Built-in ovens: the best multitaskers at low prices

Since the confinement linked to the covid pandemic, the French have rediscovered the taste for good meals prepared at home. In 2022, nearly 1.4 million ovens were sold in France, according to a study by the GfK firm. And even if the microwave remains the star of homes, the traditional oven remains a safe bet for cooking yourself without too much difficulty.

It must be said that today's ovens have numerous recipes in their portfolio, allow several cooking methods, allow you to keep an eye on small dishes and are quite good at cleaning themselves after work. In any case, this is the promise of the ten ovens selected for our comparison (buy • read).

Models between €300 and €800

We have taken care to only select fairly affordable models whose prices are in the lower range of the catalogs, i.e. between €300 and €800. Knowing that very high-end models can easily flirt with the €6,000 mark. However, in this price bracket, we were very little disappointed. Also a good surprise, distributor brands (Boulanger and Fnac-Darty) can now compete without blushing with the big names in household appliances.

All the ovens in this comparison are built-in models. In fact, they can easily be integrated into your kitchen furniture, under a worktop, in a column or under the hob. And if they adopt more or less the same dimensions (never more than 59 cm in width and height), the capacities of the tanks vary. From 65 liters for the Proline from Fnac-Darty, up to 77 liters for the Hisense model. A feature to keep in mind if you need to regularly prepare somewhat large dishes.

Air Fry modes to cook with less oil

Where the differences begin to be felt is in the heating modes offered. All these electric models use, of course, classic convection cooking, which activates the resistance placed in the base (at the bottom of the oven) and that located in the roof (at the top of the tank).

But this is supplemented, depending on the model, by mixed rotating heat (which adds to the activation of the two resistances the rotation of the fan nestled at the bottom of the cavity), the pulsed heat which rests on the resistance placed around the fan or even the pulsed rotating heat with which, this time, all the resistances are implemented as well as the fan.

But that's not all since four of the ovens in this selection (Hisense, Miogo, Thomson and LG) also offer an Air Fry mode for frying foods with a limited quantity of oil and three (Hisense, Sauter and Brandt) have a steam cooking mode. By adding water to a dedicated tank, it is possible to produce steam to improve the cooking of certain foods (meat and fish) and make them softer.

Finally, with the exception of models from Brandt, Sauter and Whirlpool, all offer a defrosting mode (which, however, has nothing to do with that of a microwave oven).

Cooking assistants: it’s the big gap!

Thus armed with all these heating modes, 5 in number for the Beko and up to 15 for the LG, these ovens can vary the types of cooking and multiply the recipes. This is where cooking assistants come in, programs designed to run recipes. But not all ovens are equal in this area.

When the Beko, Proline, Whirlpool and Smeg models leave you to fend for yourself by not offering any program, the Miogo has a catalog of 45 preparations. With these recipes, the cooking parameters (temperature and duration) are already saved in the device.

ALSO READ >>> How to do your shopping without destroying the planet?

Not very intuitive programs

All that remains is to put the preparation in the oven at the indicated height. You will, however, have to be careful not to misplace the oven's instructions to find out which recipe corresponds to which program since nothing explicit is indicated on the display. The parameters remain modifiable to adjust them according to the weight of the piece to be cooked, for example.

In the absence of a program, it is still possible to follow the manufacturer's recommendations to find the right cooking modes and durations. Practical, but wary all the same. Our experts have, for example, encountered some disappointments with Whirlpool, Hisense and, in particular, Beko and Smeg ovens. When preparing the roast beef, they ended up with gross overcooking. Miogo, for his part, found the solution thanks to a probe delivered with the oven. Well seen.

On the other hand, all the models did well in the test of cooking chicken thighs with, upon arrival, nicely browned skin and white, soft flesh.

Baking pastries: a delicate ordeal

On the pastry side, our test of baking a sponge cake was very satisfactory by scrupulously following the instructions or programs of each manufacturer. Our testers obtained a golden, brittle crust, an airy structure, a nice rise in volume and a very yellow internal color. Nothing to complain about.

Pastry, in fact, remains an exercise that requires precision and rigor from ovens. Certain preparations do not tolerate approximations very well, both in terms of proportions and cooking methods. The slightest deviation can lead to a disastrous result.

Our engineers therefore wanted to measure the rise in temperature and its stability for each of the models in this selection. A delicate test for the oven since it must reach the requested temperature without exceeding it too much, then maintain it at the same level for the entire desired duration.

ALSO READ >>> The Moulinex Cuisine Companion robot is still burning

And in this area, once again, not all models play in the same category. For preheating, for example, some people take their time. This is the case of the Thomson, which required 24 minutes to reach 250°C while the Miogo achieves this in just 8 minutes. The winning model of this comparison, the Hisense, is also in the bottom three for this exercise with just over 16 minutes.

As for the stability of cooking, there were some nice surprises our engineers, there again. Obviously, it is difficult to obtain both the precise and stable temperature required throughout the cooking process. With the Hisense oven, our experts were able to observe incredibly stable temperatures and, moreover, very good homogeneity in the cavity. Important element that ensures that one side of the preparation does not cook faster than another.

Temperatures under surveillance

On the other hand, the regulated temperature is 6°C above the desired temperature. A misstep that is unforgiving with delicate products. Even greater disappointment with the Proline model, which lacks precision with temperatures 10 to 20°C below that requested. It also does not make up for its stability by presenting an amplitude of plus or minus 15°C out of the 180°C required during cooking. Such oscillations can cause a preparation to fail.

Another popular feature : the possibility of starting or stopping cooking later. Ideal for starting the cooking of a preparation while you are not yet at home and also practical for the oven to stop at a desired time. Again, not all models are equal. Only one, the Miogo, allows you to program a departure. You will also have to calculate the cooking time yourself and tell the oven the time at which it should turn off.

On the other hand, with the exception of the Beko, Thomson and Proline models, all allow you to program the cooking stop time. And it is better to stop it in time to also avoid unpleasant surprises on the electricity bill. Our engineers have in fact noted electricity consumption which varies by a factor of three.

For cooking roasts, for example, while the Hisense uses 474 Wh, the Beko consumes 1,619 Wh. This translates into a cost which increases from €0.12 to €0.40 to cook a 1 kg roast. The first three in our table are the best in this area.

A more or less successful cleaning

After cooking fatty preparations such as poultry or roasts, cleaning is necessary to prevent fat from contaminating the next dishes. To do this, all our ovens rely on pyrolysis. This operation consists of raising the temperature inside the tank to 500°C in order to vaporize the accumulated fats and reduce to ashes (literally) the small food residues which never fail to scatter in the bottom of the cavity.

Here, the Hisense and Miogo models do the best with complete carbonization. A simple wipe with a sponge will be enough to find a clean tank. Among the other models in the running, the bad performers are the Smeg and the Whirlpool with which the pyrolysis residues remain greasy and require more intense manual cleaning to get rid of them.

As for the glass, it must not only allow the oven to retain heat inside the tank but also remain at an acceptable temperature on its external surface to avoid any risk of burning.

ALSO READ >>> Children's favorite foods: supermarket or homemade?

Pay attention to the door during pyrolysis

All models are therefore equipped with a storm door, a system which is based on the superposition of two panes of glass between which air circulates. However, in the pyrolysis phase, not all ovens react in the same way.

If the surface of the external glass at Brandt and Whirlpool does not exceed 49°C during this operation, it can rise up to 70°C at LG or even 76°C on the Miogo. It is best to keep children away from the oven during this time.

Furthermore, on this latest model, our engineers noticed that the door was still not locked 30 minutes after departure even though the heat inside the oven had already risen to 407°C. All other models lock quickly as soon as pyrolysis is started. So be careful.

Engineer: Thierry Martin