Comparison Electrolux LKG 504000 X stainless steel vs Electrolux EKG 600001 X stainless steel

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.

Rated power of the oven installed in the stove. Specified only for electric ovens (see above). When determining this parameter, the power of all heaters and other devices installed in the oven (grill, convector, motorized spit, etc.) is taken into account; in other words, this item indicates the maximum power consumption.

This data is useful primarily for assessing electricity consumption, as well as the connected load during operation. But only ovens with similar functionality can be compared with each other in terms of power — for example, two models with convection. Otherwise, the comparison may be incorrect.

— 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.

— 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.

— 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.

— 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.

— Door lock. The safety system blocks the oven door, which can be removed by pressing several keys on the control panel at once or using an inconspicuous lock. This feature is useful in families with small children.

— 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.

It is the method of cleaning the inner surface provided in the design of the oven. In addition to traditional and more advanced steam cleaning, there are catalytic and pyrolytic cleaning. More about them:

— Traditional. This option assumes the absence of any devices that facilitate cleaning: you have to wash the oven manually, using ordinary detergents and cleaning products. Such a procedure can be quite troublesome and time-consuming, but such ovens are much cheaper than similar models with more advanced types of cleaning.

— Pyrolytic. Cleaning with high temperature. Dirt on the interior surfaces of the oven is burned to ash, which can then be easily removed without using detergents. At the same time, pyrolytic cleaning equally effectively handles all types of dirt, both new and old. The disadvantages of such a system are the duration of cleaning (sometimes up to several hours), high cost, and significant consumption of resources (electricity or gas, depending on the type of oven). In addition, during the operation of the cleaning system, unpleasant odours often arise, generated by the combustion of contaminants in the oven.

— Catalytic. Ovens with this type of cleaning have a special coating on the inner surface that breaks down grease on the oven walls. Fat disintegration is accelerated at high temperatures; the oven is thus self-cleaning t...o a certain extent. However, the efficiency of catalytic cleaning is lower than that of pyrolytic cleaning. It is unable to cope with the entire amount of fat on the walls. Therefore, such an oven should be washed from time to time. On the other hand, ovens with catalytic cleaning are cheaper than ones with pyrolytic cleaning. And the cleaning itself does not require additional electricity/gas costs, nor is time-consuming (except for washing/wiping).

— Steam cleaning. Cleaning the oven with heated steam. A certain volume of water is poured into a baking sheet or another container, the container is placed in the oven and the cleaning mode is turned on. Due to heating, the water evaporates, and the heated steam softens the dirt on the walls and partially disintegrates the fat. After the end of the programme, it is enough to wipe the oven with a damp cloth. Such a cleaning requires less time and resources than pyrolysis and often turns out to be more effective than catalytic — steam can soften even old dried-up contaminants. At the same time, these ovens are relatively inexpensive. At the same time, this mode does not guarantee to cope with any contamination. It is possible that after the end of the steam cleaning, the oven will have to be washed traditionally.

The number of gas burners in which the flame is located not in one, as in standard burners, but in two (or three) rows — in other words, in the form of two (three) rings, one inside the other. Such burners have more power than traditional single-row ones and heat the bottom of the pan more evenly, which can be especially useful when frying. On the other hand, the need for such a heating mode arises quite rarely, and much more gas is consumed than during the operation of a classic burner. As a result, even in advanced stoves, the number of turbo burners rarely exceeds 1.

It is the material from which the burner grates of the stove are made. This parameter is relevant only for gas burners — electric hobs do not have grates.

— Steel grates. The most common type of grates is steel grates coated with a special heat-resistant enamel. They are quite practical, reliable, have a relatively small weight and neat appearance, and at the same time are inexpensive, due to which they are often found in entry-level and middle-level models. The main disadvantage of steel grates can be called the difficulty in cleaning from adhering contaminants — too intensive cleaning can damage the enamel. In addition, they are less durable than cast iron ones, and under heavy dishes containers, they can deform — as a result, the dishes will not stand stably on the stove, and the grate will most likely have to be replaced.

— Cast iron grates. Cast iron grates is much heavier than steel ones. Moreover, they often look more massive and rough. On the other hand, they are more reliable, durable and stable, can cope even with heavy weights and keep their working shape much longer. In addition, cast iron is easier to clean: although dirt comes off worse than enamel, in extreme situations it is quite possible to use abrasive products without fear of damaging the surface.

The energy class describes the overall efficiency of the cooker in terms of energy consumption. Note that we are not talking about actual consumption (see "Connected load" for details), but about the efficiency of the stove, about the efficiency of using the energy that it consumes.

This indicator is especially important for models with at least one electric burner or electric oven/grill. But, if we are talking about a purely gas stove, you can not pay much attention to the energy consumption class. Electricity in such models is spent only on additional functions like auto-ignition or oven lighting,

Initially, the classes were marked in Latin letters from A(the most economical) and then alphabetically in order of decreasing efficiency — B, C, D ... Later, improved classes A+, A++ appeared; the more pluses, the higher the efficiency. Today, energy consumption in class A can be called medium, and in a lower class — high. The maximum indicator found in modern stoves is A++; if we are talking about a model with an electric burner, such a stove is usually expensive, but it pays off by saving electricity during use.

The connected load of the stove is the maximum electrical power consumed during operation. This parameter is indicated only for models that are equipped with at least one electric heater — burner (burners), oven or grill. It is the burners that are the highest consumption in terms of energy consumption; Features such as auto-ignition or oven lighting require little energy, a ordinary socket is enough for them.

First of all, the requirements for the power grid depend on this indicator: it must be able to provide such power without overload. It is worth noting that for household sockets the power limit is about 3 – 3.5 kW; with more power, you need to connect the stove to a 230 V network according to special rules. An alternative is a three-phase 400 V mains: most modern stoves with electric heaters allow connection to both 230 V and 400 V.