Wall oven review

Edit: New readers to the topic can join as of July 2023 by clicking here.

Check out our wall oven review to find the best ovens (member content) for your home, including models from leading brands like Bosch, Smeg, Fisher & Paykel, Electrolux and Miele. If you want to know more about what to look for when shopping, see our oven buying guide.

Share your experiences with ovens in the comments below.

3 Likes

It is clear that I am out of touch with oven prices. As I went down the list those prices made me gasp.

Lucky we won a brilliant BBQ!

7 Likes

In the same position as you, I was shocked by built-in oven prices, particularly for a double oven. Aha, I thought, IKEA are a good source of bargains.
Result: the cost of a Valfri double oven is $1,299.
I wonder what the same oven costs in the UK (where came from, about 6 years ago), I thought?
The answer: Ā£400! At current exchange rates thatā€™s about $720 or less. (And donā€™t forget that VAT - the equivalent of GST - is 20% in the UK!)

Australia: We are being ripped off!

5 Likes

Heh the Australia Tax strikes again. /sarcasm I guess transport fees could add at least that much to the cost /end sarcasm

3 Likes

It is pervasive as you have learned. You can pick virtually anything, especially electrical items, and our local costs are often +40% and far higher than the EU or US.

I have come to realise a part of it is our variable exchange rate (xrate risk factored in) and tax compliance, add shipping and local rents and wages, but no matter how one dices the difference[quote=ā€œWright4321, post:3, topic:15226ā€]
We are being ripped off!
[/quote]

If it was because of tariffs protecting local manufacturing that might be one discussion, but it is not.

Unfortunately ā€˜iconsā€™ such as Gerry Harvey complain local noncompetitiveness is because of GST and our pollies-in-business-pockets listen, but as you rightly noted, 20% VAT is included in the foreign price comparison, all are retail comparisons, and countries such as Germany (and others) also have high wages and so on, and apparently get by quite well.

4 Likes

As my esteemed colleagues have saidā€¦ The Australia Tax. Get used to it.

The recent succession of LNP Governments have been particularly active in prioritising company profits ahead of consumersā€™ interests.

3 Likes

Weā€™ve made a video to help you find the best oven for your needs:

2 Likes

Iā€™ve had an induction cooktop for a few years now and love it.
Iā€™ve just bought an induction oven and am waiting for it to arrive. Iā€™ll do a review on it once Iā€™ve been using it for a month or two but does anyone else have an induction oven? If so, what are your thoughts.

2 Likes

Hi @maxim, I had to search for the definition of induction oven, and Iā€™m not too much the wiser. One article explained that it is like a regular oven with the addition of an induction plate at the bottom, where you can place something like a Dutch oven. But most product pages I came across just seem to describe a regular electric oven. Can you enlighten me ?

3 Likes

Hi Scottā€¦ Yes, the one Iā€™m getting is this one:
https://www.whirlpool.com.au/r/appliances/ovens/6th-sense-induction-oven-with-starclean-stainless-steel-akzm8920hix/852589253100
Apparently they are much more energy efficient. They use a combination of induction and standard heating I believe.

5 Likes

The transition from a gas or electric stove to induction is fairly straightforward as you are using a heated container to cook food in all cases. The content is heated by contact with the container but the way that the container is heated is different in each case. The advantage of induction is greater efficiency and fine control.

I note that the example given also has a ā€œforced air rear ringā€ this seems the same as a fan-forced electric oven. The grill and the fan are both 2550 W but the total is only 2700 W so I guess both cannot be on together.

It isnā€™t clear if in induction only mode the whole pot is heated or just the bottom? This article raises more questions for me than it answers as it is not clear how, or if, the many ways that a modern non-induction oven may heat the content is replaced. For example, in an electric oven once the oven is hot much of the effect is from re-radiation from the walls. Does that happen with the induction version? If it does how is the induction much more efficient if you are still heating the whole box?

Regardless of efficiency questions I would like to hear from knowledgeable users what the practical real-world consequences of having an induction option are. I get the feeling the transition may not be as direct or simple as for stove tops and that you may miss out on some things.

4 Likes

Thank you @maxim. Iā€™ve now had a chat with our Test Coordinator in the Kitchen Lab. Iā€™ve learnt something !

7 Likes

Thanks @maxim. Iā€™d not heard of induction ovens before.ā€™ We too have an induction cook top and love it even though we had to change all our cookware for it. (Passed our old stuff to a mate so it went to a good home.)

I look forward to hearing how the induction oven works in ā€˜real lifeā€™.

4 Likes

Please Choice, telescopic runners:

  • should be minimum safety requirements
  • Choiceā€™s usability rating & displayed price should reflect that
  • in your reviews, use the number of runners - and better still the locations - rather than Yes or No

Just had a quick look at ovens to check if they address our ovenā€™s deficiencies. Our current oven we were lucky to score a bargain display model from the upper range at the closure of Megamart. Guests continue to comment on the ease of use & safety of the 3 telescopic runners.
What stunned us on our quick look was still the prevalence of old rail sliders. A premium or any oven without 3 or more telescopic runners just doesnā€™t cut it today. From what I could see, even lower quality telescopic runners were far better than none. It also seems to be a price gouging opportunity. Some were selling the option for $300 per PAIR, while you could also buy a complete oven with 3 pair for near $1000.

5 Likes

Thanks for the suggestions @Kanga2, Iā€™ll be sure to pass them on to @kim and the product testing team.

3 Likes

Be sure to test how easy it is to clean them. Our oven has 3, not adjustable and not in the most optimal positions to use two racks at a time. They have to be removed for pyrolitic cleaning and are buggers to clean. I would gladly have the old fashioned rails that were better spaced and more easily cleanable.

Safety? I can see benefits but not overwhelmingly so. When our oven door is opened the fan and element shuts off until it is closed again. I can take the baking pan or tray out quite quickly and easily whereby pulling a telescoping rack out, taking the pan off, and returning everything loses a lot more heat.

To each their own, and I could well be the outlier.

5 Likes

Thanks @Kanga2 . When we review ease of use, we do take the telescopic runners into account when assessing ease of using the shelves. We donā€™t buy additional runners when we buy ovens to test so the price should reflect what comes with the model.
We do have data on how many sets of telescopic runners the ovens have, it may take some time to retrospectively compile this but itā€™s something we could consider from this time forward.

6 Likes

Perhaps a design issues for usability to take into account. Our runners are fixed (AEG) & removable in seconds. Itā€™s not pyrolytic & weā€™ve never done more than superficial cleaning to the runners and looking fine after 15 years of reasonable use.

I can imagine what you bake may influence. The heavier the items, the better are the telescopic.

I notice we are frequently outliers - a thought which came to mind a few minutes ago commenting on messaging apps. :slight_smile:

5 Likes

Good point. I rarely cook anything heavier than 2-3 kgs and more often use 2 racks rather than just one, so our pet annoyances might also differ because of what and how we cook.

4 Likes

Well, having looked at more over the weekend, Iā€™m even more convinced on my original statements.
However, runners on many models are badly placed to our liking, and even as new, donā€™t run well.
It reinforced that the runners in our old AEG are placed very well. Weā€™ve cancelled any upgrade thought.

4 Likes