Which built-in oven brand is the most reliable?

We researched the effectiveness and reliability of some of the most popular built-in oven brands, including AEG, Bosch and Neff.

In our unique large-appliance survey, we asked more than 3,500 Which? members and members of the public if they’re happy with their built-in oven, and whether they’ve experienced any problems with it. Read on to see which brands are worth the money.

To help you choose the perfect oven for your kitchen, see our guide to the best built-in ovens

Which built-in oven brands develop the fewest faults?

The table summarises our results, based on models bought in the past seven years.

Only logged-in Which? members can see the full results of our brand reliability survey. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

If you're looking for a new single oven, see our best single ovens guide to point you in the right direction

Which built-in oven brands do owners recommend?

As well as faults, our survey also revealed which built-in oven brands owners feel happy with – and which they’d recommend to a friend.

These results are shown as each brand’s customer score, and are based on built-in ovens bought in the past seven years.

Only logged-in Which? members can see the full results of our brand reliability survey. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Still not sure which built-in oven to buy? Check out our built-in oven reviews to see all the models we've tested

The three most common faults with built-in ovens

Some issues, such as replacing a light that's not working, are an easy DIY fix. Unfortunately, the top three common faults listed below all require help from a professional.

1. Electrical fault (10% of all faults)

Any electrical faults are for electrical engineers to investigate rather than attempting to tackle them yourself.

2. Oven not heating up properly or at all (10%)

In most cases, calling in a professional is the right thing to do, and certainly for anything electrical or a job that requires any dismantling.

3. Broke down for no obvious reason (10%)

Again, this is an issue for a professional to look at.

Cleaning the oven can be a real chore – ease the burden with our tips on how to clean your oven

How easy is it to repair an oven?

An oven can be a costly outlay, so it’s sometimes worth repairing your existing one rather than buying a replacement. 

Occasionally, you’ll be able to do the job yourself, so check the appliance's instruction manual for a troubleshooting guide. 

Larger retailers such as Currys and John Lewis offer a guarantee – usually two years – on oven purchases. If your oven is still within guarantee, the repair should be free, or you should be offered a replacement. You’ll need to contact the retailer in this instance, and it will assess the problem. 

Otherwise, you can use Which? Trusted Traders to find a reliable tradesperson in your area.

If yours is beyond repair, find out how to recycle electrical items

Which built-in oven brands offer the best guarantees?

Home appliances such as washing machines, fridge freezers and built-in ovens are expected to last.

Unsurprisingly, they're some of the products for which you're likely to be pressured into buying extended warranty cover to help resolve problems down the line.

Most built-in oven brands offer free product guarantees of two years as standard, but there are several exceptions:

• Ikea offers five-year warranties for some of its models, or two years for others
• John Lewis and Lamona offer a three-year warranty
• Candy, Beko and Zanussi offer a one-year warranty.

Some manufacturers will extend the warranty free of charge if you register your product. It's often possible to pay extra to further extend your warranty, but weigh up whether it will be worth it in the long run, or if you'd be better off setting that money aside for repairs or a replacement.  

Faulty product? Here's how to get a refund, repair or replacement

Which smart oven brands offer the best security support policies?

Smart ovens connect to wi-fi or Bluetooth, enabling you to operate some of their functions from your smartphone or other device via an app. As with any internet-connected device, it’s important that these apps receive regular security updates to guard against potential security and privacy threats.

To help you choose a secure appliance, we asked the manufacturers of smart ovens we've tested about their support policies. 

• Miele plans to release security updates for approximately 10 years after the model stops being produced, but might release critical updates beyond this period.
• BSH, the manufacturer of Bosch, Neff and Siemens, said it will support all its Home Connect appliances with security updates for at least 10 years after they've been sold.
• AEG also offers support for five years from when the product is launched.
• Samsung told us it supports products for a minimum of five years from launch.
• Grundig offers update support for the same period as the warranty, which is often three years as standard.
  
• Candy will support its products for a minimum of two years from purchase. 

While you may not be at immediate risk if you're using an unsupported smart oven, if you’re buying a new one, look for one that will receive update support for as long as possible.

For more information, read our guide to smart devices and security

How we discover the most reliable built-in oven brands

Which? has a wealth of information on Britain's favourite brands. Every year, we ask people to tell us about the home appliances they own – from how likely they'd be to recommend a brand, to how reliable the products are once they get them home.

This year 3,815 Which? members and 5,561 members of the public told us about more than 27,859 individual products. We calculate each brand's customer score, fault rate and reliability rating using the results of our annual survey.

Our surveys, combined with our extensive lab tests, mean we can recommend the best built-in oven to buy.

For more on our tests and what it takes to get a Which? Best Buy recommendation, read how we test built-in ovens