Ovens – Buyers Guide

Size and capacity to suit your household

Your ideal oven size depends on your cooking, frequency, kitchen space, and household size.

For Couples

Compact sized ovens are ideal for apartment living, couples, or households of 1 2 people.

For Families

The standard 60cm oven suits most Kiwi families and is a common choice in most homes.

For Big Families & Avid Entertainers

If you have a big family or love hosti ng weekend parties and gatherings, having a larger oven (preferably 90cm) or a double oven is a must for cooking a feast.

Choose features to suit your lifestyle

Different ovens come with varying cooking features, so it is noteworthy to consider what you'll be using the appliance for. Some have multiple cooking functions, such as convection, broiling, and baking, while others may have features like self-cleaning or steam cleaning to make life easy for you.

• Energy efficiency: ovens can use a lot of energy. Look for one with a high Energy Star rating or using less energy overall. Helps reduce your carbon footprint and save money on power bills over a long period.
• Settings and functions: fan-forced or convection setting is non-negotiable for most people looking for a new oven. Some models come equipped with four preset settings, whereas others come with up to 17 settings for getting the right temperature, cooking proteins, browning, keeping food from drying out and more.
• Cool-to-touch doors: the multi-layer panels insulate the door, ensuring it remains cool. A must-have for families with young children or pets, providing safety against burns.
• Timer and delayed-start: delayed bake option allows you to set a mode to start later in the day and shut off when the cooking is complete, or the timer function sounds a 'ding' when the set time for the baking process is over.
• Self-cleaning ovens: a game-changer for busy households — they save you time and effort in cleaning the oven. Pyrolytic ovens burn off baked-on residue into dust, making it easy to wipe off with a damp cloth. In comparison, catalytic liners absorb and burn off grease. Run a steam cycle regularly for steam ovens to soften residues, making it easier to wipe gunk away.
• Telescopic runners: fully extendable, telescopic shelves make it easier to check on your food by drawing the racks in and out while removing hot dishes.
• Drawers: pair your oven with a drawer to keep food warm, reheat leftovers, and preheat cold crockery and cups. There are also drawers specifically designed for sous vide cooking, dehydrating, slow cooking and more.
• Steam cooking: steam ovens combine the right amount of steam and hot air during cooking, preserving nutrients and flavour. It prevents food from drying out while keeping your proteins juicy.
• Meat and food probe: some ovens come outfitted with a food probe that can measure the core temperature of your protein to ensure it is cooked well.
• Sous vide cooking: Lock in moisture and preserve the incredible flavour using precisely-controlled heat and airflow. The sous vide function helps prepare food perfectly in a vacuum-sealed bag in the oven.
• Smart oven functionality: they offer advanced features such as Wi-Fi connectivity, voice control, real-time alerts when food is ready, an in-built camera and recipe suggestions. Smart ovens are great for cooks of all skill levels and make life convenient with the ability to control your oven from anywhere with your phone.
• Assisted Cooking: select from pre-set recipes and the desired level of doneness, which results in the oven automatically generating the ideal time, temperature and humidity. You can adjust the setting manually as well.

Need help? We're here to help you.

If you need help deciding which oven is best for your kitchen, head to your nearest Harvey Norman store to talk with our in-house experts. You can also chat with our team from the comfort of your home.