Which cooker to buy

While gas is cheaper to cook with, cooking costs have a relatively small impact on most people's household energy bills. There are a couple of different combinations of fuel type and technology. You can have all-gas, all-electric or a dual-fuel cooker; the latter has an electric oven and gas hob.

With all-electric models you also have the choice of either a ceramic or induction hob. These have an electric oven and electric ceramic hob. Most have true fan or fan-assisted ovens, which should help to spread heat evenly around the oven cavity. There are occasions when conventional heat — top and bottom heat without a fan — is an advantage, and if you get a cooker with a double oven, you'll usually get one conventional oven and one with a fan.

These have an electric oven and electric induction hob. If a fridge magnet sticks to a pan, then it will work on an induction hob. All-gas cookers are the cheapest to cook with, and gas hobs are usually more responsive than electric ceramic hobs.

However, oven cooking results are often less uniform than electric. These have a gas hob and an electric oven. This provides the best of both worlds for some people, with an easy-to-control gas hob, and an electric oven that heats evenly. Gas and dual-fuel cookers will need to be installed by a Gas Safe-registered engineer. If you aren't sure what you want yet, f ind out more about the differences with our guide to gas cookers vs electric cookers.

Our top Best Buy cooker is an electric induction model. If you're looking in this price bracket, you may want to consider buying a double built-in oven and induction hob separately. The cheapest cookers usually have just one oven, plus a storage drawer. This double electric cooker with induction hob from AEG is equipped with all the features you could possibly want in order to cook up a storm in the kitchen; plus the highly spacious capacity of litres will make you a winning dinner party host.

We were disappointed with the uneven grilling performance in the top oven, but were pleased at how cool the doors remained, even with both ovens running simultaneously; with the hottest readings at just 37C and 42C respectively. This range cooker from Leisure is sturdy, intuitive to use and performed well. However, the two main ovens operate as fan ovens only with no other functions available, so they are not as versatile as a multifunction oven.

In general, all three ovens cooked and baked well and most of the thermostat temperatures were at an acceptable accuracy, even when all ovens were in use at the same time, ranging from 2. Every oven and cooker is put through a series of cooking trials, from roasting to baking and grilling to see how they fare and to find out how they perform in real life. The best ones can do all of these tasks without a problem. Our rigorous oven tests cover temperature accuracy and their grilling, roasting and baking capabilities.

To test this, we cook a full roast dinner including a chicken, roast potatoes and apple crumble. We use the grill to see how evenly it toasts a full tray of bread, bake batches of fairy cakes and even a rich fruit cake. We look at how hot the oven door gets when the oven is in use, how well our cakes rise, if our potatoes crisp up and if cooking on multiple shelves at the same time affects the results.

With cookers, not only do we put the built-in ovens to the test but we also test the performance of the hotplates. This involves timing how long it takes to boil water on the different cooking zones, the heat retention of each hotplate, whether the heat emitted from the cooking zones is evenly distributed, and how easy the hob is to clean when splattered with cooking residues. Gas, electric, induction, ceramic How does each affect cooking performance and fuel efficiency?

What pans will you need? We have all the answers. Many manufacturers put symbols on the bottom of their cookware to show which hob or heat source they will work with.

What may have worked on your old hob now may not work on your new cooker, for example. Fan-operated Most electric ovens have an internal fan to circulate heat more evenly, so the temperature is consistent throughout the oven.

In convection ovens, the heating element is wrapped around the fan. The advantages of fan-operated ovens are:. Conventional static These are less widely available now and generally found in basic models.

Electric elements are in the sides or top and bottom of the oven. These also have zoned heating, meaning the top of the oven is usually hotter than the bottom. Some top and bottom elements work independently, which is ideal for base crisping or browning the surface of some foods. Multifunction This type of oven is a combination of a fan and a conventional oven, providing you with maximum versatility. Each function can be used separately or together depending on the type of food you are cooking.

In some models, the grill can be used with the fan, giving a similar effect to a rotisserie. A multifunction oven is ideal for batch baking and traditional cooking. Conventional gas ovens The temperature in the middle of the oven relates to the selected gas mark. The top shelf is slightly hotter, the lower shelf slightly cooler and the base cooler still. Gas is a more moist form of heat than electric, which is particularly noticeable in baking. The result is a glossier appearance of your food on the outside and a moist texture on the inside.

Imported gas ovens Many built-in gas cookers sold in the UK come from Europe originally. The burners are concealed under the base of the oven, so food is crisped from underneath. They are ideal for pizzas and pastries but don't be tempted to use the base plate of the oven as a shelf. Cooking techniques are similar to fan cooking, heat is more evenly distributed throughout the oven, and cooking tends to be quicker.

Additionally, at Cooker Spare Parts we stock a range of gas and electric cooker replacement parts so at any time you find your cooker in need of fixing, we can help too!

Account Login Help Centre. Find the right cooker spares for your appliance. Model Number. Need advice from the experts? Call Cooker Spare Parts on Need advice? Sewing machines. Kitchen Builder.

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