Many famous kitchen experts call the oven the heart of every kitchen. And I agree, do you?
The oven is the only kitchen appliance where you will be spending more than 50% of your time cooking mouth-watering cuisines all day, every day. Whether you’re an expert chef or a loving housewife who adores baking delicious dishes like cookies for her family, you need an oven in your kitchen.
What kind of cuisines do you bake? How many times do you use your oven in a week? Do you know how many types of ovens for baking bread exist in the world? Are you curious to find out?
We all adore the French for their wonderful inventions. Likewise, in 1490, the first-ever oven was made using bricks and tiles by the French. Although many other ovens were used before this date, this was the first oven recorded. We have an article that gives a brief history of the microwave oven, do check it out!
Who knew ovens will make an everlasting impact on our cooking routine? Do you want to find out what other kinds of ovens exist today around the globe?
11 distinct types of oven used around the world! [With and Without Convection]
- Gas oven
- Electric oven
- Conduction oven
- Convection oven
- Self-cleaning oven
- Microwave oven
- Roaster oven
- Toaster oven
- Tandoor
- Wood-fired oven
- Dutch oven
Let us explore all these different types of ovens for baking bread one by one!
1. Gas oven
Gas ovens are the oldest type of convection ovens that are known for decades. These ovens use either natural gas, butane, liquefied petroleum gas, propane, or syngas as their combustible fuel.
Initially, gas ovens are expensive upfront considering the huge cost of a natural gas connection and an oven. But these ovens save a massive amount of money in the long run because gas is cheaper than any other energy source available today.
A vital feature that deserves a mention is a very short preheating time. You do not have to set a 15-minute countdown every time before using the gas oven. Moreover, gas ovens are great at browning and roasting food because they retain the water content in your food. Thus, enhancing the overall taste of your cuisine.
Dozens of restaurant owners praise gas ovens. Do you know why?
Because gas ovens grant a higher degree of control to the chef. You can easily monitor your cuisines and set the precise temperature that’ll bake your food to perfection. Despite being bulky, gas ovens are still popular in many regions around the globe.
With all these exciting features and benefits of a gas oven, I cannot leave its flaws behind.
The most significant reason for the popularity of electric ovens is that they are less harmful. Gas can be highly dangerous if left unattended. If you have an insulated gas line then you can easily use a gas oven without worrying, but make sure you regularly monitor and check for any leaks in the gas connection.
Furthermore, if you’re not an expert cleaning a gas oven can be a pain in the butt. Due to the enormous size, you can expect to spend 3-4 hours cleaning the entire oven.
2. Electric oven
Presently, electric ovens are the most used type of convection oven in the world. With stylish metal finish and hi-tech options, these ovens complement the modern culture we’re living in today.
Electric ovens are famous today because they offer easy-to-use functions with relatively low maintenance and fitting cost. Because of the integrated technology, chefs around the world consider electric ovens as the most reliable option for baking.
If you’re on a tight budget, electric ovens can be your best option. These ovens offer multiple presets that can come in handy for cooking a variety of cuisines. Moreover, the presence of multiple heating elements makes electric ovens spectacular for roasting and browning food.
Do you hate dry food? Ever wonder why most ovens overcook the food? Do you know steam is important for even cooking of your meal?
Electric ovens have a steam cooking function. Steam cooking enhances the overall taste of the food by preserving the moisture content in the food. This feature is rare in any other type of convection oven today!
Regardless of being the best available baking oven in the market today, electric ovens have their cons. Although the upfront cost is nominal, electric ovens consume a lot of electricity. Thus, making them expensive in the long term.
Are you searching the internet to buy an electric wall oven? Check out our amazing article on the best electric wall oven for baking!
3. Conduction oven
In a conduction oven, also referred to as a conventional or fan oven, the heating element is at the bottom of the oven. Your food heats from the bottom up through direct contact with the heating element. This method of heat transfer is known as conduction.
Long before convection, conduction was the primary mode of heat transfer in ovens. Conduction has become obsolete ever since convection ovens came into the market.
The sole reason behind the flop of conduction ovens was cool air pockets. Conduction ovens were unable to heat the entire cooking cavity. This made cool air pockets in the cooking chamber that were responsible for uneven cooking.
4. Convection oven
The only reason behind the huge success of ovens today. Convection is a mode of heat transfer that involves the circulation of hot air to raise the temperature of the medium.
Convection ovens use convection as the primary mode of heat transfer. These ovens have a dedicated heating element and an air-circulating fan to heat food in the cooking cavity.
Do you know how convection ovens promote even the baking of food?
Convection ovens have a unique design that distributes hot air evenly in the cooking cavity. Since the fan constantly rotates hot air in the oven, this removes cool air from the cooking cavity. Cool air is the culprit behind uneven cooking.
Moreover, there’s another upside to a convection oven! Can you guess what is it?
Maintaining temperature is easier through hot air. That’s why these ovens can easily sustain temperature for a longer period. Thus, saving you from paying expensive bills at the end of every month! Pretty impressive, right?
5. Self-cleaning oven
Cleaning a big kitchen appliance can be a painful chore. But these modern appliances are here to make our lives easy. Self-cleaning ovens are the descendants of electric ovens. There are two types of self-cleaning options in these ovens – pyrolytic and catalytic.
i. Pyrolytic
In pyrolytic self-cleaning, the oven heats up to extreme temperatures that burn off the food stains. Finally, the only task left for you is to sweep away the remains at the bottom of the oven. And voila, your oven is as good as new!
ii. Catalytic
In catalytic self-cleaning, the oven has special catalytic chemical liners that instantly absorb the food spills. These catalytic liners work effectively while adsorbing grease and other food splatters. Next, the oven heats up to 200ºC to melt off the remaining food stains. Lastly, all that remains is to wipe away the ashes. Cleaning an oven was never this easy!
Although self-cleaning is undeniably convenient, this option is extremely expensive!
6. Microwave oven
This type of oven uses electromagnetic radiation to heat food quickly. Microwave ovens came into the market with a bang. The first-ever oven that could quickly warm food without preheating amazed the entire world. Today, microwave ovens are present on the countertop of every kitchen.
Presently, microwave ovens are famous for reheating food like pizza. The latest cutting-edge technology permits the microwave oven to reheat food while preserving its natural essence.
Microwave ovens are easy to use and energy-efficient. You get all this in a small compact yet powerful body. What else do you need? Let us know your requirements and we will pick the best kitchen appliance for you!
7. Roaster oven
Roaster oven is a countertop kitchen appliance that uses heat distribution in a roasting chamber to warm food. A heating element and a removable lid are the only of a roaster oven. This oven is best for slow cooking, roasting meat, and baking for up to 450 degrees.
What was the first thought that came to your mind after reading “roaster oven”? Let me guess, turkey?
While over 40% of beginner chefs use a roaster oven for roasting turkey alone. Only a few know the other benefits of a roaster oven. Although roaster ovens are great for cooking meat, that doesn’t mean they are bound to cook it for eternity.
These types of ovens for baking bread are great for the holidays. Because the cooking time of roaster ovens is longer in contrast to microwave ovens. Roaster ovens usually attract people due to their steam cooking option. Steam cooking is a great method to bake food while preserving the meal’s juiciness and aroma.
So, the next time you’re on a vacation try using a roaster oven to prepare a delicious meaty feast!
8. Toaster oven
A small yet powerful kitchen appliance that runs on electricity. A toaster oven is a hybrid of a toaster and an oven. Owning to its name, a toaster oven has a built-in rack for baking pizza or pastries, and two cavities on the top for toasting slices of bread for your morning breakfast!
A toaster oven comes in handy when you’re preparing a large breakfast and you cannot spare time for toasting bread. Furthermore, you cannot confuse a toaster oven with a full-size oven. A toaster oven only partially fulfills the requirements of an oven.
9. Tandoor
Tandoor is an all-time favorite ‘Desi’ oven which deserves an honorable mention in our list of 11 types of oven for baking bread. This is an earth oven made from clay in a cylindrical manner. Tandoors are widely used in Western Asia and the South Caucasus.
These earth ovens usually run on coal or firewood. The traditional design of tandoors allows it to maintain high temperatures up to 480 degrees. Usually, tandoors are lit for a long period of time to maintain a high temperature. Currently, tandoors are common in the subcontinent for baking chapati.
10. Wood-fired oven
Wood-fired ovens also known as wood ovens were one of the first baking ovens to exist in the world. The use of wood ovens goes back centuries.
Wood ovens use coal as the primary energy source to bake food. Traditionally, wood ovens had two categories, a black oven, and a white oven. These ovens used different mechanisms and heat transfer techniques to cook food. Depending on the technique, the name was given to these two ovens.
11. Dutch oven
Dutch ovens are like thick-walled cooking pots made from cast iron. Also known as French ovens, the use of these cooking vessels dates back a hundred years. Although these ovens are now obsolete, we could not resist ignoring the Dutch ovens on our list.
These ovens are great for baking a variety of cuisines. Talking from experience, a pizza baked in a Dutch oven tastes delicious. Moreover, these ovens are portable and you can easily take them on a camping trip!
That’s all…
Here you have it, a list of 11 types of oven for baking bread with and without convection. I hope you love this long list of ovens. Make sure you comment below on what you think regarding the list. If I missed an important type of oven let me know in the comment section below!
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