Fisher & Paykel's Astro Tower double ovens which incorporates a ceramic pizza stone and paddle.

When buying an oven, you need to consider the type of oven most suitable for your needs. If you are an occasional baker, a low-investment, tabletop unit may suffice. However, do consider the fact that full-size ovens have better air circulation and therefore, will give better bake results.

If you are the sort who like to bake cookies, you will need a large capacity oven with at least two tiers. Those who enjoy roast meats should consider ovens with a turnspit or one with a fan for even browning all around. It's also a good idea to include a self-cleaning feature in the oven, or one with easy-wipe surfaces as roasting can get quite messy.

Gas or electric?

In a gas oven, the heat is mostly produced from the bottom. It is usually built into a freestanding cooker with hobs on the top. The problem is that it can be a little bit too hot to cook when something is baking in the oven.

Make it a point to check that the oven has a self-ignition function as lighting a big gas ring with a spark gun or worse, a lighted match, can be an unnerving moment – when the burners light up all at once, the thing goes ''boom!'' Unless you have nerves of steel, that will invariably make one jump. Otherwise, it is a very economical choice as you have everything in one. And if you ask around for advice, some people will tell you that gas will give a better or more natural bake result.

An electric oven is cleaner and safer, with a more consistent performance and constant heat. Most built-in ovens are electrically-operated, anyway. They also have better features and the more advanced and top-end ovens are mostly electric. Look out for features such as separate controls which allow you to mix and match the various heating options.

Conventional (standard) ovens

Conventional ovens are the first generation ovens. In a conventional oven, the air is static and heat is conducted from the outside in to cook the food. Air is hottest around the heat source and you may need to move the food around to get the optimum cooking temperature for your food. Hot and cool spots in the oven are common. Savvy cooks who know their ovens well can get around this problem with ''strategic positioning'' or moving things around half way through baking. The conventional oven cooks slower, and some cooks prefer this.

Convection ovens

A convection oven has a built-in high-speed fan to rotate the heat for more even temperature control, thus eliminating hot and cool spots for even baking. Some manufacturers claim convection cooking saves up to 50% of energy consumption.

The best convection blows heated air into the oven cavity. There is a third heating element (in addition to the usual top and bottom elements) located near or around the fan in the back of the oven. It is usually covered by a panel which channels air sucked in by the fan past the heating elements and back into the oven. The air is heated to a uniform temperature before it enters the oven cavity.

Such ovens are sometimes called ''true convection'', ''third-element convection'' or ''European convection''. Most countertops units are not ''true''.

To get the most out of convection cooking, long thin pieces of meat will cook faster than a bulky cut of the same weight because a larger surface area is exposed to moving hot air.

The size of the pan must also be considered. The same quantity of food cooks faster in two small pans than it does in one large pan since air can circulate more freely. For best results, use pans with low sides.

A downside of the convection oven is the need to adjust the timing given in recipes, which mostly cater to the standard oven. Due to the forced heat of convection, you will need to do some guesswork as to how much of the temperature or cooking time you need to reduce until you become more familiar with the appliance. A good reference is to use the 25/25 rule; reduce the temperature of the convection oven by 25°F (or 10-15°C) and reduce cooking time by 25%.

Bake results: Convection ovens are great for baking cookies and roasting meats. It cooks evenly and gives a more even colour to baked goods. Meats are well-browned and still juicy inside due to the shorter cooking time. Makes great crusty breads and crispy pastries. Conventional/convection ovens

In the local market, many built-in ovens are designed to cook in dual mode. The fan can be turned on and off for both conventional or convection baking. Look out for separate controls that allow you to cook in many combinations: grill only, grill + fan, etc.

Microwave-cum-convection

A microwave with convection is another option especially for those who bake very rarely. The tabletop unit can function as a conventional oven or uses both modes at once to cook faster. Of course, the capacity is reduced due to its smaller size.

The market trend

Tabletop ovens are not much in demand as they take up valuable countertop space in the kitchen. ''Built-ins are preferred as they can be fitted into the kitchen design,'' said Calvin Soo, product manager at Luxx Newhouse, a major kitchen equipment supplier.

His sentiments are echoed by Irene Soo from Teka Kuchentechnik, which distributes the Teka and Kuppersbusch brands of kitchen equipment: ''The built-in oven will give the kitchen a nicer look. The back of the oven is not very nice to look at when exposed.'' Both said that gas ovens are a thing of the past. ''I don't think there are any gas built-in oven in the market today,'' said Calvin, whose company represents products such as De Dietrich and Brandt.

However, he said that the sales of microwave ovens with convection are encouraging. ''Although the baking capacity is small, people are buying it because it does not take up space. It is especially attractive to those with an apartment kitchen. There are also people who do not want a separate oven in their home because they are not going to use it often enough. So the microwave with convection fits their needs,'' he said.

''But serious bakers will always opt for a full-size convection oven as they can bake more and the results is generally better than microwave,'' Irene added.

As to whether digital ovens are taking over from the analogue ones, Irene said that the digital oven is relatively new in the market but is fast becoming the preferred choice. ''Ovens with analogue timers can only be set to a maximum of 120 minutes and you will have to re-set the timer if your baking takes longer than that. This does not happen with a digital timer,'' she said. Another relatively new feature to look out for is the self-cleaning function in an oven which allows high heat to turn food residues into dust, which can be easily wiped off with a damp cloth.

The latest in oven technology is the intelligent oven, which has yet to hit our shores. The smart oven takes the guesswork out of baking. ''One has only to pop the cake into the oven and it will work out the duration and temperature needed to cook it,'' said Calvin.