Hotpoint Electric Double Oven DD2844CBL
Video & Written Review
Just over a year ago I became a reviewer for on-line appliance company AO.com. A couple of times a year they invite me to choose an item from a list of white goods and in return I produce honest video and written reviews. This arrangement is right up my street as I’m encouraged to say exactly what I think about the product, pointing out both negatives and positives as well as offering my opinion on AO’s service.
My latest selection was this Hotpoint electric double oven, model number DD2844CBL.
Click on the image below the video review.
AO.COM’s SERVICE
- This is the third ao.com product I’ve reviewed and service was fast and efficient as usual. I ordered on Friday and the product arrived on Monday. On the morning of delivery I received an email from them confirming the four-hour delivery slot. Prior to delivery I received a phone call from the driver to confirm he was 15-20 minutes away and to double-check my location.
PROS
- It was packaged well and heavier than the similar model which it replaced, giving the impression that this product is built to last.
- It’s a smart looking oven with a black glass finish.
- I like the fact that there are several different cooking types available, some of which I haven’t had on previous ovens. I particularly like the “fan grilling” option which combines the main fan oven with a grill to give a rotisserie effect. As well as using this for joints of meat, it’s also handy for cooking things like sausages as you can put them in the oven, close the door and they come out nice and browned without the hassle and mess of cooking them under a conventional grill.
- In addition to the ordinary metal wire type shelves, this oven also comes with a wide metal roasting tray which slots directly into the shelf guides and it slides in and out like a normal shelf. This is a brilliant design as it takes advantage of the entire width of the oven meaning you can fit more food into it which is great for our family of five. the tray’s also easy to wash so I always use this instead of a separate roasting tray when I can. (The only drawback – and this is a pretty extreme scenario – is that it’s not overly deep, so we had to empty the fat several times when cooking a goose for ten at Christmas)
- I like the metal handle which comes with the grill pan as it looks like it will be long lasting and easy to clean.
- I like having a light in both the top and main ovens.
- I haven’t used it yet but I like the sound of the ‘fan only’ option which is meant to be good for gently defrosting delicate foodstuffs like cheesecakes. I think it could be handy for when you have people round to dinner and forget to defrost a pudding in time!
CONS
- I’m not keen on the temperature control dial for the main oven which has big gaps in the numbers i.e. it has markings for 150 and 180 but no calibrations in between, so if you want to set a temperature of 170, it’s a bit of a guess. There’s also no ‘click’, so setting the temperature can be a bit vague. A digital display might be better.
- In contrast, the multifunction dial is a bit clunky and stiff. It works fine but is not at slick as I would have expected it to be. (You can see both these controls demonstrated clearly in my video above).
- You need to set the oven function and temperature on two separate controls and yes, I have accidentally turned the fan on without remembering to actually set the temperature so the oven didn’t heat up. Duh!
- You can only read the control dials from above. This is fine for me at 5′ 11′ but makes it hard for my ten and eight year old sons to help out with cooking as they’re not tall enough to read the dial unless they drag a chair over to stand on!
THE VERDICT?
The Hotpoint DD2844CBL oven is attractive with some useful cooking functions and a well designed roasting tray, however the clunky controls are a disappointment for an oven of this quality.
*****
DISCLOSURE: THIS PRODUCT WAS SENT TO ME BY AO.COM IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS.
I bought a new Hotpoint double oven 2 years and 10 months ago. After 13 months the element in the main oven ceased functioning and had to be replaced. A year later the exact same malfunction occurred again. Last week the element in the top oven ceased working. It has cost me more than the original oven price to have all these repairs carried out. I contacted the retailer and Hotpoint. The retailer offered me £100 off a Bosch oven. Hotpoint passed me from one dept to the next 4 times and then cut me off. I can get a Bosch oven for less than the retailer’s price with discount from Curry’s.
My advice would be to avoid buying a Hotpoint oven.
They are a bit clunky!
That’s annoying. We’ve had this one several years and had no problem with the grill. Hope they get this sorted for you soon.
had mine 2 weeks grill hot cross buns 20 mins element does not turn red contacted hotpoint could be faulty have to wait until 26 april not a good start .
The dials are rubbish do not buy this model