The place of cooking has long been considered sacred, the stove was the center of the home, it provided heat, nourished, gathered the family around. The burning hearth today remains a symbol of prosperity and abundance in the house, and the kitchen - a special place where you can sit over a cup of tea, chat, relax and - where without it - good to eat.
The modern analogue of the oven - the oven - is an indispensable thing: in it you can cook the most varied and healthy dishes. 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’s not difficult to integrate an oven, the size of which fits into the kitchen interior.
Variety of ovens
The choice of ovens is as extensive as the functional variations of these kitchen appliances. They differ in the type of heating - electric and gas. On management - mechanical, sensory and mixed. In terms of energy costs - “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 the internal surfaces. There are autonomous and complex ovens on the market, characterized by the presence or absence of a connection with the hob. It is especially convenient for hostesses to build in an oven. The size of the oven in width is selected for the dimensions of the kitchen furniture.
Below will be considered some of these varieties.
Gas or electricity?
Here everyone chooses for themselves: a gas oven will help save money, and an electric variety will provide a functional variety. The second variety has another important plus - uniformity of heating: even in some gas devices for this purpose, the manufacturer builds a heating gadget powered by electricity.
In both variations there are pros and cons, so when choosing a lot depends on the wishes of the buyer himself to the functionality of the oven, dimensions, design and other characteristics.
Appearance
The design of kitchen appliances is important and depends on the furniture already in the kitchen, the area of the room, the color scheme of the interior, and on the preferences of the buyer.
The most versatile for kitchen equipment stainless steel tone. "Metallic" is neutral in color and combines well with almost all shades of furniture and other kitchen utensils.
If the kitchen has built-in appliances, then the width of the furniture should be appropriate in size, a suitable niche should be allocated for the built-in oven.
Centimeters and degrees
Times of spacious lavatories and upper rooms have sunk into oblivion, so the kitchen area becomes crucial when choosing furniture and household appliances. Since the depth and height of various oven models varies 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 in which you plan to mount the oven.
The standard dimensions of built-in ovens are on average 60 cm for all three parameters of the device, and such dimensions are quite sufficient to make dinner for an ordinary family.
Chamber volumes in ovens range from 20 to 160 liters: small-sized ovens are good at home, while more massive models are more often used in the catering industry.
The temperature regime is selected depending on the recipe and the technology of cooking, and most often a value from 200 to 250 ° C is used; Some models of built-in ovens can heat up to 500 degrees.
In crowded but not mad
In compact modern kitchens with forced space savings, the built-in oven becomes especially relevant. The dimensions of the installation, of course, are tied to the dimensions of the main furniture, and under such conditions the parameter of “dependence” or “independence” of the oven is decisive.
A stand-alone oven is not connected to the hob by the control panel, and therefore can be installed in any suitable sector of the kitchen, creating some “freedom of maneuver” for convenient placement of furniture.
Savings should be economical
Suppose you decide to build in an oven. The amount of future costs is not only the cost of equipment and installation, this also includes operating costs, including energy costs.
Gas ovens in this regard are more economical; However, among electric ovens, there are various energy-intensive options: they are marked with letters. The economy class is marked with the letter “A”, the most energy-consuming models are marked with the letter “C”, the average version is “B”. This marking should also be taken into account when choosing an oven, so as not to receive dimensionless bills from energy companies.
The largest energy consumption is accounted for by the additional functions and capabilities of the oven; the very dimensions of the oven built into your kitchen do not significantly affect energy consumption.
How to control the oven
In continuation of the topic of economy, let’s say about the methods of controlling ovens. Manufacturers of household appliances provide for this one of three possible types: mechanical, touch and mixed.
The simplest, but most energy-intensive, is mechanical regulation; its minus is also in the absence of a number of additional management capabilities.
The sensory method, as the name implies, makes it possible to control the oven with one touch. In addition, it contributes to the accurate choice of temperature and energy savings. A mixed form of control consists of a combination of the two above formats.
Thus, when choosing a built-in oven, it is 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 connection of the oven to a power outlet. Some gas models provide a number of additional functions, also powered by electricity: gas control, rotisserie, ignition and others.
The gas heating source remains more economical, however, it does not provide the variety of possibilities as electric built-in ovens. The sizes of these two varieties on average practically do not differ, but the 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 food is heated from all sides, which allows baking dishes more thoroughly, evenly and quickly.
In addition to two heating elements - above and below - in the electric oven there is a convection mode, due to which the food is browned evenly on all sides. Devices are also provided for maintaining uniform temperature in the oven chamber.
A wide variety of temperature conditions - from 30 to 300 ° C - makes it possible to prepare dishes that the gas counterpart will not cope with, which makes electric ovens even more attractive. Their built-in sizes 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 at the same time.
The downside of the electric oven is energy costs; however, if you do not use it regularly, then this will not particularly affect the electricity bills.
Summarize
The usefulness and functionality of ovens is obvious, while avoiding overloading the kitchen interior with excessive dimensions and compactly arranging everything you need will help household appliances in furniture niches and openings. It remains to build in an oven, the size of which you can choose yourself - and cook tasty and healthy dishes for your pleasure.