Design and features

• Smart app control
• Interface takes a while to get used to
• Air fry mode

Although all integrated single ovens have the same dimensions, so that they can slot into the same integrated cabinets, the Hoover Oven Collection 5 H06 M5G3YTB has a massive 78-litre capacity, which is about as big as you can get.

In comparison, the Hotpoint SI4S854CBL has a 73-litre oven space. That little bit of extra space that Hoover offers means that there’s a bit more space between shelves, but any extra cooking capacity is always welcome.

Inside the well-lit oven cavity, there are six shelf positions, with the middle one taking a telescopic rail. I’m a big fan of these, as they make it easy to load and unload the oven without having to reach in.

Hoover’s a bit tight on accessories: one wire shelf, one deep baking tray and one air fry tray are all you get. At least one more wire shelf would have been nice at this price, and it feels as though you’ll need to buy one more shelf to make this oven worthwhile.

Direct control of the oven is via the control panel on the front, which is a touch-sensitive LCD. Selecting the standard oven mode requires selecting the matching icon, though it’s a shame that there’s no text description to show what the mode is.

While the symbols are similar to those on an oven with a traditional dial, the LCD really should give more information on what the programme does.

The handy quickstart guide, at least, provides a table showing what each function does, its maximum temperature, and the types of food that each mode is suitable for. Cooking modes include conventional, convection + fan, multi-level (for cooking on multiple shelves), bottom heating, bottom heating + fan, air fry, grill (middle area) and super grill (full area).

Once I’d selected a mode, it was then quick to set the temperature (maximum of 250°C, which is good for cooking things like baguettes) and the cooking time.

As well as the regular cooking modes, there are four preset modes where the cooking style, time and temperature are preset (although these can be overridden). These include a mode for meat, fish, bread and vegetables.

Overall, the interface is functional rather than intuitive and helpful. With a more expensive oven, such as the Neff N90 B69VY7MY0 Oven, you get a colour LCD that explains each mode in more detail and makes it easier to set temperatures and times.

This oven is compatible with the hOn app. Once connected to Wi-Fi, the app provides a comprehensive list of modes, each of which is explained, detailing its specific benefits. As a method for getting used to the oven, the app is invaluable.

It’s also a handy way to keep an eye on the cooking time, getting a notification when a timer runs out. That’s great, as I didn’t have to stand near the oven to keep an eye on the cooking process.

It’s good to see that there’s a pyrolytic cleaning mode on this oven, running at 410°C to burn off grease residue. This mode isn’t usually available on mid-range ovens, although the cheaper Beko BBIMA13301XMP has this option.

Pyrolytic cleaning is really brilliant and takes the hassle out of keeping an oven clean. It’s a shame that the paper manuals don’t describe the mode very well, and the screen didn’t warn me about taking out accessories. Downloading the Hoover Oven Collection 5 H06 M5G3YTB’s full manual, I correctly read that the oven should have its trays, rails and any retaining screws removed before using this mode. Once engaged, the door locks to prevent opening.

For lighter cleaning, there’s a hydro cleaning mode, which uses water to generate steam.

The only thing really missing here is a steam mode. Steam cooking helps retain moisture in food, while promoting a crispy edge in foods that need them, such as baguettes.

Performance

• Even cooking
• Air fry works brilliantly
• Grill a little uneven

I started by testing how well the oven distributes temperature by adding a tray full of ceramic beads to the oven and setting it to 200°C. After 20 minutes I took readings with the tray on the top shelf and found the front was 208.8°C, and the back 214.8°C. As I’d expect, the top should be hotter.

In the middle of the oven, temperatures were spot on, with a reading of 198.7°C at the front and 209.7°C at the rear.

Next, I cooked oven chips using a standard tray. This used 0.436kWh of energy, which is about average. The chips were a little underdone after the recommended cooking time, and not that evenly cooked.

I cooked another batch using the air fry mode. While this mode wasn’t as quick as using an air fryer, and it used a similar 0.426kWh of power to the regular cooking method, the results were much better. The chips had colour to them, and a definite crunch, with a soft interior. Clearly air frying is a superior cooking method for this kind of food.

I then turned on the grill and allowed it to keep warm for an hour, as this was its first use. After that, I lined a shelf with bread and toasted the slices. From middle to right, the bread was perfectly toasted, but the left-hand side, particularly the bottom left, wasn’t so good, and the bread was underdone.

Should you buy it?

FAQs