In existence for thousands of years, the oven remains a central part of the modern kitchen. Nowadays, ovens are heated using either electricity or gas, and can come as a free-standing range or as a wall-mounted unit in a fitted kitchen.
Electric ovens use radiant heating elements, and some models have an additional fan to help circulate the heat. These are known as convection ovens, and are reportedly much more efficient than conventional electric ovens. What’s more, the uniform heat distribution gives more-uniform cooking than a gas oven, for example. Cabinet sizes for electric ovens are typically 27 or 30 inches, but gas ovens also come in 24-inch cabinets.
Essentially, all an oven needs to do is cook food, and that’s something that even the most basic models will do. One important question is size: Many modern ranges have up to four separate oven units and can therefore cook vast amounts of food at once. Others will have just one unit and will only really be suitable for a small group of people.
Beyond these considerations, the convenience features are all that’s left — timers, self-cleaning functions, interior lighting, extra shelves, and so on.
But keep energy efficiency in the back of your mind. As ever, look for devices bearing the Energy Star label, and remember that fan-assisted electric ovens consume significantly less power than conventional ovens.