What are pyrolytic ovens and is it worth getting one?

You’ve just gone to the effort of cooking up a storm for the family dinner, and now it’s time for the clean up. The dishwasher can take care of the pots and plates, but what about the oven itself, with its greasy, food spattered interior?

Cleaning ovens is a horrible job, and one that most of us delay doing until things get out of hand and we have to crack out the chemical oven cleaning foam, along with protective goggles and face mask. Thankfully, today there’s a better way: the pyrolytic oven.

Here we look at what pyrolytic ovens are, how they work, and whether they’re worth the investment.

A pyrolytic oven is an electric oven with a self-cleaning function that essentially incinerates dirt, reducing it to easily wipeable ash. They come in a range of sizes and styles, from single built-in ovens to double and freestanding models.

As with regular ovens, if you’re in the market for pyrolytic you’ll find a lot of built-in models to choose from. Appliances Online usually has 70 or more options of built-in single pyrolytic oven, as well as several pyrolytic double ovens and around 30 freestanding options.

Unfortunately, simply cranking up the heat on a regular oven to the highest setting won’t turn it pyrolytic. Most electric ovens have a maximum temperature of 275°C, which is not hot enough to carbonise grime. In fact, attempting to do so is more likely to bake it on harder and make it more difficult to clean in the future.

The self-cleaning function in pyrolytic ovens raises the internal temperature to around 500°C. The ovens are constructed with specialised panels, insulation materials and other features that enable them to safely and efficiently heat up to such high temperatures. They typically feature:

So, is a pyrolytic self-cleaning oven right for you? It really depends on your cooking habits and priorities.

For busy families and enthusiastic home cooks who frequently cook dishes that spatter fats and oils, pyrolytic ovens can save you from the dirty work of manual oven cleaning. If yours is more of an Uber Eats and occasional stir fry household, though, you might not get much value from its pyrolytic capabilities.

So, with the big upside of self-cleaning, what’s the downside? As is usually the way with advanced appliances, pyrolytic ovens do tend to cost more than regular models with otherwise similar specs and features.

During the self-cleaning cycle, pyrolytic ovens also consume significantly more electricity than during regular cooking, due to the extreme heat required. However, you may find that you only need to use the pyrolytic function occasionally - more on this below.

If the advantage of self cleaning outweighs these extra financial and energy costs, though, pyrolytic could be the way to go.

There’s no fixed schedule for using the oven’s pyrolytic cleaning function - it really depends on how and what you cook in it. As we’ve seen, running the pyrolytic self cleaning cycle is fairly energy intensive, so you won’t want to use it unnecessarily.

If you mainly cook plant-based meals, you’ll probably only need to use the function occasionally. If, however, you often roast fatty meats and bake dishes that generate a lot of spatters, spills or grease, you might need to run the pyrolytic cleaning function fairly frequently. After a busy festive period of hosting and entertaining, for example, you might want to wrap the season up by thanking your oven for its hard work and selecting the self-cleaning cycle!

In addition to ‘spot cleaning’ after particularly heavy use, you may also want to run a maintenance cleaning cycle every few months, even if the oven doesn't appear very dirty. This can help prevent the gradual buildup of grime and keep your oven in good condition.

Pyrolytic ovens often have light, moderate and heavy cleaning settings that allow you to match the intensity or duration of the cleaning cycle to the level of soiling.

While pyrolytic ovens cost more on the whole than regular ones, there are a number of affordably priced models. You’ll usually find some built-in single ovens starting at under $1,000 for example. Some premium freestanding double ovens, on the other hand, can cost over $15,000.

Pyrolytic ovens are one of the greatest labour-saving advances to hit the kitchen, making life a lot easier by taking on the dreaded job of cleaning up fatty and grimy oven floors, walls and shelves.

With their premium self-cleaning functionality, and corresponding higher price tag, you’ll find that pyrolytic models usually also boast a number of other advanced oven functions and features, from telescopic runners to pizza, slow cooker and airfry settings. A few brands even make pyrolytic steam ovens.

Whether getting a pyrolytic oven is the right choice for you comes down to how you live. If it’s going to make life easier for you, then it’s probably worth it.

Appliances Online's legendary FREE delivery reaches 95% of Australia's population, and you’ll usually receive your new pyrolytic oven or other in-stock appliance the day after you order it, Mon-Fri. Plus, we offer paid Same Day Delivery in metro areas of NSW, QLD and VIC if you order an in-stock item before midday on weekdays.

We’ll also take your old disconnected oven away for free, recycling it and keeping it out of landfill. Other Australian appliance retailers don’t always offer these sorts of services, so you should factor them in if you’re shopping around. If you want some more pointers on choosing a new oven, check out our Oven Buying Guide, call our friendly team 24/7 on 1300 000 500, or message us via the chat icon at the bottom right of your screen.