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How do I know what kitchen oven is right for me?

What should I consider when choosing a kitchen oven?

There are very few things in life that offer a more satisfying feeling than the moment you open the oven and are greeted by a warm waft of pure delight, rising up from the food that you're about to devour. The oven is the functional workhorse of the kitchen and a stylistic focal point, so there are a few things to consider before choosing your kitchen oven. These include:

• Your budget
• The size of your kitchen
• The types of cooking that you do
• The overall style of your kitchen
• How your needs may change in the near future

Should I choose gas, electric, or both for my kitchen oven?

Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether a gas or electric oven is better, but the real answer is that it depends on what's right for the needs of your household. If you have concerns over fuel costs, check out the price differences in your local area as that may help you to choose. Also, think about the kind of cooking that you do. Electric ovens are good for maintaining an accurate temperature, whereas gas ovens are often faster to heat up, making them great for cooking on the go.

What's the difference between a fan oven, and a radiation-heated  kitchen oven?

Fan and radiation-heated ovens use different methods to cook food. A fan oven heats the air inside it, and then circulates the hot air around the food to cook it. A radiation-heated oven cooks the food using a heated filament. Fan ovens tend to be slightly more expensive that traditional radiation-heated ovens, but cook food faster and more evenly, which saves time and reduces energy costs.

Should I go for a built-in, or freestanding kitchen oven?

The decision to go for a built-in or freestanding oven comes down to space, and style. Built-in ovens are great for achieving the sleek, streamlined look of a modern style kitchen, and can be a practical option if you have limited space. Check out the NUTID range from IKEA. Freestanding ovens work wonderfully in a traditional style kitchen and provide a focal point to draw the eye.

What kitchen oven features will I need?

There are lots of different features available that can help to make cooking and cleaning easier, and safer for you and your family. The key thing here is to think about the kinds of cooking that you do and the needs of your household. If you have young children then you may want to consider an oven with a child lock feature, or if you cook lots of things in the oven at the same time, look  out for one with multiple shelves . A fan oven, or forced air oven, allows you to cook many dishes at the same time without cross-contamination of tastes, so your fish pie will taste like fish pie, and the chocolate cake you bake at the same time will taste of nothing but chocolate. Ovens with a steam function are a great healthy option because steaming requires no extra fat or oils to keep the food moist. Another development in recent times is a self-cleaning feature, if only everything came with one of those!

Get more kitchen safety tips

How does a self-cleaning kitchen oven work?

Self-cleaning ovens work by producing very high temperatures that burn off any food stains or debris that can then be wiped away. There are also continuous-cleaning ovens available that operate at normal temperatures and instead use a chemical coating on their inner surface that prevents food from building up.

See the IKEA FRAMTID self-cleaning oven
See our range of kitchen appliances
Get ideas for kitchen ovenware