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Our experts have put in hours of research to find the best single oven for your kitchen... Gas Stove 3 Burner
Baked eggs. Fresh focaccia. Luxurious servings of lasagne. From morning to night, we rely on our ovens to keep us fed. It really is the heart of the kitchen – especially for those who are partial to the joys of baking!
But beyond heating up your dinner, modern multifunction ovens can also tackle defrosting, dough proving, pizza baking, and even steam cooking. Many models on the market also have handy self-cleaning modes so you can say goodbye to the dreaded oven scrub-down.
That’s a lot to consider, but fear not, we can help you find the right oven for you...
If you’re buying a built-in oven, you’re in the right place. From models with integrated microwaves to options with 77-litre capacities fit for a feast, our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute put 45 built-in ovens to the test to find the most accurate and intuitive on the market. Here are the cookers that won’t let you down:
What are the different types of oven?
A compact single oven usually measures 45cm in height, while regular single ovens are about 60cm. These are a great choice if space is tight, if you mostly cook for one or two people, or tend to spend less time in the kitchen. Single ovens can be slotted under the counter or at eye-level. Remember, though, you won't be able to cook and use the grill at the same time.
For family cooking and entertaining, a double may be a better choice. Double ovens offer more versatility and are ideal for families. There are two types available: double built-in models, which measure about 90cm in height and are built-in at eye-level, and smaller double built-under models, which measure around 70cm in height and are built-in under the counter.
Built-in double ovens are roomier than smaller, double ovens built under the counter. You may be better off with a larger single oven, which will generally offer more space for your Sunday roast. When it's an under-counter model, double doesn’t necessarily mean double the size. Some models come with a very small capacity second oven – more suitable for grilling than cooking larger dishes.
Double ovens are also becoming less popular, so you’re less likely to find new models on the market. If you have a larger family with plenty of mouths to feed or enjoy hosting dinner parties, you may find two solo ovens a more suitable option.
What exactly makes an oven “smart”? They use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so you can connect them to your smartphone, allowing you to control them remotely. That means being able to switch your oven on and off or adjust the settings from the comfort of your sofa, or telling it to pre-heat on the way home from work.
You can also programme a smart oven to save your cooking preferences for next time, so it's perfectly tailored to you. They also feature preset cooking functions for different foods, so the hassle of selecting the right setting and temperature is out of your hands (although they can also still be used manually if you prefer.)
Installing a built-in oven is relatively straightforward, as they’re designed to fit inside your kitchen cabinets, but it will require more than simply slotting it into place and plugging in. Many electric ovens are just too powerful to plug straight into a wall socket. Check with the manufacturer for guidance.
You’ll need to ensure the oven is the correct size for the cavity you intend to use and that you'll have enough space to fully open the door. You should also check it's near the power supply you wish to use, be it gas or electricity, and that you have enough space around the power supply for proper installation.
You’ll also require a platform strong enough to support the oven’s weight and with enough clearance to meet the safety guidelines of the manufacturer. For peace of mind and your own safety, we recommend your oven is installed by an electrical engineer or Gas Safe registered engineer, depending on the power supply.
When it comes to cleaning, we’re all guilty of paying less attention to the inside of our ovens than the rest of our kitchen. However, grease and little pieces of burnt food can build up and absorb the heat, making your oven less efficient.
That’s why investing in an oven with a self-cleaning function could be a game-changer. There are three types of cleaning types on the market: pyrolytic, catalytic liners and steam-cleaning. Some even offer a combination of self-cleaning functions. Here are the benefits of each type, so you can pick the right option for you.
The most popular type of self-cleaning oven function, pyrolytic cleaning is an automatic programme that uses a combination of pressure and very high temperatures to convert grease and food residue inside the cooking compartment to ash. The ash collects on the floor of the oven and can then be swept away when the cleaning is done. Depending on the programme, this process lasts between one to three hours.
During the cleaning cycle, heat surrounds every corner of the oven cavity. Most models with this functionality ensure residual heat is enclosed during the cycle, meaning the temperature of the oven door should remain cool during use, just like in normal operation. In addition, the door automatically locks when pyrolytic cleaning is activated and cannot be opened during the cycle. It will only unlock when the cycle is complete and the internal temperature has returned to a safe level.
Alternatively, some ovens use catalytic stay-clean liners. These liners transform the oven into a self-cleaning machine when set at high temperatures. Take note, these ovens should never be cleaned manually, and the liners may need replacing during the cooker’s lifetime. Depending on the model, you may also have to service the liners by putting the oven on its highest heat setting for an hour.
As you may expect, steam cleaning functions use water from a removable tank or an included tray to loosen dirt and grease. These programmes often take under an hour and require lower temperatures than pyrolytic cleaning, so they’re more energy-efficient too.
However, the lack of heat means that they aren’t always as effective at removing hardened food as pyrolytic programmes. If you want the best of both worlds, you can opt for an oven that has catalytic liners and a steam-cleaning function to improve your clean-up time, such as the GHI-approved Beko AeroPerfect Single Multi-Function Oven.
Built-in ovens can have an overwhelming number of features. There are ones you probably expect, such as fan-assisted, full grill, partial grill, fan grill, upper and lower heat. But if you’re an aspiring home chef or a dinner party aficionado, there are some snazzy additional features that could broaden your dinnertime horizons. These clever functions do tend to add to the cost of the oven, so be sure you’ll make good use of them before investing. Here are the multifunction modes to look out for.
A dough proving setting creates the perfect environment for dough to rise more quickly than it would at room temperature, ensuring the surface of the dough doesn’t dry out while it’s rising.
Pizza modes circulate hot air from the top and heat from the bottom element, resulting in an evenly cooked base and a melted cheese topping. This setting can also be useful for making pies, tarts and quiche.
This is ideal for serving several courses throughout an evening or as a handy back-up if you happen to receive a phone call just as dinner is ready. The programme will set the temperature low enough that the food won’t dry out, but hot enough that any late dinner guests still get a warm meal.
If health is at the top of your agenda, an integrated steam function is a lovely perk. The steam allows you to cook everything from vegetables to fish without the use of cooking oil. Steam cooking can take longer than traditional cooking, but your ingredients will retain their nutrients, ultimately tasting better.
One for anyone who’s short on worktop space, ovens with an integrated microwave option mean you can go from baking to microwaving at the touch of a button. Often, you can also use the microwave and the conventional oven at the same time.
When you purchase a new oven, they are usually equipped with a range of accessories for your convenience. These are among the most common.
Also called a universal pan or baking tray depending on the manufacturer, these are multi-purpose and be used for an array of dishes; whether roasting meat and veggies, baking bread and cakes, or to use with the wire rack for grilling. It can also be used to catch fat drippings if grilling directly on a wire shelf. Most ovens provide you with at least one oven tray, though some models come with two or more.
Useful for grilling, these can also be used for ovenware, cake tins and other ovenproof dishes. New ovens typically provide you with at least two wire racks.
All ovens are equipped with removable wire shelf supports to insert interchangeably among the different shelf positions.
An oven may provide telescopic runners that make pulling out wire shelves and pushing them back in again far easier. It is also useful if you want to pull a dish out halfway to quickly check the cooking progress without removing it entirely from the oven. With some models, you can move the runners to the shelf position you require, while with others they are fixed and cannot be removed.
A slightly more specialised accessory, some ovens come with a temperature probe, which records the core temperature of meat when cooking.
You can’t test an oven without cooking, and that’s exactly why our experts at the GHI donned their aprons and got roasting, grilling and baking. In each oven, they made a full roast dinner, roast potatoes, apple crumble, fairy cakes, fruit cake and toasted bread.
They inspected each dish for any highlights or faults, noting every little detail, including whether the fairy cakes rose and if the potatoes were sufficiently crispy. They also tried cooking with multiple shelves in use at the same time to see if this altered the cooking results.
Next, they placed their thermocouple (a durable sensor for measuring temperature) inside the centre of the oven and tried varying heats to ensure the oven temperature gauge was accurate. They also checked how hot the oven door became while in use.
What didn't we like? This Neff number offers minimalist elegance with a high-definition digital control panel that’s easy to use. We were spoilt for choice when it came to its 12 useful functions, including bread baking, dough proving and low-temperature cooking.
Who we’d recommend it for
Everyone. From amateur bakers to cooking pros, you can expect fluffy fairy cakes and golden roast chicken, with a hassle-free pyrolytic clean afterwards. The quadruple-glazed door also remained cool to the touch no matter the temperature inside, so it’s a safe bet for homes with little ones or pets, too.
Make the most of the ‘CircoTherm’ function, a time-saving fan setting that ensures the desired temperature is achieved quicker than with a conventional oven – our experts loved it. Also, the oven door can snap shut if you push it with too much force, so opt for a light touch.
From its digital temperature gauge to its soft close door, this Hotpoint impressed. It scored full marks for its ability to distribute heat evenly and took just nine short minutes to preheat on both the fan and non-fan assisted settings. The no-fuss control panel also makes for easy cooking and outer cleaning. Just give it a swift wipe down and you’re good to go!
Who we’d recommend it for
This model is the perfect choice for busy families who like to cook. It has a deep capacity and spacious interior, making it ideal for batch cooking and epic feasts. It scored full marks in the roast test, producing crispy but fluffy potatoes and a golden-brown chicken skin in under two hours. Even at 200C, the oven door remained cool to the touch, so it’s a safe bet if you have little ones. The included grill tray is also a great size for big meals, comfortably fitting 12 slices of bread.
Keen bakers take note: the backlight illuminated the entire oven, so you can monitor your bakes without having to open the door.
They recommend using Hotpoint’s online instructions if you run into any issues, as the included paper manual wasn’t quite as informative as they would have liked.
This offered a best-in-class range of functions. It has 16 different cooking settings allowing for precision and accuracy, but the star feature was its turn dial, which has clear audio prompts to guide you through the cooking set-up. The pyrolytic and steam clean settings also made light work of tough grease stains. Thanks to its gliding telescopic rails, you can remove hot trays safely without crouching or fuss, too. The oven door also scored highly – our experts noted that it remained cool to the touch even at 240C.
Who we’d recommend it for
The premium price and techy features make this oven perfect for larger kitchens and chefs who will make use of its advanced functions. It does come with several trays that take up a lot of room when the oven is in use, so this may not be the model for you if you’re tight on storage space. It’s an excellent addition for anyone whose meals revolve around the freezer though – the gentle warming capabilities were a thawing delight.
Be sure to use the thermometer probe. Our experts loved this clever feature – simply insert it into meat, fish or bread to ensure your food cooks at the perfect temperature. It let us know that our succulent chicken was safely cooked in a speedy 41 minutes. Our testers were less impressed with the halogen lighting, which didn’t sufficiently illuminate the top grill, so you’ll need to open the oven door to check on your bakes.
This Hoover number made an excellent roast in under an hour. The chicken was juicy, and our experts were particularly impressed with the crispy skin on their potatoes. Outside of mouth-watering Sunday feasts, this oven proved to be a trustworthy buy. The thermostat was accurate, ensuring it stayed as close as possible to the target temperature, and there’s a wireless food thermometer for second-by-second heat assurance.
Who we’d recommend it for
Again, this model is a safe bet for households with little ones and inquisitive pets. Its handle and door remained cool to the touch even when the interior reached scorching temperatures and the display warns you when opening that the interior is hot. Plus, the childproof lock is a great perk for peace of mind. Be warned, the oven door does require quite a tug to open, so it may not be ideal for anyone with limited mobility.
Our number one tip for this oven is to be sure that you hit the start button after preheating, or the timer won’t start, and you’ll have a nasty surprise when it comes time to remove your dinner. Despise the dreaded oven deep clean? Our experts recommend removing the oven door for a hassle-free spruce up.
A great all-rounder, this oven was delightfully simple to use with clear display icons. In fact, it scored top marks for ease of use. It also produced impressive results on our baking, roasting and grilling tests, although the grill was a little slower than expected. The oven’s thermostat was true to temperature and the gentle soft-close door remained a cool 29C when in use.
Who we’d recommend it for
People with busy lifestyles. Versatile and low maintenance, the pyrolytic and steam-cleaning functions are a great time-saver. If you often find dinner delayed because someone’s late to the table, the keep-warm function will come in handy too.
Our fruit cake and fairy cakes didn’t rise quite to the level we would have liked. Keep this in mind if you like crafting cake masterpieces.
This Hisense oven has a whopping 77-litre capacity – five litres bigger than most of the other ovens we tested. Spacious and speedy, our experts loved the five-minute rapid preheat option and it impressed with its lightning two-and-a-half-minute grilling time. The bright internal lighting also gave a clear view of all five shelves (top shelf included). Hello confident grilling.
Who we’d recommend it for
Thanks to its large capacity, this oven is an undeniable batch cooker’s dream, and you can also quickly (and safely) thaw frozen food with the defrost function. If you’re constantly on the lookout for more midweek meal ideas or like entertaining, the Hisense’s air fry mode opens you up to a world of new dinnertime possibilities.
When using a lighter touch, our experts found the touch display to be quite unresponsive, so they recommend going for a firm press. The Hisense’s shelving also felt unstable at times and the proximity of the timer and minute reminder button meant it was easy to mix them up – watch out for a clumsy finger slip.
From its pyrolytic in-depth cleaning assistance to the economical curved oven door handle, the design of this fuss-free oven secured an impressive 9.6/10. You can easily remove the door for straightforward cleaning, and it also stayed safe to touch even at 200C. The thermostat proved reliable too, maintaining our target temperature with ease. On our cooking tests, it produced a satisfying and succulent roast dinner, complete with crispy and evenly cooked potatoes.
Who we’d recommend it for
Anyone who wants a straightforward oven that gets the job done. It’s ideal for everyday cooks and beginner bakers – there’s even an automatic Turn&Go programme that sets the cooking time and temperature for you. It goes without saying that the pyrolytic cleaning feature is an excellent perk if you’re looking to save on clean-up time too.
Despite producing accurate temperatures, this oven took 30 minutes to reach 200C. This longer heat-up time should be considered if you’re on the hunt for a speedy cooker. Our experts also noted that the oven’s fan stays on for up to 30 minutes after use, which may not be ideal for open-plan kitchen and dining spaces. For larger kitchens, our experts recommend setting an alarm on your phone (or Alexa), as the oven’s built-in alarm is rather quiet.
This Beko buy has a versatile range of cooking options, including steam cooking.
It also has a simple, intuitive control panel that makes getting used to your new cooker easy. We didn’t have to refer to the manual once during set-up or use, but you’ll be pleased to know that it has clear diagrams and instructions in case you do run into any problems. We also loved this oven’s SimplySteam feature, which made cleaning a doddle. You just fill the removable water tank, and the steam loosens any food debris.
Who we’d recommend it for
If you’re purchasing your first oven, this one’s a great choice, thanks to its easy-to-understand touchscreen. The 72-litre capacity also makes it a smart buy for anyone who likes entertaining – or just enjoys a perfect Sunday roast.
Our experts found the oven door became exceptionally hot (44C) when the oven was on a high temperature. They recommend going for a different model if you have small children or pets.
Heidi Lauth Beasley is one of our resident homes writers, specialising in product reviews for everything from smoothie makers and coffee machines to barbecues and bedding. Originally from Dorset, Heidi’s simple pleasures include finding new and unique ways to rid her life of stray pet hairs and telling anyone who’ll listen that tea tree oil is a natural disinfectant. Heidi has an MA in Creative Writing for Brunel University and was previously a restaurant critic for The Infatuation London. Her specialist subjects included natural wine bars, handmade pasta spots and restaurant accessibility. She has also written for The Sunday Times Style and OpenTable. She is currently working on her debut novel. Heidi lives in Tottenham with an exceptionally sassy house rabbit called Gatsby. At the weekend, you’ll usually find her reading on her terrace or attempting to convert her friends to sparkling red wine.
Blossom is our Senior Homes Tester. Passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for our readers, she has tested everything from blenders to pizza ovens. Blossom enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols for hundreds of items. Innovative items like robot vacuum cleaners and wine coolers are among her favourite tests to date, and her most notable accomplishment is toasting 360 slices of bread in a determined bid to find the best toaster. In her free time, Blossom openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
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