Photo: Rex Roof / Flickr

Anyone who’s been through the task of cleaning an oven must love the idea of an oven that does it all for you. On second thoughts, though, it does all sound a little too good to be true. If you’re wondering whether these self-cleaning appliances are a way to revolutionise your time in the kitchen, or are simply a waste of time and money, read on to answer the question ‘Do self-cleaning ovens work?’

How do they work?

It’s simpler than you might think – self-cleaning ovens simply heat up to temperatures that burn the dirt into an ash that’s easy to wipe away with a damp cloth. You’re saved the trouble of trying to clean off all of those greasy marks inside your oven with costly and messy cleaning products.

What about energy use?

All that extra heat sounds like it’s going to end up costing a lot on your power bill, but the good news is that self-cleaning ovens are actually more energy efficient than regular cookers. That’s because they have more insulation to reduce the chance of fire.

Helping out your self-cleaning oven

If self-cleaning ovens still sound too good to be true, consider that you may need to give them some help now and then: small stains can easily be dealt with by the high heat, but you’ll help the process along by wiping away larger messes before beginning the self-cleaning. This will also reduce the amount of smoke that results from burning up mess in the oven.

So – what’s the verdict?

So, do self-cleaning ovens work? Yes, but they have their drawbacks, and they can’t take care of the whole job of cleaning your oven, every time. For everyday cleanliness, though, a self-cleaning oven is a great help when you’re busy and just don’t have to time to do the oven-cleaning chore yourself.

Tags: energy efficient, self cleaning oven