Whether you’re the type of cook who hosts 20 people for an all-stops-pulled-out Christmas lunch every year or the extent of your culinary repertoire begins and ends with ready meals and baked potatoes, the oven you choose matters. It is, then, important to know which is the best oven for you: conventional or fan assisted.

As the name suggests, fan-assisted ovens are equipped with a fan, forcing air to circulate around (this is in contrast to conventional ovens, which gradually heat up to the temperature you need). Sound like a case of technical hair-splitting? One of the key differences lies in the fact that, since circulated air travels faster, fan ovens are more energy efficient – a desirable outcome both in terms of your bills and your carbon footprint.

While that might seem like a no-brainer, there are a couple of things to consider. For most types of cooking, fan assisted ovens are more efficient, delivering a nice crispness to roast potatoes, chicken and similar. Still, it is worth remembering that they can be less suitable for baking (though some fan-assisted ovens do carry a baking setting). However, for all-purpose cooks, you can’t go wrong with opting for a fan oven – and here, we outline a few options on the market right now. From the best budget fan ovens to the best fan assisted electric ovens: we give you the ultimate guide and lowdown on which oven is best.

ZANUSSI FanCook ZOHCX3X2 Electric Oven


Zanussi Fan Oven

Like all fan ovens, Zanussi’s Series 20 FanCook Oven circulates hot air heat to ensure that
dishes on all levels can be cooked simultaneously. It features an additional heating ring,
which means that each of its three levels will cook evenly. Since it heats up faster than a
conventional oven, the same results can be achieved at 20 per cent lower temperatures, thus
saving both energy and time. Also, it features an LED timer display, allowing you to set exact
cooking times and is a good option for those who tend to cook for larger numbers of people
since it comes with an XL baking tray. Plus, it promises to look smart and stay that way,
thanks to its anti-fingerprint coating. It’s also a steal at a price of £279. Find out more here.

Indesit Aria IDD6340BL Built-In Double Electric Oven


Indesit Aria IDD6340BL Built-In Double Electric Oven

This sleek built-in double electric oven looks super smart and, at £279.99, represents excellent value for money. The main oven has 74L of cooking space, which makes it just the thing for larger families, and it features a digital timer and a handy grill kit, easy-clean enamel and an easy-clean interior. There is an extremely useful slow-cook function, as well as a defrost function. An excellent and well-priced fan assisted electric oven. Find out more here.

NEFF N70 B27CR22N1B Built In Electric Single Oven


NEFF N70 B27CR22N1B Built In Electric Single Oven

This NEFF fan assisted single oven cooks dishes evenly, thanks to the oven's fan, which distributes air around it evenly. It has 71 litres capacity, ensuring that there is plenty of space for cooking more than one dish at a time – and the fan itself even allows you to cook foods that might otherwise clash; its promise is that flavours and odours will not mix, meaning that you can cook your roast chicken and your apple crumble at the same time, should you so wish. It also boasts a very welcome self-cleaning pyrolytic feature that burns away any grease and dirt at a really high temperature. The price is £799. Find out more here.

Zanussi ZOD35802XK Double Built In Electric Oven


Zanussi ZOD35802XK Double Built In Electric Oven

We really rate Zanussi’s ZOD35802XK Double Built In Electric Oven as one of the best ovens. It is a stainless steel integrated oven designed to make your culinary endeavours in the kitchen as quick and as easy as possible. Being a double oven, you can use it for cooking various meals at once; the top has a 42-litre capacity and features a combination speed grill, while the bottom can hold 62 litres. Being fan assisted, it is also energy saving. Pleasingly high tech, you can operate it with retractable oven controls, as well as using the oven's defrost function and its ‘Set and Go’ capability, which allows you to pre-programme cooking time. Thanks to the fact it is fully retractable, it’s easy to clean, as well as having a catalytic liner designed to absorb grease and food residue. The price is £509. Find out more here.

AEG BPE842720M Built-In Single Oven


AEG BPE842720M Built-In Single Oven

This simply designed built-in 71-litre single electric oven in stainless steel by AEG is slick and effective. As well as boasting the usual attributes of an electric fan assisted oven, it also allows cooks to nail their masterpieces every time, thanks to its smart food sensor, which will ‘check the core temperature of your food, so it comes out just the way you like it.’ Not bad, eh? It also boasts an A+ energy rating, pyrolytic cleaning and a command wheel. Get it for a price of £899. Find out more and get this best oven here.

Miele H 7164 BP Oven


Miele H7164 BP Stainless Steel

As a brand, Miele has long been the benchmark against which many other household appliances hold themselves. Its fan oven is no different. It's one of the best ovens with its sleek and unfussy design, making it especially attractive in contemporary kitchens. Also, its range of features scores highly. A network-enabled WiFi appliance, it has a clear text display with sensor controls and allows users to achieve perfect results every time thanks to its automatic programmes. Pyrolytic cleaning ensures that any requirement for your own elbow grease will be minimal. £1,759. Find out more here.

Bosch Serie 4 HBS573BS0B Built-in Oven


Bosch Serie 4 HBS573BS0B Built-in Oven

A top oven, this smart stainless steel built-in oven comes with a 71-litre capacity and a host of high tech benefits. It boasts ten automatic programmes, which allow you to cook your meals to perfection every time. All you need do is choose which programme suits your needs, enter the weight of your dish and then hand it over to Autopilot, which determines the cooking mode, duration and temperature – even switching itself off when done. It also has pyrolytic self-cleaning, heating up to 480-degrees to burn off grease and residue, while the front has pop-out controls, making it simple to wipe down. Meanwhile, its slim universal pans are easy to remove and can even slip into Bosch fridges if you want to keep your cooked food cool. Neat. For £649, this oven is well worth its price. Find out more here.

NV9900J Chef Collection Wi-Fi Oven with Vapour


NV9900J Chef Collection Wi-Fi Oven With Vapour

There was a time when the idea of being able to control your cooking remotely seemed the absurdly futuristic stuff of fantasy. Not so any longer. This smart Wi-Fi oven allows you to execute your culinary tasks, all via an app, no matter where you are. In addition, it features Gourmet Vapour Technology, which improves the taste and texture of what’s cooking by ‘surrounding it with vapour that quickly and evenly transfers heat and moisture’. The result? Delicious food that is crispy on the outside but tender and soft on the inside. There is also a full touch TFT-LCD control panel, which allows you to control temperature, time and cooking mode at the touch of a button. Plus, it even comes with a set of its own pre-programmed recipes, with instructions for making on the LCD panel, complete with details of the right oven setting, so you can guarantee tasty results. £1,109. Find out more here.

BEKO BXIF243X Electric Oven


BEKO BXIF243X Electric Oven

Anyone on the hunt for the best fan oven on a budget should take time to consider BEKO’s stainless steel number. Its simple and smart design will slip seamlessly into most kitchens, while its 66-litre capacity ensures there’s plenty of room to cook family meals – especially since it comes with an extra-large tray, which is made for larger joints of meat and family Sunday roasts. Also, it has a defrost setting and an easy-to-clean interior, thanks to its removable inner glass on the door. And the best news is, it will only set you back £199, making it the best budget fan oven. An excellent buy for cooking meals and baking cookies and any food you can think of. Find out more here.

John Lewis & Partners JLBIOSB650 Single Electric Oven


John Lewis & Partners JLBIOSB650 Single Electric Oven

For those who keep their kitchen to strictly monochrome colours, this neat 71-litre single oven option from John Lewis is easy on the eye and boasts five-star reviews across the board. Such praise is, surely, thanks to the oven's pyrolytic enamel and self-cleaning, which eliminates one the least pleasant household tasks; it’s A+ energy rating; the fact that it comes with a defrost setting and a pizza function; and that it features all manner of different programmes to optimise your cooking. These include, exhaustively: bottom heat, bread baking, conventional/traditional cooking, defrost, dough proving, drying, frozen foods, grilling, keep warm, moist fan baking, pizza setting, plate-warming, preserving, slow cooking, true fan cooking and turbo grilling. Is there nothing it can’t do? You can get it at a price of £679. Find out more here.

By Nancy Alsop
July 2021