Oven type
The type of oven installed in the cooker. Gas and electric ovens have almost all the same features as burners of the same type (see "Burner type"). For example, gas ovens heat up faster, and are cheaper to operate but are difficult to connect. Electric ovens are safer and more versatile but require high-quality wiring and can be more expensive in terms of energy costs.
— Gas.
Gas ovens are superior to electric ovens in terms of heating speed, but this heating is not as uniform. It is especially noticeable in inexpensive models. As a result, ovens of this type are poorly suited for cooking delicate dishes sensitive to precise temperature control. In addition, some specific features (such as convection) are not compatible with a gas heater.
— Electric.
An electric oven takes longer to warm up than a gas oven, but it has better heating uniformity. In addition, such an oven can have convection, grill and other features that expand its capabilities and make life easier. As a result, this option is recommended to sophisticated cooks and enthusiasts dealing with complex recipes.
Note that gas burners are often combined with an electric oven. This option is considered optimal in terms of convenience and practicality, so it is very popular. But the opposite situation — an electric hob with a gas oven — does not occur at all.
Oven capacity
It is the volume of the oven provided in the stove. It s the maximum volume of products that can be placed in it without compromising work efficiency. Accordingly, a
larger oven is useful for large volumes of cooking; on the other hand, such a capacity will significantly affect the price and dimensions of the stove.
If you buy a regular household stove with 4 burners and do not plan to cook a lot in the oven, you can not pay much attention to this parameter. The capacity of the oven is usually enough for most simple tasks like cooking a pie or baking chicken. But for more serious tasks, a larger oven may be required. Detailed recommendations on volumes can be found in special sources.
If there is an additional chamber (see below), this paragraph usually indicates only the volume of the main oven.
Features
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Thermostat — a device for adjusting and maintaining the required temperature in the oven. The presence of a thermostat relieves the user of the need to look after the cooking process. Instead, it is enough to set the thermostat to the desired temperature, and the stove will automatically maintain it.
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Timer. Countdown device: the user sets a certain time, after which an audible signal sounds. The specific functionality of the timer can be different — from the simplest rotary knob with an adjustment accuracy of +/-3 minutes to an electronic unit with a display that can count the time to the second and even turn off the stove at the end of the countdown (see "Auto switch-off"). However, this feature greatly simplifies the life of the user. It is more convenient to set the timer and wait for the signal than to keep track of time by the clock.
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Convection. The convection function provides additional hot air circulation and evenly distributes heat throughout the entire volume of the oven. It is useful for baking.
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Rotisserie fork. It is used for cooking several dishes, particularly shish kebab: products are strung on a rotisserie fork and rotated on it. It ensures consistent heating and baking. Often, the rotisserie fork is combined with a grill (see below), although this is not necessary. Also, this device can be
...equipped with a drive from an electric motor for automatic rotation.
— Grill(electric or gas). In this case, the grill is an open heater installed in the oven chamber and designed to cook food due to thermal radiation; it can be used alone or in combination with other oven modes. The grill allows you to fry various foods effectively: for example, you can use it cooking meat with a characteristic crust, brown croutons, fry vegetables, etc. It is healthier than traditional frying.
As for the types of grills, electric grills are the most popular nowadays — they are simple in design, provide even heating, allow you to accurately adjust the mode and use many additional functions (up to automatic cooking programs). Such grills can be found even in gas ovens. But gas devices are used much less frequently: they are considered more economical but more complex in design and less convenient to adjust than electric ones.
— Steam cooking. The ability to use the oven for steam cooking. Cooking is carried out in the main chamber of the oven, and the steam comes from a special reservoir into which water is poured in advance. This method is considered more healthy than traditional cooking or, moreover, frying; often, it turns out to be optimal for people with dietary restrictions.
— Oven lighting. It is a lamp for lighting the interior of the oven. By turning on such a lamp, you can see the oven insides without opening it and without releasing heat. Yes, even with the lid open, the oven lighting can come in handy — for example, when removing products from a baking sheet (patties, pieces of cookies, etc.) or when cleaning the oven. Note that for the lighting to work, a mains connection is required, even if we are talking about a gas stove.Gas control
The type of gas control provided in a stove with a gas hob and/or oven.
Gas control is a safety system for gas stoves that turns off the gas supply when the flame goes out. Such a system can be used only
in the stove, only
in the oven, or both. The latter option, from a safety point of view, is considered perfect for gas stoves. However, gas control is more important for an oven — it is more difficult to control the presence of a flame in it. But in the hob, this function is not so critical, especially if the stove is constantly under supervision during cooking.
Country of origin
The country in which, according to the manufacturer, the model is manufactured. Despite the fact that most of the capacities are concentrated in
China, European factories (
in Poland,
Slovenia,
Romania,
Turkey,
Czech Republic, etc.) for the production of household appliances have not gone away. And some models can be produced there. In general, such a division into a Chinese or European factory should not particularly affect the quality of products, but the stereotype of a reliable European assembly is present in us. However, it is possible that the model may have a country of manufacture, for example, Poland, and in the store under the same article, you will meet China.