Kitchen Appliances

Oven Buying Guide

A picture of two double ovens side-by-side

Choosing a built-in oven

Looking for the right built-in oven to complement your stylish kitchen, but don’t know what to choose? Don’t worry, you’re not alone – with so many different types and styles available, it can be difficult to know where to begin, and it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.

Choosing the right built-in oven can make a huge difference to you and your family, helping to improve the quality and consistency of your food, and reduce the time you spend cooking in the kitchen – rather than enjoying it.

At Homebase, we offer a wide range of stylish, high performance built-in ovens – and this buyer’s guide is designed to help you find the perfect appliance that’s just right for you.

 

What is the best type of built-in oven for me?

Single ovens

A single oven offers a single cooking space, designed to handle a full range of cooking tasks, including baking, grilling and roasting. When it comes to positioning, they are pretty flexible, coming in a standard size that means you can position them either under the counter or at eye level. With single ovens, you can only use one function at a time, so if you regularly need to grill and bake at the same time, it might be a good move to look at a double oven instead.

Double ovens

As the name suggests, double ovens have two separate cooking spaces, so they can perform more than one task at once – making them great for cooking multiple dishes at the same time. They also have a larger capacity than single ovens, making them perfect for larger households. Generally, it’s best to install a double oven at eye level, as if it’s installed under a counter it can reduce the capacity.

Compact ovens

Built-in compact ovens are ideal if you’ve got a smaller kitchen, as they typically measure just 45cm in height, making them comparable in size to a built in microwave. Their compact size does limit the space somewhat, so if you have a large family or you tend to do a lot of cooking, they may not be suitable.

 

Fuel types

There are three main kinds of fuel types available: gas, electric and duel fuel. Which is right for you will depend on a few factors, including availability of supply, safety, usability and cost.

Gas built-in ovens

Gas built-in ovens tend to be cheaper to run than electric ovens, and they prevent food from drying out, because they provide a moist heat. They are also really easy to control, so you can change the temperature quickly and easily whenever you need to. On the downside, manufacturers are tending to move more and more towards electric models, so you won’t find quite as much choice available, and gas doesn’t provide as even heating as electric.

Electric powered built in ovens

Electric powered built-in ovens cook evenly, though they are a little more expensive to run than gas. One of the major advantages of electric powered ovens is the fact they often come with plenty of features, providing more flexibility in terms of cooking options. You can choose from fan powered, conventional and programmable electric ovens.

Dual fuel built-in ovens

Dual fuel built-in ovens provide the best of both worlds. They most commonly consist of gas hobs and an electric oven. You benefit from even roasting and baking, as well as better control when cooking on the hob.

 

What should I consider when buying a built-in oven?

What size built-in oven should I choose?

It’s a smart idea to think carefully about your capacity requirements when choosing a built-in oven. You will need to think about how many people you will be cooking for and how much space there is available for installation. Also, take into account how you like to cook, and whether you’re going to want to cook multiple dishes at the same time.

Which type of fuel should I opt for?

When deciding which type of fuel to opt for, here are a few important things to consider:

  • Electric ovens provide the most even cooking results, and generally come with more functions, although it can be more difficult to control the heat.
  • Gas ovens are cheaper to run, provide more control and prevent food drying out. However, they don’t cook as quickly or as evenly as electric.
  • Duel fuel ovens are ideal for those looking for a built-in oven with hobs included.

 

What other things should I consider when choosing a built-in oven?

There are many different factors to consider when choosing a built-in oven:

Features

What features are you looking for? Electric ovens tend to come with a lot more features than gas models. Timers, self-cleaning functionality and fan-assisted cooking are just a few of the things you might want to look out for.

Budget

Budget is obviously important, and can have an impact on the kind of fuel you go for. In addition, whilst there are ovens available at a full range of different price points, it’s worth investing in the best oven you can afford, as it will probably last longer, provide better cooking performance and come with more advanced features.

Cooking

What do you like to cook? A single oven is ideal for those who do more roasting and baking than anything else, while double ovens can perform a variety of tasks at the same time.

The hob

Do you need a built-in hob? If you’re short on space, or planning on installing your built-in oven at cabinet level, an integrated hob could save you money and free up valuable storage space.

We hope this guide has given you some food for thought, and enough info to choose your perfect built-in oven.

At Homebase, we stock a wide variety of quality built-in ovens to suit every preference and budget, including many of the leading brands.

 

What safety tips should I follow?

Whether you choose a gas or electric built in oven, it will need to be professionally installed by a registered Gas Safe/electric installer. You should also read the manufacturer’s instructions provided in the owner’s manual before use.

 

Are there any purchasing tips I should be aware of?

Always choose a model that best reflects your needs, and don’t base your decision purely on the look of the oven. It’s important to take into account the features, size and practicality of each model before deciding which one is right for your home.



Homebase

Homebase

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