Ovens and Cookers – freestanding and built-in

Electric Cookers

There are three main types of electric cooker: single oven with grill (oven and grill in one cavity), twin cavity (separate oven and grill), and double oven (the smaller of which usually has a grill); plus two less popular types. All are described below but whichever electric cooker you choose, you will need a heavy duty cooker electric point. If you are in any doubt about this, consult an electrician before you purchase, as if you do not already have a suitable power point, it can be very expensive to have one installed.

Single oven with grill (grill combined with oven) — This is the budget option with prices ranging from £150. The biggest downside of combining the grill and oven is the fact that you cannot bake and grill at the same time. Also, as the grill element is inside the oven, it can easily get covered in grease and fat, then when the grill is tuned on it can produce a lot of smoke until it is burned off (we have heard of smoke alarms being set off). This is worse if the grill is only used occasionally.

Twin cavity (separate oven and grill) — This is by far the most popular choice of cooker, being a lot less expensive than a double oven, with prices ranging from around £300 up to £500. You can grill and bake at the same time and some models are available with an automatic oven.

Double oven (smallest oven usually has a grill combined) — The best option if the budget will allow it: from around £300 to over £1,000. Two ovens, one small and one large with the small one accommodating a grill. Usually it will have a fully automatic programmable main oven and a minute minder. You can bake and grill at the same time, or use the small oven to keep things warm.

Cookers with ceramic or sealed plate hobs — Electric cookers with sealed plate hobs are much cheaper than other types, but are very slow to warm up and cool down. If you can afford it, the ceramic hob type is a much better choice as it is easier to keep clean and much more controllable.

Low back cookers — Although considered old fashioned, low back cookers are actually very practical and we still sell lots of them at Discount Direct (especially to our retired customers). With this type of cooker, the controls are located on a panel at the back of the cooker, which is easily reached. This allows the grill and oven to be raised up slightly from the floor. However, one of the most common complaints about slot-in cookers is the fact that the oven is low down. At the time of writing this article, only Tricity with three models, and Belling with one model, still make low back cookers.