Types of Ovens For Cooking and Baking
Finding your ideal oven helps you bake, broil and roast your culinary creations just the way you like them, and you’ve got options: choose from freestanding ranges, slide-in ranges, wall ovens, combination ovens, countertop ovens and commercial-style ovens. Then, consider things like convection vs. regular cooking, gas vs. electric heat, as well as oven size and style. This guide will break down various types of ovens, their features, settings, and how each can enrich your creative process.
What Different Types of Ovens are Available?
There are a wide variety of oven types available for your kitchen, including freestanding or slide-in ranges, wall ovens, combination wall ovens, countertop ovens and commercial-style ranges. Each type offers different capacities, features and installations to match your space and your cooking style.
The wide selection of KitchenAid® ranges and ovens, large and small, can help ensure the right fit for your cooking style and kitchen flow. Learn more about each type of oven below.
Types of Oven Ranges
Oven ranges come in gas or electric fuel types, and some have convection heating capabilities. An oven range consists of the cooktop (also called a stovetop) and oven cavity combined into one appliance, making it a convenient appliance for all of your creating needs. With a range, you can sear lamb chops and saute mushrooms on the stovetop while baking, broiling or roasting your favorite meals on the inside.
KitchenAid® freestanding, slide-in, double and commercial-style oven ranges are available in a variety of options designed for increased flexibility as you plan your ideal kitchen layout.
Freestanding ranges
Freestanding ranges feature a built-in backguard where the oven controls are located. With this backguard and finished sides, they can be installed standing alone, between cabinets or at the edge of the counter with one side exposed. The backguard also helps protect the wall behind the oven from grease and food splatters.
Freestanding ranges from KitchenAid brand allow you to cook multiple meals at once with oven capacities between 5.8 to 6.2 cu.ft, and select models include convenient features, such as Even-Heat™ True Convection, to help you experiment and get the most out of your recipes.
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Slide-in ranges
Slide-in ranges are typically designed to slide between cabinets or other appliances to create a built-in look and feature easy-to-reach controls in the front of the oven. Since slide-in ranges do not have a backguard, they are ideal for installation in kitchen islands or against a wall that features a decorative backsplash. However, since many of today’s slide-in ranges have finished sides, you can now install one almost anywhere in your kitchen.
With oven capacities as large as 6.4 cu. ft. in KitchenAid® slide-in ranges, enjoy the freedom to simultaneously roast a chicken for dinner and bake a pie for dessert.
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Double Oven Ranges
Double oven ranges include a stovetop with both an upper oven and lower oven for even more possibilities and freedom to prepare multiple meals at once. Take on two techniques by broiling or roasting with high heat in the top oven, while gently baking a soufflé in the bottom oven.
Double ovens from KitchenAid brand can provide the best of both worlds with capacities up to 6.7 cu. ft. and stainless steel finish for ample room to cook and seamless integrations with your kitchen flow.
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Slide-in ovens vs. freestanding ovens: What’s the difference?
The main difference between freestanding and slide-in ranges is the location of the controls and whether or not they feature a backguard. Freestanding ranges have a backguard that doubles as a control panel, while slide-in ranges do not have a backguard and all controls are located on the front. You can find both types of ranges in gas, electric, induction and dual-fuel options with a wide selection of features and functions. Learn more about the benefits of slide-in ovens vs. freestanding ranges.
Wall Oven Types
A wall oven is a type of oven designed to be installed directly into your cabinets for a built-in look. Typically, these are coupled with a standalone cooktop that is integrated into your countertops. A wide selection of wall oven types including KitchenAid® single, double and combination ovens offer you more ways to explore, experiment and create.
Single Wall Ovens
Single wall ovens are versatile with options to install within a wall, cabinet or underneath a counter. With some models from KitchenAid brand boasting a bold, sleek stainless steel finish, enjoy the convenience of both waist-height installation and an elegant look for your kitchen.
Double Wall Ovens
Double wall ovens provide even more room to create with the ability to simultaneously cook multiple meals at different temperatures, as well as the option to keep your recipes ready to enjoy with warming drawers on select models. Take the guesswork out of convection cooking with the EasyConvect™ Conversion System on select KitchenAid® double wall ovens.
To figure out if a wall oven is right for your kitchen, explore KitchenAid® wall ovens or read about wall oven sizes and dimensions. You can also explore our best double wall oven options to find the perfect fit for your cooking needs.
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Combination Wall Ovens
Combination wall ovens combine a single oven with a microwave on top. This configuration can help get your microwave off the countertop or free up space above the cooktop for a decorative hood or more cabinet space. Combination wall ovens from KitchenAid brand also help consolidate cooking tasks, letting you move easily between the standard oven and the microwave oven.
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COUNTERTOP OVENS
If you’re working with limited space, you have options beyond ranges and wall ovens. Countertop ovens typically provide more cooking room than toaster ovens and can offer the same functions of a full-sized oven, plus extra settings. For example, select KitchenAid® countertop ovens let you bake, roast, convect cook and even air fry all on your countertop. Some people also use these as a second oven when they need more cooking space.
Commercial-Style Ovens
Commercial-style ovens deliver restaurant-inspired styling in a wide range of sizes to fit your space. They pair commercial aesthetics with convenient features on select models, like high-BTU gas burners and grill or griddle inserts, to help keep up with your creativity when grilling a variety of foods. These large ovens can range from 30 to 48 inches wide with six burners, allowing you the freedom to simmer, sear and saute all at once.
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Microwave Ovens
Microwave ovens are versatile with options to install above the range, within your cabinetry or rest on a countertop. KitchenAid® over-the-range, built-in and countertop microwaves are designed to integrate with your kitchen flow and serve as a true second oven. Some convection microwave models from KitchenAid brand include convection cooking, which provides more even heating for your recipes.
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Ovens by Fuel Type
Most kitchens are set up for an electric range or oven—all you need is a 240-volt outlet. To install a gas oven, you’ll need a dedicated gas line, which can usually be installed by a professional if you don’t already have one. There are also dual fuel ranges, which combine a gas cooktop with an electric oven. Contact a professional for any questions regarding your electrical or gas connections or read our guide to troubleshoot if your gas oven is not heating.
Gas Ovens
Gas ovens can provide a slightly more humid heating style, making it ideal for baking and keeping dishes moist, such as banana bread and carrot cake. These ovens also yield fast cooking times and are able to preheat quickly.
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Electric Ovens
Electric ovens tend to have drier heating capabilities due the slow, even heating of the electric coils. This can be ideal for browning, crisping and roasting meals, such as turkey or chicken. The heating elements in an electric oven cycle on and off more frequently to help maintain consistent temperatures. This can be ideal for more temperature-sensitive bakes. Avoid rotating dishes from rack to rack with a convection option like this electric oven with convection heating from KitchenAid brand.
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DUAL FUEL OVENS
“Dual fuel” refers to ovens that utilize a combination of gas and electric fuel sources. These ovens are an excellent choice for those who enjoy both the responsive temperature control of gas burners and the dry electric oven heat that’s ideal for certain baking tasks.
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Different Types of Ovens by Features
Finding an oven type with the right features for you can enhance your cooking experience and help you create your favorite dishes. Consider oven styles, parts, configurations, how different types of ovens work and more to find the one that suits you.
Style & Finishes
White, black and stainless steel are the most common color options. You can also upgrade to a fingerprint-resistant exterior finish, often in both traditional stainless steel and black stainless steel ovens from KitchenAid brand. Or, opt for something unconventional, like KitchenAid® commercial-style ranges in nine inspiring colors.
CONVECTION OVENS
Convection ovens feature a fan and an additional heating element for more even results when cooking on multiple racks. Whether you are cooking a small portion of baked ziti or roasting a chicken, KitchenAid® microwaves, countertop ovens and built-in ovens with convection capabilities on select models can help ensure your recipes cook and bake optimally.
What is the Best Type of Oven for Baking?
There is no best type of oven for baking—it will depend on the type of dish you’re creating. For instance, electric ovens tend to have drier heat than gas ovens so will be better at browning foods like biscuits, while a slightly more humid gas oven will help keep breads and cakes moist.
Convection ovens are good for bakers because they let you choose between a traditional bake or a convect bake. Convection cooking circulates hot air around dishes, which helps with multi-rack cooking like big batches of cookies or pastries. However, you may want to skip convection when cooking dishes that benefit from the stillness of conventional cooking, like yeast breads that rely on the expansion of air bubbles to rise. Learn more about the art of baking with this guide to creating crusty bread.
Convection Ovens vs. Conventional Ovens
A convection oven features a fan that circulates hot air inside the oven and around dishes to help promote even cooking when multi-rack baking. A regular or conventional oven doesn’t have a fan. Another type of convection, called True Convection, offers a third heating element in addition to the fan, usually located in the back of the oven. Even-Heat™ True Convection by KitchenAid brand uses a unique bow-tie design with heating element and fan that circulates hot air throughout the entire oven, providing optimal temperatures combined with airflow for crisp, flaky baked goods, juicy, well-browned roasts and caramelized vegetables.
SMART OVENS
Smart ovens can help you experiment with making your recipes with smart features on select models,1 like voice control, remote monitoring and interchangeable attachments,2 such as baking stones and steamers. Tap into your culinary potential with KitchenAid® smart ovens designed for wherever your inspiration takes you, and discover recipes and uses for a smart oven baking stone attachment.
1. Appliance must be set to remote enable. Wi-Fi & App required. Featured subject to change. For details and privacy info, visit kitchenaid.com/connect.
2. Baking stone and steamer attachments shipped separately.
Self-Cleaning Ovens
Self-cleaning ovens help handle the mess and give you the freedom to focus on what’s important, your creations. KitchenAid® self-cleaning ovens help make baking and cleaning a breeze. Read this guide on how to properly clean your oven door glass to remove tough stains. And for more tips, learn how to troubleshoot an oven that’s not baking evenly.
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