Cooker or oven: how to buy well, with installation
Gas, electric or induction
The type of heating is the main factor in your choice. It decides the price, the connection and what you cook on it.
- A gas cooker is familiar and heats quickly, but it needs a gas connection and a qualified technician.
- An electric cooker with coil rings or a ceramic glass top suits places where there is no gas, but uses a lot of power.
- Induction heats the base of the pan, not the surface itself, so it is fast and safer to touch; you need cookware with a magnetic base.
- Combined: a gas hob and an electric oven. Handy if you want gas and even baking.
Cooker, hob or mini oven
A freestanding cooker combines the hob and the oven, so it is easy to put in place of the old one. If you have a built-in kitchen, look for a separate hob and a built-in oven. A mini oven is a compact option for a rented flat, a studio or small bakes. The typical width of a cooker is 50 or 60 cm, usually with four burners. Check that you leave room for the oven door.
What to put in your request
- Type — freestanding cooker, hob, built-in oven or mini oven.
- Type of heating — gas, electric, induction or combined.
- Size — width 50 or 60 cm, number of burners.
- Oven functions — convection, grill, timer, flame failure safety, type of cleaning.
- Model — Gorenje or another brand.
- New or used.
- Delivery — carrying up to the floor.
- Connection — gas or electricity.
- City, budget.
Example: “I need a new 60 cm gas cooker, 4 burners, an oven with convection and flame failure safety. Calgary, delivery with carrying up to the 5th floor, no lift, and installation. Budget up to $410.”
Oven, cleaning and safety
If you take a cooker with an oven, ask about the type of cleaning: ordinary enamel, catalytic wall coating, or pyrolytic in more expensive models. For gas ovens, flame failure safety is useful: the burner shuts off if the flame goes out. Safety glass on the door and a child lock matter when there are small children at home. Also check whether a tray, a rack and a skewer come in the box, as they are sometimes sold separately.
Installation is a separate matter
A gas cooker should be connected by a qualified gas technician. Please don't do it yourself. An electric or induction cooker needs a suitable cable, a breaker and a socket. Ask whether installation is included in the price, or whether the seller can recommend a technician.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You write a request about the cooker you want, and sellers reply in chat: model, price, and what comes with delivery, carrying up and installation. All the offers are compared, the best-value one is shown first, and you can see reviews. You open contacts only for the one you choose. About the mechanics, see How it works.
See also cooker hoods to go over the cooker and dishwashers for the kitchen.
