Ovens, whats your preference?

floyd

We will soon be in the market for a new oven and I want to make sure I get a really good one for baking. Our current one (New World) was a complete waste of money and doesn't hold its temp at all with massive variations on temp between top and bottom (I know its gas and that happens but the base is 110C when the top is 280C!) and none of the gas marks are even close to the corresponding temp e.g 190C is gas mark 3 on my oven when its meant to be nearer 5!
So after trawling the forums I didn't get much of an idea of peoples opinions so I'd like to know what everyone favours for the best OS baking:

Gas or electric? (no solid fuel, kitchen not big enough)
Fan or regular?
Double or single oven?
Brands to avoid?

All opinions are welcome as this is one even UK Whitegoods couldn't help me with as they are repairmen and women not master bakers like you folk

seraphina

I've just spent Christmas trying to cook on my MiLs brand new gas oven and I totally agree - step away from the gas ovens if you're not used to them, they are just so variable in temperature. My MILs is a Cannon so should be excellent quality, I just managed to either incinerate everything or undercook things. Also it's so variable from front to back as well as from top to botton.

In our old house we had a bog standard electric oven (heating elements on the sides) which was fab - a slight variation from top to bottom but not too much. It was bang on the money - if a recipe called for 180 degrees C for 20 mins, you set it at 180 degrees C and 20 mins later it was done. I miss that old oven - think it was a Creda.

Our new house has an Indesit fan oven jobbie which I'm slowly coming around to. As it's a fan oven you have to knock about 20degrees C off the temperatures provided in recipes but it gives a fabulously even heat - no variation between top and bottom. It heats up very quickly (so less electric used waiting for it to warm up) and has made loaves and pizzas fine. My acid test is cooking cheesecakes , which need a slow and even cooking. Last cheesecake is just out and it's got a mirror smooth top - I'm a convert to fan ovens now, even if it does take a little bit of getting used to.

I would def. get a double oven if space/funds permit - the small top oven in ours is non fan and sometimes very useful for small quick things and warming plates. New ovens also have very well insulated doors so it doesn't overheat the kitchen when it's on.

Justamum

Unfortunately as I rent a house I am not in the market for an oven - I wish I could have my own choice though! After trying various ones in various houses I would go for a gas hob, but electric oven. The last two ovens I've used have both been fan ones, and I've not been impressed with them. I thought they were supposed to prevent hot spots, but they've both had really bad hot spots. I'm sure others will give their own opinions soon!

angeltreats

Electric fan oven - no question.

Currently we are renting a house that came with a geriatric non-fan electric oven and it is a massive pain in the you know what. It runs hot or cold depending on what mood it's in and varies hugely in temperature between shelves. I have a thermometer but it fluctuates too much to be of much use. I hate the thing to death.

Oh and I would love a double oven or at least a really big single oven. It's so hard to fit stuff in.

misskool

We have a single fan electric oven. It's a single because it has a very important pyrolytic function, you can set it to incinerate and then wipe down the ashes. No more oven cleaning

We bought a Neff and the temperature seems to hold constant (ie, I don't need to knock off 10C when cooking something).

Buy the best brand you can afford as you will be using it lots

Zed42

I'm a leccy fan oven fan with a gas hob.

Our last oven was a Belling, which was as above, but the oven temperature was way out all over the place. DH measured it once, 30 degrees out between top and bottom, side to side varied ... brown cupcakes on one side, undercooked on the other side.

Our new (2yrs) oven is ace, it's a Rangemaster, again electric fan oven and gas hob, and gives great results.



One thing to bare in mind, is noise .. we chose the Belling, as apart from in theory being a great cooker, was meant to be quiet, which when we lived in house with a kitchen with no door, was important! Didn't stop my cursing though

allycat999

I have an aga and a creda electric oven with halogen hob. I love my aga it is quite simply the best thing I have ever cooked with but in the summer I have to turn it off (because I can't stand the heat in the kitchen) and use the creda which I hate.

Red_Cat

Gas hob and electric fan oven seem to work best for me.

[Deleted User]

I have an electric fan oven which I use when having a big bake up but mostly I use my Remoska as it saves be a fortune in heating bills

beemuzed

Me, I love gas - never could get on with an electric oven or hob. Guess everyone has their own preference.

Sunnyday

In our last house we had a gas cooker which i loved, when we moved we inherited a gas hob and an electric oven. I loved the hob and hated the oven, we replaced the oven with a new one which was again electric and a fan oven but it was a very cheap and basic one, i think it must have made a difference - i hated it.

We now have a gas cooker once again and i love it! it has a seperate oven and grill and is very easy to keep clean.

I really thought that i would get on with the electric ovens but it wasn`t meant to be. Maybe they were both at the low end of the quality market and that made a difference but i`m so glad to see the back of them.

This is the new one http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/shop/appliances/cookers_and_microwaves/free_standing_cookers/115496958_stoves_panache_600sidlm_gas_cooker_silver_steel.html?source=phd?utm_source=phd&utm_medium=google_base and i wouldn`t change it for the world.

EDIT - If i`m only making something small like a cake then like JackieO i use the remoska.

HTH

SD