Energy Smart Homes - Cooking

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Gas and electric ovens are available for installation in walls, under benches or as part of a conventional stove. The type of installation has no effect on energy efficiency or cooking performance.

All ovens are available in various sizes, so its important the oven you choose is sufficiently sized for your requirements. The supplier/retailer will help you find the right size.

There are various types of ovens currently available on the market. Each cooks food in slightly different ways.

(a) Conventional ovens

Have a gas burner or an electric element(s) for cooking. As hot air rises, the highest temperature is found towards the top of the oven. This can limit the amount of food which can be cooked at the one time. These types of ovens are no longer commonly available.

(b) Fan-forced (or convection) ovens

Have an inbuilt fan which circulates heated air around the oven. This results in an even temperature throughout the entire oven, allowing all shelves to be used simultaneously. Fan-forced ovens heat more quickly than conventional ovens, can cook food at lower temperatures, and use up to 35% less energy than conventional ovens.

Multi-function ovens provide the option of either fan-forced or conventional cooking. This greater flexibility means, for example, a pie can be baked using the fan-forced function, and then the top can be browned using the oven conventionally.

(c) Microwave Ovens

Image of lady using a microwave oven

Can be extremely energy efficient as a result of the short cooking times involved. Energy only heats the food, with little wasted in heating cooking utensils or the oven itself. This results in shorter cooking times and significantly less energy consumption than conventional ovens.

(d) Combination cookers

Combination cookers are also available. These combine convection and microwave cooking in the same oven. The advantage of these ovens is that food can be browned/crisped on the outside using convection cooking, while the microwave energy reduces the actual cooking time.