The place of cooking has long been considered sacred, the stove was the center of the dwelling, it gave warmth, nourished, gathered a family around it. The burning hearth remains a symbol of well-being and abundance in the house today, and the kitchen is a special place where you can sit over a cup of tea, talk, relax and, where else can you eat delicious food.
The modern analogue of the stove - the oven - is an indispensable thing: you can cook a wide variety of he althy dishes in it. If not so long ago the oven was considered an integral part of the oven, today it can also become a separate household appliance: it is not particularly difficult to build an oven, the size of which will fit into the kitchen interior.
Variety of ovens
The choice of ovens is as extensive as the functional variations of these kitchen devices. They differ in the type of heating - electric and gas. By control - mechanical, sensory and mixed. In terms of energy consumption - "A", "B", "C", in terms of size - small-sized and multi-tiered. By modes, including additional ones - grill, convection, and even by the method of cleaning internalsurfaces. There are autonomous and complex ovens on the market, which differ in the presence or absence of communication with the hob. It is especially convenient for housewives to build in an oven. The size of the oven in width is selected according to the dimensions of the kitchen furniture.
Some of these varieties will be discussed below.
Gas or electricity?
Here everyone chooses for himself: a gas oven will help save money, and an electric oven will provide functional diversity. The second variety also has another important plus - the uniformity of heating: even in some gas devices, for this purpose, the manufacturer embeds a heating gadget powered by electricity.
There are pros and cons in both variations, so when choosing, a lot depends on the wishes of the buyer himself regarding the functionality of the oven, dimensions, design and other characteristics.
Appearance
The design of kitchen appliances is important and depends on the furniture already available in the kitchen, the area of the room, the color scheme of the interior, and on the preferences of the buyer.
The most versatile tone for kitchen equipment is stainless steel. "Metallic" is neutral in color and goes well with almost all shades of furniture and other kitchen utensils.
If the kitchen has built-in appliances, then the width of the furniture must have the appropriate dimensions for the built-inthe oven must be allocated a suitable niche.
Centimeters and degrees
The times of spacious rooms and rooms have sunk into oblivion, so the area of the kitchen becomes decisive when choosing furniture and household appliances. Since the depth and height of different models of ovens vary slightly, the dimensions of the oven built into the interior of a modern kitchen must be compared with the width of the kitchen furniture. So you need to think in advance about the place where you plan to mount the oven.
Standard built-in ovens average 60 cm across all three dimensions of the appliance, and these dimensions are quite sufficient to cook dinner for an ordinary family.
The volumes of chambers in ovens vary from 20 to 160 liters: small ovens are good in everyday life, while more massive models are more often used in catering.
The temperature regime is selected depending on the recipe and cooking technology, and the most commonly used value is from 200 to 250 °C; some models of built-in ovens can heat up to 500 degrees.
In compact modern kitchens, with the forced space saving, the built-in oven becomes especially relevant. The dimensions of the built-in, of course, are tied to the dimensions of the main furniture, and in such conditions the parameter of “dependence” or “independence” of the oven is decisive.
The stand-alone oven is not connected to the hob by a control panel, and therefore can be installed in any suitable sector of the kitchen, creating some “freedom of maneuver” for convenient furniture placement.
Savings must be economical
Let's say you decide to build in an oven. The amount of future costs in this case does not only include the cost of equipment and installation, it also includes operating costs, including energy costs.
Gas ovens are more economical in this regard; however, among electric ovens there are options of various energy consumption: they are marked with letters. The economy class is marked with the letter "A", the most energy-consuming models - with the letter "C", the average option - "B". This marking should also be taken into account when choosing an oven, so as not to receive unlimited bills from energy companies.
The greatest consumption of energy resources falls on the additional functions and capabilities of the oven; the very dimensions of the oven built into your kitchen have little effect on energy costs.
How to operate the oven
Continuing the topic of saving, let's talk about ways to control ovens. Manufacturers of household appliances provide for this one of three possible types: mechanical, touch and mixed.
The simplest, but the most energy-consuming is mechanical regulation; its minus is also in the absence of a number of additional control options.
The touch method, as the name implies, givesthe ability to control the oven with one touch. In addition, it contributes to the precise choice of temperature and energy savings. Mixed type of control consists of a combination of the above two formats.
Thus, when choosing a built-in oven, it is also desirable to take into account this important service characteristic of the product.
Plus & minus
Not all gas cabinets are equipped with an upper heating element - a grill. Often, manufacturers in gas ovens provide an electric grill, so it is necessary to equip the oven connection to the outlet. Some gas models provide a number of additional functions that are also powered by electricity: gas control, spit, ignition and others.
The gas source of heating is still more economical, but it does not provide the same variety of options as electric built-in ovens. The sizes of these two varieties are practically the same on average, but electric ovens provide their owners with additional services for cooking and make the cooking process easier and more enjoyable.
One of the main advantages of electric models is that the temperature can be set with an accuracy of several degrees, and then its level is maintained throughout the entire cooking process. In addition, the dish is heated from all sides, which allows you to bake the food more thoroughly, evenly and quickly.
Except for two heating elements - top andbottom - the electric oven has a convection mode, thanks to which food is browned evenly on all sides. There are also devices for maintaining a uniform temperature in the oven chamber.
A wide variety of temperature conditions - from 30 to 300 ° C - makes it possible to cook dishes that the gas analogue cannot handle, which makes electric ovens even more attractive. Their built-in dimensions also depend on the number of ovens in the model: for example, there are variations with an additional oven that allows you to cook several dishes in parallel.
The downside of an electric oven is energy consumption; however, if you do not use it regularly, then this will not affect your electricity bills much.
Summarize
The usefulness and functionality of ovens is obvious, while avoiding overloading the kitchen interior with unnecessary dimensions and compactly arranging everything you need will help household appliances in furniture niches and openings. It remains to build in the oven, the size of which you can choose yourself, and cook delicious and he althy dishes for your pleasure.
