Oven Reviews

There are many factors that go into choosing an oven. Its power source, heating capability, physical configuration and the many little details you've become accustomed to and may take for granted all contribute to your final choice.

Most of the time, the power source will be chosen for you. How your kitchen was hooked up will direct you either towards a gas or an electric oven. Both gas and electric have their advantage and disadvantages. Gas ovens are capable of providing instant control over heat levels, while electric ovens tend to take longer to heat up or cool down.

Unlike standard heating ovens, convection ovens use a fan to circulate the air inside of an oven for even heating; convection can decrease cooking time dramatically. There are convection ovens available for both electric and gas hook-ups.

As with your kitchen's power pre-existing power source hook-up, the choice between a freestanding or wall oven is usually decided for you.

Freestanding ovens require a specific amount of space to work properly. Be sure you make as many measurements as possible to get it right the first time. Nothing's worse than having to send a freestanding oven back!

Wall ovens require a special cut-out in your kitchen wall. They're usually installed at waist level, making them easy to load and unload. A major advantage of wall ovens is their compact, space-saving convenience: they free up a lot of valuable floor space and provide more room for insulation which improves efficiency.

If you like to entertain or if you've got the space, a double oven can maximize your time in the kitchen. Double ovens come in both freestanding and wall models and is basically one oven stacked on top of the other. Double wall ovens are equally sized while freestanding double ovens are composed of one regular sized oven and one smaller one. Another noticeable advantage of double ovens is the variety in temperature control: with a double oven, you can cook two different types of food easily and quickly.

The size of the oven you should buy will also be determined by the oven you have to replace. But in general, electric ovens are usually 27" to 30" wide, while gas ovens are usually 24", 27" or 30" wide. Your cooking style can also narrow down your choices; if you like to entertain a lot, or if you like to cook a lot of large foods like whole birds, look for the largest oven your kitchen can accommodate. If you only use an oven to heat up a sheet of Tollhouse cookies or tv dinners, you'd do best with a smaller oven.

There are many little features that you may take for granted. But when you're shopping for a new oven, they can really stand out and may even seal the deal for you.

A self-cleaning option can help you keep your oven clean without all of the elbow grease. This feature heats to the oven up to an extremely high temperature to burn off any residue along the walls of the oven. After the self-cleaning cycle is complete and the oven has cooled down, all you have to do is sweep out the ashes.

Some ovens feature a separated broiler section for quick and easy browning. The broiler is usually underneath the oven component.

Another useful function is a delay timer. Delay timers come in handy if you tend to forget to put things in the oven. Set the timer for 90 minutes, throw your food in the oven and an hour and a half later the heating element will kick in and start baking it for you for the required amount of time.