For the ones who love baking for friends and family, ovens are the biggest helpers in the kitchen. Because, with a reliable, strong, and warm oven, there is nothing you can’t do! And if you are one of those people, you must have seen the Great British Bake Off and their excellent ovens with the slide-and-hide doors. Well, this is a common question nowadays.
However, are slide and hide ovens worth it? I mean, they look cool but do they worth the hype? To answer these questions, we will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of slide and hide ovens in this article. And along with it, you will also learn everything about this kind of oven and will be able to decide if you need one at home or not.
Before getting into the question of whether slide-and-hide ovens are worth it, let’s first talk about what a slide-and-hide oven is because even people who are strangers to any kitchen duty are curious about this miraculous device! Ovens with slide-and-hide doors are becoming more popular due to their easy access to the oven inside. These ovens have a sliding door that disappears under the oven cavity rather than having left or right-hinged door.
A slide and hide oven is the ideal space-saving solution for small kitchens because you do not have to deal with an open door while placing and removing food from the oven. The only manufacturer with a wide selection of ovens that include a Slide and Hide door feature so far is Neff. The sleek design lines of these ovens blend in seamlessly with the current design of your kitchen interior, in addition to being incredibly convenient and space-efficient.
There are various Neff Slide and Hide ovens available, and each has unique features and functionalities, as well as a range of costs. Based on the price and variety of features, Neff has categorized its selection of ovens into various classes.
N30 is at the low end of the range, followed by N50, N70, and N90 at the high end. Additionally, various models are available within each category, providing various options to discover the ideal fit for your requirements and price range.
This depends on the specific requirements of each user and, to some extent, on the layout and design of your kitchen. For example, a door with a slide-and-hide feature can be tucked beneath the oven and out of the way. Consequently, moving closer to the oven is safer because you won’t have to reach the door. Dishes can be loaded and unloaded much more efficiently, especially if they are substantial, like a Sunday roast.
But not only that, slide and hide ovens can also be very useful in smaller kitchens. You can go a little bit closer to the oven if the door disappears underneath it, allowing more room for other users in the passageways around the kitchen. Wheelchair users can enter the oven completely and comfortably by having the door tucked out of the way, preventing contact with a hot oven door.
Furthermore, they possess a specific smart, intelligent, or gadget factor. To get this feature on your oven, you will need to pay more than you would for a regular oven. Typically, a Neff oven’s slide and hide door style will cost you an additional £50 to £100. This changes a little depending on the slide and conceal door’s handle type and range.
As mentioned above, an oven with sliding doors is the ideal space-saving option for small kitchens. When using a standard oven with side-hinged doors, which is what most larger ovens are, you will have even less room to walk around whenever the door is opened. Even with large-size models, a slide and hide door oven’s door slides away effortlessly to create additional space.
Therefore, an oven with a disappearing door is the most space-saving alternative for a large household. The safety of use is a factor for practically every home when purchasing any kitchen item. The temperature of the oven door increased as well. As a result, using typical ovens to remove food poses a danger of hand burns. A slide-and-hide oven’s door disappears beneath the oven cavity, making it especially safe for households with young children.
Well, there are not many disadvantages to talk about. However, like any other item or kitchen appliance on the market, slide-and-hide ovens are not without any problems. Slide and hide ovens are much more expensive than regular models and alternatives.
Plus, when you open the oven to get your fantastic turkey out, the floor, not the rear of the oven door, will receive the fat or grease pouring out. And lastly, sometimes the door is very challenging to remove and reconnect, and requires deep cleaning more frequently than other alternatives on the market.
Now that you know the best pros and not very convenient aspects of them, you can answer the question of whether slide and hide ovens are worth it. Well, if you ask me, though, I believe this is a good feature that needs to be developed a little more. Because the costliness aside, maintenance of slide and hide ovens don’t seem very easy. That said, they sure look perfectly cool and can make life easier.
And if you are determined to invest in one of these, you should note that the Neff slide and conceal ovens come with two different handles. While the rotating handle comes at a slight premium in price, we would recommend going with the rotating handle if your budget allows it. It dramatically improves the comfort and ease on your wrists of the slide and hiding motion.