Review of Chef ovens
Chef is a brand that specialises specifically in cooking appliances, providing some of the cheapest ovens around. Despite the low prices, however, its ovens all come equipped with a variety of useful features, so let’s review the entire range and try to offer some guidance of which bring the best bang for your cooking buck.
What ovens does Chef offer?
Chef offers three different types of ovens: Conventional, fan-forced and multi-function ovens. Conventional ovens are those that cook food by surrounding it with hot air, whereas fan-forced (otherwise known as convection ovens) ovens heat the food by evenly spreading hot air all around the oven with an interior fan. Multi-function ovens can do both.
In total, Chef boasts 16 different models. Let’s have a look at their key features, dimensions and price of each one individually to help you determine if they suit your needs and budget.
Conventional ovens
For conventional ovens, Chef has just the two models to choose from. We have compiled a list of the key features of each model, as well as the rough prices, in the table below.
| Model name | Price | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| EXC617W | $745 | Separate grill
Large 80L capacity Cooling fan 60 minute timer Air cooled door Easy to clean shelf supports |
| EOC617W | $609 | 60 minute timer
Air cooled door Easy to clean shelf supports Large 80L capacity |
Are Chef conventional ovens worth it?
A glaring weakness with Chef’s range of conventional ovens is the small range. Other brands have a much larger range of conventional ovens to pick from, so your options are fairly limited.
It’s easy to dismiss Chef’s conventional ovens based on their price, but they really do seem to offer great value. Its ovens are not supposed to be anything fancy, as reflected by their relative lack of innovation and features compared to other well established brands, such as Bosch and Miele. Chef’s ovens are there for you to do one thing – cook your food. And they seem to be doing a pretty good job at that, based on the large numbers of positive consumer reviews on Appliances Online and other websites.
The EXC617W model in particular is good value as it’s a double oven, meaning it can cook separate meals at once at different temperatures. Double ovens are usually far more expensive than the meagre $750 this model costs, so if you’re looking for a cheap but efficient oven that covers the basics of meal preparation, then Chef conventional ovens are definitely worth it. Take a closer look at the EXC617W in this video:
Fan-forced ovens
Chef’s range of fan-forced ovens is a little more thorough, with seven different models of this type. We’ve made a list below.
| Model name | Price | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| EGC627W | $1,302 | Separate grill
Large 80L capacity Easy clean shelf supports 60 minute timer Air cooled door |
| CVE624SA | ~ $1,200 – $1,400 | Large 80L capacity
Mark resistant, stainless steel LED control screen + knobs Air-cooled door Cooling fan |
| CVE662WA | $1,203 | Separate grill
Large 80L capacity Air-cooled door Easy clean shelf supports, removable door Cooling fan |
| CVE662SA
|
$1,184 | Separate grill
Large 80L capacity Mark resistant stainless steel Cooling fan, air-cooled door Easy clean shelf supports |
| EXC627S | $1,184 | Separate grill
Stainless steel, knob control 60 minute timer Cooling fan, air-cooled door Easy clean shelf supports Large 80L capacity |
| EXC627W | $879 | Separate grill, knob control
60 minute timer Cooling fan, air-cooled door Easy clean shelf supports Large 80L capacity |
| EOC627W | $609 | Knob control, 60 minute timer
Easy clean shelf supports Air-cooled door 80L capacity |
Are Chef fan-forced ovens worth it?
Like the conventional ovens, all of them (except one) in this table are double ovens. Therefore, Chef’s fan-forced ovens are extremely cheap compared to others in the markets. However, its fan-forced ovens lack any sort of advanced features, which is why they are so cheap. If you’re not sure what we mean by ‘advanced features’, check out our review of Blanco ovens to see what kind of innovation a lot of modern ovens come with nowadays.
Simply put, Chef’s ovens are extremely bare bones, and while that was passable for conventional ovens, there is far greater depth available in the category of fan-forced ovens, and the addition of features such as ‘autopilot’ programs mean that cooking is much simpler and easier in these more advanced models. These basic Chef models are likely to be less energy efficient. So if you’re on a tight budget and just need something that can cook food, then by all means consider a Chef fan-forced oven. Otherwise, we can’t say that they are worth the money.
Multi-function ovens
The remaining seven ovens that Chef provides are multi-function ovens, which can perform a range of different cooking tasks.
| Model name | Price | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| CVEP604SA | $1,300 | 60 minute timer
Air cooled door Easy clean shelves Fan forced versatility Large 80L capacity |
| CVEP614SA | $1,184 | 24-hour programmable timer
80L gross capacity Easy clean shelf supports Air-cooled door 5 different oven functions |
| CVE614SA | $845 | Mark resistant stainless steel
24 hour programmable timer Self-cleaning pyrolytic oven Air-cooled door 80L gross capacity 8 different oven functions |
| CVE614WA | $820 | 8 different oven functions
80L gross capacity Self-cleaning pyrolytic oven Air-cooled door 24-hour programmable timer |
| ECO647W | $699 | 5 different oven functions
80L gross capacity Easy clean shelf supports 24-hour programmable timer Air-cooled door Mark resistant stainless steel |
| CVE612SA | $680 | Easy clean shelf supports
80L gross capacity 24-hour programmable timer 5 oven functions Air-cooled door |
| CVE612WA | $663 | 3 different oven functions
80L gross capacity Mark resistant stainless steel Easy clean shelf supports Air-cooled door |
Read more: Electric vs gas oven running costs
Are Chef multi-function ovens worth it?
Again, this range of Chef ovens is extremely cheap, cementing their status as a budget-friendly provider of ovens. Its range of multi-purpose ovens represents better value for money than their fan-forced ones, as they are able to perform a variety of different tasks based on the range of functions seen in the table. These functions include modes like grill, defrost, bake and roast as well as fan-forced cooking.
In addition to the different cooking modes, Chef’s multi-purpose ovens focus more on convenience, with the 24 hour timer and self-cleaning modes a welcome addition that will make your life much easier. Many brands now include these modes in their ovens, so it is good to see Chef’s range of multi-function ovens following suit.
If you can afford it, it might still be wise to look to other brands that are slightly more expensive, but these multi-purpose ovens are perfect for oven shoppers on a budget. Definitely worth the money.
About the author of this page
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Content Lead, Megan Birot. She’s an expert on household appliances, health & beauty products, as well as all things grocery and shopping. When she’s not writing up our research-based ratings reports, Megan spends her time helping consumers make better purchase decisions, whether it’s at the supermarket, other retailers, or online, highlighting the best deals and flagging anything you need to be aware of.
What do customers think about Chef Ovens?
In 2019, Australian customers gave Chef 3 out of 5 stars for overall customer satisfaction for ovens.