Grill and lower: for browning the tops of dishes and also crisping up the underside. Use this setting on our sausage & leek mash pie or fish pie mac & cheese heating methods: 3D hot air, conventional top and bottom heat, Hotair grilling, full width variable grill, Hotair gentle As with all white goods, there have been various advancements in the technology used and range of features found on ovens. We’ve detailed the features we think are worth looking out for and asked white goods experts about which features are nice to have but not essential.

Split ovens: These ovens can be split in two, allowing you to cook at two different temperatures at the same time. A central panel splits the oven into two separate compartments, so you could cook sweet and savoury dishes without the flavours melding. "These ovens are great for versatility and have the benefits of a double oven, with the large capacity of a single oven when needed," says Emma Cabourn, buyer at Appliances Direct, "they also help to save energy, giving the option to cook in a smaller cavity without heating the entire oven." AO’s expert, Isabella Forgione, adds that split ovens are ideal for busy households and make a fantastic addition, "if you’re short on space, or for those who want the choice of more cooking options." Catalytic liner: these liners absorb fat and anything else that drips down to the base of the oven. The oven will come with a self-cleaning program that’ll need to be run once in a while to loosen all of the dirt, making it easy to wipe away with a damp cloth

Minute minder: this setting automatically turns off the oven after cooking – great for meringues or baked cheesecake

Turn your oven into a cleaning aid. EcoClean Direct, the energy-saving cleaning aid makes double oven cleaning easy. A special coating of microfine ceramic spheres covers the rear wall of the lower oven, breaking down grease spatters while you bake or roast. Saving you time and energy for the entire service life of the appliance. Red LED display control: easy-to-use thanks to clear time display with pop-out controls for an easy to clean flat control panel front. Temperature/meat probes: if you’re not the most confident cook or you just like to ensure accuracy, meat probes are a great addition for precise cooking and to ensure food is cooked throughSteam cooking: if you love baking bread, this is the function for you. Some ovens have a water tank that sends plumes of steam into the oven cavity Upper and lower heating elements: this heats both the top and bottom of the oven without the fan. Use this on foods you want to cook on the top and bottom, like classic cheese scones or these spiced 'chorizo' pastry slices Digital controls: these are ideal for when you need an exact cooking temperature, i.e. for bakes. Five- or 10-degree manual dials are fine, but they’re not particularly precise; one or two degree increments ensure accuracy Defrost: this setting turns the fan on minus any heat, so that air circulates, defrosting your food faster than leaving it on the counter would