Hotpoint Single electric oven review
5/5
This Hotpoint oven is an updated version of the one that was had previously, and is much improved on the old one (which was about 6 years old)
We chose to install this integrated oven ourselves, and it was easy to do, the only 'installation' is plugging a regular 3-pin plug in and slotting the oven into the right place. Once installed the manual advises to turn the cooker on for a period of time before actually putting food in it. I am impatient, so didn't do this and our first meal tasted fine!
The oven has a multitude of different functions, some of which I will probably use only once or twice if at all as I am no master pastry chef, but it is nice to have the option if I ever feel adventurous! We are a family of four so a reliable oven is a must, and this one definitely fits the bill. It is well built, easy to use and cooks everything as it should.
The grill function heats up impressively quickly , and there is also a turbo option for larger joints. The main oven function can be conventional (no fan), forced air, eco forced air (which prevents food from drying out - but in actual fact I noticed no difference between this and forced air, but have only tried it once!) and then a range of specialist functions like pastry, pizza, rising, and bread.
The oven also has a cleaning function, you put cold water into the bottom of the oven then switch on the diamond clean function. Its a low temp clean cycle that means you can avoid using harsh chemicals that might taint future meals.
The controls are mostly simple to use, a dial to choose the function, a dial to choose the temperature and then four touch buttons, one for light, one for clock setting and then up and down. There is a digital display where you can set the time to be displayed constantly. I found setting the time easy but learning to use the timer function and end cook function a little tricky but after a few goes had got it sorted.
The warm up time is speedy compared to our last oven, and there is a little temp gauge that flashes during warm up time and remains light when it is at the correct temperature.
The oven comes with one wire shelf (I would have preferred two) one baking tray and one deeper 'drip tray'. I was expecting a wire rack to fit inside this drip tray as a traditional grill tray. There are 5 shelf positions available which gives you a lot of options for whatever you want to cook, and you can cook a lot of food in the oven at once! It's a 71L oven, and although it is the same size overall than the older model it is more spacious inside (so the old grill tray wouldn't fit, shame!)
The stainless steel exterior and tinted black glass door look really sleek (although fingerprints show easily - a tip is to use baby oil and wipe off!) and the handle is sturdy. The door and glass can be easily cleaned when necessary, and the door can be removed quite simply too. The door does get hot during cooking but not too hot to touch, even after the oven being on for 1.5 hours.
Apart from the lack of 2nd wire tray and the slightly tricky timing operations is that the beep that signifies that timing is done is quite quiet. Also the markings on the temperature dial go up in 20degree increments, so if you want a 150degree temperature you just have to hope you've got it set right between the two marked temperatures either side, not a major problem but something to be aware of.
Overall it's a great size oven, which looks great in our kitchen and works exactly as it should.
LP2710
Reviewed on:
Product Tester
LP2710
Product Tester
Reviewed on: