovens, most electric ovens need to be installed by professionals. You will still encounter models that can be easily inserted, but these models are relatively few and far apart.
Generally speaking, electric ovens performed better in our tests. The heat distribution through the oven cavity is an important predictor of reliable cooking results-we have found that the best electric ovens outperform the best gas models in spreading heat evenly.
The built-in oven usually also has a grill function. Similarly, in our test, the electric grill is better than the gas grill. It is best to spread the heat evenly to more than 90% of the lower bakeware.
Advantages: The advantage of using an electric oven, especially an electric oven with a fan, is that the heat is distributed throughout the oven. Electric ovens also tend to maintain a more accurate temperature than gas models. There are many more to choose from-you will find more single electric ovens in the store than any other type.
Disadvantages: the operating cost of the electric oven is higher.
There are far fewer built-in gas ovens on the market than electric models, but you can still find good ones. Gas ovens can also be purchased and operated more cheaply. Therefore, if you have installed gas and don't want the trouble and expense of using electricity, please don't despair.
Advantages: Gas is the cheapest cooking fuel, so if you cook in this way, you will definitely save money. But the savings are not much-the difference between the cheapest gas oven and a regular electric oven is about 25 pounds per year.
Disadvantages: Gas built-in ovens are not as effective as electric models in distributing heat evenly around the oven.
Confused about the oven control panel? Please refer to the description of oven symbols and controls.
The oven can provide heat in many ways, and understanding the meaning of these ways will help you choose the option that suits you.
A standard conventional oven provides heat from two heating elements: one toward the top of the oven and the other near the bottom. This can cause hot and cold spots, and food near the top of the oven tends to cook faster than food near the bottom.
Traditional cooking is sometimes more advantageous than using an oven with a fan. Cakes, soufflés and tarts work better when heated at the top and bottom. Any liquid that you want to cook slowly, such as a casserole, will not get any special benefits from fan cooking.
Most electric ovens are equipped with fans to help distribute heat evenly. Some gas ovens can also be fan assisted. A real fan oven has a heating element around the fan, while a fan-assisted oven is essentially a traditional oven (two heating elements) with a fan behind.
Food cooks faster in a fan oven because the warm air is constantly moving around the cavity. You also need to lower the cooking temperature.
If you use a fan to cook, you can reduce the amount of temperature
In a dual oven, the larger main oven usually has a fan and the other operates as a traditional oven, so you can choose the option that best suits your dishes.
Multifunction ovens usually include top and bottom heating, grills, and fans. They allow you to use these heat sources for cooking independently or in combination. Therefore, you can use only the top heat to brown the lasagna after it is cooked, or use only the bottom heat for pizza or quiche to get a perfect crisp bottom.
Multifunction ovens usually also have a defrost setting. Some models only use fans to move unheated air, while other models also introduce a little bottom heat. Either way, this work is much faster than defrosting in the refrigerator.
Multi-function ovens are becoming more and more common. They can provide more flexible cooking options, but be sure to check their ease of use, because more options mean that control may be confusing.
Or how about a steam oven? See our steam oven buying guide for more information, or head directly to our steam oven review.
No, the width of the four built-in ovens is about 60 cm, but their height is different.
We reviewed all four sizes of built-in ovens-check out our recommended best built-in ovens.
Manufacturers usually quote the total internal volume of their ovens as a sizing guide. But this is not particularly useful. You can't use all the internal space for cooking, and the layout and location of the shelves will also have a big impact on how much you can hold. A larger oven may have less cooking space than an ordinary oven with a smaller one.
"The available capacity of the oven may be 27 liters less than the prescribed capacity"
We measure the actual usable volume of each oven, ignoring any space that is not calculated during cooking, such as 3 cm from the top of the oven and any space below the bottom shelf position. If you stuff food into these spaces, you will prevent the normal circulation of hot air, which will affect the cooking effect.
We also use the life-size foods we have collected (fake turkey, chicken and beef joints on the roasting pan) to check what actually fits in each oven. The largest oven can fit a large turkey, and there is still room for a plate of baked potatoes or vegetables. A smaller oven may be suitable for turkey, but there is no extra space, while other ovens may be too narrow to even put the turkey alone.
Some single ovens have a special divider that allows you to divide the internal space and cook at two different temperatures. This is very convenient if you don't have room for a larger type of oven but want more flexible cooking space.
As we explained above, the standard width of all integrated ovens is 60cm, so you only need to measure the height.
The oven cabinets should also have space for ventilation. However, if you are planning a new kitchen, you need to take 5 mm of space on each side and 35 mm of space on the back into account. Some cabinets also have 20 mm on the top, but this is not required-most ovens are installed flush with the top cabinet.
If you want to replace the old oven, it's even easier: just measure its size and choose a matching new oven.
Before installing a built-in oven, find out other things you need to consider.
The price of a built-in oven ranges from approximately £130 for an ultra-basic single oven to over £1,000 for an oven with all the bells and whistles. We test ovens at various prices to find the best option for every budget. Years of oven testing tells us that you usually need to spend more than £250 to get a decent single oven, and if you want a good double oven, you will need to spend at least £350.
We found some respected ovens from budget brands such as Beko, Belling and Hisense, as well as some mediocre ovens that you want to avoid. If you are looking for a higher specification oven from brands such as AEG, Bosch, Neff, Miele, Samsung or Smeg, you need to do more to ensure that the oven can cook perfectly. As our tests have shown, paying more does not always guarantee excellent results.
"We found several Best Pay ovens for less than £250"
Some expensive ovens are not only good at cooking, but also provide useful additional functions, such as steam cooking or self-cleaning. But we also tested models that cost more than £1,000, and their cooking results are worse than ovens that cost less than half. Our in-depth testing has found the most accurate and efficient ovens, which are also easy to use and clean.
Our summary of Best Buy built-in ovens will help you find a quality oven at the right price.
Ovens generally don’t consume as much energy as other large kitchen appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, or tumble dryers, but it’s still worth checking their energy efficiency before making a choice.
The operating cost of an electric oven is often £50-60 per year. Currently, the cheapest one we have tested costs 34 pounds a year, and the most expensive one costs 73 pounds (based on typical usage).
We use special standardized tests that simulate roasting whole chickens to measure energy consumption. We considered the energy that each oven uses to heat to temperature and stay there for the required time.
The following table combines the upfront costs and annual operating costs, so you can determine which models will not cost you out of your pocket during the entire life cycle of the oven.
We also introduced the Eco Buy logo to highlight the most efficient and reliable ovens we have tested.
In addition to energy saving, Eco Buy ovens have also left a deep impression in our laboratory tests and come from brands that have performed well in our annual lifespan survey.
To find a more sustainable oven, please visit our oven reviews and filter on Eco Buys.
Our built-in oven jargon terminator explains tricky oven terminology.
If you find it difficult to use the oven-because of impaired vision, reduced finger strength or flexibility, or the oven is too low or the stove is too high-there are some features that may make things easier.
Check out more information on how to stay independent in the kitchen.
Cleaning the oven is messy and unpleasant work, so an oven that promises to clean itself is a tempting prospect. Several options are available:
Pyrolysis ovens are becoming more and more popular, and they are very effective. The best people also clean glass doors. Some models can choose a shorter or longer cleaning cycle according to the degree of dirt in the oven. But remember, you need to remove the shelves and clean them by hand.
The price of our cheapest Best Buy pyrolysis oven
Although self-cleaning ovens usually cost more, over time they will save elbow grease and money spent on oven cleaning products. In addition, we have seen the prices of pyrolysis ovens have recently fallen as they become more mainstream.
However, you don’t have to put a lot of effort into self-cleaning for an easy life-some ovens don’t have fancy self-cleaning features, but they still prove easy to clean in our tests. We also found that not all pyrolysis ovens are worth buying, so be sure to check our built-in oven reviews before buying.
For tips on manual oven cleaning, see How to clean the oven.
Some oven brands are known for being suitable for specific jobs or particularly reliable. For example, Neff ovens are a regular feature of The Great British Bake Off tents, which makes them a popular choice for keen bakers. But is their reputation deserved?
In addition to choosing an oven that suits your needs and does a good job of basics, it is also worth checking whether the brand you choose has a good track record of such products in terms of reliability and customer satisfaction.
Our list of the best oven brands reveals which brands have remained trouble-free over the years
The oven can be an expensive expense, so it is sometimes worth repairing rather than buying a new one.
Sometimes, you can do the job yourself, such as replacing a lamp. But in most cases, it is the right thing to ask professionals to do it, of course for any electrical or disassembly work.
To find a local oven engineer, which one should I go to? Trusted Traders, which contains a list of companies approved by us.
Larger retailers such as John Lewis and Currys offer oven purchase guarantees-usually two years. If your oven is still under warranty, the repair should be free, or they should provide you with a replacement product. In this case, you need to contact the retailer and they will evaluate the problem.
If you have purchased a defective product, please read our guide on how to obtain a refund, repair or replacement.
Sometimes you will see old display ovens sold at low prices. Any differences between it and the new model should be superficial and aesthetic. You will also get the same guarantee as the new model.
A refurbished oven is usually returned to the manufacturer's oven because it has a problem or because the previous buyer did not want it. This should also be a safe bet.
You can buy second-hand ovens-you will find many websites offering them, such as eBay and Gumtree. However, if you follow this route, please be careful. You need proof that the oven has passed a safety inspection. If not, you need to test it yourself before use.
Most modern electric ovens need to be hardwired, but if it can be plugged in using a 13 amp connection, it should also be tested for PAT (Electrical Safety Test for Portable Devices).
If you are buying second-hand, please try to use a seller who provides a guarantee, because if there are any security issues or electronic product issues, it will be beneficial to you. Whether you have a guarantee or not, please make sure that the oven is installed by a professional. Also, don't forget to register your guarantee to make sure it is still valid.
In addition, it is worth checking whether the product has been recalled before you buy. Go to Electrical Safety First to learn more.
Learn more about your rights when buying second-hand goods.
Don't forget to consider the oven installation cost when buying. Replacing fuel can be very expensive, but if you want to change fuel, John Lewis offers an oven and cooker installation service for £75-110, and it will dismantle and dispose of your old model for an additional £20. Currys' current cost is 75-90 pounds, and removal and disposal costs start from 15 pounds.
Go to Trusted Traders to track the local merchants endorsed by which?. Who can provide you with cheaper deals.
For more information, see our installation guide for ovens, cookware and stoves.
Today, there is no reason for electronic products to enter the landfill, but according to Recycle Now data, about two-thirds of the products still end up in the landfill. This not only wastes precious resources, but also accumulates environmental problems for the future.
When you buy a new oven or cookware from Currys and John Lewis, major retailers (such as Currys and John Lewis) will take away your old oven for a small fee. They are obligated to dispose of them responsibly in accordance with the terms of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.
Or, you can take the old oven to the recycling center of the local government. Go to Recycle Now to find the nearest recycling center that accepts electrical appliances. Most city halls also charge a certain fee, and some shops also accept old appliances.
If there are no problems with your oven, please consider donating it to charity-many people will come to take it. You can also choose to sell privately.
To learn more, please visit our guide on how to recycle electronic products.