General Chat

We are planning a new kitchen for the coming year, and are considering a built in under the counter oven. I'm thinking about an AEG Pyroluxe Plus (hate cleaning the blighters}. I currently have a freestanding double oven, but built in doubles seem a bit small, so maybe a single would be better.
Would appreciate hearing about any of your experiences and advice.

Thanks, Lynda

Hi,

We have an inbuilt Bosch oven, it is so small. If I were to replace it, I would certainly look for a bigger capacity oven....

My advice would be go to a retailer and open every oven you like the look of and check the 'size'.


Susan

Sorry GeordieinNorfolk, but I can't help you with this. But, talking of oven sizes, I have an AGA, and all three ovens have different interior sizes, thus an array of pans and baking sheets.
No wonder my second home is the Lakeland shop. Well, that is what I keep keep telling the OH. Any excuse to spend in there.

Julia in Derbyshire

Hello Lynda....

we have a Baumatic B0796SS...60cm, Built-under, electric double.
Touch control. Induction,Ceramic hob....
Brilliant, although it took a while to get used to the touch controls and being electric, we had always had gas!! so nice to have a 2nd oven/grill.......:)

jude:)

Yes, touch controls is something I'm concerned about. We had one in a self catering property we rented abroad, and it was really awkward! That Baumatic looks pretty good, Jude, might look at that one
We don't have gas in our village, and an AGA would probably dominate my little kitchen a bit, besdes, they scare me somewhat!
Yes, Susan NZ, a small oven does bother me, and I will certainly look at them all, I'm used to a large oven
I've looked at Which? reports, but I thought I'd ask you people, also.
Thanks, Lynda :-)

Lo level ovens are ok if your back and knees work ok......if so.......then .....go for it!!

as for what oven is better than any other......only a test run will sort that, Methinks........

we had a new kitchen fitted a few years back, an with hindsight all I would ve done os rearrange the sink unit.....and get new doors fitted to the old units,,,,,,we must have lost about a third of our previous cupboard space, as the overhead units are much less deep.........

We have an AEG double oven, the bottom one is about "normal size" and the top one quite big. They can be run together. It is a monster improvement on free standing. especially for the back. Not much cleaning needed. This goes with a Stoves induction touchy feely hob with 5 pot places ... it is quite beyond me but OH seems to be happy with it. Unless the child lock is on the cats walking across make it beep which is irritating late at night..

The modern ovens take far less power than the older ones and only need 16 AMP. The hob runs fine off the cooker 13AMP socket.

The glass hobs gas or electric are really ez to clean. The downer is anything heavy dropped on them and that's it, bye bye.

I had a huge old cream AGA with 6 doors in my New Forest days which I converted from coal to gas. I grew up with an AGA so found cooking on it ez ( in fact it is still the only thing I can cook on) but it needs space ... the extra ovens are great for bread making, warming cold cats and giving life to new born lambs.

Of course as soon as I had it on gas we had a huge storm and no power in the village for days on end ...

I like the AGAs best. You can get little AGAs as floor standing double ovens here:
http://www.twyford-cookers.com/HeatStorer/Modules.aspx

My OH who is French likes gee wiz modernity. Chacun à son goût.

Not cookers - but if you are having a kitchen makeover.....You might not have seen my comment on a recent thread about fridgefreezers - I had a cupboard type fitment for mine but found when the freezer needed replacing there are no stock sizes and I had to buy a smaller replacement - I should have had at least an open-topped space so I could have got any height.

Thanks for all your advice. A new hob is also something I'm looking at, induction I'm not sure about, as you need ferrous bottomed pans, a big new outlay.
Elizabeth, I won't be having a freezer in my new kitchen as they are in the new utility room, but am looking at a built in fridge.
Lynda :-)

Neighbours have just had a new kitchen fitted and are very pleased with one idea - the oven is not under the hob. One person is in charge of pans on the top and the other can keep an eye on the oven without getting in each others way. The 80cm drawers under the hob are used to house all the pans.

Lynda....yes forgot about the pans, we had to buy a new set!!!!

Jacqueline .....very good idea:)

jude

*IF* you have the space, it really is a good idea to have an eye level oven, and a separate hob. Future proofing, if nothing else ;-)

Apart from the oven/hob, all our other appliances are free standing. Although it may not look so 'neat', if they need replacing or mending in the future, there isn't so much work involved.

Even if you are planning to do the work yourself, it might be helpful if you consulted a Kitchen Planner. They may come up with ideas you haven't considered.

We have a kitchen planner coming out from Wickes on Wednesday, as I've seen the units I want, and they did a great job on planning our bathroom and bedroom.
Will probably go for under counter oven, but may site the hob separately.Don't want to loose too much work surface.
I'm so used to our current layout, but Hubby is more open to new ideas. Washing machine is going into our new utility room, so will have room for a second fridge. I won't bother with a dishwasher - I have a human one!
The aforesaid "dishwasher" is going to do the kitchen himself, as he has plenty of time now he's retired, and I must say he's done a cracking job with the utility room, bless him!

Lynda :-)

I have a built-in Creda electric double oven - large fan oven plus smaller top oven/grill.

Small oven used a lot as just two of use except when using large roaster with lid.

However OH bemoans now he is chief cook that an above counter oven would be ideal. I wanted one when we revamped - however my layout meant I would lose on cupboard space.

Have a Creda gas hob. This replaced a freestanding Creda electric cooker and saw no difference in the main ovens.

Can recommend Creda this is third in 40 years - only changed because I wanted to. Sold the others in working order.

Hi, Chris, We currently have a Creda Concept freestanding double oven, but I've never been totally keen on it. It is nice and large, but have never felt that temperature is accurate, and the clock/timer drives me mad! I'm sure it has a life of it's own, and sometimes goes off in the middle of the night.
There's so much to consider, isn't there. Think I am going to go for an under counter single oven, hob, and all singing all dancing combi microwave to act as second oven, maybe the Sharp one.

When your Planner comes, think if you can incorporate a peninsular (get the counter extended into an L shape). Our's didn't think of that until we suggested it, and even he agrees it works. It does depend on whether the room is wide enough. It gave us back the worktop the double oven took up.

Hi, Det,
Not sure if we could manage a peninsular, although it would be nice. Our kitchen is square, about 10 ft 6 x 10 ft 6, so not much space to play about, though we do eat in the kitchen.