Martina Gemmola/aremediasyndication.com.au.
The oven has been a kitchen staple, in its many iterations, for centuries – or even longer if you count the stone or brick bread ovens built into fireplaces in ancient times. But even gas and electric ovens have been around since the 19th century, and like most household essentials, they’ve continued to evolve since then.
These days, you can get ovens with electric, induction or gas stovetops, wall-mounted ovens with ergonomic designs and even get smart ovens that can be managed from an app, to name a few.
With so many models and brands on the market these days, it’s sometimes tricky to figure out which oven is the best choice for your kitchen. So, we’ve done the hard work for you, researching oven brands, models and features to look for when buying an oven.
6 popular ovens from top oven brands in Australia
- Miele PureLine CleanSteel 60cm pyrolytic oven, $6299.10, Bing Lee (here’s more about the brand)
- Bosch Series 8 60cm Pyrolytic Oven, from $1999, The Good Guys (here’s more about the brand)
- Westinghouse 90cm Multi-Function Oven Stainless Steel, from $1938 (usually $2399), Appliances Online (here’s more about the brand)
- Fisher & Paykel Series 5 60cm Contemporary Pyrolytic Oven, from $1699, Betta (here’s more about the brand)
- Smeg 60cm Classic Black Matte Pyrolytic Oven, from $1990, The Good Guys (here’s more about the brand)
- LG 76L InstaView Series 9 Steam Oven, from $2,379.00 (on sale), LG (here’s more about the brand)
What is the best oven brand in Australia?
This is one of those questions that can be top-of-mind when you’re shopping for a new oven (or a fridge, or anything else really). But there isn’t one single “best” oven brand in Australia – the brand can play some role in your decision but it’s often the oven model itself that makes all the difference when you’re using it. So with that in mind, we’ve put together a list of six top brands that make highly-rated, popular ovens. We’ve also included customer reviews for some specific models, so you can get an idea of how these ovens suit people using them in Australia.
Miele
Founded in 1899, German brand Miele has a reputation for high-quality appliances. In fact, the brand has been named as the best oven brand by Choice for seven years in a row.
Miele’s range of premium ovens includes speed ovens, steam ovens, pyrolytic self-cleaning models and combination ovens that offer intuitive features. While it’s worth noting that Miele’s top-of-the-line features also mean its oven prices are typically on the high end of the market, a lot of the customer reviews we read were very happy with the brand.
“Never thought it was worth the price! I was wrong,” one customer shared in a 5-star review of the Miele PureLine CleanSteel 60cm pyrolytic oven (pictured) on the ProductReview website. “I’m so pleased I decided to spend the money on this unbelievable under counter electric fan forced oven. Exceptionally easy to use even for novices like myself. It also has a moisture function which pumps moisture into the oven during roasting etc. The pyrolitic cleaning cycle is wonderful, allowing a simple wipe down of remaining ashes afterwards to bring it up like new every time.”
SHOP NOW AT:
Bosch
Another top-rated oven brand founded in Germany in the late 1800s, Bosch has a range of electric ovens, pyrolytic ovens, double ovens and freestanding ovens available in Australia. It also has models to suit different budgets, with popular models currently ranging from around $650 to $4500 or more.
Some of Bosch’s standout features include smart app integration, 3D Hotair for even heat distribution on up to three levels, built-in air frying and cool-touch doors.
“This oven is incredible – its easy to use and cooks food perfectly. It does not heat the house and the pyrolytic oven cleaning function is wow,” one customer shared in a 5-star review of the Bosch Series 8 60cm Pyrolytic Oven via The Good Guys. This model is also highly rated at Appliances Online, where it has a 4.9-star average from over 45 customers.
“Replaced a 20yo old Bosch built-in oven with this one and it fit into the same spot perfectly. It’s very easy to use and connected to the app so notifications are sent to my phone when the oven comes to temperature etc,” one customer shared in a detailed review. The added: “I also have a 90cm oven which is fairly new too but a different brand and I seem to favour the Bosch oven because of its easy of use and very rapid heat up feature. Over all highly recommended.”
SHOP NOW AT:
Westinghouse
Offering an intuitive array of freestanding ovens, built-in gas ovens, electric ovens, pyrolytic ovens, steam ovens and large capacity double ovens, Aussie brand Westinghouse makes dinner prep easy for the whole family. It was also ranked as equal second alongside Bosch in Choice’s 2024 best oven brand guide, and had an impressive eight ovens rated 4-stars or more on ProductReview.com.au
“Best oven we have ever used. Simplistic controls and enormous capacity make for the perfect meal. When your two teenage sons who have no culinary skills whatsoever comment that we should have upgraded to this model years ago, you know it was a good investment decision,” one customer with a Westinghouse 90cm Multi-Function Stainless Steel Oven shared in a 5-star review via Bazaarvoice Authentic Reviews on Appliances Online.
This model stood out during our research because of its impressive 4.8-5 star average from hundreds of customers across on Appliances Online, Betta, Bing Lee and The Good Guys. Westinghouse is also one of the few oven brands that still manufactures in Australia.
SHOP NOW AT:
Fisher & Paykel
Considered a classic appliance brand in Australia and New Zealand, Fisher & Paykel offers minimal, contemporary, classic and professional style ovens with innovative features and functions, including convection, steam, air fry and sous vide. It was also fourth on the 2024 Choice list of best oven brands.
“Changed my perception of electric ovens,” one customer shared in a 5-star review for the Fisher & Paykel Series 5 60cm Contemporary Pyrolytic Oven via ProductReview. “What a fantastic oven. Had to have my 20yr old Chef gas oven replaced and because of limited gas ovens available, I opted for this electric one. I have been really impressed with its easy function settings and bright display (I have vision problems). The indicator alarms are terrific (eg: oven at temperature or timer has gone off). Highly recommend to anyone needing a smaller oven to fit an existing small wall cavity.” The same model had an average 4.6-star rating from over 27 customers on Appliances Online and 4.5-star average from both Betta and Bing Lee customers.
And for those wanting to stick with a gas cooktop, the brand’s 90cm Gas Freestanding Cooker combines a large gas cooktop with an electric oven, with one customer at The Good Guys summing it up as: “The best cooker we’ve ever used. We upgraded to this from a gas oven with gas range and will never go back. Heats fast, accurate temperature, easy to wipe clean, good lighting. If i could rate this cooker higher i would. Plumbers and electricians both complimented us on how nice it was – and they didn’t even get to cook on it!”
SHOP NOW AT:
Smeg
A leader in marrying style with thoughtful design, Italian brand Smeg offers ovens with modern and innovative features designed to help you get consistently great results from your cooking. For example, the Thermoseal technology prevents cold air from getting into the oven cavity to ensure more precise cooking conditions, and cool-door technology makes it safe to touch from the outside.
Smeg also has oven designs in both heritage and contemporary styles to suit different homes.
“I have been a fan of SMEG for about 30 years. This new oven is a dream. Easy to use and everything is perfectly cooked as it regulates the temperature,” one customer shared in a 5-star review of their Smeg 60cm Classic Black Matte Pyrolytic Oven via BazaarVoice Authentic Reviews on Appliances Online, where it had a 4.9-star average from a handful of reviews. It also had a 4.2-star average on The Good Guys and a 5-star average from a couple of customers who reviewed it at Betta.
SHOP NOW AT:
Electrolux
Electrolux offers a range of integrated and freestanding ovens with modern designs and helpful features, such as SteamBake for fluffy and crispy baked goods, pyrolytic cleaning, soft-close doors and smart food probes to make sure what you’re cooking is just the way you want it. Electrolux was also fifth by Choice in their most recent best oven rankings (2024).
“Purchased on the advise of a work colleague and so happy we did. As an avid cook who loves to bake it is perfect. Super easy to operate and love the display with reaching temperature and cooling down. Double lights for brightness thru the glass door without having to open. Yet to use the steam function which was a feature that attracted us to this model,” one customer shared in a 5-star review of the Electrolux 60cm UltimateTaste 700 multifunction pyrolytic oven, which has an impressive 4.9-star average from over 54 customers on the Betta website.
“My old oven had died and I needed a new oven that could keep up with my baking. I couldn’t have made a better choice with the Electrolux. I has so many features, it is accurate and heats up so fast, I am not waiting for over 30 minutes like my previous oven. It has helped excel my baking business because it is very reliable,” another customer shared.
SHOP NOW AT:
LG
LG offers an extensive range of ovens, with steam-cooking, pyrolytic capability and the InstaView feature creating fantastic functionality in the kitchen.
This brand is all about convenience and ease of cooking – it’s got an oven that cleans itself and a function that allows you to simply knock on the door to view your cooking progress.
Better Homes and Gardens senior food editor, Sarah Murphy, along with our food prep chefs, Rebecca Lyall and Clare Maguire, love using the 76L InstaView Series 9 Steam Oven that’s in the Better Homes and Gardens studio kitchen.
Rebecca says that her favourite part of using the oven is the control features.
“Easy to turn on, easy to adjust the temperature during cooking time with is digital displays. No need to open the oven door to check the progress as 2 knocks on the door, the light comes on. If you do, however, need a closer look at the food, the slide-out rails save heavy lifting when casseroling or cooking a heavy roast to check on.”
She also loves to make pizzas with it, saying: “The pizza oven setting guarantees crispy crusted pizzas, and the air fryer feature also gives fabulous, crunchy results. I am yet to use the sous vide and the dehydrator feature so I look forward to trying that setting out.”
Clare Maguire adds that these ovens “are simple and intuitive to use, heat up quickly. The high temperatures are great for roasting. Great for grilling (heats up quickly and powerful), all round feel like an efficient oven that’s practical for busy lives. And the best pork crackling I’ve ever made!”
SHOP NOW AT:
How much does an oven brand matter?
Like most appliances, brand loyalty can play a role when you’re looking for a new oven. Especially if you’ve previously had a good oven from the same brand, or other appliances that you like to use. The brand could also offer other benefits.
“As the kitchen is the heart of the home, the oven plays a vital part in the home’s function. A quality brand can add value to the home, whilst giving assurance on performance and reliability,” Winnings product expert Daniel Lam tells Better Homes and Gardens.
“When buying an oven, consider leading global manufacturers known for producing high-quality appliances with cutting-edge technology. Brands such as Smeg, Miele and Gaggenau are renowned for their innovative design and advanced features.”
Gaggenau, in particular, has a reputation for high-end ovens that are inspired by professional kitchens and used by chefs around the world. It’s also been an official brand partner for the Michelin guide and featured in homes of celebrities like Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian. The brand has also featured in past seasons of The Block, including in 2021 and 2020, when contestants Jimmy and Tam decked out their kitchen with $120,000 worth of Gaggenau appliances.
But it’s not a widely available brand and is more expensive than most, with prices ranging from $6999 to $2399 for Gaggenau ovens available at Winnings.
Why brand isn’t everything
If you weren’t familiar with Gaggenau before now, it’s a good example of how brands can sometimes fly under the radar even when they have high quality ovens.
Daniel gave us another example of this: “A brand some people might associate with telecommunications, but also have great appliances is Siemens. Their ovens have the latest technologies including AI technology. Their iQ700 oven even has an integrated camera and through their Home Connect app, it allows you to always keep an eye on your dishes, while you are entertaining guests outside of the kitchen.”
So in some cases, making assumptions about a brand might mean you overlook an ideal oven,
What else to look for when buying an oven
Even if you have a particular brand (or brands) in mind, getting a new oven can be a big budget decision.
Size and capacity
How often do you cook and for how many people? How big is your kitchen? Do you entertain on the regular? Consider the space you have to work with it for a unit and how much food you’ll be able to cook at once.
Fuel type
Electric, gas and duel-fuel are the three main fuel types for ovens – each with their own pros, cons and price tags. Consider which is best for your cooking needs.
Features
Many ovens these days come with extra features such as self-cleaning, air-frying and Wi-Fi connectivity; decide which extras will make your time in the kitchen easier.
Energy efficiency
Check the energy star rating of the an oven before you invest, and choose accordingly if you’re looking to cut down on your energy usage and power bills.
What is a pyrolytic oven?
Using high heat of approximately 400-500°C to burn off grease and any leftover food, a pyrolytic oven essential cleans itself over several hours. Once the oven has cooled down, simply wipe away the residue that has been turned to ash in the cleaning process.
Daniel says “running the pyrolytic self cleaning function (available models) when you notice debris build up” is a good way to keep your oven performance at its best. His tip is to “clean the internal glass on the door before running the pyrolytic self cleaning function” for optimal results.
What is a steam oven?
Instead of dry heat, a steam oven creates a moist cooking environment by injecting steam into the oven. This method can help to preserve natural moisture and flavour of food – perfect for cooking vegetables, fish, poultry and grains.
You might also like:
The little known oven setting that will ‘air fry’ your food
Aussies aren’t using their ovens properly
5 best pizza ovens for levelling up your outdoor entertaining prowess
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
