The purpose of an ideal cuisine is to provide maximum comfort for family members and guests. Furniture and household appliances in this case should be selected as harmoniously as possible so that being in the kitchen is pleasant. Built-in hobs and ovens are usually the most important appliances for household appliances. And that is why it is worth considering in more detail such an important element of kitchen equipment.
Subtleties of choice
So, if you are interested in how to choose an oven, then you should first pay attention to such a parameter as volume. Large ovens make it possible to prepare meals in large portions. They may have a grill, skewer and some other additional devices. This option is preferable for large families and lovers to receive many guests.
Speaking about how to choose a built-in oven, it should be noted such important indicators as the main functional characteristics, reliability, safety, durability, ease of use in terms of ease of operation and easy cleaning.
The optimal arrangement of the oven is one in which the housewife does not need to squat, bend over, stretch on tiptoe to monitor the cooking process. The dimensions of the built-in appliances should be consistent with the dimensions of the niches in the furniture. The built-in oven has a width of 60 or 90 centimeters, due to which it fits in the furniture of the traditional layout, and either under the hob, or separately from it, in a place convenient for the hostess.
Types of Ovens
Understanding the question of how to choose an oven, it should be said that this appliance can be gas, electric or gas-electric. Many manufacturers offer not only ovens of these types, but also hobs, as well as other free-standing and built-in household appliances of different sizes. On the Russian market there is a fairly wide range of such devices of foreign and domestic production for installation in furniture in the kitchen.
Most embedded models are electrical products from the following companies: AEG, Hansa, Kaiser, Bosch, Gaggenau, Miele, Kuppersbusch, Zigmund & Shtain and Siemens (Germany); Bompani, Candy, Ardo, De Dietrich, Ariston, Indesit, Nardi and Zanussi (Italy); Beko (Turkey), Asko (Finland), Brandt (France), Fagor (Spain), Elektrolux (Sweden), Gorenje (Slovenia), ZVI, Novo-Vyatka, Darina (Russia); Hephaestus (Belarus).
Gas ovens come in two types: classic and multifunctional. In classical, two heating modes are distinguished, as well as air circulation inside the chamber in a natural way. In multifunctional there are several different heating modes, as well as a forced air circulation system inside the chamber. The air flow must be such that it does not accidentally blow out the faint flame of the burner during operation of the oven with little heat. To do this, many models use the so-called hollow burners - gas burns inside them, which is simply impossible to blow out. If accidental blowing occurs, then after a few seconds the ignition will work, which will restore the fire.
Almost all built-in gas ovens have an electric ignition with manual or automatic activation. If we are talking about the manual method, then it is necessary to simultaneously turn the gas supply regulator by pressing the ignition button. Automatic ignition assumes that when the knob for adjusting the gas supply is turned, the spark automatically slips inside the burner, and it serves as a source of fire. The latter option makes using the oven as simple as possible.
Continuing to talk about how to choose an oven, it should be said that forced air circulation is designed to ensure uniform and very fast heating of dishes, and this results in a crispy crust.Food is baked on all sides evenly. Cooking time is reduced by 30%, and dishes can be placed at several levels inside the appliance.
When deciding which gas oven to choose, it should be understood that such appliances are equipped with a skewer, grill and other devices with which the cooking process becomes much simpler. It allows you to provide all the conditions for cooking in the same way as roasting on charcoal. A gas grill differs from an electric one in economical use, however it is much more complicated and completely impossible to automate. On a rotating skewer, you can cook meat, poultry and fish in a large piece. If the oven is equipped with a multi-skewer skewer, then you can evenly and fairly quickly fry up to a kilogram of meat and cook up to four skewers of skewers.
In a gas oven, the lower heat is always created by the burner, and the upper sometimes forms another burner, but more often an electric grill is used for this.
Electric ovens
Electric appliances have a number of advantages over gas appliances in terms of the possibilities for cooking various dishes. Devices in this category can have the usual and multifunctional design. In a conventional oven, heating is carried out by tubular electric heaters, which are located at the bottom or top of the chamber. A skewer or grill can be placed in the upper zone of the chamber. In terms of operation, an electric grill is much more expensive than a gas grill, but it allows heating to be performed more efficiently. The rotating skewer is responsible for evenly frying selected dishes from all sides.
Now you can come close to the question of how to choose an electric oven. Devices with several operating modes are called multifunctional. Heating in them is carried out by means of four types of elements for heating: lower, upper, side, and also located on the rear wall. The fan is responsible for the uniform distribution of hot air over the full volume of the oven, which allows cooking at several levels. In multifunctional electric ovens with forced air circulation, it is possible to cook a variety of dishes due to the change in heating and the observance of the exact temperature regime.
Operating modes
- Defrosting food at room temperature, while only the fan inside the oven works.
- Defrosting using warm air and a fan on. This mode is also suitable for drying vegetables, fruits and mushrooms.
- Cooking in the usual way, with the lower and upper heater working. In this mode, it is convenient to cook pies, pizzas, cottage cheese.
- Faster cooking when the upper and lower heaters are on in combination with a fan. This option is suitable for cooking casseroles, fruit pies, fried vegetables, fries and other dishes.
- Faster cooking at different levels, while the fan and heater work around it, so that the heat evenly and quickly fills the entire oven.
- Browning of pastries and dishes with the upper heater turned on.
- Grill - at the same time the heater works, directing heat directly to the product. This mode is suitable for browning dishes, cooking thin slices of meat, casseroles, fillets, sandwiches, vegetables and fish.
- Grill with forced air circulation, through which you can achieve uniform browning with the formation of a crisp. This option is used for cooking grilled chicken, large pieces of meat, barbecue, poultry.
Design Features
Ease of use depends on the design of the oven and its installation location. The most convenient option is the oven, which is installed in a tall cabinet at the level of the chest or eyes.Beauty and perfect design influence not only the aesthetic perception, but also the well-being and mood of a person, as well as health.
When deciding how to choose an electric oven, remember that it needs to be cleaned immediately after use. The dirt that has just appeared is better to clean than already burnt. If you carry out occasional cleaning, then it will require more time and effort than regular. Cheap oven models force you to carry out a laborious manual cleaning process, and special self-cleaning and grease-repellent enamels can block the penetration of fat into the coating. Drops of fat slide onto a pallet, in which they then collect. Special grease filters allow you to capture odors and fumes.
Understanding how to choose an electric oven, we can say that pretty good results can be achieved if you use steam cleaning. To do this, the pan is filled with water, after which the corresponding function is turned on for 30-40 minutes. After half an hour, hard deposits soften, after which they are easily removed with a cloth. If we are talking about severe pollution, then you can turn on the lower and upper heat, and then set the temperature above 200 degrees Celsius for 30-40 minutes. Expensive models have such a function as automatic cleaning of the walls during cooking or immediately after its completion. Self-cleaning greatly facilitates the cleaning process, however, automation is not able to completely free the hostess from the need to carry out hygienic cleaning.
Oven Wall Self-Cleaning Methods
There are two methods: catalytic and burning of product residues. The second option is used only in electrical appliances, since gas does not allow heating the walls to the required temperature.
Catalytic cleaning ovens are characterized in that there is a coating containing a catalyst on all the inner walls or on the fan blades and only the side walls. It softens and destroys fat deposits during cooking. When the cooking process is completed, it is enough to wipe the walls of the oven with a damp cloth, so that loose plaque is easily removed. This method has a drawback, which consists in a sharp drop in cleaning efficiency after 5-7 years of operation. However, it is possible to replace easily removable interior panels.
Returning to the question of how to choose the right oven, it is worth mentioning such a method of self-cleaning as burning out food residues. This process occurs at temperatures above 500 degrees Celsius. The advantage of this option is cost-effectiveness and simplicity. The disadvantage is the appearance of a strong odor that accompanies the burning of product residues. When the self-cleaning process is completed, the walls must be wiped with a damp cloth.
Oven doors
An important requirement, which should not be forgotten, understanding how to choose an electric oven, is that the doors are tightly closed and properly insulated. Tightness is required for the quality of cooking. Optimal insulation guarantees easy temperature control, while minimizing heat loss.
A quite convenient option is a door with a retractable trolley on telescopic rails. With its help, extracting baking sheets becomes as simple as possible. A little effort is enough, and the pan moves out of the oven with the door. With the help of the lower locking stop, it is fixed when fully extended, and its reliability is maximized. An additional convenience for cleaning is created due to the possibility of fully removing the cart from the oven. The components of the device are quite easily removed, due to which its maintenance becomes as simple as possible.
When answering the question of how to choose a good oven, it should be noted: washing is facilitated by the fact that the doors are usually made without gaps and screws. All modern models are equipped with a backlight in the camera, which helps in monitoring the cooking process. Ovens are sold with optional accessories: wire racks, shelves, baking trays.
Management ways
So, when answering the question of how to choose an oven, we should mention the types of controls. This can be mechanical, used in gas heating, as well as electronic and electromechanical, used in the case of an electric device. The latter type is considered more reliable and simple.
Electronic control ensures minimum cooking time and optimal conditions for preparing various dishes, increases ease of use. With it, you can select the appropriate heating mode, as well as automatically maintain the temperature within certain limits. Modern touch sensors provide switching of operating modes by means of light touch of fingers. The indicators on the control panel always show the current operating mode.
Using the time relay, the start and end of the cooking process is recorded. At the end, a beep sounds. And this is an important function, the presence or absence of which is worth paying attention to, thinking about which oven is better to choose. The relay switches on at any time, and the cooking end time is set.
Special features
Using the function of writing to memory allows you to program certain cooking processes, and then control them. Using electronic memory provides the memorization of heating modes for cooking dishes that are most often cooked. Selecting the appropriate programs allows you to automatically set all the parameters. The display will show the menu, program, date and current time. The system provides cooking according to 15 recipes that you only need to choose.
If you decide which oven manufacturer to choose, then you can pay attention to the models from Ariston, which are able to automatically cook dishes according to 80 recipes. They can be stored in the device’s internal memory, and then used as necessary. The presence of fast cooking allows you to quickly cook dishes from frozen foods.
A semi-finished product or a frozen dish needs to be placed in the oven, and then set the cooking time. After a few minutes, everything can be served. Saving time is 20-50%. When determining which brand of oven to choose, you should also pay attention to the Ardo models, which are able to defrost, quickly heat up, and also keep ready meals in a warm state.
Safety operation
So, you have to purchase an oven. Which company to choose a model? It depends on a number of factors, in particular on your preferences. But remember, it is important to pay attention to the safe operation of the device, which is ensured by the design features. So, imported gas appliances should work without problems with Russian gas pipelines.
In such devices, the gas-control system is responsible for safety, which turns off the gas supply to the burners in automatic mode when the flame goes out and the temperature drops below a certain control value. In electrical models, safety depends on the compliance of the power consumption of the device with the capabilities of the electrical network. And here it doesn’t matter, whether it is a built-in or an independent oven. How to choose one or another model, as you see, depends on a whole complex of factors.
The warranty period for all types of devices in this case is from 1 to 5 years.The longer the official warranty period, the longer you will be insured against having to pay for repairs. And when determining which oven to choose, reviews from other consumers are able to provide the necessary information. Walk through the numerous forums, read what the hostesses say about their acquisition. Compare their reviews about a particular manufacturer. And make your choice.