I have a pretty small apartment in Buenos Aires and I want to get an electric oven but I'm not sure if it'll leave me any space in the kitchen. I saw some compact models in stores but I'm not really convinced about their capacity. Does anyone have one that works well for them without taking up half the kitchen?
Compact ones are around 30-40 liters and honestly, if your kitchen is pretty small it might still feel tight, but it depends on how often you cook and whether you need to fit large baking trays.
I'd say before buying, measure carefully where you're going to put it and check reviews from users who have similar apartments, because some models are deeper than they are wide and that's sometimes better for tight spaces.
The first thing you need to consider is the actual space where you're going to put it. Compact electric ovens usually measure around 45-50 cm wide, so if you have a corner or gap between furniture that already saves you a ton. Before buying, measure the area where you're planning to install it properly, including depth and height. Also check the ventilation requirements, because they need some free space around them to avoid overheating. If you're really tight on space, large toaster ovens (like those Chef-style models or similar brands) can be a decent alternative: they take up less room than a conventional oven, heat pretty well and let you use your kitchen space more flexibly.
About capacity, it's true that compact ones give you less performance than a traditional oven, but honestly for a small apartment you almost never need to fit four pizzas at once. Models with around 25-35 liters will work perfectly fine for everyday use: roast chicken, vegetables, pies, that kind of thing. Look at brands that sell well here like Electrolux, Ariston or even some supermarket brands that have good value for money. What matters is that the temperature control is decent (allowing gradual adjustment, not just two or three fixed positions) and that the heating elements are distributed well so it doesn't burn the edges while the center stays raw.
One thing a lot of people forget: before you buy it, talk to your electrician or check what circuit you're going to use, because some small apartments in Buenos Aires run a bit short on electrical load. If you plug in an oven with 2000-2500 watts along with other appliances, you might blow everything.
Before you go out and buy something, I'd recommend doing a test in your kitchen. Grab one of those cardboard boxes they leave at the supermarket, draw the dimensions of a compact oven (something like 45-50 cm wide, 35-40 cm deep) and put the box where you're thinking of installing it for a couple of days. You'll quickly see if it messes with your circulation or if you can live with it. I know people who bought without measuring and then regretted it because it ended up too close to a window or blocked the way to the fridge.
Now, about the 30-40 liters people mention: it's fine for baking or one-off things, but if you want to fit a pizza or a tray of vegetables for the week, it's going to be too small. What some people don't say is that compact electric ovens use quite a bit of power. In a small apartment in CABA with old wiring, check with your electrician about the amps before plugging in anything. There are models rated 1500-2000W that work better in old houses without tripping the breakers every other day.
If space is really tight, another option that fewer people consider is a powerful toaster oven. They won't let you fit a big tray, but they take up a quarter of the space and do the job pretty well if you only need to bake occasionally. The thing is they don't last as long because they heat very intensely, but for a small apartment sometimes it's the lesser evil.
Log into answer.
