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Smart oven explainer: what they do and how they work
If you like the idea of checking on how your roast is doing while enjoying a pre-lunch aperitif outside, a smart oven could be for you.
Traditional kitchen appliances – including fridge freezers, washing machines and ovens – are increasingly embracing wi-fi connectivity. Most big oven brands, such as Bosch, Neff, AEG and Miele, already have smart ovens in their ranges.
We examine and test what they can do, what they don't do and importantly, what you should know before you buy one.
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Is buying an oven with wi-fi worth it?
You might already have a smart TV, smart radiator valves or even a smart doorbell, but is it worth investing in a smart oven?
What a smart oven can do
Once you've downloaded the companion app, your smart oven will usually allow you to:
- Adjust cooking temperature and duration while you're out, using your mobile
- Monitor your cooking remotely in real time – via a camera in the oven linked to your mobile
- Receive mobile alerts notifying you when a cooking program has finished
- Give a service engineer remote access to your appliance
- Control some functions of your oven with voice control – using Google Assistant, Alexa or Apple HomeKit.
What a smart oven can't do
You won't be able to:
- Turn on your oven ad-hoc while you're out of the house. For safety reasons, on each occasion you want app-control, you have to prepare the oven before you go out.
- Operate all oven functions via the app – for example high-temperature pyrolytic cleaning can't be switched on remotely, also for safety reasons.
- Guarantee how long it will be supported – we expect our ovens to last much longer than our mobiles or laptops. But when we've asked, manufacturers have given vague or conflicting responses around how long they will support the 'smart' component with updates. Without these, smart functionality could be affected, and like any smart device, it could become vulnerable to cyber-threats. Find out more about security and smart devices.
If you just need a great new oven, smart or otherwise, go to our best built-in ovens.
Single ovens with smart features
There are some low-cost smart ovens and some that cost as much as £1,500, but generally you can expect to pay around £700 to £800 for a smart single oven.
Here are four we've tested.
Grundig GEBM12401BP single oven
This cost-effective single oven from Grundig has 47 litres of usable cooking space. Thanks to its highly-adjustable shelves, you can set up the space just how you need it.
It also has Bluetooth connectivity and is wi-fi enabled, meaning you can set it up to cook and monitor its process from a phone or tablet. You'll still need to get up and physically put food into it.
Read our full Grundig GEBM12401BP oven review to find out how this budget-friendly model holds up.
Samsung Infinite NV75T8579RK single oven
Unusually, you can turn this one into a quasi-dual oven by using a divider. This allows you to cook at two different temperatures and it's big enough to not worry about space.
You'll be able to control its host of functions and automatic programs using the SmartThings App on your smartphone.
Read our Samsung Infinite NV75T8579RK review to find out how handy its smart features are.
You can buy it from Sonic Direct for £699, or compare prices below:
Neff B6ACH7HG0B single oven
This oven features Neff's famous 'slide and hide' door, which slots underneath the oven when you open it. This can be helpful if you're in a smaller kitchen, plus you won't need to pull out hot pans or trays as much to clear the door.
It's a multifunction oven, meaning you can use the fan-assisted heat plus directional heating from the top, bottom, or both. Once your food is done, you can set the oven to turn off automatically .
Our Neff B6ACH7HG0B review will tell you how well this oven cooks.
Miele H7164BP single oven
This top-of-range Miele has a steam-cooking feature, touch controls and pyrolytic self-cleaning program alongside its smart credentials.
The Miele MobileControl app allows you to make all the adjustments you need.
Our detailed Miele H7164BP oven review explains whether it cooks as well as it looks.
Double ovens with smart features
We've also tested smart double ovens so you can cook more at once if you'd like.
Here are three we've tested.
Neff N50 U2ACM7HG0B double oven
The top oven is conventional – only heating from the top or bottom – while the larger main oven is multifunction. Both have grills in them.
The oven has a lot of space – enough to cook a larger turkey in the main oven while cooking a chicken in the top one.
Like most smart ovens on this list, you can control it from your phone or tablet.
Read our Neff N50 U2ACM7HG0B review to find out how well this oven bakes and grills.
Neff N50 U2ACM7HH0B double oven
It's not too different from the Neff above, except that this older model doesn't have as much usable cooking volume. Despite this, it's still slightly larger than the U2ACM7HG0B.
The cavities both have pyrolytic cleaning, and there's an easy-clean program to help when you need to clean it manually.
This oven also has smart capabilities through the Home Connect app.
Read our Neff N50 U2ACM7HH0B review to find out if this older model is still worth buying.
Bosch Serie 6 MBA57855S6B double oven
This double oven is expensive, but has extra features including a meat probe and auto-cook programs.
It's also more energy-efficient than some double smart ovens we've tested. At the time of writing, it costs £67.46 a year to run if you use it five hours a week.
Like most smart ovens, you can control some functions remotely through your smartphone or tablet.
Read our Bosch Serie 6 MBA5785S6B review to see if we were impressed.
If you're tempted to try a smart oven, head to our smart oven reviews.
How Which? tests smart ovens
All ovens at the Which? lab undergo our tough cooking tests. We measure how closely an oven sticks to the correct temperature and how evenly it spreads heat. We also rate ovens on how easy they are to use and clean, and the effectiveness of the grill.
On some newer models that we expect to be popular with our members, we also test accompanying smart oven apps and report on their security, safety and functionality.
- Security An insecure oven app can allow hackers to access your home wi-fi network, and gain control of your oven and other connected appliances. This could include your computer or tablet. We make sure the oven apps are as secure as they should be – looking at firmware, password strength requirements and how much personal data you need to supply. We'll let you know if we have any concerns.
- Safety If the app allows you to do anything that has implications for physical safety, such as turn it on remotely with the door open, we highlight this in reviews. We tell manufacturers what we find and press them to make changes. We regularly check for app updates and report on any changes.
- Functionality Some apps are simple to use, while others can be fiddly. For each app, we check what it allows you to do and how easy it is to use.
Find out more about our smart oven testing in How we test built-in-ovens.
Like the sound of smart appliances? Here are a few other smart products we test:
Find out more about how to set up a smart home.
