For cooking several dishes at once on different levels, choose a multifunction oven with a fan-assisted setting. First check how many levels can be used together, the dimensions required for installation and how the door opens. If you mainly cook on one level, conventional heat may be enough. Choose a cleaning system to suit your needs, and compare the energy used by cleaning cycles separately from that used for cooking.
If you often bake cakes, cook side dishes or use several trays, look for a fan-assisted setting and check how many levels are designed for simultaneous cooking. Que Choisir also assesses how built-in ovens cook on one or more levels.
Before choosing a model, check its instructions against your kitchen unit. The dimensions of the housing, its depth, installation requirements and the space needed to open the door all matter just as much as the oven’s external dimensions.
For roasts and bakes that leave the oven cavity dirty, compare the cleaning options available on the model you’re considering. Pyrolytic and hydrolytic cleaning suit different needs, and having either option does not, by itself, tell you how easy the oven is to clean day to day.
Start with the dishes you cook, then rule out any models that won’t fit your kitchen or whose door can’t open comfortably.
| Criteria | What to check | Think about your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking settings | Check for a fan-assisted setting and how many levels can be used together. For consistent results, look for tests of real cooking performance: Que Choisir tests dishes on one or more levels, among other things. | I often cook several dishes for the same meal, so being able to use more than one shelf at a time matters more to me than having a long list of programme names. |
| Capacity | Compare the stated capacity with the size of your dishes, the internal dimensions and the shelves or trays designed for the model. A capacity in litres alone doesn’t tell you how several dishes will fit. | My family-sized dishes need to fit in the oven. I don’t want to assume that a stated capacity guarantees they’ll fit on every level. |
| Kitchen unit and door | Compare the installation dimensions and the instructions with your housing. Also measure how far the door swings in front of drawers, cabinet fronts and walkways. Que Choisir recommends using a unit designed for built-in installation. | In my kitchen, the door needs to open without blocking the walkway, and the oven must fit the existing unit. |
| Cleaning | Check the model’s cleaning options and which types of dirt they’re intended for, from light to heavy soiling. Also check which parts are removable and, if you’re considering pyrolytic cleaning, the energy used by its cycles. | If spills and splashes are common, I want a cleaning system that can handle them. If my oven gets less dirty, I’d also like to compare the options for everyday cleaning. |
| Energy use and temperature control | Compare energy figures under similar conditions. For cooking performance, also look for measurements of preheating, temperature accuracy and stability: these are included in Que Choisir’s test procedure. | I use my oven often and want to compare its energy use for cooking, standby and cleaning separately. I won’t assume that its energy rating tells me how accurate its temperature is. |
A standard width doesn’t prove that an oven will fit your kitchen unit. For example, Electrolux specifies a housing size of 590 × 560 × 550 mm for the LOF6P16Z. These dimensions apply to this model.
Before ordering, compare the installation diagram and fitting instructions with your kitchen unit, its depth and the position of the connection.
Having to modify a unit or postpone installation can complicate your kitchen plans.
A fan-assisted setting is useful for cooking on several levels, but its name doesn’t guarantee the temperature the oven actually reaches or how stable it is. Que Choisir assesses these separately in its built-in oven tests.
If even cooking is essential for your baking or batch cooking, check comparable test results for the models you’re considering.
The energy used for a cleaning cycle is separate from that used for everyday cooking.
Choose this setting based on how often and how heavily your oven gets dirty, then check the programmes and energy figures stated for the specific model.
For the LOF6P16Z, Electrolux states energy use of 2 600 Wh for a 60-minute cycle and 6 500 Wh for a 150-minute cycle, depending on the programme selected.
An open door can get in the way of a walkway, a drawer or a neighbouring cabinet front, whether the oven is fitted under a worktop or in a tall unit.
Check how the door opens on the model you’re considering and measure the space available in front of its position.
These details apply to the models named by their manufacturers; they don’t describe every product range or independent test results.
The LOF6P16Z combines a stated 72 L capacity with multi-level cooking and pyrolytic cleaning.
Bosch lists 3D Hotair across three levels, pyrolytic cleaning and hydrolytic cleaning assistance for the HBA274BB3F.
The Siemens product details for the HB574ABR3F list 3D hotAir across three levels, activeClean pyrolytic cleaning and humidClean cleaning assistance.
Whirlpool lists a 71 L capacity and cooking on three levels for the OMR58RR1X; the WOI4S8PM1SWAF is listed at 73 L.
This multifunction oven with pyrolytic cleaning may suit a household that cooks regularly and wants this cleaning option. Check its cooking levels and installation requirements against your kitchen.
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Designed for family meals and pyrolytic cleaning, this built-in oven is listed with a 71 L capacity, a stainless steel finish and an A+ energy rating. Before buying, check the instructions for usable cooking levels, housing dimensions, installation requirements and the energy used by its cleaning cycles.
It may be enough if you mainly cook on one level at a time. If you regularly cook several dishes or trays together, look for a multifunction oven with a fan-assisted setting and check how many levels are designed for this use.
Choose based on the size of your dishes and how many levels you’ll use, rather than relying on a single capacity threshold in litres. Compare the stated capacity, internal dimensions and accessories of each model.
For frequent, heavy soiling, consider models with pyrolytic cleaning; hydrolytic cleaning can help with lighter soiling. Some ovens offer both, so compare how the instructions say to use each option and check the stated energy use of the pyrolytic cycles.
Not necessarily: that description doesn’t replace the installation dimensions for the specific model. Measure the housing, check its depth and follow the fitting instructions. Also make sure there’s enough room to open the door.