From gas to electric, this guide collects the very best ovens out there right now. Since modern ovens offer so much these days, it’s worth considering what you need before you buy. You might want a basic oven that also grills, features a timer and is easy to clean. Or perhaps you want more with self-cleaning, smart connectivity over WiFi, various convection settings, warming drawers, slide-in doors and plenty more options available. You may want to check out the best gas ranges (opens in new tab) specifically if electricity powered options aren’t your thing. Or if going large is your need then check out the best electric wall double ovens (opens in new tab) for maximum cooking space. No matter what you want, this guide will feature a selection of brands including GE, Frigidaire and LG with varying models to suit all types of needs. Crucially it’s all laid out in a way which allows you to quickly see what’s available so you can narrow down your search to find the perfect oven for your needs.
Best ovens
Discover our round-up of the best ovens that you can currently buy, from budget-friendly buys to futuristic features that will make cooking up a storm as fun and easy as possible.
Best ovens
The GE JB655YKFS is a great oven that is available in six different colors. Inside the oven, you can expect 5.3 cubic-feet of space and the cooktop offers five burner elements, one of which is designed to keep your food warm once it’s cooked. Two of the cooktops have dual burners which can be expanded to fit larger pans, or run on a smaller size for day-to-day cooking. The control knobs are positioned at the back of this oven, and while this creates more space on the 30-inch cooktop, some users report that this can get in the way of pans and larger pots. Standout features include the delay bake setting which enables you to program your oven to start baking at a later time. The delay setting can also be used with the self-clean mode, meaning you can leave your oven to clean while you’re not in the room and come back to a spotless cooker.
Read our full GE JB655YKFS review (opens in new tab) here
The Frigidaire GCRE3060AF is a great option for those willing to spend a little more. It’s not unreasonably priced, but it is above average for a single oven range. This oven has an in-built air fryer mode that will work just as well as a countertop appliance to create crispy fried foods, without the oil. The oven has a large 5.7-cubic feet capacity, and three shelves that will allow you to cook all sorts of dishes simultaneously. Its controls are digital, and you can adjust temperature using the dials which sit at the back of the cooktop. The cooktop on the Frigidaire GCRE3060AF is electric, and notoriously tough to clean. It’s got some great elements going for it though, such as a triple burner that adjusts from six, nine, or 12 inches as required. It also features a dual burner with quick boil mode, and a warming cooktop for keeping food fresh once it’s cooked.
Read our full Frigidaire GCRE3060AF review (opens in new tab) here
The GE Profile PTD9000SNSS Double Wall Electric Oven is one of the best ovens for bakers due to its spaces double capacity and clever features like the in-built camera so that you can check on your cakes, without letting heat out of the oven resulting in some slumped bakes. It’s not just cakes this double oven has been designed to cook either. The GE Profile PTD9000SNSS Double Wall Electric Oven also has an air frying mode and other features which make using it a breeze. The oven is self-cleaning, has gliding racks, and has soft-closing doors.
Read our GE Profile PTD9000SNSS Double Wall Electric Oven review (opens in new tab)
The Samsung NV51K7770SS is a single oven in terms of taking up space, at 30-inches in size, yet it offers double oven cooking skills. Thanks to dual convection cooking zones you can cook two different dishes at varying heat levels, within that single oven space. The smart doesn’t stop there, this also has an option to steam cook as a great way to keep moisture in your dishes while you bake, broil and roast your food. You can do all that from a distance thanks to WiFi connectivity. That not only means you can monitor your food from afar but can also have your oven heated up and ready to cook when you get in the door, making precise dinner timings a reality. This isn’t a cheap oven but you do get a lot of deals on this brand so it’s worth looking out for a sale to make a good saving on this very intelligent precision convection based cooking powerhouse. Little touches like knobs that illuminate blue when the oven is on, so you can clearly see that, help to make this premium finish as useful as it looks attractive. This quality continues onto the racks where the sliding action has been perfected to make it as easy as possible, even when using one hand to slide out a rack level. You can even have the oven help you prepare the food with the Gourmet Cook feature that works on the color display to let you use the a pre-programmed recipe guide to try out new dishes. The Cosori 12-in-1, as the name suggests, is a countertop convection oven that you can plug in and have up and running easily. That gets you all the money saving power of an air fryer with plenty of other settings to cook all sorts of food in various ways. You do only have a single layer to cook on and the 26-quart size of the oven won’t suit more than one or two people, but it is super affordable to buy and run. The oven is app controlled allowing you to get cooking, monitor food, or turn off your oven from your smartphone wherever you are. You can even control this with your voice using Alexa. The 12 cooking functions include: Preheat, air fry, bake, toast, roast, broil, keep warm, dehydrate, pizza, slow cook, defrost, and ferment. The silver finish looks premium while the large knobs make for easy controls that are reflected on the digital display. You also have some useful inclusions as standard like the crumb tray, fry basket, food tray, wire rack, and rotisserie fork to help expand your cooking options. All that and it’s healthy too since the air fryer option saves you up to 85% on oil used in the cooking process while still getting great results. If you want to go for an oven that will stand out as a design win on aesthetics, but won’t break your bank, then the Whirlpool WEE510S0FS is a great option. The slide-in design has a sleek metallic finish with controls that are easily accessible from the front of the oven. While all the burners are electric, they get to very high heats and offer adaptable options with one that can be set to a 6-inch or 9-inch burner to suit the pots and pans you need to fit on the top. That top is also ceramic making for super simple cleaning where a wipe clean is all that is often needed to keep this looking as good as new. On the downside there isn’t a convection oven, which means it can take a while to get up to cooking temperature and then the heat isn’t as even as some might like – not ideal for cake making bakers then. But you do have a sizable 4.8-cubic feet of cooking space so plenty can be put in at the same time to cook. That all said, the Frozen Bake feature is useful, allowing you to cook from frozen without the need to preheat the oven first. Delayed Start is another helpful feature, allowing you to have your food precisely cooked for when you return home, for example. There’s also a Sabbath mode that safely keeps food hot for longer periods of time, without the need to turn on the stove. This oven does offer a self-cleaning function that can take care of minor mess but also deep cleaning needs too. On the top, all the hobs are ceramic meaning you can easily wipe them clean. All that adds up to a good looking unit which can easily stay that way long after you’ve installed it. You might pay a premium for the LG LWC3063BD but it’s well worth it when you consider everything you get. This is a double oven with 1.7 and 4.7 cubic feet sections that allow you to cook at varying heats at the same time. But, crucially, that smaller oven lets you cook at speed thanks to its TurboCook feature, which LG says gets you food at four times the speed of a normal oven. Thanks to infrared heating you can skip the preheat to get food “as fast as a microwave” in some cases. The oven is WiFi connected and backed by the LG app which allows you smart controls. That means you can preheat your oven, monitor cooking or turn it off from anywhere you have an internet connection. Since it’s all done with convection technology the food should come out evenly cooked, ideal for baking cakes, cookies and more. With over 50 cooking modes, including steam cooking, this oven is a pro level machine that should serve nearly all requirements. The oven also offers a unique cleaning technology that doesn’t require potentially harmful high heats or fumes. Spray the oven, select the EasyClean mode, then after 10 minutes wipe away the muck that’s been freed from the oven interior. If you want a countertop oven then the specialist brand in this area, Breville, offers a great option in its Smart Oven. This manages to look attractive with a metallic design, digital display and easy knob based controls, all while offering lots of cooking modes. The Smart Oven has nine cooking modes in total which include: Toast 6 slices, Bagel, Bake, Roast, Broil, Pizza, Cookies, Reheat and Warm. These all come from the 1800W convection heating system that means you can get your food ready very quickly. The oven is relatively easy to clean allowing it to keep that new look for longer. That said, the size is limited, as expected with a countertop model, so that should be kept in mind when buying. While there are some gripes from users about the controls and door functionality lessening and fan being a little noisy, over a few years, the core workings of the oven appear to go the distance even with regular use.
Buying advice for the best ovens
What are the different types of oven?
Out of single and double ovens, single ovens are the most compact of the two. You can expect a single oven to measure in somewhere between around 45cm or 60cm in height. So if you aren’t planning on pulling off any huge spreads anytime soon, or you’re just cooking for a couple of people, this is a good space saver. The main downside to a single oven, aside from space, is that you’ll need to plan ahead, as you can’t use the grill and the oven simultaneously. On the flip side, double ovens have a bigger capacity. Anywhere between 70cm and 90cm in height and coming as a built-in eye level or under the counter option, these are a wise choice for large families or anyone who wants to avoid cramming in multiple trays. If Wi-Fi or Bluetooth features are on your radar, a smart oven will let you instruct your oven from your smartphone. Available with selected single or double ovens, these features make it possible to track your food from anywhere, whether you want to warm your oven ready for when you get home or save your settings for quick access the next time you cook the same meal.
What to look for in a great oven
The first thing you’ll want to look at when it comes to buying a great oven is its power, measured in British Thermal Units (BTU). The higher the BTU, the greater power there is behind the oven, so if you want to ensure that your food is cooked through quickly and thoroughly or you tend to cook in bulk, a model with a high BTU will give you the greatest bang for your buck. The same goes for the oven’s capacity. If you have lots of people to feed, you’ll need a higher capacity than someone who lives on their own. Aim for an oven with over five cubic feet inside to avoid overcrowding the insides. As for other special features, an oven with a good number of burners will come in handy if you often fry or boil multiple foodstuffs at once. Likewise, if you want your oven to handle most things you throw at it, look for an oven with a variety of cooking modes such as an air frying mode or steam setting. If you care at all about controlling your oven remotely or starting off your meal before you get through the door, a smart oven with Wi-Fi connectivity may be in your best interest too.
Which ovens can air fry?
The arrival of air fryers in recent years has revolutionized the way many people want their food cooked. Rather than the process of deep fat frying, air frying allows food to be cooked via the circulation of hot air and gives an all-over cooking experience. This is called a convection effect and gives a superior cooking and browning result. So which of the best ovens are capable of this type of cooking? Well the Frigidaire GCRE3060AF, which narrowly missed out on our top spot, has all the air frying capabilities you’ll need. It can crisp up chicken wings and fries without excess oil and is the perfect mode to set your oven on for when you fancy a quick midweek treat. Many user reviews of this oven claim the air frying mode to be just as good as dedicated countertop appliances.
Which ovens have self-cleaning cycles?
Getting around to cleaning your oven isn’t the most thrilling household chore, which is why it’s so handy to have self-cleaning cycles built into your chosen model. Self-cleaning cycles work by blasting hot air or steam throughout your oven to get rid of stubborn stains or marks, saving you a scrubbing job. They can be set to run whenever you feel your oven needs some TLC, and get rid of any food deposits with their high temperatures. From the models within our best ovens roundup, the GE JB655YKFS is one such oven with a self-cleaning cycle. That means you won’t have to spend money on dedicated cleaning products for your oven or have added chemicals inside your appliance, which is a plus for eco-conscious buyers. The same goes for the GE Profile PTD9000SNSS Electric Double Oven, which also has the bonus of in-oven cameras.
