Kitchen Ovens: Your Buying Guide

With so many types and styles of ovens to choose from, how are you supposed to decide which is the best oven for you? That’s where we can help. In this article we will introduce you to the main styles of oven, as well as other factors to consider so you can select the perfect model for you.

What are the Different Styles of Oven?

Built In Single Oven

A built in oven is quite literally that, it’s built in to your housing unit or existing cabinet space (a freestanding oven would generally be referred to as a ‘cooker’). These are often referred to as a ‘wall oven’, too.

The ‘single’ in the name refers to the number of oven units within the appliance – quite simply, one oven.

View built in single ovens here.

Built In Double Oven

The built in double oven is similar to the single style mentioned above, except there are two ovens – generally with one larger than the other. The ‘built in’ part again refers to the fact it needs to be integrated into your kitchen.

View built in double ovens here.

Built Under Oven

The built under oven is similar to the built in oven, except for the fact it needs to sit underneath a worktop. While a built in oven can be fitted under a worktop too, it can also be mounted at eye-level, in a taller unit. You can get both single and double ovens built under.

View built under ovens here.

Compact Oven

This style of oven is smaller than a standard oven and is designed as either a secondary oven for those needing a bit more cooking space, or as the primary oven in small kitchens.

View compact ovens here. Use the capacity filters on the left to find the compact ovens.

Steam Oven

Steam ovens feature a reservoir (which will either need to be plumbed in, or filled manually) which when heated, turns into steam, which cooks your food. Some steam ovens are multifunctional and can also operate as standard electric ovens.

Most foods can be cooked in a steam oven although you should bear in mind that while steam ovens are better at retaining flavour and moisture than other types of ovens, they cannot “brown” foods.

Measuring Up

Once you have selected the style of oven that best suits your requirements, you will need to measure your available space so that you can begin selecting the right oven for you.

First, you need to decide where you will be placing your appliance. If you opt for a built-in model you will need to measure the space within your existing cabinets or housing unit (unless you are planning to build a housing unit around your new oven). If you choose a built-under model then you will need to measure the height, width, and length of your available under-counter space.

Reviewing Your Options and Making Your Purchase

Last but not least you need to review lots of potential options, narrow down your choices, do some in-depth research into 2 or 3 that really look the part, pick your favourite, and buy it.

Now that you know how to find the right oven for you the next item on your agenda will be keeping this appliance in the best possible condition. Our article on How To Clean Your Oven will provide you with all of the information needed to keep your oven clean and functioning correctly.

If you would like additional information on any of the oven styles described above, you can contact us.

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