Ovens explained -
different types available and what you can expect.
Choosing the correct oven to satisfy your needs can be a daunting task, Whether you require gas or electric, basic or multifunction,
here is some things to consider.
Use this page in combination with the * OVEN SYMBOLS * to understand how the functions can help in your choice.
An important part of your decisions will be the * ENERGY RATINGS * buying the most efficient products and saving money on your electricity too. Efficient appliances are also more environmentally friendly, reducing your impact on global warming and help reduce carbon emissions.
The fuel - advantages and disadvantages:
Your local fuel supplies may well decide the type of cooker you want for you, but the first thing to consider is whether you want all electric or all gas. Some ranges have a combination of both known as dual fuel, e.g. gas hob and electric oven.Electric:
- The price range for electric ovens starts lower than gas.
- Electric ovens have seen the most technological progress.
- Electric ovens are easier to turn on and they allow better control of the oven temperature.
- There is far more choice of colours and designs with electric ovens, so giving far more input into the kitchen design.
- A lot of electric ovens these days are multifunction, meaning you can use a combination of functions. We have explained some of the functions below, how many, and what type depends on the model chosen, this can vary immensely with different manufacturers.
- Electric ovens are far more versatile than a gas oven.
Gas:
- Gas ovens are normally far more expensive to purchase than electric.
- There are only a few brands of gas oven on the market, meaning far less choice for you.
- Compared against a conventional electric oven, (the most basic) gas ovens don′t dry food out as much, so they′re can be ideal for roasts, casseroles and heavy cakes that require moisture, but the fan electric ovens are superior.
- Gas ovens are naturally hotter at the top and cooler at the bottom, food will need to be rotated from a higher or lower shelf to get even cooking and browning. However, it does mean you can cook several different foods at once. For example, after a roast has been in the oven for some time, you can move it to a lower shelf, turn the heat up, and use the top shelf to roast the potatoes.
- There′s no direct heat from the top in a gas oven from the grill (unless it has an internal grill) so it is limited for foods that need browning or crisping on top.
- Some areas of the country are affected by gas pressure due to the inefficient volume of gas supplied; at peak times (weekends, holidays etc) cooking temperatures can vary as there is more demand for gas.
- Remember a gas oven will have electronic controls, so you′ll need an electrical supply nearby.
Style and available space :
Decide whether you′re going for a slot-in cooker or range (which doesn′t need a housing unit), or separate built-In appliances, i.e. a hob and a single oven or a hob and a double oven. Built-in or built-under both ovens will require a housing unit and the hob will need worktop to insert it in to.
If you decide on a slot-in cooker they are usually between 500 and 600mm in width, and do as they say - slot-in, normally using wheels, to a gap between the base units. To future prove your kitchen, always allow 600mm if the space is available, as there are more ovens to choose from in this ′standard′ size, and it ensures you have the right size for any future upgrade. Most slot-in cookers have a separate grill compartment. Whether they′re at eye-level or part of the oven itself, good grills are variable and spread heat widely and evenly across the grill pan.
Built-In or built-under oven space:
- Built-In or built-under ovens are available in heights of 600mm, 720mm or 900mm. Widths are normally 600mm, but there are some wide ovens at 600mm high x 900mm wide used for built-under housings available within the specialist ranges.
- A 900mm high double oven will fit into a 900mm high x 600mm wide housing and are intended to be fitted in a tall or mid-height column kitchen unit at a comfortable height to work with. With double ovens, often the main oven has a fan and the smaller oven is conventional although with top-end models, both models have a fan. The grill is normally in the smaller oven.
- A 720mm high built-under double oven will fit between two units with metal support runners or into a 720mm high x 600mm wide housing unit, it will give you two ovens, but you will lose some capacity compared to a full 900mm high appliance, the more limited space under the worktop reduces the oven height to approximately 75% of the normal double oven found in a tall housing, but it will give more capacity than the standard 600mm high oven and will have the grill separated from the main oven.
- A 600mm high single oven will fit into a 600mm high x 600mm wide built-under the work surface housing unit, and can be built into a tall or midi housing unit. The grill will be in the main oven only as there is no other choice.
- You might find that the option of a microwave or combination microwave oven fitted over a 600mm high single oven into a tall housing, provides a greater cooking flexibility as it will also free up space on the worktop, but the lower oven will have to be reduced in height, to give a suitable working height to the microwave, which should be at a maximum of face level in height.
Oven Types -
What′s the difference between a cooker and an oven?
A cooker is made up of a minimum of one oven space, will have a set of either gas or electric hobs on top, and will always be freestanding. An oven is the same as a cooker oven but without the hob above and will always be built in. As ovens are built in units the hob is a separate item and is inserted into a worktop, whether over the oven or along a base run.
Range Cookers:
There are many styles of ranges available. The best style of range suitable for your kitchen will depend on the kitchen design required. Ranges can be all electric, all gas or dual fuel (gas hob and electric oven).
- The cooker for use in small flats or for giant appliances for large families non stop cooking.
- Freestanding ranges have finished sides and the controls on the backsplash or front face.
- Electric ranges are available in sealed coil element hobs or ceramic glass radiant surfaces.
- Gas ranges are available with open or sealed burners. Parts including pan supports can be lifted off and cleaned easily in the sink or dishwasher.
- Gas tops can often be supplied to the combination required for your own use e.g. Wok burners, fish burner (oval shape for a fish kettle), BBQ, griddles and more.
- Grills available in a seperate oven.
- Lower plate warmer or storage drawer.
- Glass lid with Safety Cut-off.
- As well as stainless steel, many different colours as well as the classic white, cream and black, they can include bright red, regal blue, racing green and many other vivid colours including pink.
- Oven sizes can vary from to 25 litres to 84 litres, often with a combination of several sizes in one appliance.
Ranges vary between 900 to 1500mm, if you require two ′true′ full size single ovens side-by-side choose 1200mm. A 900mm double oven will give you one full size oven plus a very small oven, often difficult to find trays for and limited in use. When measuring the space for a freestanding cooker, ensure that there is a gap left around the cooker to prevent anything being damaged by the heat and to allow the appliance to be wheeled out.
Gas Ovens:
Most gas ovens are heated by a flame from a gas burner at the rear of the base, with the gas being ignited by an electric spark. The hot air circulates as it rises, but the top of the oven will always be hotter. Natural gas gives off moisture in cooking as the gas contains moisture in its raw form which is released when burnt. Recommended for all types of food.
Electric Ovens:
In a conventional electric oven, the thermostat controls the heat in the middle of the oven so it is always slightly hotter at this position. Conventional ovens take a while to reach cooking temperature so they need to be pre-heated.
Fan-assisted ovens differ from standard conventional electric ovens, only in that a fan distributes the heat around the cooking compartment. Fan ovens circulate the heat around the oven creating a more even temperature, this ensures that food is cooked evenly and cooking times are reduced from the conventional (non-fan) type.
- Power to the oven elements is controlled by a switch, which then activates a temperature control knob which is mechanically turned up or down, or sometimes electronically, by a control panel and timer.
- The temperature is maintained at the selected level by means of a thermostat connected to the cooking compartment via a capillary sensor tube.
- When the grill function is selected, the grill elements at the top of the oven heat up. Normally the door must be left open during grilling to allow the excess heat to escape. The grill is normally controlled by a knob which can vary the temperature.
- On some models, lights on the control panel indicate when the oven has reached the selected temperature.
- A light inside the oven is on all the time the oven is working.
Multi-function Ovens:
Electric multifunction ovens give complete flexibility to cooking, using combinations of different heating elements and a fan to give various ways to heat the food. Most multifunction ovens combine a fan and conventional oven together with a grill plus various other modes as listed below. These ovens can have many cooking modes such as bottom heat only or top heat only and the functions can vary enormously from one oven to another. A rotisserie, or a probe may also be a feature, and even recipe and computerised settings.
Microwave Ovens:
A microwave, is a kitchen appliance that cooks or heats food by dielectric heating. This is accomplished by using microwave radiation to heat water and other polarized molecules within the food. This excitation is fairly uniform, leading to food being adequately heated throughout - except in thick objects. A microwave oven has in it a magnetron, which is a radio transmitter. Basically, microwave energy in the magnetron causes the water molecules in the food to move. That motion causes the water molecules to move more rapidly, which heats the food. Microwave energy can only penetrate about an inch into the food, and after that, heating is caused by conduction, i.e. the heated area heats adjacent areas, etc. It does not "cook food from the inside out", but works by exciting the water molecules.
Combi Ovens:
Sometimes listed under compact appliances. A combi-oven combines several cooking functions in one piece of equipment. Combi is a shortening of the description "combination". The combi oven can be either a combi-oven/microwave or a combi-oven/steam.
Combi-Microwave ovens:
The beauty of a combi model is that it can mimic all the benefits of a traditional oven - like grilling and browning - in a fraction of the time. They can be available with up to 52 different cooking programmes, and weight automatic cooking and defrosting. Microwaves only use about 1 kilowatt of energy per hour compared to 5 kilowatts in many conventional ovens. With a combi-microwave the microwave can be put into far more use for cooking than it would ever be used by itself as a single product.
Combi-Steam ovens:
The Benefits of Steam Cooking -
Electric ovens have now gone to a new level with using steam. The combination of steam and conventional hot air cooking produces browned, crispy food in an energy-efficient manner. Whether steaming, roasting or baking, perfect results are obtainable. The use of pressureless steam is one of the healthiest cooking methods and the best way to retain vitamins, minerals, consistency and colour of food. The natural taste is intensified - entirely without artificial additives.
Unfortunately for many, the steam oven is only found at the expensive end of the oven market.
Health benefits -
- Preserves the vitamin and mineral content of food (vitamins dissolve in water)
- No need to use cooking fat or oil
- Lower temperatures mean that less energy is used
- Gentle cooking process - no sealing of meat or boiling is required
Quality of food -
- Maintains form and texture of food
- Retains natural juices
- Preserves colour, flavour and aromas
- Food remains moist and does not dry out
Ease of use and effectiveness -
- No risk of over cooking or burning food
- Preparation of complete meals using multi-level cooking
- No intermingling of flavours
- Regenerates or refreshes previously cooked items
- Simple to use
- Lower temperatures so less energy is used
- Prevents build up of steam (as in hob top cooking for rice etc.)
- Owners are more likely to use fresh ingredients for the extra benefits
Oven Timers and programmers:
The ‘minute minder’ is the most basic and turns the oven off after a set amount of time. Most ovens now have a digital clock and some sort of timer. They sound an alarm when the set time is up. Advanced auto timers can be programmed to let you start and end times, by pre-programming the oven to start and finish cooking at pre-set times, so you can return home and dinner will be ready to serve.
Pull-out shelves:
Non-tip shelves:
Non-tip shelves offer you some extra protection when dealing with hot and heavy dishes. Instead of reaching into the oven, you can pull out the shelf itself.
Telescopic shelves:
Telescopic shelf supports let you slide heavy trays out without tipping. Telescopic shelf runners are a superior feature to standard shelves, as they enable the trays or shelves to be fully pulled out of the oven cavity without the risk of being unstable, and the possibility a heavy roast chicken falling on to the floor. Some manufacturers offer them as an accessory for approximately £50.
An important part of your decisions will be the * ENERGY RATINGS * buying the most efficient products and saving money on your electricity too. Efficient appliances are also more environmentally friendly, reducing your impact on global warming and help reduce carbon emissions.
Here at Dream Kitchens our experienced designers can help you make the right choice for both you and your home.
Please contact us for further info.
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