Second Hand Cookers, Ovens & Hobs | Second Hand Electrical Appliances

Ovens are one of the essential appliances in any household. There are four criteria to look for when buying an oven: it should fit the space allotted for it, match your kitchen d�cor, use either gas or electricity according to the power set up already and provide all necessary cooking settings and capabilities.

Types of Ovens
Ovens come in two types: conventional and fan assisted. In a conventional oven the thermostat controls the heat in the middle of the oven so it will be hotter in the middle. Fan assisted ovens use a fan to circulate heat around the whole of the oven. This creates an even temperature throughout and the oven heats up more quickly, reducing cooking times and saving energy.

There are multifunction ovens available which use combinations of heating types, such as a fan and conventional oven with a closed door and a fan grill for roasting. Other features available here include bottom or top heating only or defrost heating.

A flame at the bottom of the oven heats gas ovens. The gas is ignited by an electric spark that lights up the gas supply. The hot air circulates, but here the top of the oven will be hotter. Cycloheat gas ovens concentrate heat in the middle of the oven, but the top will still be hotter and the bottom cooler. This feature is useful for cooking dishes requiring different temperatures or slow cooking at a consistent heat. All gas appliances must be installed by a CORGI registered engineer.

Electric ovens are connected to a 30 or 45 amp electrical power supply that is used only for the ovens. All ovens should be installed by a registered engineer with the relevant qualifications.

Gas Appliance Safety
All gas appliances, including ovens, should be compliant with standard Gas Safety Regulations.

New and second-hand ovens should be provided with flame supervision devices and appropriately upgraded gas controls, as needed. This has been HSE (Health & Safety Executive) advice since 1994, so no ovens should be operating without flame supervision devices -- even ones on the second-hand market. All gas rings and burners on second-hand equipment should be fitted with flame supervision devices.

All gas equipment should be regularly serviced and maintained in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions or at least every 12 months. Service, maintenance, and repairs must be carried out by a CORGI registered installer only. If any equipment is unsafe or there is a smell of gas at any time, remove the gas appliance from use immediately and call out the appropriate emergency service provided by the gas company. Never make any DIY repairs.

There should be no leaks from any gas appliance and oven doors should have effective seals to prevent the escape of gas or carbon monoxide. Every home should have fire and carbon monoxide detectors.

Choosing an Oven
The first decision to make is whether to buy a gas or an electric oven. This decision is based both on cooking preferences and the type of power set up for the over. Sometimes gas appliances require walls to be painted more often than electric ovens. This is especially true if there are smokers in the house.

Another important factor to consider is the type of cleaning process. Standard ovens need cleaning by hand. Self-cleaning ovens have programmable cleaning settings that use high temperatures over several hours to clean residue from the oven. Continuous cleaning ovens have special finishes that absorb or burn off splatters from the oven as they occur.

Next, decide if a grill is necessary. Some grills have inner and outer elements and the inner element can be used for small amounts of food. Some have variable controls to set the cooking temperature, but fixed grills require raising or lowering the grill pan to control temperature. High speed grills heat up fast, speed up cooking and save energy. Most ovens with a grill work on a broiler process where the grill cooks the food from above.

Electronic controls on an oven provide greater temperature accuracy and keep it constant. Some electronic controls have pre-set temperatures for various cooking tasks to save time.

Most ovens have a digital clock and a timer. An auto timer allows a time to be set for the oven to start and finish cooking at pre-set times. Second-hand ovens may only have a standard minute timer that is set when cooking starts to give a reminder when it is done.

Second-hand Ovens
Buying second-hand ovens is a good practice if you want to save money and minimise the environmental impact of dumping these products. Do not buy a second-hand oven if it is more than five years old, is obviously damaged (other than scratched paint or other cosmetic damages) or can�t pass a safety examination.

There are specific safety rules which apply. Second-hand gas or electric ovens may become dangerous as they age. Any potential purchase should be examined by a qualified electrician before buying or using it. Gas ovens and appliances should also be checked and installed by a CORGI registered gas fitter. The appliances should be fitted with fireguards to prevent the burners being touched by anyone, especially children.

Second-hand ovens can be found in second-hand shops, in auctions and at some car boot sales. They are also available on the internet. Be sure that the oven works properly and has no obvious structural damage or missing parts. Check to be certain that it can be cleaned fairly easily if it is dirty, including on the inside. A self-cleaning oven on which the self-cleaning feature does not work can usually be cleaned with a spray-on oven cleaner.

Taking some time to check out potential purchases of new or second-hand ovens -- whether gas or electric -- can help find the right oven at a reasonable price. But, do remember to be very careful when assessing the safety of any gas oven or appliance.