Cleaning the oven by hand is one of those jobs that we all dread doing. But is a self-cleaning oven the solution? This article will help you find out!

Here are 4 reasons why a self-cleaning oven may be worth the higher price tag:

  1. It will save you time cleaning.
  2. It will save you the effort of scrubbing the oven.
  3. The extra-heavy insulation in the oven will help to lower your energy bills.
  4. It will save you money on pricey oven cleaners.

Are you thinking about purchasing a new oven?

Are you trying to decide between a self-cleaning oven and a normal model?

Then read on to find out which will be the right choice for you.

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Is a Self-Cleaning Oven Worth the Higher Price Tag?

Cleaning the oven is the job that just about everyone loathes.

It’s on par with some of those awful chores like cleaning the fridge or, dare I say it, cleaning the windows. These jobs are the pits.

That’s why when I first found out about self-cleaning ovens I jumped at the opportunity to get myself one. But you may be wondering, is a self-cleaning oven (or pyrolytic oven) really worth it? And what benefits come from using a self-cleaning oven? Take a look at the following information to find out.

Oven with an open door
Having a self-cleaning can free up extra time to relax and unwind

Time

A self-cleaning oven could save you time. Take a look below to find out how.

  • A self-cleaning oven usually needs about 1.5 to 3 hours to complete a cycle. You can take advantage of the runtime to do other important jobs. (Or just to put your feet up. That’s important too.)
  • A self-cleaning oven will complete the cycle faster if you clean it regularly. (Eg, after cooking greasy or sugary food in the oven.)

Effort

A self-cleaning oven could save you effort. Take a look below to find out how.

  • A self-cleaning oven does all the hard scrubbing work for you. That’s right! Ditch the marigolds, sit back, and relax!
  • Although the oven is self-cleaning, you will still have to clean part of it by hand.  But the work will pale in comparison to cleaning the entire oven inside and out. You will need to:
    • Clean the door frame
    • Clean the seal
    • Wipe away any large pieces of food inside the oven

Energy

A self-cleaning oven could also help you cut down on your home’s energy consumption. Take a look below to find out how.

  • Self-cleaning ovens are usually built with extra-heavy insulation. This helps to lock in the heat when you are cooking thus reducing the energy consumption of the oven.
  • You can cut the costs more by running a cleaning cycle straight after cooking. You should do this periodically. If you do, then your oven will take advantage of the heat it’s already generated and use it to clean the oven. This will save it from heating up from cold.

Money

A self-cleaning oven could also help to save you money. Take a look below to find out how.

  • Cleaning products are expensive. And oven cleaning products tend to be even more extortionate. But a self-cleaning oven will do the job without using any cleaning products. This will save you money on degreasers and scouring pads.

The Pros and Cons of a Self-Cleaning Oven

We’ve spoken a lot already about the different things self-cleaning ovens can do. But you should also get to know some of their pros and cons.

Self-Cleaning Oven Pros

  • It could save you time cleaning.
  • It could save you effort scrubbing.
  • The extra-heavy insulation could help you to cut back on your energy consumption.
  • It could help you to save money on oven-cleaning products as the cleaning cycle doesn’t use any.

Self-Cleaning Oven Cons

  • It will save you man-hours, but a cleaning cycle takes 1.5 to 3 hours to complete.
  • You will still need to clean the door frame, seal, and remove large bits of food from the oven by hand. Depending on your user’s guide, you may also need to clean the oven racks by hand.
  • The self-cleaning cycle could produce a lot of smoke and odor if you’ve used the oven to cook sugary or greasy food. It could also be particularly smokey if you don’t run the cleaning cycle often.
  • -A self-cleaning oven costs 30% more than a regular oven.
Man cleaning oven door
Self-cleaning ovens still need the outside surfaces to be cleaned

As you can see, a self-cleaning oven will save you time physically cleaning. But the 3-hour long cleaning cycle could be a little inconvenient if you have a house full of hungry bellies.

A self-cleaning oven will also save you from all the scrubbing that comes with cleaning an oven. But, you will still have to do some of the work for yourself. You should check the instructions before purchasing a self-cleaning oven. Make sure you get a model that can also clean the cooking racks for you.

Be sure to ventilate the area while you are running a self-cleaning cycle in the oven. Keep the windows and if possible a door open to prevent a build-up of smoke in the kitchen that could set off a fire alarm.

Is your choice between a self-cleaning and a normal oven based on price alone? Then you may want to stick with a normal oven. That’s because self-cleaning ovens are usually 30% more expensive than regular ovens.

How Long Does a Self-Cleaning Oven Take?

Most self-cleaning ovens take between 1.5 hours and 3 hours to complete a cleaning cycle. But with your party playlist booming and some coffee in you, you know it wouldn’t take you 3 hours to clean the oven by hand. So, you may be wondering:

  • Why does a self-cleaning oven take so long and how does one work?
  • What are the instructions for using a self-cleaning oven?

Take a look below to find out.

Why Does a Self-Cleaning Oven Take So Long and How Does One Work?

Most self-cleaning ovens use high temperatures to burn off the build-up of dirt and grease. Your oven may heat up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit during a cleaning cycle.

If your oven has been used to cook greasy or sugary food, it may smoke while running a self-cleaning cycle. You will probably find that there is ash left behind after the cycle. This is because of the high temperatures that are reached inside the oven. You should clean the ash out before you use the oven again.

If you are putting your oven into a cleaning cycle from cold, it may take a while for it to get up to temperature. This could make the cleaning cycle take longer. To speed things up, try running the cycle immediately after cooking a meal.

Self-Cleaning Oven Instructions

Is it your first time using the self-clean function on your oven? Then make sure you get started ASAP! You’ll never go back to cleaning your oven by hand again! If you’re not sure how to use function, here’s how:

  1. Empty the oven. Check your user guide to see whether you can leave racks inside the oven to clean or not.
  2. Remove large pieces of baked-on food from the oven. A spatula or scraping tool will help. Pieces of food will make the oven smoke a lot if they are not removed.
  3. Shut the oven door and turn on the self-clean function. Some self-cleaning oven models will automatically lock the door while the cycle runs.
  4. Let the oven cool completely before you attempt to open the door.
  5. Wipe away any ash or residue with a damp cloth.

Conclusion

Cleaning the oven is a messy and awkward job. A self-cleaning oven helps to cut down on all the soaking and scrubbing. I’m sure this article has helped you decide if a self-cleaning oven would be a good buy for your home or not.

If this article has helped you, then why not check out some of our other articles and free guides? You could even sign up for our email list!

Have a great day!

-Craig