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Types of Ovens for Cooking and Baking
Finding your ideal oven helps you bake, broil and roast your culinary creations just the way you like them, and you’ve got options: choose from freestanding ranges, slide-in ranges, wall ovens, combination ovens, countertop ovens and commercial-style ovens.
Then, consider things like convection vs. regular cooking, gas vs. electric heat, as well as oven size and style. This guide will break down various types of oven styles and configurations, their features, settings, and how each can enrich your creative process.
What different types of ovens are available?
There are a wide variety of oven types available for your kitchen, including freestanding or slide-in ranges, wall ovens, combination wall ovens, countertop ovens and commercial-style ranges. Each type offers different capacities, features and installations to match your space and your cooking style.
The wide selection of KitchenAid® ranges and ovens, large and small, can help ensure the right fit for your cooking style and kitchen flow. Learn more about each type of oven below.
Types of oven ranges
Oven ranges come in gas or electric fuel types, and some have convection heating capabilities. An oven range consists of the cooktop (also called a stovetop) and oven cavity combined into one appliance, making it a convenient appliance for all of your creating needs. With a range, you can sear lamb chops and saute mushrooms on the stovetop while baking, broiling or roasting your favorite meals on the inside.
KitchenAid® freestanding, slide-in, double and commercial-style oven ranges are available in a variety of options designed for increased flexibility as you plan your ideal kitchen layout.
Freestanding ranges
Freestanding ranges feature a built-in backguard where the oven controls are located. With this backguard and finished sides, these ranges can be installed standing alone, between cabinets or at the edge of the counter with one side exposed. The backguard also helps protect the wall behind the oven from grease and food splatters. Select KitchenAid® models feature Even-Heat™ True Convection, with a heating element and fan that circulates hot air throughout the entire oven, providing optimal temperatures combined with airflow for crisp, flaky baked goods, juicy, well-browned roasts and caramelized vegetables.
Slide-in ranges
Slide-in ranges are typically designed to slide between cabinets or other appliances to create a built-in look and feature easy-to-reach controls in the front of the oven. Since slide-in ranges do not have a backguard, they are ideal for installation in kitchen islands or against a wall that features a decorative backsplash. However, since many of today’s slide-in ranges have finished sides, you can now install one almost anywhere in your kitchen.
Double oven ranges
Double oven ranges include a stovetop with both an upper oven and lower oven for even more possibilities and freedom to prepare multiple meals at once. Take on two techniques by broiling or roasting with high heat in the top oven, while gently baking a soufflé in the bottom oven. Select KitchenAid® double oven ranges are available in gas, electric or dual fuel options, with some models offering 6.7 cu. ft. capacities.
Commercial-style ranges
Commercial-style ovens deliver restaurant-inspired styling in a wide range of sizes to fit your space. They pair commercial aesthetics with convenient features on select models, like high-BTU gas burners and grill or griddle inserts, to help keep up with your creativity when grilling a variety of foods. These large ovens often range from 30 to 48 inches wide with six burners, allowing you the freedom to simmer, sear and saute all at once.
Select KitchenAid® models are designed to be personalized with a curated palette of exterior finishes and mixed metal hardware. Pick from lush Juniper, warm Black Ore and classic Stainless Steel finishes, all with matching handles and knobs. Personalize your hardware with optional handle and knob accessory kits in Brass, Bronze, Black Ore and Stainless Steel.
Wall oven types
A wall oven is a type of oven designed to be installed directly into your cabinets for a built-in look, which can help maximize your kitchen space. Typically, these are coupled with a standalone cooktop that is integrated into your countertops. A wide selection of wall oven types including KitchenAid® single, double and combination ovens offer you more ways to explore, experiment and create.
Single wall ovens
Single wall ovens are versatile with options to install within a wall, cabinet or underneath a counter. Single wall ovens offer waist-height installation options, reducing the need to bend down to grab dishes out of the oven cavity or allowing for flexible installation like undercounter placement.
With some models from KitchenAid brand boasting a bold, sleek stainless steel finish, you can enjoy both the convenience of waist-height installation and an elegant look for your kitchen.
Double wall ovens
Double wall ovens provide even more room to create with the ability to simultaneously cook multiple meals at different temperatures, as well as the option to keep your recipes ready to enjoy with warming drawers on select models.
Select KitchenAid® double wall ovens feature the EasyConvect™ Conversion System, which automatically adjusts conventional baking temperatures and cook times to their convection equivalents, making it easy to use convection with recipes of all kinds.
Combination wall ovens
Combination wall ovens combine a single oven with a microwave on top. This configuration can help get your microwave off the countertop or free up space above the cooktop for a decorative hood or more cabinet space.
Select KitchenAid® models feature Backlit Knobs that illuminate when the oven is preheating and pulse when cooking is finished.
Microwave ovens
Microwave ovens are versatile with options to install above the range, within your cabinetry or rest on a countertop. These appliances can serve as a supplemental cooking area to help you reheat leftovers, defrost frozen meat or even steam fresh vegetables in minutes.
Select models from KitchenAid brand feature Air Fry Mode, Bread Proof Mode, Grill Mode and Infrared Sensor Modes.
Ovens by fuel type
Most kitchens are set up for an electric range or oven—all you need is a 240-volt outlet. To install a gas oven, you’ll need a dedicated gas line, which can usually be installed by a professional if you don’t already have one. There are also dual fuel ranges, which combine a gas cooktop with an electric oven.
Contact a professional for any questions regarding your electrical or gas connections or read this guide to troubleshoot if your gas oven is not heating. Read on below to learn about different oven fuel types to help you choose the right option for your kitchen.
Gas ovens
Gas ovens require a gas line to fuel the appliance. If your kitchen does not already have a gas hookup, you will need the help of a licensed professional for installation. This fuel type can provide a slightly more humid heating style, making it ideal for baking and keeping dishes moist, such as banana bread and carrot cake. These ovens also yield fast cooking times and are able to preheat quickly.
Select KitchenAid® models feature five burners ranging from 5,000 to 18,000 BTUs that help you go from a rolling boil to a delicate simmer and EasyConvect™ Conversion that takes the guesswork out of convection cooking.
Electric ovens
Electric ovens tend to have drier heating capabilities due to the slow, even heating of the electric coils. This can be ideal for browning, crisping and roasting meals, such as turkey or chicken. The heating elements in an electric oven cycle on and off more frequently to help maintain consistent temperatures. This can be ideal for more temperature-sensitive bakes. Select KitchenAid® electric ranges feature Convection Cooking Modes and Smart features.
Dual fuel ovens
“Dual fuel” refers to ovens that utilize a combination of gas and electric fuel sources. These ovens are an excellent choice for those who enjoy both the responsive temperature control of gas burners and the dry electric oven heat that’s ideal for certain baking tasks.
Dual fuel ovens from KitchenAid brand can help you discover new recipes and utilize a variety of cooking techniques. Take advantage of the gas cooktop to roast peppers on the open flame or utilize the dry, consistent heat of the electric oven to turn your kitchen into your own bakery.
Oven heating styles, features and finishes
Finding an oven type with the right features for you can enhance your cooking experience and help you create your favorite dishes. Consider oven styles, parts, finishes, configurations, how different types of ovens work and more to find the one that suits you.
Finish, color and personalization options
White, black and stainless steel are the most common color options. You can also upgrade to a fingerprint-resistant exterior finish, often in both traditional stainless steel and black stainless steel ovens like these from KitchenAid brand. Or, opt for a finish in a color that sparks your creativity, like select KitchenAid® ovens in Juniper or Black Ore. You can even personalize your oven design on select KitchenAid® ovens with hardware that coordinates with your cabinets and faucet with KitchenAid® hardware accessory kits.
KitchenAid® Hardware Accessory Kits
Curate the colors and textures that move you
From bold Black Ore to the inviting warmth of Bronze, mix and match handles and knobs to refresh your appliances and bring new energy to your kitchen
Convection ovens
Convection ovens feature a fan and an additional heating element for more even results when cooking on multiple racks. Whether you are cooking a small portion of baked ziti or roasting a chicken, KitchenAid® microwaves, countertop ovens and built-in ovens with convection capabilities on select models can help ensure your recipes cook and bake optimally.
Convection ovens vs. conventional ovens
A convection oven features a fan that circulates hot air inside the oven and around dishes to help promote even cooking when multi-rack baking. A regular or conventional oven doesn’t have a fan.
Certain recipes benefit more from convection cooking than others, like creating crispy skin on roasted meat, caramelizing the sugars of roasted fruits and vegetables or baking pies, scones and flaky pastries.
Shop KitchenAid® convection wall ovens
Smart Ovens
Smart ovens can help you experiment with making your recipes with smart features on select models, like voice control and remote monitoring to keep your hands free for creating. Select KitchenAid® models offer you the first-ever collection of oven-powered grill, baking stone and steamer attachments.
Self-cleaning ovens
Self-cleaning ovens help handle the mess and give you the freedom to focus on what’s important, your creations. Self-cleaning ovens use either high temperatures or steam to help remove food residue and baked-on grease from your oven interior, so you can skip scrubbing and harsh chemicals during kitchen cleanup.
KitchenAid® self-cleaning ovens help make baking and cleaning a breeze. Read this guide on how to properly clean your oven door glass to remove tough stains. And for more tips, learn how to troubleshoot an oven that’s not baking evenly.
Types of ovens FAQs
If you need more help choosing the right oven to fit your kitchen’s needs, explore frequently asked questions below to learn more about different types of ovens.
What’s the difference between slide-in vs. freestanding ovens?
The main difference between freestanding and slide-in ranges is the location of the controls and whether or not they feature a backguard. Freestanding ranges have a backguard that doubles as a control panel, while slide-in ranges do not have a backguard and all controls are located on the front.
You can find both types of ranges in gas, electric, induction and dual-fuel options with a wide selection of features and functions. Learn more about the benefits of slide-in ovens vs. freestanding ranges.
What is the best type of oven for baking?
There is no best type of oven for baking—it will depend on the type of dish you’re creating. For instance, electric ovens tend to have drier heat than gas ovens so they are often good at browning foods like biscuits, while a slightly more humid gas oven will help keep breads and cakes moist.
Convection ovens are good for bakers because they let you choose between a traditional bake or a convect bake. Convection cooking circulates hot air around dishes, which helps with multi-rack cooking like big batches of cookies or pastries. However, you may want to skip convection when cooking dishes that benefit from the stillness of conventional cooking, like yeast breads that rely on the expansion of air bubbles to rise. Learn more about the art of baking with this guide to creating crusty bread.
Explore all KitchenAid® wall ovens and ranges
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