Cooking with your oven should be a simple and enjoyable experience 鈥� no battling with difficult control panels, dealing with uneven cooking and burnt spots, or stubborn grease buildup. 

Whether you’re baking sweet treats, making a Sunday roast or rolling up your sleeves to get it sparkling clean, knowing how to get the most out of your oven will help to make cooking and cleaning a breeze. 

Our kitchen experts have tested the latest innovations in oven technology and share their tips and tricks to help you get the best results from this essential kitchen appliance.

1. Preheating your oven is important

Sounds pretty self explanatory, but how many times have you turned on your oven and whacked your food in before it’s been given a chance to preheat?

It鈥檚 a simple step but it鈥檚 essential in getting the best results. Preheating allows your oven to reach the correct temperature before food goes in, giving it the best chance to cook evenly.

If you bypass this step you might find your food takes longer to cook and could cook unevenly, leaving you with burnt edges and undercooked centres. 

Hack tested: Using the grill to preheat

If you don’t like waiting for your oven to preheat, try turning on the grill for a few minutes first, before switching over to conventional oven mode. The idea behind this hack is that the grill jump-starts the heating process so the preheating process is faster.

When we gave this hack a whirl, the grill heated the oven interior to 190掳C in just under four minutes 鈥� half the usual time. Models do vary, so it鈥檚 worth experimenting.

2. Keep the door closed during cooking

Ever heard the phrase 鈥渁 watched pot never boils鈥�? It鈥檚 the idea that the more you anxiously wait for something to happen, the longer it seems to take. The same idea applies to using your oven. 

As tempting as it may seem to constantly check your food during cooking, you鈥檒l get the best results if you keep the door closed. 

Each time you open the oven door, heat escapes and the temperature inside can drop significantly (depending on how long the door stays open). This can have a detrimental effect on certain baked dishes that rely on constant heat, and it will generally slow the cooking process. 

糖心Vlog kitchen expert Chantelle Dart says 鈥渋f your oven has a good internal light you can view cooking progress through the window, rather than constantly opening the door鈥�. 

鈥淜eeping the glass clean will also go a long way to improving visibility through the door,鈥� she adds.

3. Give your oven a steam clean

Not many people look forward to oven-cleaning time. But Chantelle suggests a little ongoing maintenance goes a long way and can help you ditch harsh cleaning chemicals, too.

鈥淕et into the habit of wiping down your oven surfaces after each use, once it鈥檚 cooled. This will keep the grease and grime at bay, so there鈥檒l be no need for toxic, highly caustic cleaning solutions,鈥� she says.

鈥淧lacing a bowl of steamy hot water in the oven while it鈥檚 still warm after cooking will loosen the grime and do most of the cleaning for you. A good-quality, fibre-tech cloth designed to remove grease will do the rest.

鈥滻f there are crumbs in your oven after cooking (especially if you have an oven with air frying function), or lots of ash after a pyrolytic clean, try using your vacuum cleaner with the crevice tool attached (but only once your oven has thoroughly cooled down, of course).

4. De-grease grills and oven racks

Grill trays and oven racks can get pretty grubby, and cleaning these large and bulky accessories in a domestic kitchen sink can be a messy and awkward experience. 

For a minimal-fuss solution, Chantelle suggests soaking them in a laundry tub with hot water and an enzyme-based detergent for a few hours, or even overnight.

鈥淭he enzymes in the detergent 鈥榚at away鈥� the built-up grease and food that鈥檚 burnt onto the grills,鈥� she says.

鈥淚t almost just wipes off with a sponge. Visit our laundry detergent review and choose one of the products our experts recommend that has enzymes in it.鈥� 

If you have a large 90cm oven and your racks don鈥檛 fit in your laundry tub, use your bath instead.

5. You dont need an ‘air-fry’ function to air fry

Air fryers are the game changing kitchen appliance that keeps on giving. It鈥檚 become such a must-have appliance that manufacturers are now adding the functionality into all sorts of kitchen appliances. 

Ovens are essentially air fryers on a larger scale, but manufacturers are still adding “air-fry” functions to their latest releases and almost all the new ovens that come through the 糖心Vlog labs now have this feature.

But the truth is, if you love to air fry, you don’t need a dedicated function in your oven to achieve the same results. 

Chantelle says: 鈥渋f your oven has a fan-grill setting, using that will give you a similar result to using an oven that has a dedicated air fry mode鈥�.

6. Make stacks of snacks

For a bigger cooking yield when making homemade chips, Chantelle suggests stacking oven-safe cooling racks on top of your oven trays to create more surface area. 

鈥淪tack cooling racks, each layered with food,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l get bowlfuls for the whole family and not just a handful to fight over.鈥�

We sliced sweet potatoes with a mandoline for even, thin rounds, then coated them with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Once we鈥檇 layered everything up (baking paper will prevent sticking), we baked our chips at 100掳C fan-forced for two hours, turning once. 

7. Bring stale bread back to life

If you鈥檝e got a loaf that鈥檚 past its best, here鈥檚 how to revive it in a flash.

Lightly dampen it, then pop it into a warm oven (about 150掳C), straight on the rack, for roughly five minutes. The water will turn to steam and help rehydrate the bread, while also firming up the crust. 

We tried this hack on a rather sad sourdough, and found it came back to life beautifully.

8. Get your glass door gleaming

Glass oven doors get smashed with all sorts of grime. Your best bet is to wipe it down after every use, but if you鈥檝e left the grime to build up, it鈥檚 likely more elbow grease is needed to get it back to pristine condition.

While an oven cleaner is the obvious choice for this task, many people don’t like the strong chemical fumes these products give off.

If you鈥檙e looking for a more natural way to clean, Chantelle suggests creating a paste with bicarb soda and water (and sometimes a dash of white vinegar) and applying it to the glass for up to 30 minutes before scrubbing with a non-abraisive sponge. 

鈥淭he combination of these ingredients will go a long way to help lift stubborn grease,鈥� she says.

Hack tested: Using a dishwasher tablet

Using a dishwasher tablet to cut through your oven door鈥檚 baked-on grease is one of the latest viral cleaning hacks. Dishwashing tablets are incredibly alkaline 鈥� which allows them to eat through grease 鈥� but they鈥檙e not quite as alkaline as oven cleaner and if there鈥檚 grit on the glass, you risk scratching it. 

But a dishwashing tablet does have the advantage of not being an aerosol, which means you won鈥檛 inhale any oven-cleaning fumes. So provided you wear gloves, it probably won鈥檛 hurt. Keep in mind that it will almost certainly be less effective than a proper oven cleaner though.

We were pleasantly surprised by the results when we gave this hack a go. First, snap on some rubber gloves. Then, dip a powder-based tablet into warm water and rub it across the interior pane. Keep dipping and rubbing until the tablet has fully dissolved (don鈥檛 be alarmed by the brown sludge that forms). Use kitchen paper or a microfibre cloth to remove the residue. Repeat until your glass is sparkling.

In many cases, the oven door or glass can also be removed for cleaning, which can be helpful. However, some are easier to remove and replace than others.

9. Crisp up your crumbed food

Love crispy fried foods but hate all the oil? 糖心Vlog home economist Fiona Mair suggests turning your oven into a supersized airfryer 鈥� as long as it has a fan-forced setting. 

鈥淯se a cake rack or place food directly on the oven shelf to cook crumbed foods 鈥� just use an oil spray first for golden browning,鈥� she says. 

鈥淭his method reduces the amount of oil used and allows heat to circulate the food, so there鈥檚 no need to turn it during cooking.鈥�

10. Use your oven to prove your dough

As any bread baker will tell you, “proving” 鈥� when the fermentation action of yeast causes the dough to rise 鈥� is a vital part of the baking process. 

For a successful prove, yeast needs a warm, humid environment 鈥� experts suggest 24鈥�32掳C. 

If your oven doesn鈥檛 offer this temperature, try Fiona鈥檚 workaround for stand-alone ovens or wall ovens that sit below a benchtop: 鈥淭urn your oven on the lowest possible temperature, leave the door ajar and place the bowl of covered dough above the door,鈥� she says. 

You could also try popping your container of dough on the middle rack of your (cold) oven, then putting a half-filled loaf tin of boiling water at the bottom. Keep the door closed 鈥� and let the warmth and steam work their magic. 

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An oven is likely one of the most frequently used appliances in your kitchen, and there’s also a good chance it’s one of the most expensive. 

Not to mention that how well your oven performs can mean the difference between turning out beautiful cakes versus disastrous bakes!

We test and review a wide range of wall ovens to help you avoid buyer’s remorse and nab yourself an appliance that will go the distance (and hopefully help you nail that perfect sponge cake or ultimate roast dinner with ease).

An oven should last you up to 15 years, so if you choose well you’ll have many happy years of cooking ahead of you. 

But choose the wrong one and your dreams of airy sponge cakes and succulent roasts could go up in smoke. That’s why 糖心Vlog experts recommend you check our detailed oven reviews before you buy.

Choosing an oven

“To get the best out of any oven you need to become familiar with it,” says 糖心Vlog kitchen expert Fiona Mair. 

“An oven with a low performance score in our testing may just require a little more trial and error to get better results.”

Fiona advises that when buying an oven, you should think about what you like to bake and what functions you’ll need to achieve the best results.

“Most ovens are multifunctional, so choose one that has the functions that will best suit your needs. Don’t just look at the brand name or price, as you may be disappointed.” 

Hot tips for buying an oven

According to Fiona, most ovens cook well, but it’s ease of use that separates the average from the outstanding. She recommends checking the controls, shelf design and internal surfaces instore before committing to a purchase.

“Make sure the controls are clearly labelled and easy to understand,” she says.

“Try pulling the shelves and trays in and out to see if they run smoothly and that there are stoppers to prevent spills.

“Finally, check the visibility through the door and look for awkward gaps in the door or internal surfaces that will be tricky to clean.”

Also, look for an oven that has the accessories you need. Fiona recommends at least two shelves, a baking tray that slides into the shelf supports, and a grill rack. 

The lowest scoring ovens in our tests

Smeg SOPA6102TB3

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 70%
• Price: $2690

Despite the fact it’ll set you back almost three grand, this Smeg was the worst performing of all the ovens we looked at in our latest batch. 

It does have an air fryer function, which is a feature that’s popular in new ovens, and it performed quite well when we tested its air fryer capabilities. 

However, our experts aren’t convinced that it’s worth seeking out an oven with this function: if your oven has fan grill mode, you can use that and still get similar results. 

While the Smeg scored quite well on a number of our tests, it was let down by its grilling abilities in particular 鈥� it left large areas of bread unevenly toasted, so it was rated as “borderline” for grilling by our experts. 

It’s also difficult to see food cooking under the grill due to the oven’s design, so grilling could be a very hit-and-miss process.

This oven scores one percentage point lower than a $699 Ikea oven for ease of use, which just goes to show that spending more won’t guarantee you an easier ride. 

Not only will you be paying more upfront, you’ll also have to work a lot harder, as it’s very confusing and difficult to use. Our kitchen experts have more than 35 years’ experience between them, so if it confuses them, regular home cooks will likely have a very hard time using this oven.

There are plenty of other ovens around this price and cheaper that actually perform well, so we suggest you spend your money elsewhere.

Read the full Smeg SOPA6102TB3 review.

Electrolux EVE614DSE review

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 71%
• Price: $1299

A score of 71% isn’t terrible 鈥� it’s technically classed as “Good” under our rating scale 鈥� but when the top performers sit around 85% and higher, it puts this Electrolux’s score into perspective. 

Another oven with a grill that’s far from brill, it’ll also disappoint when cooking roasts. 

Not to mention that if you’re cooking something heavy, the shelf can tilt, so your Sunday roast could end up on the floor if you’re not careful. 

And to add to your disappointment, you may end up with a sad-looking roast chook 鈥� our experts found the oven didn’t crisp the skin and the browning was patchy.

If you like to have a clear view of the food cooking in your oven, then the Electrolux isn’t the best choice, with the visibility through the glass panel and internal light being marked down by our experts.

Instructions are important when buying a new oven, but unfortunately this model only comes with a quick-start guide. You’ll need to go online to download and print the full manual if you want all the details. 

Read the full Electrolux EVE614DSE review. 

Bosch HBF133BS0A

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 71%
• Price: $1049

This model didn’t exactly wow our experts 鈥� but it’s not a dud either. We just think there are better ovens for the price.

It did get excellent scores for low-temperature baking, so it’ll turn out lovely meringues. But its high-temperature cooking score was less than stellar at 50%, which means pizza without the crispy base (truly a culinary crime). 

It has catalytic liners, but only on the back wall, which means you’ll still need to scrape and scrub the ceiling, walls and floor of the oven to keep it clean 鈥� which kind of defeats the purpose of having catalytic liners. 

(Not sure what catalytic liners are? We explain all about pyrolytic and catalytic ovens.)

It’s not really a pleasure to operate either, with our experts noting that the controls were only OK to use, the manual temperature dial may not be accurate, and the function symbols are small. 

It doesn’t have telescopic runners, and the shelves move out loosely, plus the door can slam shut when almost closed 鈥� all things that can add up to a ruined roast or a crummy cake. 

Read the full Bosch HBF133BS0A review. 

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First there was the simple air fryer. Then came the twin-basket air fryer. Then the benchtop-oven air fryer. 

Not content with producing multi-cookers that do eight different things, multi-cooker manufacturers are now releasing models with air-frying capabilities. (One of the most ‘multi’ of all multi-cookers boasts 14 different functions!)

So it’s no surprise that now oven manufacturers such as Westinghouse, Electrolux and Fisher & Paykel are jumping on the trend too. 

And it makes sense, given that air fryers are effectively mini ovens. Why not take an air fryer and supersize it? Give the people what they want!

If you’re an air fryer lover who’s looking to take things to the next level, you might be eyeing off an oven that can do it all, including air frying. But is it a good option, or should you stick to a regular oven plus an air fryer on the bench?

Here’s what 糖心Vlog’s kitchen experts say. 

On this page:

• How does an oven air fryer mode work?
• Are ovens with air fryers any good?
• How much does an oven with an air fryer cost?
• Should you just buy a separate air fryer?
• Expert verdict: Is an oven with air-fryer mode worth it?

How does an air-fryer mode on an oven work?

You probably wouldn’t be able to tell an oven with an air fryer mode apart from a regular oven. There’s no secret air frying compartment, no separate door 鈥� nothing that gives away its secret superpower. 

If you open the door and look a little closer, the only difference is the addition of a special air fryer shelf. It’s either a shallow tray that is perforated and slides into the shelf supports or a mesh basket that sits in a shelf rack. (You’ll need to place a tray underneath it to catch the drips.)

So, aside from the tray, what’s different about it compared to a regular oven? Errr鈥� not a great deal. 

It does have a specific air fry mode, which is essentially an oven setting that switches on the top heating element and the fan forced mode, circulating hot air through the oven. 

But that’s not actually a new concept.

“You could create a similar effect by using the fan-grill setting on a regular oven,” says 糖心Vlog kitchen expert Chantelle Dart.

“Not all ovens have fan-grill mode, but almost every model in our current wall ovens review and freestanding ovens review does.”

So if you do have fan-grill mode, adding an air fryer tray can effectively turn it into a giant air fryer (depending on what you’re cooking). 

You could pick up a tray for around $20 from Amazon, or splash out and spend $115 on a fancy Miele one.

Are ovens with air fryers any good?

Our experts always assess an oven’s cooking performance, but we also look at another important aspect: ease of use.

An oven may cook perfectly but if it’s a pain to clean and use, it’s definitely not a good buy.

We’re seeing more manufacturers include air frying functions with their ovens, and we’ve tested models from Bosch, Siemens, Fisher & Paykel, Neff, Miele, Westinghouse, Electrolux, Samsung, Smeg and Omega.

Here’s how air-frying ovens compare with standalone air fryers in terms of performance and cleaning.

Performance

Based on our testing, a dedicated air fryer will generally give you better performance results than an oven with air-fryer mode.

We have test results for 44 air fryers and while the lowest scoring has a performance result of 69%, around three-quarters of them score 80% and higher for performance.

In comparison, less than half of the wall ovens we’ve tested with air fryer functionality scored above 80%, but almost all the rest scored between 70% and 79%, which is still rated as ‘good’ by our experts. One was rated as only ‘OK’.

“Models from Bosch, Siemens, Fisher & Paykel, Neff, Miele and Westinghouse had very good air-frying capabilities,” says Chantelle.

Getting used to an air-frying oven may take a bit of trial and error. Our experts have found that using different shelf positions and higher temperatures can give better results.

New fryers on the block

An air fryer function seems to be a common feature in newer ovens. 

In our most recent testing, we assessed eight ovens that have the air fryer function from brands such as Bosch, Siemens, Smeg, Fisher & Paykel and Westinghouse.

Their air-frying capabilities varied, with some scoring perfect marks for particular foods while others were only mediocre. 

Some ovens don’t provide any of the accessories for air frying, while others, like the Smeg SOPA6104S2PG and Smeg SOA6104S4PG, sell their air frying trays separately. The Smeg trays cost from about $200.

Cleaning

Regardless of how well an oven cooks in air-fryer mode, if cleaning up afterwards is a punish then you’ll probably avoid using the air-fry function altogether. 

And unfortunately, cleaning is where these air-fryer ovens fall down. 

Cleaning an air fryer can be challenging enough 鈥� think of all those nooks and crannies you need to remove oil from. 

But ovens (especially freestanding ovens) with air fryer functions are several times larger, which obviously means cleaning up is a much bigger job. 

Firstly, the air fryer’s wire basket can be difficult to clean and may stain and discolour over time, says another 糖心Vlog kitchen expert, Fiona Mair.

“We’ve found ovens with enamelled perforated trays are easier to clean, but the fine mesh baskets made from stainless steel can be really tricky,” she says.

Then there’s the shelf that the basket sits in, and the drip tray that catches crumbs and oil, which makes even more to clean. 

And depending on what you’re cooking, you might need to clean the whole oven afterwards to get the food splatters off. 

Unless your oven has a pyrolytic cleaning function, it’s a big job 鈥� and a much bigger job than just popping the basket from your benchtop air fryer in the dishwasher. 

If you skip cleaning your oven after air frying, the build-up of oil and fat can cause the oven to release smoke and unpleasant smells when you use it next. 

“If you’re considering an oven with an air fryer function, we suggest you look for one that also has a pyrolytic cleaning function. It’ll make the cleanup process much easier and save you time,” says Chantelle.

How much does an oven with an air fryer cost?

Ovens with air fryer mode tend to also have plenty of other bells and whistles, so they’re often at the more expensive end of the scale already. 

Of the models we’ve tested, prices range from $799 to $7690 for a 60cm wall oven and from $5699 to $7399 for a 90cm freestanding oven with an induction cooktop.

“Ovens with an air-fry function can cost you around $200 more than comparable models,” says Chantelle. 

“You can pick up a good air fryer for that amount, or even less.”

Should you just buy a separate air fryer?

It’s a reasonable question to ask 鈥� after all, the air fryer ovens we’ve listed above aren’t cheap. Are you better off opting for a more affordable oven plus a good-quality air fryer? Yes and no. 

“There are a couple of things to consider,” says Chantelle. 

“Some ovens with an air-fry function need to be preheated before you use them, whereas air fryers generally don’t need to be preheated, so an air fryer can save time.

“But an air fryer has a much smaller capacity than an oven, so if you’re cooking larger amounts of food you’d need to cook in batches. In an oven, you could cook the same amount of food in one go.”

Then there’s the cost factor. Ovens can use more energy than air fryers, especially since they need to be preheated 鈥� so instead of running your oven for 30 to 40 minutes to make a batch of nuggets, you might only have your air fryer on for 20 minutes.

If you weigh up the energy costs of running a large appliance just for a single tray of air-fried food, you might find that an air fryer comes out ahead.

(Of course, if you’re cooking multiple batches of food in your air fryer, then it could use the same amount of power as making one batch in the oven.)

So is a separate air fryer a better way to go? It depends how much food you’ll be air-frying, how quickly you want it cooked, how much you’re prepared to spend (both upfront and in running costs), and how keen you are on cleaning. 

What works for one household may not work for another, so you’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons for your particular situation. 

What can you cook with an air-fryer oven?

You can cook all your faves using air-fryer mode in an oven: think frozen chips, chicken nuggets, pork belly, marinated chicken wings and more. 

However, you can only air-fry on one shelf of the oven, so bear that in mind if you’re planning an air-fried feast. 

On the flip-side, an oven gives you a bit more room to move in terms of air-frying larger items such as a whole chicken or roast, which may not fit in a smaller benchtop air fryer. 

“For some ovens with air-fryer mode, the instructions state that you don’t need to shake or turn your food as the basket helps to promote airflow,” says Chantelle.

“However, we don’t always find this to be the case and you may get a better result by turning the food to encourage even cooking.”

This is no different to using a benchtop air fryer, so air-frying in your oven isn’t really any extra work. (Unless you have a benchtop air fryer with a rotating basket, which takes care of the turning for you.)

Expert verdict: Is an oven with air-fryer mode worth it?

Our kitchen experts aren’t convinced that it’s worth going out of your way to buy an air-frying oven.

“If your oven has fan-grill mode it’s possible to get a similar result to using an air fryer or an oven with air-fryer mode,” says Chantelle. 

“Yes, you can cook larger quantities in an oven. However, there’s a lot of extra cleaning involved, so depending on your particular needs you might be better off just using a benchtop air fryer.”

Since ovens with air fryer mode cost more than regular ovens, you’re effectively paying for the air fryer functionality on top of the oven cost anyway. 

You can pick up a good air fryer for $200鈥�300 so you don’t necessarily need to spend big money to get great air-fried results.

In short, we think that ovens with air-frying capabilities are a great idea in theory, but less so in reality. 

You’re better off buying a less expensive oven and spending the difference on a good benchtop air fryer 鈥� you might even end up paying less overall.

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But if your old appliance is still working, is bagging a bargain in the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales actually a good idea (find out all you need to know about the sales), or are you just shelling out extra money for something you don’t really need?

Well, according to 糖心Vlog’s head of reviews and testing, Matthew Steen, if your appliance is still in good working order, it rarely makes financial sense to replace it.听聽

“Generally, it’s worth waiting until an appliance breaks before you buy a new one,” says Matt. “Regardless of whether or not there are supposedly ‘unbeatable deals’ on offer during a sales period.”

That’s a good rule of thumb, but there are some other factors you may want to consider when deciding when to upgrade your kitchen appliances.

Does it still work as well as it used to?

As appliances get older, they may continue to perform their function, but start to develop small faults that impact how well they work, or how convenient they are to use. When this happens, it’s worth weighing up the costs and benefits of repairing, replacing, or sticking it out.

For example, say the light dies in your microwave, it can be cheaper to buy a new microwave than to replace the light. But you can also just keep using it as it is.

“Replacing the light on your microwave can easily cost $50 to $100. For the same price, you can buy a brand new microwave that receives one of the top scores in our testing,” Matt says.

More serious faults

Some faults can become a little more inconvenient, like a kettle that needs to be manually taken off the boil, or a toaster that only toasts on one side.听

While these appliances can still technically perform their function, they’re also fairly cheap to buy, so for most people it’s probably worth upgrading once they get to that point.

Is it worth repairing?

If your kitchen appliance can no longer perform its function, you may be wondering if it’s worth repairing it. The answer varies depending on the quality and type of appliance, and how old it is.听

• Larger appliances such as fridges and ovens are usually worth repairing for at least the first six years, while dishwashers are probably worth repairing until they’re at least seven years old, depending on the fault. High-quality fridges, ovens and dishwashers can be worth repairing for much longer, sometimes up to 20 years.听
• Your stove should be your longest-lasting kitchen appliance and most are worth repairing for at least a decade 鈥� or even after 20-plus years in some cases.
• Microwaves are usually not worth repairing if they’re more than five years old unless it’s a very simple repair, or the model was very expensive (a combination convection microwave, for instance).
• Smaller benchtop appliances such as kettles, toasters and sandwich presses are rarely worth repairing once they’re outside warranty.

糖心Vlog tip: If the product is faulty, you do have rights under the Australian Consumer Law and should contact the business to resolve the issue, even if it’s outside the warranty period.

How to tell if a major appliance is on its way out

If a major appliance such as a fridge or oven is getting towards the end of its expected lifespan and starts making excessive noise, giving off a smell of burning electricals, or just failing to perform, it might be time to look for a replacement.

“If an appliance is signalling it’s on the way out, then you might want to replace it earlier,” says Matt.听

“You can’t really live without a fridge, so if your old one is in its death rattles then get a new one sooner rather than later. Other appliances you can live without for a few weeks while you source a replacement.”

10-year-old ovens

糖心Vlog in-house home economist Fiona Mair says if your oven is more than ten years old, replacement parts may not be available. So if it’s starting to fail, it might be time to think about upgrading. She says there are some telltale signs that your oven may be on the way out.

“When some of the functions stop working, the oven takes more than 15 minutes to preheat, and cooking times are noticeably longer than before 鈥� these are all signs your oven may be coming to the end of its lifespan,” she says.

Fiona also says that if you have an old electric solid cooktop that seems to be taking a very long time to heat up, it may be time to upgrade.

“Solid hotplates use a lot more energy compared with ceramic hobs, so if they’re taking a while to heat up, it’s best to replace the cooktop,” she says.

Is it worth upgrading just for better tech?

Appliances are constantly getting smarter and flashier, but it’s really up to you whether these new features justify an upgrade or not. Both Matt and Fiona say that, generally, the newer features in appliances are more of a want than a need.

“Your old fridge still kept your food cold even without Wi-Fi, so it’s a judgement call as to whether the feature is worth the investment,” says Matt.

But there are some exceptions. Fiona says it may be worth upgrading an old conventional oven that has limited functions: “A fan-forced oven with a digital display is so much more versatile for cooking and also better for temperature accuracy and energy efficiency.”

And upgrading to an oven with a pyrolytic (self-cleaning) function could make life a lot easier.

Should you upgrade for improved safety?

Currently, there’s no law to ensure that the products we buy are safe, which is why we’re campaigning for the introduction of a .听

But many appliances do adhere to mandatory and voluntary safety standards 鈥� with modern versions offering newer features that may be absent on your old appliances, such as child locks, safety guards and failsafe switches.

The power cords on older appliances may also start to fray over time, in which case it’s probably time to upgrade to avoid getting zapped!

Failing seals

According to Fiona, the most common safety issue that can develop on older benchtop appliances 鈥� such as pressure cookers, blenders and microwaves 鈥� is a degradation of the seals.听

“Over time, the seals on pressure cookers and blenders can deteriorate and become a safety issue, as you don’t want moisture entering into the workings,” she says.听

But there’s no need to upgrade just because of a faulty seal: “Most manufacturers supply replacement seals and recommend replacing every couple of years or so.”

Radiation leakage

Damaged seals or faulty doors on microwaves can be a bit more tricky.

“If you have a particularly old microwave, over 10 years old, for example, I’d recommend having the door checked for damage, as faulty doors can cause microwave radiation leakage,” says Fiona.

“If it’s damaged, it may be worth simply buying a new microwave, depending on how much it will cost to fix.”

Flame-failure device

Fiona also says that gas cooktops that were sold before 1 July 2017 may be missing the now mandatory flame-failure device 鈥� which means the gas will automatically cut out or reignite if the flame goes out. Without this feature, gas can escape silently and invisibly, building up in a room.

Health considerations: Switching from gas to induction

If you’re cooking on an old gas stovetop, it could be worth upgrading to a new induction model, even if your stove still works fine, and especially if you have children or people with respiratory issues living in your home.听

奥丑测?听

There’s now conclusive evidence that gas cooktops contribute to poor respiratory health, due to the release of harmful gases and particulate matter.

“Gas cooktops contribute 12% of the childhood asthma burden, which is equivalent to tobacco smoke in the home,” says Asthma Australia CEO Michele Goldman.

Induction cooktops are also more efficient, easier to clean and they cook your food faster than their gas counterparts. Plus, with the rising cost of gas, if you switch to induction and cut off your gas connection completely, you could save hundreds of dollars a year in energy costs.

Should you upgrade for the environment?

New appliances are generally more energy efficient than older ones. But, according to Matt, replacing an old appliance with a more efficient, newer model could be a false economy.

“When you factor in the huge energy and resource costs of manufacturing the replacement, and of disposing of the old one, it could be better for the environment to just stick to the old model,” he says.

An exception would be if you have an opportunity to downsize 鈥� for example, if your children have left home 鈥� as a smaller fridge, say, could save enough energy to make an upgrade worthwhile.

Another way to reduce your environmental impact when upgrading your (still-functioning) appliance is to sell it or give it away for free, so it’s not going straight to landfill.听

The post Is Black Friday a good time to upgrade your kitchen appliances? appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

Whether you’re building a tiny house, renovating an existing small kitchen, or decking out a caravan or camper for your big round-the-country trip, you’ll want to make the most of your space. Every centimetre counts!

Fortunately, there are plenty of products out there that’ll earn the space they take up, from diminutive appliances through to multi-functional machines that provide flexibility with a small footprint.听

Here’s our kitchen expert’s advice on how to maximise space when choosing appliances for a small kitchen.听

Compact cooktops

If you’re short on benchtop space, there are plenty of styles of slimline cooktops available 鈥撀�gas, ceramic and induction.听

A standard cooktop measures 60cm wide, which might be small enough for your space, but you could opt for a cooktop with just two cooking zones instead. (We haven’t tested these, however, so can’t comment on their performance.)聽

Our cooktop reviews include specifications such as dimensions and cut-out depth and width so you know how much room to allow for installation. Plus, we score each cooktop so you know which is the best buy for your budget.

If you’re really pushed for space, a multi-cooker is a good option for foods you’d normally need a cooktop for 鈥� you can fry, steam, make casseroles and even deep fry with them. (Read on for more info about these.)

For extra-small kitchens, another option is a portable induction cooktop. They certainly tick the space-saving box: they measure around 28 x 37cm (give or take a centimetre or two), and weigh less than 3kg. You can pack them up easily when it’s time to go, so they’re handy for travelling or cooking outdoors.

Just make sure you shop carefully: our experts recommended only two models in our recent portable induction cooktops review, with a number of particularly poor performers bombing out in some of the tests.听

Should you buy a portable induction cooktop? Our experts are a hard ‘maybe’ on this one, but say they can be a good option if space is at a premium.

Multi-functional magicians

Why try to find space for two appliances when you only have room for one? These alternatives combine multiple functions so you’ll only need half the bench space for (at least) double the cooking options.

If you want to cull the number of appliances in your kitchen, multi-cookers like the Instant Pot and all-in-one kitchen machines like the Thermomix are handy kitchen workhorses that’ll take care of multiple cooking tasks.听

All-in-one machines do what they say on the tin: combine multiple features such as food processing, blending, steaming and mixing, letting you make thousands of different recipes. Despite their large repertoire of functions, they’re surprisingly compact and can free up plenty of bench and cupboard space.听

Not sure if an all-in-one kitchen machine will live up to the hype? We can answer your questions and tell you聽whether a Thermomix is really worth it.

Multi-cookers are a different kind of all-in-one appliance. They deliver plenty of cooking options on a small footprint.

“A multi-cooker can do the job of multiple appliances: a slow cooker, pressure cooker and rice cooker 鈥� and many also have functions that can replace your electric frypan, yoghurt maker and steamer,” says 糖心Vlog kitchen expert Fiona Mair.

“For a wider range of functions, choose a multi-cooker that has a slow cooker setting with a high and low setting.

“Some multi-cookers now come with air fryer functionality, which will save you even more space in the kitchen.”

Oven alternatives

If you think you’ll have to give up roast dinners because your tiny kitchen won’t fit an oven, we have some good news for you: you can still roast your heart out on a small scale.听

Air fryers

The current kitchen darling, the air fryer, is an option if you’re planning on roasting up a (tiny) storm. Roast dinner in an air fryer? Yes, really.

When we test air fryers, our expert testers roast a 500g鈥�1kg pork belly to assess each model’s roasting skills, and some of them do a surprisingly good job.听

Plus, you can use an air fryer to cook a whole host of other foods, from salmon fillets to marinated wings, steaks, cakes and desserts, so you won’t be short of meal options even if you’re short on space.

And some air fryers now come with multiple functions, including rice cooking, slow cooking and sous vide, which makes them even more versatile.

There are a range of configurations available, such as double-drawer models that give you extra cooking capacity, but they also come with a larger footprint so you’ll need to weigh up whether the space is worth it.

Ninja has recently released the DoubleStack XXXL,聽which turns the two-drawer design on its head, stacking one cooking section on top of the other for a smaller footprint.

If you have a smaller household and are cooking meals for just one, two or three people, an air fryer could well replace your oven.听But if you have a larger family to cook for and you already have an oven, you might not need an air fryer at all.听

Before you start your search, read this:聽Should you buy an air fryer?

Benchtop ovens

Another itty-bitty oven alternative is a benchtop or toaster oven.

They come in two types: the benchtop oven is a mini version of a full-sized oven and has a slide out shelf or shelves.听

A turbo oven is a convection oven with a domed glass viewing window that contains the heating element and fan; the base has a large cooking bowl that can accommodate a small chicken.

Both types bake, roast, grill and toast, so you get all this at a fraction of the size and price of a full-sized oven. But their small size rules out cooking for a crowd, so it’s dinner for two at most.听

And our kitchen expert Fiona finds they don’t perform as well as a combination oven.听

“A typical combination microwave oven (or even just a microwave oven with grill element), offers more options and better cooking than a benchtop oven,” says Fiona.

“They are generally more expensive than a benchtop oven but combine more appliances into one unit.”

Some benchtop ovens also double as air fryers.

Convection microwaves

If you’re dealing with a seriously small kitchen, a convection microwave could be the answer to some of your lack-of-space woes.听

A microwave combination oven allows for steaming, cooking rice or cooking sauces that you would normally need a cooktop for. The combination grill in the microwave is perfect for gratins or making cheese melts.

“They can be used just as a microwave, convection oven or grill, and there is also a function to combine two modes to speed up the cooking time,” says Fiona.

“If you have the space, you could opt for a built-in combination microwave and oven. The ones we’ve tested range in price from around $170 to more than $2000.”

“However, convection microwaves can be bulky due to the extended part on the back of the oven, so consider bench space and ventilation when purchasing.”

You’ll need to allow at least 10cm clearance at the sides, around 15cm at the rear and 15鈥�40cm on top for air flow.听

Slim-fit fridges

The fridge will be one of the largest appliances in your kitchen, so do your due diligence to choose the right model.听

For households of 1鈥�2 people, our experts recommend a fridge sized 250鈥�380L. We don’t recommend smaller fridges, or bar fridges, as they generally tend to be less energy efficient and will cost you more in electricity.听

The small fridges we’ve reviewed range in size from 54 to 70cm wide and 162 to 197cm high.听

When you’re working with a small space, being even a centimetre or two off in your measurements can turn your perfectly-planned kitchen into a nightmare. Here are some hints for making sure your fridge will fit your space:

• Make sure you’re clear on which way you want the fridge door to open
• Remember to account for room around the fridge for ventilation
• Double- and triple-check the depth of your fridge compared with the depth of your cabinets; if you’re working with a very small kitchen, you may not be able to spare the extra space for a deep fridge.

Our fridge size and dimensions guide has more information.

Dish drawers and diminutive dishwashers

A dishwasher might sound like an extravagance when you’re making every millimetre count, but if you can squeeze one in it’ll minimise the visual clutter of dishes piled up on your (tiny) sink, right? Just remember that the smaller the dishwasher, the less cutlery and crockery you’ll be able to fit.听

For postage stamp-sized spaces, you have three main options: a dish drawer, benchtop dishwasher or a slimline dishwasher.听

Standard-sized dishwashers tend to be 60cm wide and fit around 14 place settings, but slimline versions are 45cm and fit around 10 place settings. (But take place setting claims with a grain of salt: they do depend on the size and shape of your crockery, and don’t forget to check that your plates will actually fit!)

Dish drawers and benchtop dishwashers are smaller again, and accommodate fewer place settings (around six, again depending on the model and your crockery).听

While dish drawers can be built into your cabinetry or sit in a small microwave-sized nook, benchtop dishwashers will take up precious bench space which is likely already in short supply. However, they don’t require any cabinetry modifications so they’re easy to add to your kitchen and are great for renters, as well as for caravans and RVs.听

厂别别听everything you need to know about benchtop dishwashers.听

The post The best appliances for small kitchens appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

Aside from a packet of Tim Tams that never runs out, a self-cleaning oven is probably the one thing that would make your kitchen complete.

In case you’re thinking it sounds too good to be true, it’s not 鈥� pyrolytic ovens do indeed clean themselves with minimal human input.听

Whether you’re allergic to cleaning products or just the cleaning itself, a pyrolytic oven could be for you.听Here’s how they operate and what you need to know about them.听

How does a pyrolytic oven work?

Each time you cook in your oven, you end up with fat splatters, meat juices and all sorts of grease and grime coating the walls, ceiling and doors in your oven.听

Once these get baked on, they can be difficult to clean off 鈥� hence the need for highly caustic oven cleaning products to get your oven sparkling clean again (or at least less dirty, depending on your oven-cleaning skills).听

Pyrolytic ovens tackle the grime in a different way: they burn it with fire. Well, more specifically, the oven heats up to about 400 to 500掳C, heating the baked-on bits until they carbonise and turn to ash 鈥� a process called pyrolysis.听

“An oven with a pyrolytic cleaning function will make cleaning your oven easier,” says 糖心Vlog kitchen expert Fiona Mair.听

“Since the majority of ovens have the grill inside the oven, if you grill and roast a lot of meats and vegetables then you should definitely consider an oven with this function.”

How much do pyrolytic ovens cost?

We’ve tested a range of pyrolytic wall ovens, ranging in price from $1399 for a basic Ikea model all the way up to almost $10K for a pyrolytic Miele oven with all the bells and whistles.听

By comparison, the catalytic wall ovens (we explain the difference between these and pyrolytic ovens below) we’ve tested will set you back anywhere from around $1000 to $2000 for a high-end brand such as Miele.听

Regular wall ovens we’ve tested (that don’t come with pyrolytic cleaning) range from around $699 to $1790.

However, we’ve tested the Smeg SOA610S4PG that costs as much as $7690, coming with all the bells and whistles except pyrolytic cleaning.

“At this price we’d expect a pyrolytic function to be included, however, Smeg has opted for a vapour clean program instead. When we tested this cleaning function we found it struggled to clean baked-on residue,” says Fiona.

“Ovens with the pyrolytic cleaner feature are becoming more affordable and more common. In our most recent oven review, most of the ovens had a pyrolytic cleaning function.”

Pyrolytic ovens and catalytic ovens:聽What’s the difference?

The other main type of ‘self-cleaning’ oven is called a catalytic oven. These ovens use catalytic liners, which contain minerals and chemicals that absorb fat splatters.

It’s important that the catalytic liners provide good coverage: ideally covering both sides, the back and the roof. But some only have liners on the back wall or just the sides. Remember, wherever the liner is, you won’t have to clean!

You’ll need to regularly heat a catalytic oven to 250掳C for an hour to burn off any splatters. Once the oven is cool, wipe the catalytic liners with a damp cloth. If you tend to use your oven regularly at temperature above 200掳C, then the liners will likely stay in good shape and won’t get saturated with dirt and grease.听

The liners should last a long time, but you might eventually need to replace them at an additional cost.

Does a pyrolytic oven do all the cleaning itself?

While pyrolytic ovens are often called ‘self-cleaning’, unfortunately they won’t do all the work for you 鈥� but the good news is they’ll take care of most of it.听

Depending on your oven, you’ll need to remove the shelves and side runners and wipe down the inside of the door before running a pyrolytic cycle.听It’s also a good idea to clean off any large pieces of baked-on stuff before using the pyrolytic function.听

Pay close attention to the glass. Remove any baked-on residue and grease, otherwise it will bake onto the glass and be impossible to remove. And clean the exterior glass door well, as any marks there can also bake on and be difficult to remove.

We’ve tested several models that come with accessories you can leave in the oven while cleaning, including side runners and roasting racks, which saves you having to remove them and clean them separately. Other models may offer pyrolytic accessories like shelf supports.听

Once the pyrolytic cleaning cycle has finished, you’ll need to vacuum or wipe away the ash. That’s it.听

Are pyrolytic ovens safe?

Yes 鈥� but you should still take a couple of precautions.

First, the outside of the oven will get hotter than usual, even if the door has extra insulation, so it’s best to keep tea towels off the door and keep kids away from the oven while it’s running a cleaning cycle.听

Second, pyrolytic ovens may also generate a strong odour if there’s a lot of residue to burn off, so good ventilation is important. Open up windows to allow air flow and remove animals that are sensitive to strong odours.

During a cleaning cycle, the oven door will automatically lock to prevent anyone inadvertently opening it. It will stay locked until the temperature falls to a safe level.

Is a pyrolytic oven worth the money?

It really depends how much you hate scrubbing your oven! Pyrolytic ovens generally cost more than normal ovens 鈥� but can you put a price on never having to clean it again?

Pyrolytic cleaning does a thorough job, particularly in hard-to-reach places, so not only will it save you time and effort (not to mention negating the use of caustic oven cleaners), it’ll probably do a better job than you could do yourself.听

How long does pyrolytic cleaning take?

A pyrolytic cleaning cycle will take around one to three hours, depending on the oven settings. Many models have several settings for cleaning cycle options that you can choose depending on how dirty your oven is.听

“Look for an oven that has at least two pyrolytic cleaning modes: a light soil clean and a heavy clean,” says Fiona.

How often do you need to do a pyrolytic clean?

Depending on how often you cook, you’ll need to do a pyrolytic clean every second month, and it’s also a good idea to clean up spills and large bits of food as soon as you can to avoid them getting baked on in the first place.听

The post What is a pyrolytic (self-cleaning) oven? appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

On this page:

• How easy are these ovens to clean?

Air fryers are the hottest benchtop appliance on the market right now, and owners are raving about their ability to cook everything from pizza to popcorn to pies.听

So it’s little wonder that oven manufacturers are looking to cash in on the craze. Westinghouse was the first in the Australian market to release a range of ovens featuring an in-built ‘AirFry’ mode.

We’ve since seen Bosch, Siemens, Fisher & Paykel, Miele, Neff, Electrolux, Haier, Samsung, Smeg and Omega release ovens with air fryer functionality.

But how exactly does the air fryer mode work and does it perform well enough to justify the extra cost? And is it as convenient and easy to clean?

糖心Vlog kitchen expert Fiona Mair has reviewed countless ovens and air fryers over the years and knows them inside-out. She assessed one Westinghouse聽 freestanding oven (model聽奥贵贰笔9757顿顿)听as well as three single ovens (WVEP6716DD, WVE6516SD, WVEP6717DD) and put their AirFry modes to the test.

How does the Westinghouse AirFry mode work?

At a glance, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a regular oven and one with an air fry mode but the addition of a mesh air-frying tray sets them apart.

As high-tech as it sounds, an air fry mode is just an oven setting which uses the top heating element in combination with the fan-forced mode in order to circulate hot dry air. This mode is becoming a more common feature among ovens, but Fiona says “you could get similar results by using the fan-grill setting on a normal oven”.

Westinghouse claims their mesh basket design removes the need to turn food throughout the cooking process, but Fiona found this isn’t actually the case.

“Although the mesh tray allows for air circulation, the heat from the top element is stronger than the heat circulating underneath the food, so you do need to turn the food with tongs to ensure even cooking.”

How does it compare to a benchtop air fryer?

Capacity

While you might assume an air-frying oven would have a large capacity, this is dependent on the size of the oven. The 60cm Westinghouse ovens have a similar capacity to some of the larger air fryer models we’ve tested.

However, the freestanding Westinghouse WFEP9757DD is a large 90cm oven, allowing a larger capacity for air-frying. Keep in mind, you need to spread the food out evenly to allow it to crisp properly.

Cooking time聽

These Westinghouse ovens had similar cook times to an average air fryer for most foods, although they were significantly slower for roasting pork. And while air fryers typically require no preheating, Fiona recommends preheating AirFry mode on an oven for 5 minutes for the best air-frying performance.

Temperature range

AirFry mode can get a little hotter than most benchtop air fryers. Westinghouse’s freestanding oven can reach a maximum temperature of 230掳C while the single ovens we tested reach a maximum of 220掳C.听

Running costs

In terms of electricity consumption, we found AirFry mode comparable to an average benchtop air fryer.

How does AirFry mode perform?

Fiona put these Westinghouse ovens through their paces using our聽air fryer test method聽in our kitchen labs.

Westinghouse WFEP9757DD

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 81%
• Air fryer score: 64%
• Price: $5699

The air fryer basket comes in three parts 鈥� two inner mesh AirFry baskets that sit inside a supporting shelf frame. You’ll need another tray to place underneath to catch any drips or crumbs.

AirFry mode received an overall performance score of 64%, which is only OK in our books and significantly lower than many benchtop air fryers we’ve tested.

It scored well for cooking chicken wings and roast pork, but was let down by unevenly cooking frozen chips and crumbed chicken.

You’ll need to be careful when taking full trays in and out of the oven to prevent the baskets from being pushed up and out of the frame and spilling food.

It’s worth noting that, AirFry mode aside, this Westinghouse freestanding oven did rate well overall as an oven. Take a look at our freestanding oven reviews to see how it compares against other models we’ve tested.

Read the full Westinghouse WFEP9757DD freestanding oven review.

Westinghouse WVEP6717DD

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 84%
• Air fryer score: 79%
• Price: $1799

This 60cm oven comes with an air fryer basket that sits on a wire shelf which then slides into the shelf supports. You’ll also need a drip tray to place underneath it.

AirFry mode received an overall performance score of 79% which we consider to be a good result. Its most impressive result was for cooking chicken wings where it scored an excellent result of 90%. It scored very well for cooking frozen chips and crumbed chicken but was let down for roast pork where it only scored 65%.

When using the AirFry mode we found the controls became hot.

Read the full Westinghouse WVEP6717DD review.

Westinghouse WVEP6716DD

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 83%
• Air fryer score: 85%
• Price: $1599

This model comes with a mesh AirFry tray that sits inside a shelf support. You’ll also need another tray to place underneath to catch any drips or crumbs. This oven is 60cm wide, so the trays may be less awkward to lift and fit in a sink for cleaning.

AirFry mode received an overall performance score of 85%, which we consider to be very good. Its results are on par with some of the top scoring benchtop air fryers we’ve tested 鈥� scoring well for cooking frozen chips and very well for roast pork. It produced excellent results for cooking chicken wings and crumbed chicken.

During testing we noticed the controls can get hot when using the AirFry mode which is something to be cautious of.

This Westinghouse oven performs very well overall. Take a look at our oven reviews to see how it compares against other models we’ve tested.听

Read the full Westinghouse WVEP6716DD review.

Westinghouse WVE6516SD

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 83%
• Air fryer score: 75%
• Price: $1199

Like the other Westinghouse ovens we’ve tested with AirFry mode, this model also comes with an air fryer basket that sits on a wire shelf and requires a separate drip tray to place underneath.

It received 75% for its AirFry mode, a good result in our tests. Specifically, it was very good for crumbed chicken and chicken wings, good for frozen chips but only OK for roast pork.

Once again, we found the controls became hot when using the AirFry mode.

This is the cheapest Westinghouse we’ve tested, however, you’ll miss out on pyrolytic cleaning in this model, making the job of cleaning the oven more difficult.

Read the full Westinghouse WVE6516SD review.

How easy are these ovens to clean?

Air-frying can get messy, which is why most benchtop units have non-stick baskets or trays. Fiona says using the Westinghouse AirFry mode and accessories creates even more cleaning.

The mesh baskets can be difficult to clean and you’ll need to place another tray (covered with foil) on the bottom shelf position to catch any fat, oil or crumbs that drip through.

“Depending on the size of your oven, the tray can be awkward to fit into the sink. It also stains easily and food can bake on. Even after soaking and scrubbing the trays, I still couldn’t get them completely clean.”

And the trays aren’t the only issue 鈥� the fan circulates fat all around the oven so the entire cavity ends up coated in grease and grime. This also means that a lot of smoke builds up in the oven when cooking high fat foods like roasts. When the oven door is opened, that build-up of steam can potentially hit you in the face or set off the smoke alarm.

“It’s a good thing most of these models come with a pyrolytic cleaning function because if you’re using AirFry mode, you’re definitely going to need it,” says Fiona.

The Westinghouse WVE6516SD is the only one without a pyrolytic function. While it does have a steam clean setting, when we tested it, it was only OK.

Is AirFry mode worth the money?

Even though we’re testing more and more ovens with air frying functions, Fiona still isn’t convinced that you need to rush out to buy an oven with a dedicated air fryer setting.

“You can achieve similar results with a regular oven and you can even purchase reasonably cheap air-frying oven trays online,” she says.

You can spend a couple of hundred dollars more for AirFry mode, but you’ll also be paying for it in mess and clean-up time. “If you want an air frying oven, you should definitely look for one that offers pyrolytic cleaning too.”

Based on our testing, if you’re a fan of air-frying, you’d be better off buying a cheaper oven that performs better overall and then buying a high-performing benchtop air fryer. Two of the聽air fryers our experts recommend聽cost less than $200.

The post Is a Westinghouse oven air fryer any good? appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

They say a poor tradesperson always blames their tools, but in this case the blame could lie with the tool (your oven), rather than the tradie (or the cook in this case).

But how can you tell where the hot and cold spots are? And is there anything you can do to tweak your methods so you don’t have to settle for serving up half-burnt, half-runny cupcakes every time?

糖心Vlog’s resident kitchen expert Fiona Mair has been testing ovens in our kitchen lab for a huge 27 years. 

In that time she’s cooked approximately 8000 scones, 4000 roast chickens and 5000 pizzas, so she knows all the ins and outs of ovens, and how to make an oven perform at its best.

So before you decide to ditch your oven 鈥� or to just forego using it at all 鈥� here are her tips for how to figure out what’s going on inside it.

On this page:

• How to test your oven for hot and cold spots
• So your oven isn’t cooking evenly. What now?
• How to identify the problem
• Hacks to make your oven cook more evenly
• What to do if your new oven isn’t cooking evenly

How to test your oven for hot and cold spots

We wish we could give you a simple test that’ll show you precisely where your oven runs hot and where it doesn’t, but it’s a matter of trial and error.

“These steps will help you diagnose whether your oven is struggling to distribute heat evenly, but unfortunately they won’t help fix the problem,” says Fiona.

(We’ll share Fiona’s tips for improving your oven’s heat distribution after this section.)

Get your bake on

First up, tap into your inner Master Baker and whip up some scones. 

This is how 糖心Vlog’s kitchen expert Fiona Mair assesses heat distribution in all the ovens that come through our kitchen lab. 

She pops two trays of scones into the oven on different shelves, then compares how evenly browned they are, plus the evenness of rising, height and crumb tenderness.

The idea is to see whether the oven cooks everything evenly, both between shelves and across a single tray.

The ovens that get the tick of approval from our experts all perform very well in our rigorous heat distribution tests. 

Check the ‘Multiple shelf baking score’ and ‘Roasting score’ in our detailed reviews to find the best wall ovens and best freestanding ovens that will cook your food evenly.

You don’t need to be an expert to conduct this test yourself 鈥� have a go at home. If all the scones come out with approximately the same golden hue, you’re good. 

If they range in colour from blonde to almost-black, it’s bad news: you have a heat distribution problem. (Hopefully you have enough edible scones left over from your experiment to drown your sorrows in.)

Not a scone fan? You can do the same with two trays of cupcakes, two (or more) regular cakes, a few loaves of bread 鈥� you get the idea. (Or you could try the sliced bread method below.)

Just pop them on different shelves and cook them as normal, then check for inconsistencies in their colour and doneness.

If your oven doesn’t have fan-forced mode, you’ll need to stick to just one shelf at a time.

“Where you place the baking trays is also very important when cooking across multiple shelves,” says Fiona. 

“To get the best heat distribution, you need to know which shelves to use. In most ovens, shelves two and four are the best positions, as this allows the fan to circulate the heat evenly.”

Cook a chook

Another way that Fiona tests heat distribution is to roast a whole chicken or two. 

This is another great way to assess whether your oven is cooking evenly: because the chicken is a non-uniform shape (ie, it’s thicker in some parts than others), any issues with heat distribution will be more obvious.

Look for variations in browning, burnt sections, undercooked meat, skin that’s crisped in some sections but not others, and dried-out meat. 

Most importantly, use a meat thermometer to check whether the meat is cooked to a safe temperature. This can not only prevent food poisoning; it will also show whether your oven is cooking different sections of the chicken at the same rate or not.

Get grilling

Wondering why your grill isn’t so brill? You can check whether it’s cooking evenly by laying out slices of bread on a tray and giving them a blast under the grill. 

The results will effectively be a heat map, showing you which parts of your grill are doing their job and which parts aren’t. 

If your oven is new and it’s doing this, contact the retailer or manufacturer; a new oven should be cooking properly from the get-go. 

If your oven is older, you may need to call out a service person to try to repair it 鈥� or you could just do all your grilling under the sections that you know actually work.

糖心Vlog tip: Besides testing your grill, you can also use sliced bread to assess whether the rest of your oven is cooking evenly. Just lay the slices out over a couple of trays and cook them on different shelves for the same length of time.

So your oven isn’t cooking evenly. What now?

As Fiona says above, these tests will tell you what’s going wrong with your oven, but not what to do about it. 

Once you’ve identified that your oven isn’t distributing heat evenly, you have a few options, depending on the age of your oven, your budget, how much time you have, and what (and how often) you like to cook.

“Before you do anything, take a look at your oven’s instruction manual and make sure you’re using it correctly,” says Fiona.

“Every oven is different, so it can take a bit of practice to get used to a new one. And some ovens have dedicated functions for specific foods 鈥� if you haven’t read the manual, you won’t know the best function to choose for a perfectly-crisp pizza base or light and fluffy cakes.

“Some manuals also include troubleshooting tips, so give them a go before you give up on your oven.”

How to identify the problem

Wait! We’re not suggesting that you start pulling the oven apart yourself. But before you call out a technician, check a few parts of the oven to see if the problem is visible.

• Carefully take a quick look at the oven when it’s on: In an electric oven, you should be able to see the top and bottom elements glowing red. If you have a gas oven, it should produce a visible flame; check to see if it’s burning evenly.
• Check the temperature sensor: this looks like a thin metal tube, and it measures the internal temperature. If it’s been knocked out of place then it might not work properly. Make sure it isn’t touching the oven wall; if it is, move it slightly away from the wall. If you’ve tried this and your oven still has hot and cold spots, the sensor may need to be replaced.
• Assess air flow: if your oven can’t circulate air properly, it’ll end up with hot and cold spots. Double-check the fan to make sure that it’s not obstructed.
• Inspect the seal: a well-sealed oven will retain heat more evenly. If your oven seal is perished or damaged, it won’t cook well. Having it replaced will be well worth the effort.
• Recalibrate: there could be a discrepancy between the temperature you’ve selected and what the oven thinks you’ve selected. You may be able to recalibrate your oven 鈥� check the manual for instructions.

“Some oven problems just can’t be fixed, but there are plenty of parts that can be replaced to give your oven a new lease of life,” says Fiona.

“It’s worth considering repairing your oven rather than just replacing it. Seals, thermostats, elements, sensors and fans can be reasonably affordable to replace and will get your oven up and running again.”

However, once your oven is more than 10 years old, it could be more difficult and more expensive to repair than replace. Here’s how long your appliances should last.

Hacks to make your oven cook more evenly

Whether you’re a renter who’s stuck with a crummy oven, you’re feeling the pinch and can’t afford a new one right now, or if your patchy oven isn’t causing you a huge headache, you’ll need to work with what you’ve got.

Here are some of Fiona’s top tips to help your oven distribute heat more evenly.

Stick to the middle rack

For most dishes, putting your tray in the middle of the oven is your best bet to ensure good air flow around the food. 

Turn up the (pre)heat

Make sure you give your oven plenty of time to warm up before you start cooking 鈥� allow at least 10 minutes (but check your oven’s instructions as preheat times can differ between models).

“Preheating is especially important when baking cakes, pastries and biscuits,” says Fiona. 

“If your oven is the right heat from the moment you put them in, you’ll get a better rise, texture and more even browning.”

Don’t overdo it

Make sure you haven’t overloaded the oven with pans, dishes and trays 鈥� otherwise the hot air won’t be able to circulate around the oven properly. 

Space it out

Just like overcrowding, having baking tins too close together will prevent the hot air from circulating properly. Leave at least 3cm between each tin, and between the tins and oven walls.

Shut the door! 

Every time you open the oven door, hot air escapes and the temperature drops, affecting the heat distribution. Resist the urge to open the door until at least half the cooking time has elapsed. 

If you’re a serial door-opener, look for an oven that has good visibility 鈥� we rate how easy it is to view food cooking through the oven door in our detailed oven reviews.

If you can’t see through the glass for all the grime, give it a clean: here’s our expert guide to cleaning your oven.

“If your oven light bulb has blown, replace it,” says Fiona.

“In most ovens you’ll be able to change the globe yourself. It’s not difficult to do 鈥� it’s just a matter of getting the right one.”

Rotate it

If you know your oven cooks unevenly, stay one step ahead by turning the tray during cooking so the food has a chance to cook on all sides.

Even things out

If you’re cooking, say, roast potatoes or chicken wings, they’re going to cook far more evenly if they’re a similar size and shape.

Light or dark?

“Using the correct trays and pans can make a difference to your cooking,” says Fiona.

“Dark trays and baking dishes will absorb heat so you’ll get more intense browning on the bottom of your baked goods. 

“A lighter-coloured, shiny pan will expose the contents to a lower temperature on the bottom. You may also need to adjust the oven to find the perfect temperature.”

Choose the right function

“Multifunction ovens have many modes; knowing which one works best for the food you are cooking will give better results,” says Fiona.

“For instance, if you’re using multiple shelves, use fan forced mode.”

We explain everything you need to know about oven settings and symbols.

What to do if your new oven isn’t cooking evenly

“If you’ve just bought a new oven, it’s reasonable to expect that it’ll do a great job from the first time you use it,” says Fiona. 

“But if it’s not up to scratch, contact the retailer or manufacturer and tell them what’s happening. 

“They should take some action to remedy the problem, either by sending someone out to look at the oven, giving you some tips to help it cook more evenly or, if the oven’s performance is especially poor, giving you a refund or replacement.”

Under the Australian Consumer Law, you’re entitled to a refund, replacement or remedy if something you buy is faulty. See what to do with a faulty product.

The post How to check if your oven is cooking evenly聽 appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

On this page:

• The 糖心Vlog verdict
• What is a smart oven?
• What does a smart oven do?
• What are the pros of smart ovens?
• What are the cons of smart ovens?

More and more smart appliances are finding their way into Australian homes, and the latest generation of Wi-Fi-connected ovens with advanced cooking features are ‘smarter’ than ever before.

Although smart ovens are relatively new in Australia, some of the big oven brands, such as LG, Miele, Fisher & Paykel, AEG, Bosch and Neff, have added them to their product ranges.听

But what can smart ovens actually do and are they worth the extra cost?聽

The 糖心Vlog verdict

糖心Vlog experts have put a few smart ovens to the test in our kitchen labs, assessing their ease of use and cooking performance. Whether a smart oven is right for you depends on your needs, cooking preferences, and budget, they say.

“Smart ovens offer many new features that you may find convenient or beneficial, particularly if you enjoy a bit more guidance or precision when cooking or if you love a high-tech appliance,” says聽糖心Vlog kitchen expert Fiona Mair.

“But they’re very expensive and many of the features are ‘nice-to-haves’ rather than ‘must-haves’.

“The technology is still in the relatively early stages and there aren’t many smart ovens currently available in Australia.听

“Although there are certain smart features we think could be useful for some people, a regular oven that scores well in our testing will probably offer you better value for money, in terms of cooking performance,” she explains.听

What is a smart oven?

Smart wall ovens can be connected to the internet and controlled remotely using a smartphone app or voice commands via smart assistants such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa.

They generally include features that aim to make the cooking process more convenient, efficient or precise, such as pre-programmed cooking settings, temperature sensors and probes, or a built-in camera to monitor cooking progress.

They may have the ability to save and store cooking preferences or integrate with other smart home devices.听

What does a smart oven do?

In addition to all the things you’d expect of a regular conventional oven, a smart oven will likely have some or all of the following features:

Remote control via an app:聽you can control your oven remotely 鈥� for example to reduce the temperature or turn it off聽鈥�聽from another room, or even when you’re out and about.

Voice control:聽operate your appliance using voice commands with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

Automatic programs:聽in-built settings allow you to cook a range of different dishes automatically without having to select the function, temperature or cooking time yourself.

Compatible recipe apps or inbuilt recipes:聽some ovens may have a library of pre-programmed recipes available within the oven itself or on a compatible app, or can provide recipe suggestions or cooking tips based on the ingredients you have on hand.

Temperature probes:聽integrated food probes (inserted into your roast while it’s cooking, for example) can measure the core temperature of fish or meat to ensure it is cooked perfectly.

Settings for more unusual cooking functions:聽in addition to all the regular cooking functions you’d expect from a conventional oven, a smart oven may have special features such as temperature settings for proving dough or drying fruit.

Real-time alerts:聽get alerts to your smartphone when the cooking process is done and your food is ready or when your oven needs maintenance, or perhaps if the door has been accidentally left open or the oven left on.听

In-built camera:聽view your food at any time via your smart device with an in-oven camera.

What are the pros of smart ovens?

1. Good for cooks of all skill levels聽

Whether you need a bit of guidance when cooking, or you’re an experienced cook who regularly prepares a wide range of dishes, the features and functions of a smart oven may appeal to you.

2. They can be convenient

The ability to control the oven via a smartphone app or voice commands means you can preheat the oven or start cooking from anywhere.

3. Customisable cooking functions聽

Some smart ovens offer customisation options, such as the ability to save your favourite recipes or adjust cooking settings to your preferred level of doneness.

4. They can help you get precise results.

Fiona says the biggest benefit of a smart oven is the integrated temperature probe which is a metal thermometer inside the oven that you insert into your food while it’s cooking. It sends notifications to your smartphone when your food has reached the desired temperature.

“This is a game-changing feature that really offers a lot of value 鈥� you absolutely need to test the internal temperature of a roast after you cook it, so this feature makes it easy and fuss-free, and doesn’t require you to buy an extra thermometer or probe,” she says.

If you love this idea but aren’t quite ready to shell out for a smart oven, you can always purchase a separate meat thermometer聽or probe. However, if you want a smart thermometer with a connected smartphone app, these can cost around $200 or more.听

5. Energy efficiency and safety

Smart ovens can help you save energy by turning off automatically when the cooking process is complete,聽or by providing alerts to remind you to turn the oven off.

They can also allow you to check聽if you forgot to turn the oven off after you’ve left the house.

What are the cons of smart ovens?

1. Cost聽

All those smart features are going to cost you big. Smart ovens are generally significantly more expensive than conventional ovens.听

“The recommended retail price of the smart ovens we’ve seen are at least $3000,” says Fiona.

“We have tested the聽Miele H7860BP pyrolitic smart oven, which includes a temperature probe and various other smart features. Its recommended retail price is $9499.”聽

In our most recent聽wall ovens review, which includes both smart ovens and regular ovens, the models we tested ranged in price from $543 to $9499. While we don’t currently recommend any wall ovens under $2000, our test results show you can still find an excellent conventional model for less than $3000.听

And if you shop around you can often find discounts that mean you’ll pay less than the recommended retail price.

2. The technology is in its early stages

糖心Vlog experts caution against getting carried away with all the fancy features.

“Although some of the features of smart ovens sound great and have potential, in practice they don’t always hit the mark聽鈥�聽for example, some apps and features can be intuitive to use while others are more complicated,” says Fiona.

“We don’t think the ‘smart’ technology is really worth the substantial extra cost at this point 鈥� you can spend significantly less on a great-quality standard oven that will still have a lot of useful functions.”

3. Potential safety and security issues

Are smart ovens safe? Some smart ovens spruik safety features such as child locks and emergency auto switch-offs, but a cooking appliance that can be operated remotely is a red flag to our 糖心Vlog experts.

“I would never advise leaving a cooking appliance such as an oven completely unattended while it is in operation 鈥� it’s something to be mindful of when looking at these appliances,” says Fiona.听

“Smart ovens are a gimmick and can give people a false sense of security that it’s safe to cook in your oven while it is unattended.

“Before buying, ask the manufacturer or look at the product details to find out what safety measures are in place.”

You should also consider how secure your oven app is and how much personal data it is asking you to supply聽鈥撀�once any device goes online, it’s potentially vulnerable to hackers who could access your home Wi-Fi network and gain control of your oven as well as other connected appliances and devices.

4. Reliance on software updates

Manufacturers say that one of the advantages of buying a smart appliance is that you’ll be able to enjoy new features that come from future technology updates.

However this is dependent on the manufacturer continuing to update the software or app for the appliance you are using over its lifetime which, for an expensive oven, could be up to 10 years or more. If they don’t, the functionality of the smart features you paid big bucks for could be compromised down the track.

“The usefulness of smart features greatly depends on the competency of the user and how the apps are maintained over the years,” says Fiona.听

“How often will there be software updates? Will the updated software be compatible with the updates on your device over time?”

5. Expensive to repair

Smart appliances that have more complex electronic controls and in-built software are likely to be more complicated and therefore more expensive to repair, and you’ll probably need a specialist repair person or one who is familiar with your specific brand of smart oven.

“If you have all of your smart appliances connected to one app, it could make requesting a service call easier as all your information is there ready for the manufacturer’s repair technicians,” says Fiona.听

“However, this restricts the consumer in terms of choosing their own technicians.”

Are smart ovens worth the money?聽

When considering whether a smart oven is worth shelling out for, consider how you like to cook and what benefits, if any, you will gain from the smart features and if they’re worth the additional cost to you.

If you have a big budget and you value the convenience of being able to control your oven from your phone or would get a lot of use out of customisable recipes and more precise cooking results, then it may be a worthwhile investment.听

However, don’t expect a smart oven to turn you into an expert chef overnight.

“Unfortunately, smart ovens may not always give you the chef-quality results they promise,” says Fiona.

“To get the best from an oven, you need to monitor the food that is cooking, and putting too much trust in the manufacturer’s cooking configurations could disappoint. We found the manufacturer’s instructions should generally be used as a guide only and may not produce the best results.”

And keep in mind that there are many more affordable traditional ovens that perform well in our 糖心Vlog oven reviews on criteria such as cooking performance and ease of use, and they may offer you better value for money.听

“It may be a better investment to opt for a cheaper traditional oven that has features such as adjustable preset temperatures and assisted cooking settings or just invest in a separate digital temperature probe,” says Fiona.听

To see which smart ovens 糖心Vlog has reviewed, expand the ‘Features’ drop down menu in our wall oven review and select ‘Wi-Fi enabled’.听

The post What is a smart oven and are they worth it? appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

On this page:

• Essential oven functions explained
• What else can ovens do?
• Tips for using your oven efficiently

Settings like fan-forced mode are common across almost all models and tend to get the most use, but knowing how the other settings work and what they’re useful for will go a long way towards helping you get the most out of your oven.

Essential oven functions explained

Fan-forced

This feature uses the fan with the heat coming from the element surrounding it (unlike conventional ovens that use the top and bottom element with no fan). The oven generally heats up more quickly, evenly and efficiently using this feature. Fan-forced works well for multi-shelf cooking, reheating, pastries and roasts.

Conventional

A traditional/conventional oven uses heat from the top and bottom elements with no fan. It provides reasonably even heating, but tends to be slightly hotter towards the top, allowing food to brown on top. This mode is ideal for baking single trays of biscuits, scones, muffins, slices and egg dishes like quiche or baked custard.

Fan assist

The gentler cousin of fan-forced, the fan assist function is ideal for foods that require a short cooking time and only use a maximum of two shelves. Heat comes from the top and bottom element with a fan that circulates the hot air, which results in a slightly faster cooking time.

Pizza mode

This is a good setting when browning on the base is required for foods like pizzas, meat pies, fruit pies, focaccia and bread. It uses high heat and a combination of ‘base heat’ and fan or fan-forced, where heat comes from the elements surrounding the fan as well as the bottom element.

The pastry bake function is similar to pizza mode, using the fan and bottom element.

Fan grill

This function makes use of both the grill element and the fan, with your oven alternating between each one. It’s ideal for cooking large cuts of meat like roasts, or meats that require longer cooking times like chicken legs and sausages (the fan disperses the heat while the grill roasts from above). It’s also great for baked vegetables and for browning and crisping the top of pasta and potato bakes.

Bottom heat only

This is an alternative to pizza mode where heat comes from the bottom element only. It’s ideal for foods that require a crispy base, like pizza, where you don’t want the top to burn. When using this feature it’s best to cook in the lower half of the oven and use aluminium trays for even browning.

Grill only

Using heat from the grill element is ideal for smaller, tender cuts of meat (as you run the risk of burning larger cuts without them being cooked through) as well as toasties and melts. Unless stated in the instructions, you should grill with the oven door closed and use one of the top two shelf positions. In some models the grill area will be separate to the main oven cavity.

What else can ovens do?

Defrost setting

This setting doesn’t use heat, but rather air is circulated by the oven to defrost the food. This mode can also be used to raise yeast dough and to dry fruit, vegetables and herbs. However, to reduce the chance of bacteria growing on food at unsafe temperatures, we’d recommend defrosting food in the fridge or microwave.

Rapid heat

This setting uses heat from the elements surrounding the fan as well as the smaller element above the food. It allows you to preheat your oven quicker than you could in fan-forced mode. It’s also ideal for cooking frozen pre-packed foods, which can be placed straight into the oven from the freezer.

Warmer setting or Keep warm

This maintains an oven temperature of around 60鈥�85掳C to keep food warm without continuing to cook it if you’re not immediately ready to serve it.

Self-cleaning oven mode (pyrolytic)

It’s not a must-have, but an oven that cleans itself without much effort on your part is pretty high on the wish list. Pyrolytic ovens work by heating up the oven to 400鈥�500掳C. These extremely high temperatures burn-off baked on residue in the oven, turning it into ash that you simply need to vacuum or wipe away at the end of the process.

Adjustable pre-set temperatures

These give you a useful indication of what temperature is best for the food type and function being used.

Automatic cooking functions

Also known as assisted cooking functions, these include recipes that correspond with the information programmed in the oven. Simply follow the recipe and the oven will work out the operating mode, shelf position, cooking time and temperature.

Rotisserie and spit roast functions

These settings allow you to cook meat continuously without having to turn and baste the food. The fat in the meat drips over the surface as the rotisserie spins.

Slow cooking

This setting uses heat from the top and bottom elements and a low temperature, usually around 70鈥�120掳C. Use this function for gentle, slow cooking of seared, tender pieces of meat in ovenware without a lid.

Food probe

If you cook lots of meat and roasts, an oven with a food probe will help take the guesswork out of achieving tender, juicy meat. Simply insert the probe into the fleshiest part of the meat and select the desired temperature or degree of cooking. The oven will complete cooking once the temperature is reached.

Proving

This setting uses the lowest temperature and the top element, providing a warm, moist environment that’s perfect for proving yeast dough. Keep in mind any oven can prove dough by simply preheating to the lowest temperature and then turning it off. Place a bowl of water on the bottom and then put the dough on a shelf above, covered with a towel.

Divider shelves

These can be used to separate an extra-large oven cavity into two separate spaces that can be operated simultaneously. For example, the top section operates as a grill, while the bottom section can be set to fan-forced.

Wi-Fi connectivity

We’ve tested ovens from brands like Miele, Neff, Samsung and Fisher & Paykel that are Wi-Fi compatible and connect to associated apps on your phone, allowing you to remotely control your oven. This is a relatively new advancement in Australia and ovens with this feature also come with a higher price tag.

You can monitor and control different aspects depending on what the brand offers and is capable of. You can control functions, adjust settings, monitor operating status and end cooking all via the app on your phone. In some cases you can even access recipes with specific information relevant to the oven. This feature isn’t essential but can be handy if you want to monitor your food cooking in the oven while you’re entertaining outdoors. Even though this functionality suggests you can keep track of cooking while you’re out, we wouldn’t recommend monitoring if you’re away from home.

Air fryer mode

This feature uses the top heating element as well as fan-forced mode in order to circulate hot dry air. With all the buzz around air fryers, it’s no wonder manufacturers want to spruce air fryer functionality in their ovens.听

Ovens with this feature usually come with mesh cooking trays as air frying accessories. Keep in mind that these trays can create a significant amount of mess from crumbs and drips that fall through as well as grease splatters throughout the oven. And the extra accessories require extra cleaning too.听

Our Home Economist, Fiona Mair says “you could get similar results by using the fan-grill setting on a normal oven.”

Tips for using your oven efficiently

In addition to picking the right oven setting for the dish, there are some simple changes you can make to use your oven more sustainably and efficiently:

• View the food cooking in the oven through the glass instead of opening the door. As tempting as it is to keep checking on the meal, each time you open the door you’re letting heat escape, which requires more energy to heat the oven up again.
• Heat loss can also happen if your door seal and hinges are damaged so be sure to check they’re in good working order or whether they need to be replaced.
• Use the fan-forced function to cook on multiple shelves if you’re cooking more than one dish that requires the same function and temperature. Most multi-functional ovens have this feature, and it’ll save the amount of time the oven is left on.
• Remove any unnecessary trays and shelves from the oven before cooking. This not only reduces the amount of accessories that will require cleaning but also allows for better airflow during cooking.
• Consider whether your meal can be cooked using another appliance 鈥� can you use your slow cooker, pressure cooker or microwave instead? These smaller appliances use a lot less energy than an oven.
• If you have a pyrolytic oven, keeping your oven clean by wiping out any spills or residue immediately will reduce the need to run the cleaning function as often. Models have two to three different levels of pyrolytic cleaning, light soiling up to heavy duty. Choosing the right level of cleaning can help reduce energy consumption.

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