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Whether you’re redesigning your kitchen or looking to elevate your bakes and cakes, a good cooker is a crucial bit of kit. Choosing the best electric cooker for your kitchen can be tricky, though, as it’s an expensive purchase and one that will impact your culinary creations if it doesn’t perform well. Not only that, when you’re investing in a large appliance that’s going to be on show in your kitchen, it’s got to look good, too.
When choosing your new cooker, keep in mind it’s not just an oven: the type of hob is also an important consideration, and you’ll need to look at both to make sure the combination is right for you. We’ve looked at the best electric cookers available, from budget bargains to top-of-the-range models that will have you cooking like a pro in no time. But if you’re redesigning your kitchen you might also be thinking about built-in ovens with a separate hob, so it’s worth checking out our guides on these as well.
READ NEXT: The best induction hobs to buy
When it comes to electric hobs, there are three main types: ceramic, induction or solid plate. Top of the list is induction; this is the closest you’ll get to gas in terms of responsiveness when you turn the heat up and down. Ceramic is the middle ground; the sleek glass finish is easy to clean but it’s slower to react when adjusting the temperature. If possible, we’d suggest avoiding solid plate hobs because they’re hard to clean and, once hot, they take a long time to cool down, which is frustrating when you need to reduce the temperature during cooking.
Most standard 60cm-width electric cookers come with a double oven setup. Usually, the top oven houses the grill and can also be used as a small second oven. Double ovens are useful if you’re likely to cook two things that require different temperatures at the same time.
Yorkshire puddings, for example, require a really hot oven, so you can bake these to perfection in the top oven while your roast meat and potatoes finish off in the main oven. It is also possible to buy cookers with one single large-capacity oven, which is a great option for batch baking or if you’re just unlikely to use two ovens.
Make life easier and look for an oven with pyrolytic or catalytic cleaning. Either of these will make it easier to keep the oven clean compared to a standard enamel lining. Pyrolytic cleaning is a high-temperature programme that turns all the residue inside the oven into ash, so it sweeps away easily. Catalytic liners inside the oven absorb grease and it simply burns away, minimising the amount of elbow grease required.
It’s worth making sure the main oven has a fan-assisted programme, as this is essential for the best and most even results when cooking just about anything in your oven. Other things to look out for are programmable timers and automatic cooking, which allow you to programme the oven to switch on and off automatically. If your kitchen is tight on space, it can be helpful to check which way the doors swing and whether they’re reversible.
Price: £459 | Buy now from Currys PC World
Despite its budget-friendly price, this electric cooker looks sleek and minimal in a dark anthracite finish. The appearance is one of the things users love most about this cooker, although some note that the mirror finish marks easily with fingerprints. With a four-burner ceramic hob and two ovens, this budget cooker has all the essentials for everyday cooking.
The 36-litre top cavity is a conventional oven (not a fan oven) and it houses the variable temperature grill. A grill pan is provided but there’s no handle, which is a point of frustration for some.
The main 69-litre oven is a good size and comes with two shelves. It’s a fan oven so foods cooked in here should be evenly heated and browned – perfect for newbie bakers and seasoned cooks alike.
Key specs – Width: 60cm; Hob: Ceramic; Number of ovens: 2; Grill: Yes; Timer: Yes; Main oven capacity: 69l; Second oven capacity: 36l; Fan assisted: Yes, main cavity only; Energy rating: A
Buy now from Currys PC World
Price: £900 | Buy now from John Lewis
If a big range cooker is your dream but you’ve only got space for a standard 60cm model, this model from Stoves offers a great compromise.
It has the look and feel of a range cooker but is still a standard width, and you can choose between three classic colours: black, cream or jalapeno (red). Users love the quality and sturdy design of this cooker. The aluminium lid protects the hob and makes it look neat and tidy when not in use, but it also doubles as a safety feature, switching the hob off when lowered.
The top cavity is a conventional oven with a grill and the lower cavity is a fan oven with extra functions including slow cook and defrost. The telescopic shelf runners allow the shelves to slide outwards, making it much easier to lift heavy dishes in and out of the oven.
Additionally, it has Bluetooth connectivity so you can control some functions via an app on your phone.
Key specs – Width: 60cm; Hob: Ceramic; Number of ovens: 2; Grill: Yes; Timer: Yes; Main oven capacity: 65l; Second oven capacity: 37l; Fan assisted: Yes, main cavity only; Energy rating: A
Buy now from John Lewis
Price: £1,029 | Buy now from Currys PC World
Opting for a cooker with a single oven gives it a sleeker, less cluttered appearance, and this stainless-steel model from Smeg really looks like it means business.
This cooker has a large 72-litre oven with a handy storage compartment beneath it. The oven has ten functions, enough to meet the needs of most keen cooks and bakers. Users like the large oven with lots of functions, though some find the position of the knobs means the markings are tricky to see.
The ceramic hob has the usual four burners but for extra versatility two of them are dual-zone, meaning the standard burner area can be made larger, which is great for people with lots of different-sized pans.
It’s a pricey cooker, but for the money, you’ll get extra features such as pyrolytic cleaning and a quadruple glazed viewing window for safety and energy efficiency.
Key specs – Width: 60cm; Hob: Ceramic; Number of ovens: 1; Grill: Yes; Timer: Yes; Main oven capacity: 72l; Fan assisted: Yes; Energy rating: A
Buy now from Currys PC World
Price: £1,049 | Buy now from Currys PC World
Rangemaster is a trusted British brand known for its great-quality range cookers. Its 60cm cooker is an expensive option, but it’s built to last – and you can always save a few quid by opting for the cheaper model, which swaps induction for ceramic hobs.
This cooker comes in black or stainless steel and has an understated yet high-quality appearance. Frying, boiling and simmering will be easy on the responsive induction hob that includes a power boost mode for super-fast heating. What’s more, the LED touch control timer can be set on each individual hob zone, automatically switching it off at the end of the cooking time – perfect for forgetful (or distracted) cooks.
The 69-litre main oven has seven functions including fan cooking, grilling and top or bottom heat, and the catalytic liners will make cleaning a doddle. The top oven has a variable grill as well as a conventional oven function, but there’s no window so you’ll have to open the door to see inside.
Key specs – Width: 60cm; Hob: Induction; Number of ovens: 2; Grill: Yes; Timer: Yes; Main oven capacity: 69l; Second oven capacity: 39l; Fan assisted: Yes, main cavity only; Energy rating: A
Buy now from Currys PC World
Price: £938 | Buy now from AO
This AEG electric cooker comes equipped with a responsive induction hob, giving you the control required to melt sugar or make custard from scratch. And if you buy the accompanying cooker hood, it’ll connect wirelessly to the cooker and adjust extraction based on your cooking temperature.
If you’re new to baking, it can be tempting to keep opening the oven door to check the progress of your creations, but the large viewing windows on both doors make it easy to keep an eye on browning and rising without letting out any heat. Not only does the large main cavity have fan-assisted cooking, but the telescopic shelf runners mean you can slide the shelves out without them tipping, giving you easy access to remove your cakes and bakes. When you’re finished cooking, the catalytic liners in the main cavity ensure that only minimal cleaning is required.
Key specs – Width: 60cm; Hob: Induction; Number of ovens: 2; Grill: Yes; Timer: Yes; Main oven capacity: 73l; Second oven capacity: 39l; Fan assisted: Yes, main cavity only; Energy rating: A
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