Bosch electric single ovens come in three series: Series 2, Series 4 and Series 8. All are built in, with a drop-down door. They suit anyone from a homeowner who wants a simple, dependable replacement to a keen cook who likes steam, a cooking probe and app control. Picking a series is a good way to start.

Series 2 keeps things simple. These ovens have a 66 litre gross capacity, rotary dials with an LED display and no special cleaning system, and come in black or stainless steel. Series 4 moves up to 71 litres, with dials that push back into the panel alongside touch controls, and a choice of black, stainless steel or white. These ovens have Hotair Steam: you pour water into a small bowl in the oven base, and the steam circulates with the hot air so bread and bakes stay moist inside and turn crisp outside.

Series 8 ovens are finished in black. They use a digital control ring with touch controls and have Home Connect, so you can control and check the oven from your phone. Most hold 71 litres. Some come with a cooking probe, which reads the temperature inside a joint so you know when it is done without cutting into it. Others add steam through a Steam Boost function or a water tank you fill by hand. There is also a model with a microwave function, which speeds up cooking but has a slightly smaller 67 litre cavity.

Cleaning is worth comparing too. Hydrolytic and EcoClean Direct programmes use water and heat to loosen grime, and catalytic liners absorb grease while you cook. Pyrolytic cleaning heats the oven to a very high temperature and burns spills to ash that you can wipe away. These ovens usually cost more to buy but save the most scrubbing. You can see just those in our Bosch pyrolytic self-cleaning single ovens. To narrow your choice, decide between dials and a control ring with app control, then choose how you want to clean the oven and whether steam or a probe matters to you. For the wider brand, see Bosch single ovens or all Bosch products.