Which built-in oven brand is the most reliable?

We investigated the performance and reliability of some of the most popular built-in oven brands including AEG, Bosch and Neff.

In our unique large appliance survey, we asked more than 14,000 Which? members and members of the public if they’re happy with their built-in oven and if they’ve experienced problems, so you can see which brands are worth the money.

To help you choose the perfect oven for your kitchen, see our guide to the best built-in ovens.

Only logged-in Which? members can see the full results of our brand reliability survey. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Which built-in oven brands develop the fewest faults?

This table summarises what we found about how quickly built-in oven brands develop faults, based on models bought in the past seven years.

Which built-in oven brands do owners recommend?

As well as faults, our survey also revealed which built-in oven brands owners feel happy with – and which they’d recommend to a friend.

These results are shown as each brand’s customer score, and is based on built-in ovens bought in the past seven years.

Still not sure which built-in oven to buy? Check out our built-in oven reviews to see all the models we've tested.

The three most common built-in oven faults

You can sort some issues out yourself, such as replacing a light that's not working. Unfortunately, the top three common faults listed below all require the assistance of a professional.

1. Oven not heating up properly or not at all (22% of all faults)

In most cases, calling in a professional is the right thing to do, and certainly for anything electrical or a job that requires any dismantling.

2. Fan not working properly or not at all (16%)

Again, another one for a professional to take a look at.

3. Electrical fault (14%)

Any electrical faults are for electrical engineers to investigate rather than attempting to tackle one yourself.

To find out more, visit our guide on How to recycle electrical items. 

Is it possible to repair an oven?

An oven can be a costly outlay, so it’s sometimes worth repairing it rather than buying a new one. 

Occasionally, you’ll be able to do the job yourself, for example replacing a light. But in most cases, calling in a professional is the right thing to do, and certainly for anything electrical or a job that requires any dismantling. 

To find a local oven engineer, head to Which? Trusted Traders which has a list of companies we have endorsed.

Larger retailers such as John Lewis and Currys offer a guarantee - usually two years - on oven purchases. If your oven is still within guarantee, the fix should be free or you should be offered a replacement. You’ll need to contact the retailer in this instance, and it will assess the problem. 

Which built-in oven brands offer the best guarantees?

Home appliances such as washing machines, fridge freezers and built-in ovens are expected to last.

Unsurprisingly, they're some of the products where you're likely to be pressured into buying extended warranty cover to help resolve problems down the line.

With some brands offering far longer guarantee periods from the off, you'll want to take this into account for additional peace of mind.

Most built-in oven brands offer product guarantees of one year as standard, but there are a handful of brands that offer longer cover, including:

• AEG, Bosch and John Lewis – all offer a two-year guarantee.

Faulty product? Here's how to get a refund, repair or replacement

Which smart oven brands offer the best security support policies?

Smart ovens connect to wi-fi or Bluetooth, allowing you to operate some of their functions from your smartphone or other device via an app. As with any internet-connected device, it’s important that these apps receive regular security updates to guard against potential security and privacy threats.

To help you choose a secure appliance, we asked the manufacturers of smart ovens that we've tested how long they’d support them with important security updates after launch. 

• Miele plans to release security updates for approximately 10 years after the model stops being produced, but might release critical updates beyond this period.
• BSH, the manufacturer of Bosch, Siemens and Neff, said it will support all its Home Connect appliances with security updates for at least 10 years after they've been sold.
• AEG also offers support for five years from when the product is launched.
• Samsung told us it supports for a minimum of five years from launch.
• Grundig offers update support for the same period as the warranty, which is often three years as standard.
  
• Candy will support its products for a minimum of two years from purchase. 

While you may not be at immediate risk if you're using a smart oven that's unsupported, if you’re buying a new oven, you should look for one that will receive update support for as long as possible.

For more information, read our guide to smart devices and security.

How we discover the most reliable built-in oven brands

Which? has a wealth of information on Britain's favourite brands. Every year we ask Which? members to tell us about the home appliances they own – from how likely they would be to recommend a brand, to how reliable the products are once they get them home.

This year 8,922 Which? members and 5,559 members of the public told us about more than 39,757 individual products. We calculate each brand's customer score, fault rate and reliability rating using the results of our annual survey.

Our surveys, combined with our extensive lab tests, mean we can recommend the best built-in oven to buy.

For more on our tests and what it takes to get a Which? Best Buy recommendation, read how we test built-in ovens