Everything you need to know about pyrolytic ovens

 Is a Pyrolytic Oven right for you?  

Cleaning your oven can be an arduous task. The accumulation of dirt, grease and food residue often requires significant effort to restore it to a sparkling clean state. However, pyrolytic ovens offer a hassle-free solution – they are self-cleaning ovens that handle the hard work for you.

In this guide, we delve into the world of pyrolytic ovens, exploring their functionality and benefits. Additionally, we compare them to other self-cleaning ovens on the market.

What is a Pyrolytic Oven?

Pyrolytic ovens are self-cleaning ovens which use high temperatures to burn food residue and grease, converting them into ash. Generally, they work similarly to regular ovens – the only difference is the built-in self-cleaning function.

These ovens are a convenient addition to any modern kitchen, ensuring a cooking experience with a simple, effective and time-saving clean-up operation. If you’re tired of scrubbing your oven, consider a pyrolytic oven.

How do Pyrolytic Ovens work?

After completing the cooking process, activate the pyrolytic self-cleaning program in your oven. This program heats the oven to temperatures between 400°C and 500°C, burning away any leftover residue, grease, and grime. The process, known as pyrolysis, transforms these substances into ash. Once the oven has cooled down, brush or wipe away the remaining ash, leaving your oven clean and ready for use.

During the cleaning process, the oven door automatically locks until the interior cools down when it unlocks. However, due to the extremely high temperatures, it’s a good idea to remain cautious during the cleaning cycle.

Benefits of a Pyrolytic Oven

Pyrolytic ovens offer many benefits, including:

  • Simplified cleaning: Pyrolytic ovens simplify the arduous task of manually cleaning grease and grime from the oven interior. With just a touch of a button, they use heat to handle the cleaning process effortlessly.
  • Time-saving: While the oven cleans itself, you can get on with other tasks.
  • Time setting: You can program a pyrolytic oven to run its cleaning cycle at any time. That means you can set it to run overnight while you’re not using it to cook.
  • Safety: The oven door locks itself during the high-temperature cleaning cycle, minimising the risk of burns.
  • Avoiding harsh chemicals: Unlike traditional oven cleaners, pyrolytic ovens clean themselves using heat, eliminating the need for strong and potentially harmful chemicals. This is safer for both you and the environment.
  • More hygienic: The high temperatures burn away all food particles and bacteria, making these appliances more hygienic.
  • Energy efficiency: These ovens are often considered energy-efficient due to better insulation. The improved insulation helps the appliance reach its high cleaning temperatures and also retains heat better during cooking, resulting in overall energy savings. All AEG pyrolytic ovens have energy classes ranging from A+ to A++.

What should you consider before choosing a Pyrolytic Oven?  

There are several things you should consider before choosing a pyrolytic oven, including:

Cost: Pyrolytic ovens may have a higher upfront cost than some other oven types due to the insulation and heating technology required for the self-cleaning cycle. However, the pyrolytic function can help reduce the need for manual cleaning products and effort over time, depending on how often the oven is used and cleaned.

Maintenance: Pyrolytic ovens feature a self-cleaning function that uses high temperatures to help break down grease and food residue into ash, which can then be wiped away once the oven has cooled. Other cleaning systems, such as catalytic liners or steam-cleaning functions, may also help with cleaning, but the level of manual cleaning required can vary by model and usage.

Energy use: Pyrolytic ovens are designed with strong insulation to support the high temperatures required during the cleaning cycle. The pyrolytic cleaning cycle can consume additional energy, so overall energy use will depend on the model, cooking habits, cleaning frequency and programme selected. Check the individual product energy label and specifications for model-specific energy consumption details.

Ventilation: During the pyrolytic cleaning cycle, some odours or smoke may occur, particularly if there is heavy food residue. Always follow the user manual and ensure the kitchen is well ventilated.

Pyrolytic vs Steam and Catalytic Ovens  

Feature

Pyrolytic Oven

Steam Oven

Catalytic Oven

Cleaning method

High-temperature pyrolytic cleaning (burns residue into ash)

Steam-based cleaning (uses steam to loosen dirt)

Porous walls absorb grease, catalytic process breaks it down at high temperatures (250°C)

Effectiveness

Thoroughly removes grease and stubborn residues

Effective for light cleaning, may not handle food spills as well

Absorbs grease but is less effective against food residues like sugar

Manual cleaning

Minimal manual cleaning needed

Manual cleaning is needed after every use to remove stubborn stains

Some manual cleaning required to wash away sugar residue

Maintenance

Little maintenance needed

Regular descaling required to remove limescale

Catalytic liners need changing every few years

Cost

Higher initial cost due to insulation and heating elements

Price varies based on features

More affordable than pyrolytic ovens

Time

Takes longer to complete cleaning cycle (2-4 hours)

Shorter cleaning time (30-60 minutes)

Short cleaning cycle (15-30 minutes)

Energy efficiency

Uses the most energy

Most energy-efficient

Uses less energy than pyrolytic ovens

Finding the right oven for you

At AEG, you’ll discover a wide selection of pyrolytic ovens. Explore our 6000 series, featuring SteamBake technology - the ideal choice for passionate bakers. SteamBake keeps your baked goods moist on the inside while achieving delightful crispiness on the outside.

Shop our 7000 series to discover the SteamCrisp feature. With SteamCrisp, you can not only bake but also cook and roast your food using steam, resulting in succulent dishes with a crispy finish.

If you’re looking for additional cooking assistance, consider exploring our 8000 series ovens. These models feature AssistedCooking, which simplifies the cooking process. With a built-in recipe collection, all you need to do is select the type of dish you’re preparing, and the oven will automatically choose the optimal settings for perfect results.

All these models offer pyrolytic cleaning, making post-cooking clean-up effortless.

If you’re unsure whether a pyrolytic oven is the right choice for you, don’t worry. AEG offers a variety of ovens, each with distinct features to suit different needs. Check out our oven-buying guide to find the ideal oven for your kitchen.