The oven is the most important appliance in a kitchen, and there is a lot to consider when buying a new one. It’s easy to overlook certain details – some of which can have serious consequences.
Below are 7 oven buying oversights to be careful of.
1. Going too large for your kitchen
Ovens typically have to slot between kitchen cupboards, which means you’re limited as to how wide you can go. Make sure to measure the space in your kitchen first before ordering an oven. You don’t want to buy a range only to realize it doesn’t fit.
2. Going too small for your cooking needs
Compact ovens can be cheaper – but be careful of buying an oven that’s too small for your needs. While individuals and couples can often get away with 3 cubic feet of ovens, families and avid bakers often need at least 5 cubic feet. Make sure to also consider how many burners you need on the stovetop – most ovens will have at least 4 burners, but some have 5 or 6.
3. Ignoring the energy rating
When it comes to energy use, ovens tend to guzzle more energy than most other appliances in the home. However, some ovens are more energy-efficient than others. If you don’t want to pay high electricity or gas bills, consider buying an ENERGY STAR-certified oven. For an appliance to achieve this certification, it must meet certain energy efficiency standards.
4. Choosing an unreputable brand
Don’t skip over reviews when buying an oven – especially from a lesser-known brand. While some smaller brands are of very good quality, others have reliability issues. Reading reviews can give you a better idea as to how trusted a certain brand is, so that you buy a top-quality cooking range.
5. Selecting a mismatching style
Ovens come in all kinds of unique styles. When choosing a range, make sure that it doesn’t clash with other appliances in your kitchen. If all your appliances are black, a red stove is likely to look out of place. Only buy an oven in a different style if you plan to replace your other appliances with models in a similar style.
6. Forgetting about your old oven
What are you going to do with your old oven? It’s possible that the professional delivering and installing your oven is able to take away your old oven for you. However, this may be a service you have to pay extra for, and not all companies will offer this service. Looking into a metal recycling company that accepts appliances may be necessary so that you’re not left with an old oven on your porch.
7. Using before you’ve done a burn-in
Ovens should ideally be ‘burned in’ before you use them to cook. There could be chemical residue left on them from the manufacturing process – turning your oven on for 30 minutes with nothing inside can help to incinerate these residues. If you try to cook food in the oven without doing a burn-in, your food could end up tasting funny.
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