The time has come to make one of the most important decisions for the new house. I need to choose an oven. The trouble is I have no idea what I want. I have been cooking with a seriously old (1970s?) freestanding oven for as long as I can remember. You have to light it with a match and it only appears to have two temperatures - burning hot and inferno. The grill doesn't work, there is no timer or temperature gauge. But over the years I have become so used to all it's quirks and eccentricities that I'm not sure I'm going to know how to cook on anything else.
Sure, if I had an endless budget I could probably bring myself to endure a fancy Lanache stove, in my choice of 20 colours or perhaps if I really tried I could tolerate an Aga! But since neither of these are a realistic option on my budget I'm a bit stumped. Does anyone have any advice? Do you love your oven or hate it? Help! I'm lost in a wilderness of fan-forced, fan-assisted, triple-glazed, induction cooktops, wok burners and rotisseries!
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I love the reliability and retro looks of my old St George oven - double door, green and $300 on ebay. My sister in law, who had previously always used new ovens (one of which was a Kleenmaid and gave her many problems), brought her old St George with her when they moved from their last house. But I would absolutely love one a Lanache or Aga if budget allowed!
ReplyDeleteOoh, an Aga would be so cool! :-)
ReplyDeleteBeware when buying these shiny new modern ones- my mum did, and it turned out if you wanted more than one rack in it you had to buy them separately... o_O
Some whitegoods repair stores have older models, perhaps that might be an option?
...as far as brands go, I've heard good things about Smeg, or European brands like Miele...
ReplyDeleteChoice appears to have reviews? http://www.choice.com.au/
For 20 years I have lusted after a St George oven. I've heard nothing but good about them from their owners. New ones are outside my budget but I never thought of looking for one on ebay. I would love to have fan forced because of the even baking results. Having said all that, I had a Chef upright - new & shiny in its day (1979?) but the only high tech feature was the self ignition. It baked beautifully & I loved it. As to the Aga - if you could find a good old one - imagine the cosy warmth on a cold July day!
ReplyDeleteFrom my experience (interior design for about 15years) - Miele and Gaggenau are very good (but pricey), Bosch is also good. St George was also very popular a long time ago - not sure what they are like now. But I would advise you to avoid Smeg. I have one and I have had lots of trouble with it. Alot of my clients also agree and are now buying Miele.
ReplyDeleteI've got an electric fan forced miele wall oven - it rocks.
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