Which cooker

Depending on your kitchen space, you can choose from freestanding, built-in, single, double and range cookers. The Good Housekeeping Institute has rigorously tested 18 models to find the best cookers, and these are 10 of the top performers for any home chef. You will also need to take into account your kitchen space. Can you slot a standard-sized 60cm wide cooker between your work surfaces, or do you need something smaller? Is one oven enough or do you have more mouths to feed?

Perhaps a second or third oven may be more up to the task. The type of cooker you get will be largely dictated by the fuel supply in your kitchen, whether gas, electric or dual fuel a gas hob combined with an electric oven. You should also check the cavity is near the power supply you wish to use, be it gas or electricity, and have enough space around the power supply to be properly installed. Standard dimensions are a height of 90cm, a width of 60cm and a depth of 60cm, but you can also find cooker widths of 55cm and 50cm.

A cooker with an eye-level grill is about cm tall, so make sure you have enough space before you start looking at different models. Electric cookers require installation by a qualified electrician, as they need to be wired into a 30amp socket a conventional electric socket is only 13amps and gas options should be installed by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Gas is still the most popular choice with home cooks. The heat is visible, easy to control, fast, responsive and can be used with all pan types. Gas hobs can be dismantled for easier cleaning, but they can still be time-consuming to keep looking their best. If you're a fan of gas but get fed up with mess and spillages that are difficult to clean off a traditional gas hob, this could be a better option.

Gas burners are mounted on top of ceramic glass, making the surface much easier to clean. The burners don't heat up as quickly as on an electric ceramic glass hob, but you'll get that precision heat and control of a regular gas hob.

With electric ceramic hobs, the heating systems are hidden underneath the tough ceramic glass surface. Patterned zones on the glass surface indicate the size and position of the heat source. All have a safety device that prevents the ceramic glass from overheating. The smooth and easy-to-clean surface makes them a popular choice.

Induction hobs heat the pan directly via a spiral copper coil beneath the glass surface, which transfers energy directly to the pan. When the pan is removed, the hob cools, reducing the risk of burns.

Induction and ceramic hobs are usually the easiest to clean as they have smooth surfaces. Gas and electric hobs are more difficult to clean. If you have a gas hob, some pan-supports and spillage wells are dishwasher-safe.

Otherwise, a cream cleaner and damp cloth should be enough. Most ovens have triple or quadruple-glazed glass doors which can be removed for easy and efficient cleaning. With the right tools and techniques, this can be effortless. We have a thorough guide on how to clean your oven - and keep it clean. A pyrolytic cleaning programme is an automatic cleaning mode available on some higher-spec models.

Using a combination of pressure with very high temperatures, the oven converts grease and food residues to ash. How to buy the best freestanding cooker. Gas cookers vs electric cookers. All Freestanding cookers advice. Belling Cookcentre 60G Gas 60cm. Compare Remove all products. No one tests and rates cookers at thoroughly as we do at Which?.

Read on to find out more about our independent cooker reviews. Confused by catalytic liners? Puzzled by pyrolytic cleaning? Our jargon buster explains terms you'll come across when buying a freestanding cooker. Additionally, at Cooker Spare Parts we stock a range of gas and electric cooker replacement parts so at any time you find your cooker in need of fixing, we can help too!

Account Login Help Centre. Find the right cooker spares for your appliance. Model Number. Need advice from the experts? Call Cooker Spare Parts on Need advice?