Which electric wall oven should I buy?

Which electric wall oven should I buy?



You've settled on a wall oven, but which one should you buy?
Not sure if a wall oven is the way to go? Head to our article, 'Which is the best electric oven?'
In this article, we will save you time by outlining some general considerations before recommending the best option based on your requirements and preferences. 

General considerations

In general, we'd recommend sticking to your existing oven size to minimise the complexity of the retrofit. When considering your budget, remember you will probably need an electrician to install the oven.
You can narrow down your options fast by considering your limitations and preferences:
  1. Your budget
  2. The width of your current oven
  3. Any features that are must-haves

Budget

How much do you realistically want to spend? Remember when you are considering your budget, you will probably need an electrician to install the unit.
 
If you want to minimise costs then the following things may help:
  1. Avoid ovens with extra compartments and being able to run them all at the same time. Another big power suck is pyrolytic cleaning (aka "self cleaning"). As well as increasing the up-front purchase price, you'll have higher running costs.
  2. A 60cm width unit will reduce purchase price and running costs.
  3. Be less concerned with brand and choose whichever brand supplies a trustworthy product at a good price.
  4. Only buy the features you need. Consider your current cooking experience: what features do you already use and what features are missing that you feel are essential?

What's the best size?

To keep your project as simple as possible, exchange like for like and get a replacement wall oven that is the same width. It should slide right into the same gap in your cabinetry.
 
The only exception to this? If you've got a larger oven and you want to reduce purchase price and running costs, choose a 60cm oven as a replacement. It might be a good time if you realised your last oven was a bit extravagant and you can get by with something smaller. 
Just take note that if you already have a space for a wall oven, you may need cabinetry to reduce the space, which will add to the cost.
If you want to change the size of your oven, this is possible and you can identify a customised option to suit your needs by attending one of our Home Electrification Masterclasses. Check your Masterclass readiness now!

What about features?

Every time you purchase a new product, you'll be bewildered with all the latest features available with the most up-to-date products.
 
Avoid spending more than you need or getting talked into buying a confusing product by asking the simple question; what functionality do you currently use and what is missing from your current oven? Apart from the fact it runs on gas!

What about self-cleaning ovens?

This is a relatively new development in the world of ovens. A self-cleaning oven sounds great, but they don't always live up to the hype. However, they make cleaning a much easier task. There are two main types of self-cleaning oven: pyrolytic and catalytic.
 
Catalytic liners (or self-cleaning surfaces)
These work by absorbing fat splatters. For the liners to work well, you need to regularly heat the oven to 250°C for an hour to burn off the splatters and, when cool, wipe them with a damp cloth. Look for liners covering the back wall, sides and even the ceiling.
 
Pyrolytic cleaning function
The oven locks itself and heats up to around 400–500°C for approximately two to three hours, converting food residue to ash, which you simply wipe away when it cools. When using this function make sure there is plenty of ventilation and keep small children and animals away from the oven as the glass can become very hot and there can be smoke.
 
As well as using a lot of energy during the cleaning process, using this function also draws a lot of power, which might mean you'll need to upgrade your mains supply and/or switchboard. Make sure you factor this into the cost of your kitchen upgrade.
Some ovens use a steam-clean cycle to loosen baked-on grease and food. Simply fill the baking tray with water and select the automatic one-hour cycle that heats the oven to 90°C. Once the cycle is finished, all you should need to do is wipe the oven clean with a soapy cloth. A chemical oven cleaner might be needed to remove stubborn grease marks thoroughly.

Options for your specific needs

In this section we outline options based on three categories:
  1. Budget options
  2. Balance of performance and price
  3. 90cm+ units.
The example appliance brands and models are included to illustrate what is available in these categories but they are not the only option. There are comparable products. We will provide links for comparable products.
You can identify a customised option based on your budget, needs/wants, kitchen space and installation time requirements by attending one of our Home Electrification Masterclasses. Check your Masterclass readiness now!

You're after a reasonable budget option


Source: https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/kulinarisk-forced-air-oven-w-pyrolytic-funct-stainless-steel-50421060/

 

The Ikea KULINARISK is an affordable electric wall oven with a high Choice score at RRP $1369. The oven comes with the choice of pyrolytic and steam self-cleaning options. It comes with a 5 year warranty.


This is an example of a budget electric wall oven. Other options can be browsed through the E&S website, which has comparable units within this price range, with similar features. On this website you can also specify the size of the wall oven to have it easily slide in to your existing cabinetry. 

You're after performance


Source: https://www.neff.com.au/productList/ovens-compact-ovens/ovens/single-ovens/B57CR22N0B#/

 

It's a big step up from the price point of the IKEA at RRP $3199, but the Neff B57CR22N0B comes highly recommended by Choice and has the best Choice community member feedback of all the oven options. It comes with a pyrolytic cleaning function and Slide&Hide, which means you don't need to work around the oven door. The unit also comes with a 4 year manufacturers warranty.

This is an example of an electric wall oven with strong reviews and performance. Other options can be browsed through the E&S website, which has comparable units within this price range, with similar features. On this website you can also specify the size of the wall oven to have it easily slide in to your existing cabinetry. 

You want a 90cm+ unit or you prefer a certain brand

For reference, you'll be looking at $2k - $18k for a 90cm wide unit.

The best resource we've found for a range of electric wall ovens in one place is the E&S website. The added bonus? You can pop into one of their stores to look at physical units to check if it is right for you. Here's a link to search results that you can filter by brand or for 90cm units on their website.
To reduce your risk, make sure the product you are interested in has a good warranty and that the manufacturer is established. Compared to what? Other products and manufacturers.

What's next?

Hopefully you've picked out the best wall oven for your circumstances.
 
If you are now up to replacing a gas cooktop with an electric alternative and you haven't started your research, have a look at our article, 'Which is the best electric cooktop?'
 
If you are all set with your planning for cooking appliances, take a moment to congratulate yourself! Cooking is the most personal of the Energy Freedom upgrades and so it is often the most difficult. When you are ready to move to the next area of upgrades, such as hot water or space heating, in your journey to an Energy Freedom Home, click here to head to our planning article.
 
Ready to get it installed? Make sure you have the right installer to get the job done. We have some advice in our 'How to find a trusted tradie' article.

Facing some tricky cabinetry upgrades? Join an Energy Freedom Homes Masterclass and learn to identify your needs, gain expert installation advice, and meet trustworthy tradespeople. Check your Masterclass readiness now!
 
The recommendations in this article come from talking with real people and communities to identify a best-fit option for a range of priorities. We also do our research; each of the above recommendations is based on articles by Choice Magazine, ratings from Product Review and general consensus from the popular Facebook group, My Efficient Electric Home.