A Guide To Buying A Built In Oven

So you are thinking of buying a brand new built in oven. It’s an exciting prospect – but it also means you have a lot to think about. There are so many different types and styles of built in oven available now that choosing what will work best for you can take some time.

We’ve provided this guide in order to make things a bit easier for you. So read through all the sections and hopefully you’ll know exactly what to start shopping for once you reach the end!

Gas or electric – or dual fuel?

The answer to this question will not entirely be down to you to answer. If you have gas to your kitchen then a gas oven will be the best choice. You could get an electricity supply put in, but this will send the cost of having an electric oven up considerably.

If you do have a choice then think about which method of cooking you prefer the most and go with that. This will still mean having an oven which operates using just one form of energy though.

Many people like the combination of having a gas hob (because it heats up instantly) and an electric oven – typically a fan oven. This is what is referred to as having a dual fuel combination.

Built under or built in?

When you go shopping online for your new built in oven, you will find that there are actually two different types of built in oven.

Quite often, the built in oven is intended to go in a tall cabinet. A built under oven is as the name suggests – it is designed to go underneath the countertop. It still fits into a cabinet, but it is a specially designed one to take this type of oven.

Think about whether you like having the oven at a low level, or whether you would prefer not having to stoop down to get hot trays out of the oven. This could influence the type of oven you buy – and indeed the whole design of your kitchen.

Check the energy rating

Every built in oven you see nowadays will have an energy rating of some kind. This tells you how efficient the oven is at heating up. Make sure you buy one that is very efficient if you can – they are rated with a letter and A is the best you can get, with B the next one down and so on.

Remember though that this only applies to electric ovens. You won’t find energy efficiency ratings on electric ovens.

Types of ovens

There are a lot of different ovens out there today, and knowing the differences between them will help you to figure out which one will be best for you.

Electric

We’ve mentioned electric ovens already, but let’s focus on them a little bit more closely now. The big advantage of buying an electric one is that you can buy an A rated oven and you will know it is going to give you the best performance possible.

The main downside of an electric oven is that it can take a while to pre-heat it. This means you have to put the oven on for a while before you can actually start cooking. It also obeys the rule of heat rising, so the top of the oven is always better for cooking food which requires a higher temperature.

Gas

You can only have a built in gas oven in your kitchen if you already have the supply ready and waiting for it to be attached to. In theory you could get the gas supply installed but it will cost money to do so, and most people won’t go to those lengths, understandably.

But gas does have a big advantage in that the oven heats up much more quickly. This is because it heats up by using a flame. And similarly to a regular electric built in oven, you will notice that the top of the oven is hotter than the bottom.

Fan oven

This is an electric oven with a fan built into it. If you look inside the oven you will see the fan built into the rear of it.

Many people like fan ovens because they tend to cook food more quickly than an electric oven which doesn’t have one. This is due to the fact that the fan circulates the heat round more readily. In theory you should be able to cook the same item at the top and bottom of the oven and they will both cook at the same time. It is certainly the case that a fan oven will present you with much more even cooking.

They also have the advantage of heating up more speedily. You will have to keep an eye on your food though until you get used to using a fan oven because it will cook faster – thus meaning you are more prone to burning things for a while!

Ovens with multi-functions

A lot of ovens nowadays have more than one function to them. If you think about how some ovens are constructed, they only have one heating element. So for example, the heating element may be at the bottom of the oven.

With a multi-function oven you usually get two elements. One is positioned at the top of the oven while the other one is at the bottom. You can elect to use one or both of these; that means that depending on what you are cooking you can select the best method for cooking that item. Many of these multi-function ovens have a fan built in as well, to give another possibility for you to consider.

Depending on the manufacturer, the model and the price, you will find a range of features that give you more freedom when it comes to cooking your food. Some of the most advanced ovens even have a rotisserie feature, which is ideal for cooking the perfect Sunday roast.

The main thing is to explore the different features that are available with these multi-functional ovens, and then decide which of them you would definitely use. Once you have done that you can focus on looking for those models that have the features you want.

Double oven

A double built in oven is exactly what the name suggests – it is two ovens built into one appliance.

Most double ovens are designed to be installed into a tall cabinet, but there are some which have been designed specifically to fit underneath the counter. These are necessarily smaller in dimensions than a tall housing model though, since there is less room to accommodate them. A double oven for a tall housing is typically around 90cm high.

Double ovens have advantages all of their own. It gives you two separate ovens so you can have one set to a completely different temperature to the other if you wish. You can cook two very fragrant dishes at the same time as well, without one tainting the other.

You will still get a standard sized single oven as part of the design of a double oven. But in addition you get that smaller oven which you can use for all kinds of things.

If you buy a built in double oven for a tall cabinet you will certainly see the advantages. This is because the second oven, while still being slightly smaller than the main one, is bigger than it would be for a model which has to go under the counter.

Consider the controls

There are two main types of controls that you will see on a built in oven, no matter what size or type you buy.

The first type takes the form of buttons that you press or turn to reach the settings and temperatures you require. The second is a flat LED panel which has buttons programmed into it. These are often more precise as well as enabling the design of the oven to be completely flat fronted.

Buttons and knobs don’t have to be proud of the front of the oven though. Some of the more modern models have buttons that are pressed in order to make them pop out for use. Once you have finished using the oven you simply have to push them back in and they are back in line with the front of the oven.

Additional features

A timer is an essential feature of every modern built in oven now. If you intend to pop something in the oven and set it to start cooking while you are out, then you will definitely need to buy one which has a timer on it.

The good news is that most modern ovens will have timers, regardless of whether they are gas or electric. They can also help in that you can set the timer when you pop something in the oven to cook. When the time is up the alarm will sound, letting you know that the cooking time is up and you should check your dish to make sure it is done.

The benefits of self cleaning ovens

No one likes to clean an oven, no matter whether it is gas, electric, built in or otherwise!

That is why today’s manufacturers’ have come up with a range of self cleaning ovens to make light work of keeping your oven looking as good as new.

There are two basic types of self cleaning oven that you can buy now, and the one you opt for depends largely on the kind of budget you have to hand. The idea behind both of these self cleaning ovens is that they work on a high temperature.

The first type works with a system of liners. After a while the liners will become dirty and will need cleaning, but you don’t need to do this yourself. In fact if you read the instructions that come with this kind of oven, you will see that you should never do the cleaning yourself, as the oven is equipped to do it for you.

The cheaper ovens have a system of liners which are cleaned when the oven is heated up to its maximum level. These work very well; however if you can afford it you might want to try out the latest and best level of self cleaning oven that you can get.

This oven has a cleaning cycle which is known as pyrolytic cleaning. To say it uses a high temperature is really understating the action – it reaches temperatures as high as 500 degrees Celcius!

Needless to say this happens when you aren’t cooking; you would select the cleaning cycle and then let the oven go through the process of cleaning at this very high temperature. The entire oven is cleaned over the space of a couple of hours, and you are left with a nice clean oven again at the end of it.

In conclusion

As you can see, there is a lot to think about when you are in the market for a built in oven. There is no doubt that they look fantastic in any kitchen, but you do need to consider your own cooking needs before you lay down your money to buy one.

There are plenty of branded built in ovens available today as well, which does mean you have a lot of options to consider. Make sure you shop around and think about how far your money could go with each manufacturer.

You might be surprised to see how much there is for you to think about before you buy your new built in oven. But it is worth spending some time considering all the points we have laid down above. If you do this you will stand a better chance of getting just the right oven for you and your kitchen.

Regardless of whether it is gas or electric, single or double, your ideal oven is out there somewhere, and it is up to you to go and find it. Good luck!