Your Guide to Choosing the Best Oven for Your Kitchen

In the process of building a new kitchen? Or considering replacing your oven but not sure what to get? There are so many different types of oven out there – it can be really hard to know which one is the best oven for your kitchen.

So before you start shopping, take a look at this guide to find out what you should be looking for.

Freestanding or built-in?

One of the first things you should do when you’re looking at new ovens is decide whether you want one that’s built into your kitchen cabinets, or one that’s part of a freestanding cooker.

Freestanding cookers are one appliance with oven(s) and a hob included. Lots of people choose to get a freestanding cooker because they know they’ll be able to take it with them if they move house. Some cookers take up more room than built-in ovens, as they can be wider. They also have to stand on the ground.

Built-in ovens give you the chance to separate your oven(s) and hob. This is a brilliant practical move if your kitchen often gets crowded with multiple people cooking in it. You’ll also get the option to elevate your oven if you don’t like bending down to it.

How many ovens do you want?

It’s also essential to determine how many ovens you want. If you only tend to cook one dish at a time in your oven then you probably only need one. But if you often find that you want to use the grill and oven at the same time, or that you want to make cook multiple dishes at different temperatures, then you could need more than one oven.

Don’t forget that if you get multiple ovens they don’t necessarily need to be part of the same unit. Many people choose to have a single oven in one part of their kitchen, and a compact oven with a grill in another bit. This is a good space-saving option, and gives you more flexibility if you want to design your kitchen in a certain way.

What size oven do you need?

If you want to get the best oven for your kitchen then it needs to be the right size. The standard width for built-in ovens is usually 60cm. However, oven heights and capacity can vary more.

The majority of single built-in ovens are around 60cm high. This makes them fairly versatile – they don’t take up much room so you’ve got more choice on where to put them. Single compact ovens are usually 45cm tall and double ovens tend to be 72cm or 90cm tall.

Remember that two ovens can look the same on the outside but be different sizes on the inside. So, for example, if you’re comparing two standard single ovens, make sure you find out what their capacities are.

The ovens in freestanding cookers tend to vary in size more. Investigate the oven sizes of individual cookers and makes to find out your options.

Consider how much food you usually cook in your oven at one time when you’re deciding on oven size. Ideally, you’ll want one that you can fit a roast dinner for the whole household in. Of course, you could get something smaller, but just keep in mind that it might make cooking bigger meals difficult.

Electric or gas?

Not everyone has a mains gas supply, but if you do then it’s worth taking time to decide whether the best oven for you will run on electricity or gas.

An electric oven is a good choice if you want good heat distribution and accurate temperature controls. There are lots of electric ovens around, so you’ll have plenty of choice.

A gas oven is a sensible choice if you want something cheap to run, as gas costs less to cook with than electric. However, there are generally less gas ovens around and where you can install your oven might be limited by your gas supply.

Once you’ve answered these 4 questions, you should find it easier to work out whether the different ovens you find will suit you and your kitchen. The best oven for you will be one that works well with your cooking habits and kitchen design.

If you want help with your oven installation or other kitchen work, click ‘Start my project’. We’ll connect you with up to 4 kitchen professionals in your area.