CHOICE experts have tested 35 wall ovens from brands including Westinghouse, Bosch, Smeg, Fisher & Paykel, Miele and more
We give each model a score based on performance and ease of use, including everything from to how well it roasts to how simple the controls are
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An oven is likely one of the most frequently used appliances in your kitchen, and there’s also a good chance it’s one of the most expensive.
Not to mention that how well your oven performs can mean the difference between turning out beautiful cakes versus disastrous bakes!
We test and review a wide range of wall ovens to help you avoid buyer’s remorse and nab yourself an appliance that will go the distance (and hopefully help you nail that perfect sponge cake or ultimate roast dinner with ease).
Choose the wrong oven and your dreams of airy sponge cakes and succulent roasts could go up in smoke
An oven should last you up to 15 years, so if you choose well you’ll have many happy years of cooking ahead of you.
But choose the wrong one and your dreams of airy sponge cakes and succulent roasts could go up in smoke. That’s why CHOICE experts recommend you check our detailed oven reviews before you buy.
“An oven with a low performance score in our testing may just require a little more trial and error to get better results.”
Don’t just look at the brand name or price, as you may be disappointed
Fiona Mair, CHOICE kitchen expert
Fiona advises that when buying an oven, you should think about what you like to bake and what functions you’ll need to achieve the best results.
“Most ovens are multifunctional, so choose one that has the functions that will best suit your needs. Don’t just look at the brand name or price, as you may be disappointed.”
According to Fiona, most ovens cook well, but it’s ease of use that separates the average from the outstanding. She recommends checking the controls, shelf design and internal surfaces instore before committing to a purchase.
“Make sure the controls are clearly labelled and easy to understand,” she says.
“Try pulling the shelves and trays in and out to see if they run smoothly and that there are stoppers to prevent spills.
Make sure the controls are clearly labelled and easy to understand
Fiona Mair, CHOICE kitchen expert
“Finally, check the visibility through the door and look for awkward gaps in the door or internal surfaces that will be tricky to clean.”
Also, look for an oven that has the accessories you need. Fiona recommends at least two shelves, a baking tray that slides into the shelf supports, and a grill rack.
The Mistral MBO635-5B-F is definitely not hot stuff.
In our testing, we regularly find cheaper options that perform just as well as – and even better than – their more expensive rivals.
While the price might be right for this Mistral, it’s anything but a winner: you get what you pay for.
It’s the cheapest wall oven in our current review, costing a full $310 less than a cheap and cheerful Ikea oven, but was outclassed by the Ikea in almost all of our tests.
It’s especially ordinary at grilling: it scored just 40% for how quickly and evenly it grills bread.
What you’ll save in upfront costs with the Mistral you’ll lose in cooking performance, and you might also lose your temper – our experts rated it as only OK for how easy it is to use and clean.
If you’re looking to bag a bargain, we suggest you look out for a better oven in the sales.
This model didn’t exactly wow our experts – but it’s not a dud in all aspects either.
It was rated as “good” for its grilling skills and overall cooking performance and “very good” for roasting and its heat distribution (which means quality scones), but that’s where its positives end.
Its pizza cooking score was less than stellar at 50%, which means pizza without the crispy base (truly a culinary crime).
Not terrible but not terrific either: the Bosch HBF133BS0A.
It’s not really a pleasure to operate either, with our experts noting that the controls were only OK to use, the manual temperature dial may not be accurate, and the function symbols are small.
It doesn’t have telescopic runners, and the shelves move out loosely, plus the door can slam shut when almost closed – all things that can add up to a ruined roast or a crummy cake.
This model didn’t wow our experts – but it’s not a dud in all aspects either
It has catalytic liners, but only on the back wall, which means you’ll still need to scrape and scrub the ceiling, walls and floor of the oven to keep it clean – which kind of defeats the purpose of having catalytic liners in the first place.
A CHOICE Expert Rating of 70% isn’t bad – it’s actually considered good in our experts’ books.
This Smeg is good but not great, especially for the price.
But despite the fact it’ll set you back around $1800, this Smeg was one of the lowest scorers of all the ovens we tested.
Like the Bosch and Mistral above, it failed to outperform the $699 Ikea oven, but the Ikea model is more than $1000 cheaper – so it’s basically the opposite of good value for money.
Not only will you be paying more upfront, you’ll also have to work a lot harder, as it’s very confusing and difficult to use.
Our kitchen experts have more than 35 years’ experience between them, so if it confuses them, regular home cooks will likely have a very hard time using this oven.
There are plenty of other ovens around this price and cheaper that actually perform well, so we suggest you spend your money elsewhere.
Alice Richard is a Content creator and marketer. Alice writes on a range of topics, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, always with the aim to help consumers find the best products to buy, and which to avoid.
Alice can take vast amounts of data from CHOICE product tests and turn it into content that is easily digestible and fun for readers.
Alice has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland.
Alice Richard is a Content creator and marketer. Alice writes on a range of topics, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, always with the aim to help consumers find the best products to buy, and which to avoid.
Alice can take vast amounts of data from CHOICE product tests and turn it into content that is easily digestible and fun for readers.
Alice has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland.
For more than 60 years, CHOICE has been fighting the good fight for Australian consumers.
In the past year alone we've uncovered systemic issues with sunscreens, investigated shonky supermarket pricing, fought for stronger scam protections and helped make complex energy pricing fairer and clearer.
CHOICE is here to provide unbiased advice and independent testing in our world-class labs. We buy the products we test, just like you do, and our expert reviews are influence free. We’re here to help you choose smarter. Hopefully you’ll also save some money along the way.
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