Canstar Blue’s 2020 oven review has seen Smeg, Miele, Electrolux, Westinghouse, Bosch, Fisher & Paykel and Chef, rated on cooking performance and reliability, functionality and features, ease of use, ease of cleaning, design and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Smeg cooked up an impressive victory in Canstar Blue’s oven ratings, achieving five-star reviews in every category, including overall customer satisfaction.
Feeling burnt out over trying to fix an oven that won’t work? Whether you’re looking to furnish your dream kitchen or replace an old unit that’s only serving up plates of disappointment, shopping for a new cooking appliance isn’t easy and can get seriously pricey. Plus, while the basics of using different oven settings won’t have changed much since your last purchase, there are now plenty of ‘techy’ features and functions that can make the decision even more confusing. That’s why it pays to do your research, so you can find the best oven for you. That’s also where we come in.
This year, we’ve grilled more than 900 Aussies for their feedback on the oven they’ve installed and used in their home in the last three months. Respondents rated brands on their cooking performance and reliability, functionality and features, ease of use, ease of cleaning, design and overall satisfaction. Those which met the minimum required survey sample size of 30 responses are featured in our results.
In our 2020 review, Smeg roasted the competition after earning five-star ratings across the board. It was also the only brand to achieve full marks in the majority of categories, including overall satisfaction.
Here are the best ovens in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s 2020 review:
Seven leading brands felt the heat in our 2020 oven review, but Smeg could clearly handle it, after poking Electrolux off the top spot. It rated best in every category, including cooking performance and reliability, functionality and features, ease of use, ease of cleaning, design and overall satisfaction.
Electrolux and Westinghouse also spiced up our ratings, each similarly whipping up five stars for ease of use. Overall, most brands came out on four stars for overall satisfaction. The only exceptions were Fisher & Paykel and Chef, which both landed on three stars overall.
It’s fair to say that some of the top-rated brands in our review are some of the most premium (and therefore expensive) available. So, what does that tell you? Well, perhaps that investing in a quality oven will prove a sound financial move now and in the long run. If you’ve ever been frustrated by a temperamental oven, or just left disappointed by its performance, then it may be time to upgrade. To help you decide which oven will be the best fit for your home, read on for an overview of what the seven brands in this year’s comparison have to offer.
Smeg is an Italian appliance manufacturer providing ‘elegant contemporary living solutions’ for Aussie kitchens. Smeg ovens are rather chic in appearance, with touch displays and sleek silver finishes. Many models feature its ‘smart sense’ personal cooking programs, as well as advanced safety features.
Oven capacities generally hover around the 80L mark, while prices typically range between $2,000 and $3,000. However, expect to pay more for pyrolytic varieties which boast 90-minute auto-cleaning times. These models include the 70cm Classic Aesthetic Pyrolytic Built-In Oven (SFPA7395X2) which retails for about $5,550*. It offers 17 cooking functions, including keep warm, defrost and proofing. In addition, its SmartSense Plus is stated to provide a step-by-step guide to cooking with a large TFT colour display and 50 guided cooking programs.
Here’s a selection of several Smeg ovens:
Miele is a well-regarded home appliance brand, with many of its products manufactured in Germany. Miele offers an extensive range of ovens in Australia, with a strong focus on durability and ease of use, particularly with the higher-end models. Expect features like self-cleaning or easy-clean enamel finishes, cool-touch doors, multiple programs and functions, as well as the ‘Flexiclip’ runners which allow you to baste and turn meat without the risk of burning yourself.
Miele has proved a hugely popular brand in Canstar Blue’s research over the years, but its prices are generally higher than most other brands, with some ovens costing upwards of $7,000. Its most expensive model – the Miele PureLine CleanSteel Pyrolytic Oven (H 7890 BP) – has a retail price tag of $15,599*. But you can find several other ovens priced around the $2,000 mark, including the Miele B PureLine Clean Steel Oven (H 2267-1). This 76L oven offers eight cooking functions, five rack levels and features such as Flexiclip telescopic runners, EasyControl with retractable dials, clock with sensor-touch controls, and a PerfectClean interior.
Miele’s oven range includes these models:
For all things home appliances, Electrolux remains a global leader. The Swedish brand is a giant in the appliance industry – producing different types of ovens, including electric, pyrolytic, microwave-oven and steam varieties. Most models are available as either 60cm single ovens or duo ovens, although there are 90cm units also up for grabs.
Common features include the Smart Food Probe, pyrolytic self-cleaning function and FullFlex telescopic runners. Many Electrolux ovens also contain Intuitive Oven Interface (IOI) technology, which is claimed to eliminate the need for instruction models. Electrolux ovens typically check out at the higher end of the price range, some costing as much as $5,000, while others cost a more modest $2,000.
A few Electrolux ovens include:
A subsidiary of Electrolux, Westinghouse still makes some quality ovens. Besides the traditional ovens that many know and love, Westinghouse produces pyrolytic ovens among its vast range of more than 30 models. Some are known for their large capacities, and kid-friendly features such as cool doors, child locks and fingerprint resistance.
Westinghouse is usually one of the more affordable brands around, with many of its ovens costing around the $1,500 mark. A couple of models are available for under $1,000, including the (WVE614WC) and (WVE615WC). However, expect techy features to be rather scarce at the cheaper end of the price range. Its most expensive ovens sit around $3,900. This will get you Westinghouse’s 90cm Pyrolytic Electric Built-In Oven (WVEP917DSC), which offers a variety of functions such as AirFry, Easy Bake + Steam, Maxi Grill, Fan Forced Cooking and PyroClean. It has a true family size capacity of 125L and contains a twin fan system and cool-to-touch doors.
Westinghouse’s oven range includes:
Bosch is a well-renowned name in the home appliance world, with the German manufacturer generally synonymous with quality and technology. Bosch offers the Australian consumer a wide range of over 30 ovens, both electric and gas. Bosch puts technology at the forefront of its design ethos, with soft-open and close doors, a multitude of cooking programs and displays, as well as auto-pilot functions such as ‘PerfectBake’ and ‘PerfectRoast’.
Bosch ovens generally come in at the premium end of the price spectrum, with most above the $2,000 mark, but some can be found for a bit less. The cheapest option is the Bosch Serie 2 Built-In Oven (HBF113BR0A), which retails for $999. It’s equipped with a 66L capacity and a 3D Hotair function claimed to provide perfect baking and roasting results by distributing heat to three rack levels simultaneously.
Bosch’s oven range includes these models:
Founded in New Zealand, Fisher & Paykel is a company that has been around for more than 80 years. During that time, it has emerged as one of the most technologically-advanced appliance brands and is a popular choice in many Australian kitchens. Fisher & Paykel has a huge range of ovens, with around 25 models in total, including double oven options for large households. Fisher & Paykel even sells pyrolytic ovens, although you’ll have to shell out a bit extra for the self-cleaning perk.
Fisher & Paykel has ovens to suit a wide variety of budgets, with models starting at around $1,000 and most costing less than $2,000, although higher-end models will set you back $6,000 or more. For the big bucks, you’ll get a 76cm electric double oven (OB76DDEPX3) with 11 functions, including a pyrolytic self-clean option. This model is boasted for its improved safety and energy-efficiency, thanks to Fisher & Paykel’s quadruple glazed CoolTouch doors.
Fisher & Paykel’s oven range includes:
As the name suggests, Chef specialises in all appliances that cook, and in particular – ovens. Chef has been around for a while now, with nine models available on the Australian market at the time of writing. Chef is known as a budget-oriented brand with many of its models costing less than $1,000. What Chef seems to focus on is straightforward cooking with no real gimmicks, with only a few models featuring pyrolytic self-cleaning.
Chef only sells built-in electric ovens, with both single and double oven options available. Its 60cm Electric Built-In Oven (CVEP614SA) features pyrolytic self-cleaning, seven cooking programs and an integrated electric grill, all for about $1,349.* Programs include fan bake, defrost and maxi grill, claimed to provide convenient grilling of vegetables, meat or cheese toasties. Its quadruple glazed door is designed to stay cool to the touch, even during cooking, while its stainless-steel finish and modern design gives it a stylish look.
Here are several Chef ovens currently available:
Aside from the major brands rated in this year’s review, there are several others that you might like to consider when shopping for a new oven, including:
Boasting European style and quality German craftsmanship, Blanco offers 14 different ovens in Australia. Its electric built-in ovens come with tech features such as Blanco’s Triple Glazed Thermo-Reflective door, claimed to not only have a cool-to-touch surface but also increase the energy efficiency by retaining heat within the oven. In addition, expect hard wearing enamel interiors, boasted for being easy to clean. The brand is proving quite popular Down Under, consistently performing well in our reviews in recent years, presumably because it strikes a reasonable balance between price and quality.
Blanco’s range of ovens might be regarded as budget-friendly, with most of its models priced under $1,000. Its most expensive unit is a 75cm Pyrolytic Oven (BOSE714PTX) with a recommended retail price tag of $2,899, featuring 14 cooking different functions and touch controls operation. It’s boasted for a spacious 89L capacity, including multiple trays, pyrolytic function for easy maintenance and touch controls with a programmable timer.
Blanco’s oven range includes these models:
Omega is an appliance company specialising in kitchen appliances such as microwaves, dishwashers and indeed ovens. Omega claims over 30 years of experience in the Australian market, offering a hefty selection of ovens. With many models made in Italy, Omega’s ovens typically boast large capacities, built for families of four or six, and many models will feature safe-touch glass and pyrolytic self-cleaning. Others come with auto-cooking functions, customisable racks and touch controls.
Many of Omega’s ovens are priced at around $1,000 – $1,500, but expect the ‘Made in Italy’ models to fetch slightly larger price tags, owing to their dual glazed doors, stainless-steel finishes, and numerous rack positions with some models even allowing you to fit up to six chickens at once, apparently. Omega’s (OO757X) Electric Oven features just that, alongside a fully programmable timer, which lets you delay the cooking time among other things. There are various sizing options available – from 60cm to 90cm – as well as double ovens for busy kitchens.
Omega’s oven range includes:
While many brands solely offer built-in ovens, Euromaid sells several freestanding ovens including electric, gas, dual fuel and gas and electric varieties. These additionally come with a cook top, offering different types of surfaces such as gas burners, solid hot plates, coil hot plates and ceramic glass. Most Euromaid models also feature an integrated electric grill, although there are other ovens with an integrated gas grill or separate electric gas grill.
Retail prices start from $999* for a 50cm freestanding electric oven and stove, reaching up to $2,499* for a 90cm unit. There are also cheaper alternatives, including a Euromaid benchtop oven ($650*).
Euromaid’s oven range includes these models:
Beko is a Turkish domestic appliance and consumer electronics brand. It offers a modest range of built-in ovens and freestanding ovens, with both electric and dual options available for the stove-and-oven models. It’s said to provide extra-large capacities, with most ovens being 81L and above. Along with single ovens, there is also a double oven option available. Expect black design finishes with cool-to-the-touch doors. Some models may also feature removable side racks, key lock and “Excellent Clean” Nano Coating Technology. There are a few ovens costing less than $1,000, including the Beko Built-In Microwave Oven with Grill ($699*), the Beko 60cm Electric Built-In Oven (BBO60S0MB) for $849* and the Beko 60cm Electric Built-In Oven (BBO60S1MB) for $999*. Although most Beko ovens retail between $1,000 and $2,000.
Here are a few Beko ovens you can find:
Italian brand ILVE caters for both home and professional cooks. Specialising in high-end ovens for more than 60 years, the manufacturer offers a fairly large selection of full-size built-in ovens, compact ovens and cooktop ovens. The single and double ovens are available as either a gas or electric unit, while the cooktop ovens are sold as either a dual fuel or gas-only model.
Since ILVE is a high-end brand, an oven is going to cost you. Prices start from $1,699* for a 60cm electric built-in oven, and can cost up to a hefty $9,169* for a freestanding dual fuel oven and stove model. Expect features such as Quickstart pre-heat functions, dual capillary thermostats and triple glazed cool-touch athermic doors and handles.
ILVE’s oven range includes these models:
If you’re looking for a new oven and don’t mind splashing the cash, then perhaps Swiss manufacturer V-Zug might be a brand to consider. Its range of ovens features a variety of functions from soft roasting and plate warming to humid hot air and fast preheat options. In addition, expect modern designs with touch controls, plus a ‘gourmet guide’ that gives you access to automatic programs that can carry out even the most difficult cooking tasks with one touch of a button, according to V-Zug. Expect most of its ovens to cost more than $8,000, with prices ranging between $3,000 and $13,300.
V-Zug’s oven range includes these models:
There’s nothing like having the aroma of a Sunday roast fill the home, which is why choosing the right oven for your needs is essential. Apart from choosing the type – built-in single oven, built-in double oven, built-under oven or freestanding oven – there are several factors worth considering before you jump into a purchase to ensure you buy the best oven for your household’s needs. Some include:
There are a number of different sized ovens catering for various household needs. The sizes given in centimetres, such as 60cm and 90cm, are the outside dimensions, while the oven’s cavity is measured in litres, giving you an estimate of how much food can be cooked at a time. Built-in single models generally have the smallest oven capacity whereas built-in doubles have more space. Furthermore, the number of shelves available also alters the amount of food you can cook, with a 50L three shelf oven allowing you to cook more than a 60L two shelf option, for example.
There are two fuel options for ovens – gas and electric. Both have their pros and cons. When deciding which to go with, it will ultimately come down to your budget, how you like to cook and what you’re looking to cook with it.
A convenient feature that some ovens come with is self-cleaning. It’s ideal for those who use their oven regularly, saving you some elbow grease. Pyrolytic ovens feature a cleaning cycle that can burn away fat splashes and food spills, turning it into fine ash that you can simply wipe away. This typically takes three hours for the full cycle to be completed. Whether you find an oven with a self-cleaning function or not, it’s important to still give your appliance a thorough manual clean using an oven cleaner.
Many ovens are equipped with numerous settings and controls. According to our research, one in ten (13%) Aussies are confused by all the different cooking functions on their oven, so you’re not alone on this one. Common settings include steam, to keep the ideal humidity level for your food, grill, defrosting and baking, to help regulate the oven’s moisture for your sweet treats like cakes and muffins.
Naturally your budget determines which oven you will ultimately go with. The good news is you’ll find perfectly capable ovens at many different price points. However, generally prices start at no lower than $600, unless you find one on sale. Our survey found that Aussie households spend an average of $1,164 on new ovens. This is around the middle of the oven price range.
It certainly pays to do your research before jumping into a purchase, with an oven being a long-term investment. When asked to pick the most important factor in their purchase decision, respondents in our latest survey reported:
Interestingly, much fewer people said they would have preferred to have spent more money on a better oven. Compared to 24% of respondents who admitted this last year, just a small 7% agreed in our latest survey. Our research also identified the following oven-related insights:
Ultimately, you’ll want an oven that lives up to your cooking expectations, and doesn’t let you down at the end of a long, hard day. This review is based on the real-world experiences of Aussie consumers just like you, so we hope you find this report helpful in your search for a new oven.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
*Prices taken from retailer websites and Appliances Online, correct as of August 2020.
Our latest customer satisfaction research saw a number of brands rated best in different categories:
Before starting to think about the style of built-in oven you want to buy, you’ll first have to decide between gas or electric units. But which one should you choose?
There are plenty of retailers that sell ovens, either in-store or online. These include:
Canstar Blue surveyed 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have an oven installed in their home and have used it in the last three months – in this case, 942 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
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