Built in oven buying guide

Choosing the right kind of integrated oven for your kitchen, as well as your own needs, comes down to several factors. To help you make the right decision, here are six questions which should narrow things down a bit:

1. What oven size do I need to fit into the space available? Consider both the dimensions of the built in oven and the space for ventilation.

2. What kind of capacity do you need for the oven? Oven volume is measured in litres and must match your cooking requirements.

3. What type of door clearance do you require for the oven? This depends on the location of the oven in the kitchen (i.e. low down, close to a wall, and so on).

4. Are you looking for natural convection or a multifunctional oven? The first option represents budget ovens while the second represents high end ovens.

5. What kind of cooking technology are you after? Several technologies are available including conventional, fan assisted, fan and steam ovens.

6. What cleaning function best matches your needs? Maintenance will vary depending on your choice (i.e. pyrolytic vs. catalytic).

The first step in figuring out oven size will be to measure the area in which the appliance will be installed. It is necessary to leave a gap of 2 cm around a standard sized oven and 4.5 cm around a compact oven to allow for ventilation.

Oven capacity is indicated in litres and this will vary between different models. Two ovens with the same outer dimensions won't necessarily have the same inner volume. It is therefore important to look for volume in the product specifications before purchasing an oven.

The table below should help you to work out the correct volume for your needs.

Whether you are installing under a worktop, beside a wall or even up high, the location of your oven dictates the type of door you need. If you make the wrong choice, you can make your oven difficult – or even dangerous – to use. There are four types of oven doors.

Drop down doors

Drop down doors, also known as swing or hinged doors, are the most common type of oven door. The door is designed to be opened downwards using a handle at the top. This type of door is ideal for built in ovens installed under worktops and mid-height ovens.

Slide and hide or retractable doors

Ergonomic and practical, these doors also open from the top downwards. They differ from swing doors in that the door is designed to slide under the oven cavity. This makes it easier to get into the oven. However, this type of door is generally not suitable for ovens installed beneath worktops. It is also the most costly of all options.

Side opening doors

Ideal for ovens installed at a height, these doors can open from left to right or the opposite. You will need to check that the door won't be obstructed by a wall or by an adjacent kitchen cabinet handle.

Drawer doors

Quite unlike other models, these doors are perfect for mid-height built in ovens. Dishes are placed on grill racks that are fixed to the door. The door simply needs to be pulled out to access your dishes.

This type of door is not recommended for built in ovens under worktops since the top rack tends to block access to the lower rack.

There are two basic types of built in oven: traditional or natural convection ovens and multifuctional ovens.

Natural convection ovens

Natural convection, or conventional ovens can be a good option for those who don't cook much or anyone on a tight budget. Easy to use, the temperature of the oven is adjusted using a thermostat dial.

These ovens feature two heating elements: a top heater is placed at the top of the cavity and the bottom heater is located at the bottom of the cavity. These elements can be controlled separately which allows for different cooking modes.

Conventional ovens won't provide even results if you want to cook two dishes at once. What's more, the odours of both dishes tend to mix. It is therefore not recommended to cook a main dish at the same time as a dessert – unless you're hoping to infuse your apple pie with garlic!

Fan assisted ovens

Ideal for quick and uniform cooking, fan ovens can be split into three different categories.

Fan assisted ovens

Equipped with a fan located in the base of the oven cavity, these ovens circulate heat created by top and bottom heating elements. Fan assisted ovens use forced convection for quick and even cooking. These ovens make it possible to cook a gratin and a chocolate cake at the same time without any risk of odour transfer! They are also quicker to pre-heat than conventional ovens.

Fan ovens

Just like fan assisted ovens, these ovens use the principle of natural convection. The difference with these ovens is that the fan on the back wall of the oven is equipped with a heating element. Cooking times are fast and odours won't mix. Fan ovens offer the fastest heat-up times.

Steam ovens

These built in ovens are perfect for cooking to perfection. A multifunctional oven allows you to cook the same plate first using steam to keep your food tender before using a fan setting to achieve a crispy coating. There are two basic types of steam oven:

1. Those with internal steam generators are used to turn water into steam by injecting it over the heating element at the base of the oven cavity. This system means the oven does get dirty and must be cleaned regularly.

2. External steam generators inject steam directly into the oven cavity. This system is more practical since it requires less cleaning.

Built in ovens: comparing prices

Wave goodbye to plastic gloves, toxic cleaners and hands on scrubbing! Most ovens these days come with self-cleaning functions. More eco friendly and practical than manual cleaning, it's worth looking into the three main cleaning technologies.

Catalytic cleaning

Built in ovens with catalytic cleaning are designed to clean automatically as they cook. Once the oven reaches 200°C, any grease previously absorbed by the enamel coated walls is destroyed. While these ovens are less expensive than steam cleaning ovens, they are also less effective. Regular manual cleaning is also required. A soft sponge and a bit of water once the oven has cooled down should suffice to finish off cleaning.

Pyrolytic cleaning

These ovens heat up to 400 to 500°C to completely destroy any cooking residue. Undeniably effective, this cleaning technology will leave nothing behind beyond a bit of ash. You simply have to remove all oven accessories before using the cleaning mode.

Hydrolytic or steam cleaning

Hydrolytic cleaning technology uses water vapour to loosen grime. These ovens are straightforward to use – simply pour some water into the base of the oven and launch the cleaning function. Any residue should soften and be easy to clean off with a quick wipe of a sponge.

Another factor to bear in mind is safety. The same goes for any additional features you might want. Here is a list of some of the most common options to look for:

• Child lock: this safety feature is used for households with young children.

• Cool touch door: as above, this feature is used to protect children from risk of burns.

• Anti tilt oven racks: fitted to rails, these racks are designed to slide out safely.

• Display: an LCD, backlit LCD or LED screen that is large enough and easy to read will be more user friendly.

• Delayed start: some models allow you to set a time for your oven to go on at a set time. Simply set an end timer to stop cooking.

• Lights: with LED or halogen lights, some ovens allow you to light up the oven at any time, even when it is not on.

As you may have noticed, choosing the right built in oven does require a bit of reflection. Do not hesitate to save this guide to take note of the most important factors for you. That way, you can tick of your own criteria as you read through the product specifications of different models.

Need more advice on kitting out and fitting your kitchen? Check out our other guides on kitchen installation.

• How to plan a kitchen layout

• Fitted kitchen buying guide

• Cooker buying guide