Choose the best oven for baking by evaluating the options that best fit your needs. Ovens are available in a wide variety of sizes and fuel formats that meet the specifications of the most demanding bakers. Setup location and available fuel resources are often the most important factors in determining which type of baking oven is right for each individual situation. Researching an oven purchase through catalogs, appliance retailers, and online typically increases understanding of oven styles and price ranges. A brief consultation with a professional baker or knowledgeable oven sales person is generally helpful in narrowing down the multitude of oven choices.
The best oven for baking the foods you intend to cook must have sufficient space and provide the desired heat range. Internal volume and temperature range vary greatly among portable, home use, and commercial grade ovens. Giant industrial ovens are ideal for large-scale commercial baking, but may be inefficient or impractical for the batch sizes you plan to produce. Some baking requires very high or very low temperatures that are often difficult or impossible for some ovens to sustain. Find out the minimum and maximum temperatures of any oven you are seriously considering.
There is a small enough oven in the kitchen space you have available. Counter-top and portable oven models are ideal for quick set up and break down in a mobile kitchen. Measure the space you are willing to dedicate to an oven before choosing one with oversized external dimensions.
Gas and electric ovens are not the same. Gas ovens generate water vapor in the cooking chamber as a byproduct of combustion. Electric ovens produce a dry heat, especially when accompanied by convection fans. Convection fans circulate hot air inside the cooking chamber to eliminate hot and cold zones. Moist cooking environments are better for meats in an oven for baking a long time at lower temperatures. Dry heat from an electric oven is generally considered superior for pastry baking and even browning.
Focused research can help you select the best oven for baking the foods you love. Set a price range and eliminate any choices that do not meet your minimum feature requirements. Factors like warranty coverage, optional upgrades, and model variety directly influence the final price of an oven. Programmable digital controls and other high-end features can reduce food loss and result in a savings over time. Investigating the details of viable ovens often leads to confidence in the final purchase decision.