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Oven buying guide

Last updated: 4 September 2026

Need help finding the right oven for your kitchen? From size and capacity to steam and pyrolytic functions, there's a lot to weigh up before you buy. Follow our oven buying guide to find the right oven for your, then shop Steam Ovens, Pyrolytic Ovens and more from top brands.

In this guide

What type of Oven do you need?

This is the biggest decision. The main Oven types manage installation, capacity and function differently, and suit different kitchens and cooking habits. For most households, the best oven is the one that matches your kitchen's fitted space, then balances function from self-cleaning, to steam-assisted, against budget.

Choose an Electric Oven if you want steady, even heat from top and bottom elements, for consistent baking and roasting results. Choose a Pyrolytic Oven if you want a high-heat, self-cleaning cycle that burns off spills and grease, rather than scrubbing by hand. Choose a Steam Oven if you want added moisture for healthier, more even cooking, rather than relying on dry heat alone. Choose a Double Oven if you want two cavities to cook at different temperatures at once, rather than juggling one oven for a full meal. Choose a Freestanding Oven if you want a cooktop and oven combined in one standalone unit, rather than fitted joinery.

Quick decision guide

  • Simple, everyday cooking on a budget → Electric Oven

  • Want to skip the scrubbing → Pyrolytic Oven

  • After healthier, more even results → Steam Oven

  • Cooking two dishes at different temps at once → Double Oven

  • No fitted kitchen, need cooktop and oven in one → Freestanding Oven

  • Renovating, want it built into cabinetry at eye level → Wall Oven

  • Small household or need a second oven → Benchtop Oven

Oven types compared

Oven type

Pros

Cons

Best for

Electric Oven

Consistent, even heat from top and bottom elements. Simple, reliable controls with fewer parts to go wrong. Wide range of sizes from 60cm to 90cm.

Slower to heat up than gas. Running costs can be higher than gas in some households. Fewer dual-fuel options.

Bakers and roasters wanting reliable, even results. Kitchens already wired for electric. Households prioritising consistency over speed.

Pyrolytic Oven

Self-cleaning cycle burns off spills and grease at high heat. Saves time scrubbing and scraping. Often paired with steam functions.

Higher price point than standard ovens. Cleaning cycle uses more energy and can take 2+ hours. Not essential for light home cooking.

Busy households who cook often. Buyers wanting to skip manual oven cleaning. Anyone upgrading from a non-self-cleaning model.

Steam Oven

Adds moisture for healthier, more even cooking. Keeps food from drying out when reheating. Often combines with pyrolytic self-cleaning.

Higher price point than standard ovens. Smaller capacity on some combi models. Learning curve for steam-specific settings.

Health-conscious cooks and home bakers. Households who roast and reheat often. Buyers wanting premium features.

Double Oven

Two cavities cook at different temperatures at once. More total capacity for entertaining or big meals. Smaller cavity saves energy on quick jobs.

Larger footprint needs more kitchen space. Higher price point than single ovens. Heavier, so installation needs care.

Families and entertainers cooking multiple dishes. Households needing backup capacity. Kitchens with room for a larger unit.

Freestanding Oven

Combines cooktop and oven in one standalone unit. No fitted cabinetry required. Available in gas, electric and dual fuel.

Cooktop and oven are paired, less flexible than separate units. Standard sizes may not suit custom kitchens. Moving it means losing both appliances at once.

Renters and movers without a built-in kitchen. Budget-conscious buyers wanting one appliance, not two. Simpler kitchen layouts.

What size Oven should I get?

As a general rule, most Australian kitchens are fitted for a 60cm oven, with capacities typically ranging from 60 to 80 litres. If you're cooking for a bigger household, entertain often, or want maximum capacity for roasts and multiple trays, a 90cm oven is the main step up. Kitchen dimensions can vary, so be sure to measure your existing oven space for accuracy. Learn how to pick the right oven, as well as cooktops and other kitchen appliances to complete the space.

Note: The Good Guys lists oven capacity using the manufacturer's stated litre rating, which can be measured as useable or total internal space depending on the brand. Always check the individual product spec if exact capacity matters for your cooking needs.

1-2 People

A 60cm oven around 60L suits singles, couples and smaller households who cook everyday meals rather than big batches.

3-4 People

A 60cm oven with 70L to 80L capacity gives families room for a full roast, multiple trays or a Sunday bake.

5+ People

Bigger households, entertainers and serious home cooks will get the most out of a 90cm oven for maximum capacity.

“The most sought-after oven feature right now is versatility – think models that can also steam, defrost, air fry or perform multiple cooking modes at once – closely followed by time-saving tech such as rapid heating and self-cleaning.”

- Tania Grillinzoni, The Good Guys Cooking and Dishwashers Buyer

The top 6 asked questions

Explore our articles and buying guides — written to answer the questions our customers ask most.

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Watch The Good Guys Guide to picking an oven. Play Video

Shop Ovens

Shop a range of Ovens from all the top brands

Quick links: Shop Electric Ovens | Shop Pyrolytic Ovens | Shop Steam Ovens | Shop Double Ovens | Shop Freestanding Ovens | Shop Gas Ovens | Shop Built-in Microwaves | Shop Warming Drawers | Shop 60cm Ovens | Shop 90cm Ovens | Shop Oven Cleaning | Shop Cooking Deals

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Key features to look for

Once you've settled on type, these are the features worth paying attention to:

Feature

Why you should look for it

Air fry function

Circulates high-speed hot air to crisp food with little or no oil, giving you the air fryer result without needing a separate countertop appliance.

Fan-forced / convection cooking

Circulates hot air for faster, more even cooking than a conventional oven with no fan – a non-negotiable for most buyers according to our Cooking Buyer.

Pyrolytic self-cleaning

Uses high temperatures and air pressure to turn grime to ash, saving you from scrubbing and scraping by hand.

Steam or moisture settings

Keeps moisture in the air inside the oven to stop food drying out as it cooks, for better bakes and reheats.

Temperature probe

Monitors the internal temperature of your food so it's cooked to precision, not guesswork.

Timer and delayed start

Times your meal to finish exactly when you need it, so there's no reheating and less standing over the oven.

Cool-to-touch door

Multiple glass layers keep the outer door safe to touch, important for family homes with small hands around.

Smart, Wi-Fi connected controls

Check on your cooking, adjust settings or get notified when your dish is done, straight from your phone.

Child-proof lock

Locks the oven controls and door to keep curious kids safely away from a hot appliance.

LED interior lighting

Lets you check on food clearly without opening the door and losing heat, so cooking stays efficient.

Digital touch controls

Simple, precise operation for setting temperature, function and time compared to older dial controls.

Multiple cooking functions

Presets for grilling, roasting, baking and defrosting in one oven, rather than a single fixed setting.

Installation requirements

Some ovens are required to be installed by a licensed electrician. The Good Guys Home Services has the expertise to install your oven and get it up and running for you. We’ll even clean up and take away all the rubbish, so you don’t have to. The Good Guys Home Services Oven Installation Services includes installation, a demonstration and clean-up. We also offer installation and removal, which means we’ll not only install and show you how to use your new oven, we’ll take your old oven when we leave. Plus all The Good Guys Home Services are covered by a 12-month warranty.

Find out more about our Oven Installation Services here.

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Oven glossary

We’ll break down all the tech talk and acronyms that you need to know.

Tech talk

Definition

Air Fry

A cooking mode that circulates high-speed hot air around food to crisp it with little or no oil, giving an air-fryer result without a separate appliance.

Benchtop / Portable Oven

A compact, freestanding oven designed to sit on a benchtop rather than being installed into cabinetry — handy as a second oven or for smaller kitchens.

Built-in Oven

A built-in oven is designed to be installed into cabinetry (like under a bench or in a wall), offering a clean, seamless, integrated look.

Capacity (Litres)

The usable internal volume of an oven cavity, measured in litres. Most 60cm ovens sit between 60L and 80L, while 90cm ovens offer more.

Catalytic Cleaning

A cleaning method using a special porous liner that absorbs grease and burns it off at a lower temperature than pyrolytic cleaning, though it may still need occasional manual wiping.

Circulating Air / Fan (Convection)

This is a fan that circulates hot air inside of the cavity, helping food to cook more evenly and often more quickly.

Combi (Combination) Oven

This is an oven that combines multiple cooking methods (e.g. convection + microwave + grill) for versatility.

Conventional Oven

Also called a traditional oven — this is when there is no internal fan; heat is provided by static elements (typically from the top and bottom).

Double Oven

This is an oven that has two separate cavities, often allowing different cooking methods or temperatures simultaneously. This is useful for multi-course cooking.

Dual Fuel Oven

A freestanding oven that pairs a gas cooktop with an electric oven, combining fast cooktop control with even electric baking.

Electric Oven

This is an oven powered by electricity. Often providing even heat distribution and good temperature control.

Fan-Forced / Fan Bake

A cooking mode where a fan circulates the air, speeding up cook times and improving heat distribution.

Freestanding Oven

An oven that combines a cooktop and oven in one standalone unit, rather than being built into cabinetry — doesn't require fitted joinery to install.

Gas Oven

An oven powered by gas. It heats up quickly and maintains moisture.

Halogen Oven

A compact countertop oven that uses a halogen heat lamp and fan to cook food quickly, often used as a smaller alternative to a conventional oven.

Hydrolysis (Steam Clean)

This is a cleaning method where water is used to soften food residues so it can be wiped away easily (this is at a lower temperature than pyrolytic cleaning).

Multi-Function Oven

This is an oven that offers different cooking modes (bake, roast, grill, convection, steam, etc.) to suit different foods and styles of cooking.

Oven Width (60cm / 90cm)

The external width of an oven. 60cm is the standard size for most Australian kitchens, while 90cm suits larger households or those wanting extra capacity.

Pizza Oven

An oven built to reach very high temperatures, often using a stone base, to replicate the crisp base and char of a traditional pizza oven.

Pyrolytic

This is a self-cleaning oven mode that heats the oven to very high temperatures to turn food residue to ash, which is then easy to wipe out.

Rapid Heat / Rapid Cook

A function that preheats the oven cavity faster than standard settings, cutting down wait time before you start cooking.

Roast / Roast Thermostat

This is a cooking mode (or a probe) that allows roasting meat to have its temperature measured until an internal temperature (via a probe) is reached.

Slide & Hide Door

An oven door that slides underneath the oven cavity when opened, rather than swinging out, so it's out of the way and stays cool to the touch.

Steam Oven

An oven that uses steam (sometimes in combination with hot air) to cook food — helps retain moisture, flavour, and nutrients.

Wall Oven

A built-in oven installed at eye level in a wall or tower cabinet, separate from the cooktop.

Warming Drawer

A compartment (sometimes part of or underneath an oven) designed to keep food warm after cooking, without overcooking it.

FAQs

The easiest way to clean your Oven is by utilising a built-in cleaning function, like Pyrolytic or Steam (Hydrolysis).

Pyrolytic cleaning uses very high heat to burn away grease and food residue, turning it into a fine ash you simply wipe out once the oven cools. Before starting the cycle, you remove the racks and any accessories, clear out loose crumbs, and let the oven run through its self-cleaning program, delivering a thorough, deep clean with minimal effort.

Steam cleaning, on the other hand, is a gentler method that uses water and lower heat to soften grime. You add water to the base or reservoir, run the steam-clean cycle and then wipe away the loosened residue. While pyrolytic cleaning is ideal for heavy build-up, steam cleaning is perfect for light to moderate messes and routine maintenance.

Alternatively if you do not have a built-in cleaning function, there are oven cleaning solutions out there - this just requires far more elbow grease!

A Steam Oven is an oven that cooks food using steam instead of—or in addition to—dry heat. It has a built-in water reservoir that heats to produce steam, which fills the cooking cavity. This moist environment helps food stay tender, juicy, and evenly cooked. Steam Ovens are great for vegetables, fish, rice, bread proving, and reheating leftovers without drying them out.

A Pyrolytic Oven is an oven with a built-in self-cleaning function that uses extremely high heat—usually around 400–500°C—to burn away grease, spills, and food residue. During a Pyrolytic cycle, everything inside the oven is reduced to a fine ash, which you simply wipe out once the oven has cooled. Pyrolytic ovens are popular because they offer a deep, thorough clean with no chemicals or scrubbing.

There's no single best brand! It depends on what matters most to you. Independent Australian ratings assess oven brands on value for money, cooking performance, design, ease of use, features, ease of cleaning and customer service, so it's worth comparing brands against these criteria to find the right fit for your kitchen and budget.

There isn't one definitive top five, but current buying guides consistently point to 60cm built-in electric ovens with pyrolytic self-cleaning, steam-assist and air fry functions as the most popular choices in 2026, spanning both mid-range and premium price points to suit different kitchens and budgets.

Oven quality is best judged through independent testing rather than brand name alone. Reviewers assess controls, ease of use, cleaning, roasting and baking performance, so look for models that score well across these areas and match the capacity and features you actually need in daily cooking.

For most Australian homes, a 60cm built-in oven is the standard choice, as it fits typical kitchen cabinetry and offers a practical range of capacities. Larger households or keen cooks may prefer a 90cm option for extra capacity and additional functions.

Oven lifespan varies with brand, use and maintenance, though manufacturer warranties offer a useful guide - Westinghouse, for example, backs its ovens with a 24-month warranty in Australia and New Zealand. Regular cleaning and gentle use can help any oven perform well for years to come.

A pyrolytic oven has a self-cleaning cycle that burns off food residue at high heat, while a non-pyrolytic oven needs manual cleaning. Pyrolytic cleaning is a major feature buyers compare, and it's more common on mid-range and premium models than on budget ovens.