What is a Pyrolytic Oven?

October 25th, 2011

Appliance Questions

Here at Appliances Online we often get asked: what is a pyrolytic oven?

The short answer is: it’s an oven that can clean itself. This is achieved through a process known as pyrolysis.

Pyrolytic ovens use high temperatures (of around 500°C) to convert any food residues on the oven walls into ash. Once the pyrolytic cleaning cycle has completed, this ash can be safely wiped away using a damp cloth – no chemicals required.

The main advantages of owning a pyrolytic oven are:

•    It saves you time
•    It saves you effort – no more scrubbing!
•    It reduces your exposure to harsh chemicals
•    In ordinary ovens, chemical traces left the oven walls after cleaning can contaminate food – a pyrolytic oven solves this problem
•    Fewer chemicals used in the home means fewer chemicals in the environment
•    Pyrolytic ovens are generally very well insulated, which helps to prevent energy wastage
•    Good insulation prevents the outside of the oven from getting excessively hot while in use

The only disadvantage is that before you start the pyrolytic cleaning cycle, you need to remove all racking, shelves, and other accessories from the oven. This is because high temperatures can buckle metal objects.

The oven door should also be wiped clean before you begin. Most pyrolytic ovens come with removable glass doors, making them easy to clean in the sink or dishwasher.

Pyrolytic cleaning cycles usually last for around 1.5 – 2 hours. Be sure to read the operating manual thoroughly before you use it for the first time.

For further info, have a read of our ‘How to Clean an Oven’ guide, or check out this video from Euromaid:

This video from Electrolux also has a cooking demo for roast pork and veggies – delish!