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Find the perfect built-in oven for your kitchen with our Best Buy recommendations and expert buying advice.
Modern ovens can have a host of hi-tech features. But if you don't get the basics right, you could end up with one that's annoyingly slow to heat up or cooks unevenly.
Our rigorous independent lab tests help us root out poor performers. Read on to find out which built-in single, double and built-under ovens impressed us - and choose the best for your budget.
Go to our built-in oven reviews to see and compare all the models we've tested.
The following built-in ovens are the very best of all the appliances we've tested.
Every year we rigorously test built-in ovens - covering everything from control accuracy to running cost - to find the best model for you. Only logged-in members can see our full list of the best built-in ovens in our table below. Join Which? to get instant access to our Best Buys and expert reviews.
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Last updated August 2024
We buy every single built-in oven we test – that means no 'free samples'.
Then we subject every model to the same independent lab testing and assessments, to make sure the ovens are accurate and comparable, regardless of how cheap or expensive they are.
These unbiased tests root out the ovens that are quick to heat up, stick closely to the correct temperature and spread heat evenly throughout the whole oven cavity. These are our Best Buys.
Read more about how we test built-in ovens.
While single ovens have just the one oven to bake, roast and grill in, there’s usually enough space to cook most things.
Single models are around 60cm tall and can fit pretty much anywhere in your kitchen, such as under a counter or in an eye-level cabinet.
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Compact ovens are smaller than single ovens. At just 45cm tall, they're around the same size as a large built-in microwave.
They usually come with a grill inside the oven compartment.
You can also buy compact steam ovens, although these are more likely to be used as an additional cooking option rather than as the main family oven.
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Having two ovens gives you more cooking options. There will always be a grill in the smaller top oven and, on higher-spec models, you’ll sometimes find one in the main oven, too.
Double fitted ovens are about 90cm tall and need to be slotted into cabinets at eye level.
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If you need the flexibility of two ovens but kitchen space is limited, a double built-under oven could be the best option for you.
Double built-under ovens are around 72cm tall and can fit into an under-counter unit, or be positioned at eye level.
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Combination microwaves are bigger-than-average microwave ovens that can also cook with convection, and have a grill.
Some combi microwaves are built in rather than freestanding, so look neater and more like an oven than a regular microwave.
You might consider buying one if you often run out of space in your oven, as it gives you an extra cooking compartment.
Read our guide to the best built-in microwaves for advice on buying and installing one.
There are several ways an oven can provide heat, and it helps to understand what these mean so you can choose the right option for you.
A standard conventional oven supplies heat from two heating elements: one towards the top of the oven and the other near the base. This can result in hot and cold spots, and food placed nearer the top of the oven tends to cook more quickly than food near the bottom.
Conventional cooking can sometimes have the edge over using an oven with a fan. Cakes, soufflés and flans fare better with just top and bottom heat, and anything liquid you want to cook slowly, such as a casserole, doesn't get any special benefit from fan cooking.
Most electric ovens have a fan that helps to distribute the heat evenly. Some gas ovens can also be fan-assisted. True fan ovens have a single heating element around the fan, while a fan-assisted oven is essentially a conventional oven (two heating elements) with a fan set into the back.
Food cooks faster in a fan oven, as warm air is constantly moved around the cavity. You can reduce the oven temperature by 20% if you're cooking with a fan.
In double ovens, the larger main oven usually has a fan and the other operates as a conventional oven, so you can choose the option that suits your dish best.
Multifunction ovens usually include top and bottom heat, a grill and a fan. They allow you to cook with these heat sources independently or in combination. So, you could use just the top heat to give your lasagne a bit of extra browning when it's cooked through, or use bottom heat only for a pizza or quiche to get the perfect crispy base.
Multifunction ovens often also have a defrost setting. Some models use just the fan to move unheated air around, while others introduce a little bottom heat at the same time. Either way, the job gets done far more quickly than defrosting in a fridge.
Multifunction ovens are becoming increasingly common. They can offer more flexible cooking options, but be sure to check how easy they are to use, as more options means potentially confusing controls.
Installing a new kitchen along with your new appliances? See our guide to the best and worst kitchen brands.
Here we answer the most common questions about oven sizes and getting a new oven installed.
No, all four types of built-in ovens are around 60cm wide, but their heights vary.
Manufacturers generally quote the total internal volume of their ovens as a guide to size, but this isn't especially useful. You can't use all that internal space to cook with, and the layout and positioning of shelves makes a big difference to how much you can fit in. It's possible for an oven with larger dimensions to have less space available for cooking than a smaller one.
We measure the actual usable volume of each oven, ignoring any space that won't count when you're cooking, such as the top 3cm of the oven, and any space under the lowest shelf position. If you cram food into these spaces, you prevent hot air circulating properly, which will affect cooking results.
We also use our collection of life-sized foods (a fake turkey, chicken and beef joint on roasting trays) to check what you can realistically fit in each oven. The biggest ovens will fit in a large turkey and still leave space for a tray of roast potatoes or veg. Smaller ovens might fit in a turkey but leave no space for extras, while others can be too narrow to even fit in a turkey on its own.
As we explained above, the standard width of all integrated ovens is 60cm, so all you need to worry about is measuring the height.
Oven cabinets should all be built with space for ventilation, too. But if you're planning a new kitchen then you'll need to factor in a 5mm space along each side and 35mm at the back. Some cabinets are also built with 20mm at the top, but it's not a necessity – most fitted ovens sit flush with a top cabinet.
If you’re replacing an old oven, it's even easier: simply measure its dimensions and pick a new oven that matches.
Looking for something smaller, to save energy? See how ovens compare to air fryers when it comes to energy, in our air fryer vs oven guide.
If you spend a little more, you'll be able to invest in some of the following useful features.
If you’re finding it difficult to use your oven – for example because of impaired vision, or if the oven is too low or the hob too high – there are a few features that might make things easier.
See more information on kitchen appliances and aids for older people.
Most of us have a preference for the type of fuel we cook with, while some of us might not have a choice.
It's worth sticking to what you've got, as changing the fuel your cooking appliances run on can be costly – it's likely to cost hundreds of pounds to reroute a gas line.
These are by far the most popular. As with gas ovens, most electric ovens need to be installed by a professional. You do still come across models that can simply be plugged in, but these are relatively few and far between.
In general, electric ovens do better in our tests. How well heat is distributed through an oven's cavity is an important predictor of reliable cooking results – and we've found that the best electric ovens beat the best gas models at spreading heat evenly.
Built-in ovens usually have a grill function, too. Again, electric grills outperform gas grills in our tests. The best spread heat evenly to more than 90% of the grill pan below.
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There are far fewer built-in gas ovens on the market and they're less popular than electric models, but you can still find good ones.
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Need to quickly switch between degrees Celsius, Fahrenheit, gas mark and fan temperatures? Use our oven temperature conversion table.
Don't forget to factor in oven installation costs when buying.
Changing fuels can be quite costly, but if you're replacing like for like, then John Lewis offers oven and cooker installation services for £90-£110, and it will remove and dispose of your old model for an extra £20.
Currys' current cost is £115-£120, and it charges from £15 for removal and disposal.
Go to Trusted Traders to track down a local tradesperson endorsed by Which? who might be able to offer you a cheaper deal.
More more information, see our guide to installing ovens, cookers and hobs.
Ovens aren't typically as energy-hungry as other large kitchen appliances such as fridges, freezers or tumble dryers, but it’s still worth checking their energy efficiency before making your choice.
We measure energy consumption using a special standardised test that simulates roasting a whole chicken. We take into account the energy each oven uses to heat up to the right temperature and stay there for the time needed.
The table below combines upfront costs alongside annual running costs, so you can pinpoint which models will leave you least out of pocket for the lifetime of your oven.
We’ve also introduced the Eco Buy label to highlight the most efficient and reliable ovens we’ve tested.
As well as being energy efficient, Eco Buy ovens impress in our lab tests and come from brands that have done well in our annual longevity survey.
To find a more sustainable oven, visit our oven reviews and use the Eco Buys filter.
Cleaning the oven is a messy, unpleasant job, so an oven that's promised to clean itself is a tempting prospect. There are several options available:
Pyrolytic ovens are becoming increasingly popular and they can be very effective. The best ones clean the glass door, too. Some models offer a choice of shorter or longer cleaning cycles depending on how grimy your oven has become. Bear in mind, though, that you'll need to remove the shelves and clean them by hand.
While ovens with a self-cleaning feature will generally cost more, they will save on elbow grease and money spent on oven-cleaning products over time. Also, we've seen prices for pyrolytic ovens tumbling lately as they become more mainstream.
You don't have to splash out on self-cleaning for an easy life, though – some ovens don't have fancy self-cleaning features but still proved easy to clean in our tests. We've also found that not all pyrolytic ovens are worth paying for, so make sure you check our built-in oven reviews before buying.
For tips on manual oven cleaning, see how to clean your oven and our guide to the best oven cleaners.
These are some of the most popular built-in oven retailers carrying ovens from brands such as Beko, Bosch, Neff and Zanussi.
Some manufacturers including Samsung, Miele, Hotpoint, or Whirlpool also allow you to buy their ovens direct through their online stores.
Discover which built-in oven brands are the most reliabl