Ovens, cookers, hobs, stoves - all of these words are associated with a kitchen appliance that will heat your food up: however, they’re all slightly different. In this buying guide, we’re going to focus on ovens, which tend to be built in and integrated within the rest of the kitchen design.
If you’re looking for a new oven but aren’t sure where to start, this buying guide should give you some answers and help you decide.
What is the difference between a cooker and an oven?
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, cookers and ovens are actually a little different from each other.
According to Kitchinsider:
‘A cooker is traditionally an all-in-one freestanding appliance with a multi-burner hob/cooktop on top and the oven on the bottom. An oven is a built-in appliance that has one or two doors (single or double oven) and is used for baking and grilling. An oven doesn’t have a hob or cooktop built into it.’
What is an electric oven?
Electric ovens are exactly that; they are powered by electricity and use this to heat your food. Over the years, electric ovens have overtaken gas ovens in terms of popularity so much that they outstrip gas ovens 100 to 1 in sales.
What are the benefits of an electric oven?
With regards to initial upfront cost, electric ovens tend to be cheaper than their gas counterparts, with prices starting from around £159. The cost of installation is also lower than a gas oven.
- Modern electric ovens can also come with additional features :
- Pyrloytic Cleaning superheats the oven interior so grease and grime turns to dust so you can literally sweep it away
- Catalytic “stay clean” liners on many ovens burn splashes and grease away continually whilst you cook
- Aqua Clean or Hydro Clean ovens will steam clean themselves if you put a small quantity of water inside and switch on the required cycle.
- MultiFunction Ovens will provide heat-source options such as Top Heat only (great for fish and poultry ) Bottom Heat only (Pizza), Fan Cooking, Fan Grilling, Bread Proving Mode, Slow Cook, and Defrost to name some of the more popular options.
- Fan Ovens blow hot air into the cavity from the rear so there is normally consistent heat on whichever shelf you are cooking on.
- You will always find a grill in the top of an electric oven, normally with adjustable heat settings.
- Some electric ovens have a programmable timer enabling you to have the oven switch on and start cooking whilst you are out or busy doing other things. It will, of course, also switch itself off!
What are the disadvantages of electric ovens?
If you want to be sure that you are at a safe cooking temperature before putting your food in, it always advisable to preheat the oven. This can typically take 8-10 minutes in an electric oven compared to 3-5 minutes in a gas oven – this can be frustrating if you’re just cooking some fish fingers for the kids.
What is a gas oven?
Just like electric ovens work exactly as you’d think, gas ovens are the same.
Gas ovens cook food via a gas-fuelled burner. These appliances require a steady supply of natural gas to function - the gas is ignited by either a spark generator or a small pilot flame depending on the model - Cooker Spare Parts, 2017.
UK cooks generally prefer “Gallery” burners at the back of the floor of the oven – the hot air rises and convects over the roof of the oven enveloping the food in hot air, The alternative is central burners in the middle of the floor of the oven which is not as even and there can be big differences in the temperature from the top to the bottom of the oven.
Gas ovens normally have a gas grill inside which are not as easily regulated as electric grills.
What are the benefits of a gas oven?
One of the main benefits of a gas oven is its ability to heat up and reach the required temperature quickly; this is ideal if you’re short on time (or just have very hungry kids!).
What are the disadvantages of gas ovens?
If you’re browsing the market for a gas oven, one of the first things you may notice is the lack of choice when compared to electric ovens. This is because, as previously discussed, they’re the less common choice in many households.
Most people have learnt to cook using an electric oven so are unfamiliar and nervous about choosing a gas variant which is why it has been a declining choice over the past 20 years.
Housing landlords also have the added expense of having to have a gas cooker safety checked every year.
Furthermore, if you’re looking to cook some crispy fries or a crusty loaf of bread, a gas cooker may not be the best option due to it being more difficult to control humidity levels than in an electric oven.
Single vs double electric ovens
For many households (particularly if you’re only cooking for one or two people, a single oven is perfectly adequate. However, for the keen baker, larger household or keen entertainer a second oven is a useful addition. Either two single ovens (great if you are planning a complete kitchen re-design) or a double oven built into a tall housing or under your worktop: regardless, you can cook two completely different dishes at the same time. The smaller top oven in a double oven also heats up more quickly if you’re only cooking a small dish.
According to My Budget Recipes:
‘A single oven is a fantastic choice if you want to save energy and money while still having enough cooking room for pots and pans. On the other hand, a double oven is best if you aim for more complex cooking, allowing you to save time and effort.’
Are gas or electric ovens easier to clean?
While opinions on the correct answer to this question vary, in general, households usually find that electric options are easier to clean. As we mentioned above, there are a few cleaning options available on many electric ovens:
- Pyrloytic Cleaning superheats the oven interior so grease and grime turns to dust so you can literally sweep it away
- Catalytic “stay clean” liners on many ovens burn splashes and grease away continually whilst you cook.
- Aqua Clean or Hydro Clean ovens will steam clean themselves if you put a small quantity of water inside and switch on the required cycle.
- Many electric ovens have clip-off doors for easy cleaning, removable inner door glasses and clip-off door seals.
By comparison, the few gas ovens available tend to be older designs and have enamelled interiors so elbow grease is required!
Whilst on the subject you’re likely to have the corresponding electric or gas hob.
Gas hobs are quick heating, controllable and popular but cleaning can be a bit of a pain because it involves removing the pan supports and burners before wiping away spills and fat splatter.
Electric hobs simply wipe clean without having to remove any bits and pieces; Induction hobs are better still because if you spill anything you can simply move the hot pan to one side and safely wipe the surface before continuing with your cooking.
Are gas or electric ovens better?
Ultimately, when it comes to choosing an oven, the choice is yours. However, it’s important to consider your needs and priorities to allow you to pick the option that’s best for your household.
At G-Craggs, we pride ourselves on listening to your requirements and our team are well equipped to help you decide which oven would work best for your needs. If you have any questions about our oven ranges, or would simply like more information about a particular brand or product, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team today who will be more than happy to help.