I'm thinking about replacing my old 5-burner stove with one that has a built-in electric oven. My apartment is small and I don't have space for two appliances. I just wanted to know if it's really worth it in terms of energy consumption and if it heats up quickly.
I have one of these at home and honestly the oven heats up really fast, but the power consumption shoots up when you use it! The tip nobody mentions is: if you can use the oven during off-peak hours (late night, weekends, depending on your energy plan), the bill becomes way more manageable. For small apartments it's worth it for the convenience, but it only makes sense if you're not using the oven every day - if you're the type who's constantly putting in lasagna, roasts and cakes, then it's going to hurt your electricity bill!
A stove with an integrated electric oven does consume quite a bit of energy when the oven is on, but if you're in a small apartment and don't have room for two separate appliances, it ends up being a practical solution. Its energy consumption is similar to a standalone electric oven, except you take up less space. The upside is that modern ones heat up relatively quickly compared to older models, maybe 10-15 minutes to be ready, depending on the model.
What really matters is whether you'll use the oven regularly. If it's just for baking things occasionally, it makes sense for the convenience. Now, if you cook a lot and use the oven almost daily, you'll definitely notice it on your electricity bill. A lot of people prefer to keep a gas stove for the burners (if you have a cylinder, of course) and supplement it with a small electric oven, because the combo ends up being cheaper at the end of the month.
Another thing to think about: these stoves with integrated ovens tend to be more expensive and quality varies. If you can stick with just gas for the burners and invest in a separate standing electric oven, it might work out to better value for money. But if you really don't have the space, a decent integrated stove solves the problem and it's not the end of the world in terms of energy consumption.
How much time do you normally spend cooking in the oven? Because that answer changes everything. I have one of these stoves at home and honestly the oven heats up fast, yeah, but the power consumption is heavy - when I turn on the oven for half an hour, I feel it in the electricity bill. But if you use the oven like once a week, it's not a disaster at all. The real advantage is saving space, which in a small apartment is gold. It's worth it if your goal is really to save square meters, but if you cook a lot in the oven, maybe a gas stove with a conventional oven (or even think about a microwave if you just need backup) would be more economical.
It really depends on how often you use the oven per week, because if it's just occasionally, the extra consumption won't make that much of a difference in your bill. But if your old stove is genuinely in bad shape and you need to replace it anyway, having an integrated one in a small apartment makes a lot more sense than keeping two appliances taking up space.
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