How to choose an electric oven for the kitchen

The range of household appliances, as it may sometimes seem, has no boundaries. In almost every kitchen you can find food processors, blenders and, of course, a microwave.

No one will argue that it is good for heating, defrosting, and preparing simple dishes. But until now, experts cannot unequivocally answer a simple question - how harmful it is. The thing is that high-frequency radiation is officially recognized as harmful to human health. Unlike a microwave oven, a traditional electric oven does not pose any hidden dangers.

It's essentially a scaled-down oven. It operates from a 220 volt power supply, and its dimensions allow it to be placed anywhere.

Key selection parameters

In appearance, an electric oven resembles a microwave, but the range of its functions is much wider. In fact, it may well replace the oven that is located in the kitchen stove. That is, you can cook in it everything that housewives do in the oven.

IMPORTANT! Electric stoves are harmless to the human body, since heating is provided by heating elements.

Cooking chamber volume

If the consumer plans to use this device for heating food and preparing simple dishes, then an oven with a chamber volume of 10 liters. But if it works constantly, then the volume can be considered optimal from 20 to 30 liters. If the family is large, then it makes sense to think about a stove with a volume 40 liters. You can cook food for five or six household members at once.

Power

Power consumption is directly related to volume. That is, the larger the volume, the more energy the device consumes. Small ovens consume 650 W, large ovens 2200 W, respectively.

Number of heating elements

On the market you can find stoves with different numbers of heating elements. There are designs that have one heating element. This is the so-called budget option; most often such devices are used for heating and baking. Models with two heating elements located above and below allow you to use it with maximum efficiency, and the price also rises.

Thermostat

The delivery package also includes a device such as a thermostat. It is used to determine the cooking temperature. The fact is that in such ovens there is no possibility of setting the heating temperature “by eye”. The adjustment is stepwise. All manufactured products have the following property - in the absence of a thermostat, the oven will provide heating up to 180 degrees.

Timer

This is a device that brings a certain amount of comfort to the cooking process. By turning on this device and setting it for a certain time, you can be sure that after this period, the oven will be turned off and an appropriate sound signal will be given.

Convection

Some models are equipped with a forced air injection system. This is the most controversial option. The fact is that cooking food under the pressure of hot air is less effective than under the influence of heat emitted by installed heating elements.

Defrosting

There are models with a built-in option that allows you to quickly defrost meat or other frozen foods. It is important here not to overcook the product and not spoil it with excessive heat treatment.

Completeness

A typical set includes the following components:

• pallet;
• lattice;
• Bakeware;
• baking sheet, by the way, there can be several of them.

If the kit includes a spit, it must be equipped with skewers and other accessories.

What is a vacuum electric furnace

This is a new device designed for cooking food in bags from which the air has been pumped out. This method of cooking is becoming widespread in the countries of the European Union.

One of the key advantages of this technology is the preservation of the structure and juiciness of products. So, meat cooked in such an oven will have a delicate taste and will never dry out. Vegetables retain all their nutritional properties and structure.

Proper care

The performance of this device largely depends on the quality of the coating applied inside and outside the oven.

After each preparation of food, it is necessary to thoroughly wipe the surfaces to remove traces of fat. For washing, it is enough to use ordinary detergents. By the way, all manufacturers prohibit the use of products containing abrasive substances.

Their use will sooner or later lead to damage to the coatings inside the chamber. All washing and cleaning operations must be carried out only with the stove cooled and unplugged.Some components, such as the grill, can be cleaned using a dishwasher.

Recommendations for selection

Before purchasing a stove, you need to determine the range of tasks that it will solve. If it is installed in a country house and used only on weekends, then it makes sense to consider a stove with one heating element; it will allow you to heat up food brought with you from home. Its volume can be 14–25 liters, which is quite enough for a family of 4 people.

If the buyer plans to install an oven in the kitchen of his apartment and use it constantly, then it is advisable to think about purchasing an oven with two heaters - upper and lower and an optimal set of capabilities - timer, temperature control, etc.

Of course, cost plays an important role. Products of this class cost from 2,000 to 20,000 rubles, but at the same time, expensive models have many functions that will not be used often, for example, defrosting or cooking kebabs.

And also, if a consumer is considering purchasing a stove with additional options, he should remember that the more functions included, the higher the cost and more difficult the maintenance.

Features of operation

Users also use the door as a stand. At a minimum, the door can be damaged or the entire oven can be overturned. When you turn it on for the first time, unpleasant odors will appear in the kitchen, but this is a one-time phenomenon. The smell comes from the lubricant that is used to prepare the oven for transportation. Therefore, you can set the timer for half an hour and then the device will be completely ready for use and delight you with delicious and healthy dishes.

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