Built-in ovens: How to buy the best oven Controls on ovens

Oven control dial

Oven symbols aren't always easy to understand and if you don't know what they mean, you'll never be able to make the most of your oven. To make sure you use the right setting to crisp your pizza base and bake biscuits, check out our oven symbols guide.  

Fan heat

Fan heat

What does it do? Hot air is circulated from the back of the oven by a fan.
What's it good for? Baking trays of biscuits or cakes on more than one shelf. 

Upper and lower heat

Upper and lower heat

What does it do? Heat comes from the top and the bottom of the oven to provide even oven temperatures.
What's it good for? Baking bread and roasting meat.

Lower heat

Fan and lower heat

What does it do? Heat from the bottom of the oven is combined with circulating fanned hot air.
What's it good for? Crisping pizzas, pies and quiches.  

Grill and fan

Grill and fan

What does it do?The grill and fan work together to spread heat round the oven.
What's it good for? Grilling large pieces of meat or fish. 

Full grill

Grill

What does it do? Heat from the full grill allows you to cook a lot at once. Half-grill settings use only the centre of the grill element.
What's it good for? Anything small cooked in large quantities.

Lower heat

Lower heat

What does it do? Heat comes only from the lower element.
What's it good for? Gently cooking casseroles or stews and crisping the bottom of pizzas. 

De-frosting

Defrosting

What does it do? The fan and the interior bulb are used to defrost without heat.
What's it good for? Defrosting food without cooking it. 

Ovens reviewed by Which?

Check out the Which? oven reviews for the latest Best Buys.