Types of cooker |
Gas
Gas cookers are very good for heating pots and pans on your hob.
The heat spreads right around the bottom of the pans.
Electric
Electric cookers offer you more control over the oven temperature and most have fans to spread the heat right around the cavity.
Some are multi-function, which allows you to cook with a combination of heat from the top and the bottom of the oven, the grill and fan.
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Cooker features |
Doors
All of the cookers we've tested have drop-down doors. Large drop-down doors can be inconvenient to use if you have to lean across them to place dishes on the shelves.
Double ovens
These offer you more cooking options and the ability to cook dishes at different temperatures simultaneously.
Hob
Electric hobs can be easy-to clean-ceramic or electric plates. Gas burners spread the heat well around the bottom of the pan.
Grill
Whether they’re eye-level or part of the oven itself, good grills have wide and even heat spread across the grill pan.
Fan ovens
Most electric cookers come with a fan which helps to distribute the heat evenly around the oven.
Thermostat indicator
On electric cookers you’ll usually find a light which turns off when the oven senses it has reached the desired temperature.
We found they were not always accurate, though.
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Convenience |
Automatic ignition
Some gas burners ignite automatically when the burner knob is pushed.
Flame supervision devices (FSDs)
An FSD will shut off the supply of gas should burner fail to ignite or get blown out.
Flexible cooking zones
These allow you to use as much or as little of the hob as you need. Helpful if you’re using very big or very small pans.
Minute-minders
Helpful when trying to produce perfectly cooked food and avoiding over-cooking.
Non-tip shelves
Non-tip shelves offer you some extra protection when dealing with hot and heavy dishes. Instead of reaching into the oven, you can pull out the shelf itself.
Storage compartment
Cookers with an eye-level grill also tend to have a drawer at the bottom to store or warm your plates.
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