Which? Don't Buy freestanding cookers

The best freestanding cookers have ovens that heat up quickly to the correct temperature, grills that make great toast, and hobs that rapidly heat your food or simmer gently.

But some of the freestanding cookers we test are at the other end of the scale. These terrible cookers are so bad that we've labelled then Don't Buys to help you avoid them when you're shopping.

What makes a Don't Buy freestanding cooker?

The best freestanding cookers excel at the basics but still don't cost a fortune to run. You might be tempted by a cooker at a bargain price, but if its oven, hob and grill aren't up to scratch, you could be wasting your money.

• Our temperature tests expose dreadful cookers that veer wildly away from the temperatures they are set at – sometimes by more than 40°C.
• A great grill can toast bread evenly across the entire pan, but our tests have found freestanding cooker grills that struggle to heat more than 50% of the area – and the worst models only toast bread that is placed directly under the element.
• A quick freestanding cooker hob should take less than five minutes to boil a pan of water, but the slowest could keep you waiting more than double this time. 

Finding a freestanding cooker that is good at all these jobs can be tricky, but our tests have uncovered some fabulous models that you'll be happy to trust your dinner to. Not these ones though...

Join Which? to find out which freestanding cookers we've named Don't Buys.

How we test freestanding cookers

We've reviewed the latest freestanding cookers including models from AEG, Belling, Hotpoint, Indesit and Zanussi. Our test results reveal those that combine a great oven, grill and hob, and are easy to use. Our in-depth testing means we can recommend freestanding cookers that do a great job of cooking your food, without using too much energy.

• Our lab experts put every freestanding cooker through rigorous tests, including recording how quickly and accurately the oven heats up, whether the hob can boil water quickly but also simmer gently, and if the grill spreads heat evenly.
• Each freestanding cooker is awarded a Which? test score so you can see the best and worst cookers at a glance, and how they compare on features and specifications.
• Our Which? freestanding cooker tests cover many brands, and a range of prices and types, including those with single and double ovens, and gas, electric and dual fuel models.

Which? is independent – we work for you, the consumer, so you can be sure that our product recommendations are influenced only by our test results. We're not influenced by third parties and we don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers. We buy all the products that we test ourselves, so our advice helps you to make the right choice first time and avoid costly mistakes.

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