5 Ways to Replace Your Built-In Oven Without Rewiring Your Flat
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Your built-in oven has packed in. Or maybe there never was one. Your landlord says they won’t install a new one, and an electrician has quoted £800 to run a new 32-amp circuit you can’t afford.
What do you do?
The answer isn’t to live off microwave meals. There are five practical — and affordable — ways to replace a built-in oven using nothing more than a standard 13-amp plug socket. Here they are, ranked from best all-rounder to budget emergency option.
1. Air Fryer — The Most Versatile Oven Replacement
An air fryer isn’t just for chips. A modern dual-drawer air fryer like the Ninja Dual Zone Air Fryer can roast a whole chicken, bake brownies, reheat pizza to crispy perfection, and yes — make excellent chips.
Why it works as an oven replacement:
– Rapid air circulation mimics a fan oven
– Preheats in 3 minutes vs 20 minutes for a conventional oven
– Multiple shelves/drawers let you cook different things at once
– Energy use: 1.5–2.4 kW peak, but cooking times are much shorter
Energy comparison:
– Full-size fan oven (95 minutes at 180°C): 1.6 kWh
– Air fryer batch (same food, 35 minutes): ~0.9 kWh
– Saving: roughly 40% less electricity per use
Real scenario: Mark, a renter in Birmingham, replaced his broken built-in oven with a Ninja Dual Tray air fryer. He cooks everything in it — from Sunday roasts (chicken in one drawer, roast potatoes in the other) to batch-cooked pasta bakes. The only thing he misses is the grill, but he bought a George Foreman grill for £25 to cover that.
Limitations: You can’t cook large items like a 5kg turkey. Multiple batches are needed for big family meals. The non-stick coating on cheaper models can peel after a year.
Best for: Singles, couples, and small families (2–4 people). Anyone who wants fast, efficient oven-style cooking without the waiting time.
2. Mini Tabletop Oven — Closest to a Real Oven
If you want something that looks and feels most like a real oven, a mini tabletop oven is your best bet. These sit on the counter, plug into a standard socket, and offer up to 40 litres of oven space plus hob rings on top.
Top options:
– Russell Hobbs Mini Kitchen 22780 — 28 litres, single hob plate, around £90
– Cookworks 28L Mini Oven with Hob — similar spec, often £80–£100
– Russell Hobbs Mini Kitchen 22780 — larger capacity, two hob plates, around £130What you can cook: A full roast chicken (small-medium), frozen pizzas, fish and chips, baked potatoes, and tray bakes. The hob on top handles sauces, eggs, and boiling veg.
What you can’t: Multiple dishes at different temperatures (single oven cavity). Large baking trays won’t fit. The hob plate is slow — expect 8–10 minutes to boil a saucepan of water compared to 3 minutes on induction.
Real scenario: Priya lives in a council flat in London with no oven. She bought a VonShef 40L mini oven and uses it for everything: roast chicken on Sundays, chapati on the hob plate, and baked rice pudding in the oven cavity. She says it’s “not as fast as a proper oven, but it does the job for a fraction of the cost of rewiring.”
Limitations: Counter space is a must — these aren’t small. Single hob ring on most models. Longer cooking times than a full-size oven.
Best for: People who want the closest experience to a real oven and have enough counter space. Great for Indian, Chinese, and other cuisines that need both hob and oven.
3. Portable Induction Hob + Halogen Oven — The Budget Combo
This is the cheapest way to get both hob and oven functionality without a built-in cooker. Total cost: around £80–£120 for both appliances.
The induction hob handles all your hob cooking — frying, boiling, simmering. The Daewoo Portable Induction Hob has been mentioned in MSE forums as lasting “years” of daily use. Alternatively, the Jessier Induction Hob on Amazon is a popular budget pick.
The halogen oven handles roasting. The JML Halogen Oven is the most recognised brand. It’s a glass bowl with a halogen bulb on top that acts like a fan oven.
Energy cost: A halogen oven uses about 1.3 kW (less than half of a full-size oven at 2.2 kW). For a typical Sunday roast, you’d use around 0.8 kWh — roughly 12p at current energy prices.
Real scenario: Emma, a student in a shared house in Leeds, bought a portable induction hob for £40 and a JML halogen oven for £50 from a relative. She cooks pasta and stir-fries on the hob, and roasts chicken, veg, and jacket potatoes in the halogen oven. Total setup: £90.
Limitations: Halogen ovens take up counter space and the element can fail after 4–6 months of heavy use. The glass bowl is fragile. You can’t bake tall items (cakes can hit the top element).
Best for: Students, budget-conscious renters, light-to-moderate cooking.
4. Combi Microwave — The Space-Saving All-Rounder
A combi microwave does three things: microwaves, grills, and convection-oven bakes. In one compact unit, you get the equivalent of a microwave, a small oven, and a grill.
Recommended models:
– De’Longhi 900W Combi Microwave EC92 — £115 at Argos
– Panasonic Combi Microwave — more expensive but better build qualityWhat you can cook in a combi microwave:
– Crispy baked potatoes (microwave then finish in convection mode)
– Small pizzas, garlic bread, fish fillets
– Chicken breasts and small roasts
– Pasta bakes and lasagne
– Toast and melting (grill function)What doesn’t work: Large items, multiple dishes at once, anything needing a full baking tray. The convection cavity is smaller than a mini oven.
Real scenario: Dave lives in a tiny studio flat in Edinburgh with virtually no counter space. His combi microwave sits on a shelf above his mini-fridge. He cooks ready meals, jacket potatoes, and grilled chicken breasts. For hob cooking, he has a single portable induction hob he stores in a cupboard. “It’s not gourmet, but I eat well for one person,” he says.
Limitations: Limited capacity (25–33 litres). You can’t grill and microwave at the same time. The oven function isn’t as even as a dedicated oven.
Best for: Very small kitchens, studios, student halls, one-person households.
5. Multi-Cooker + Slow Cooker — The Set-and-Forget Option
If you don’t need to roast or bake and primarily cook stews, soups, curries, and casseroles, a multi-cooker or slow cooker can handle most of your cooking.
What you can do:
– The Ninja Foodie Multi-Cooker can brown meat, pressure cook, slow cook, steam, and even bake cakes
– A basic Slow Cooker (~£20–£30) does stews and soups all day while you’re at work
– Some models can also sauté and sear, meaning you don’t need a separate hobEnergy usage: A slow cooker uses just 0.1–0.2 kWh for 8 hours of cooking — about 3p. A multi-cooker uses 0.8–1.2 kWh per pressure-cook cycle.
Real scenario: Tom works 10-hour shifts and doesn’t have time to stand over a hob. He uses a slow cooker for batch-cooking chilli, bolognese, and curries on his day off, then freezes portions. For quick meals, his multi-cooker pressure-cooks rice and chicken in 15 minutes.
Limitations: No crisping, roasting, or baking in slow cookers. Multi-cookers can bake but the results are mixed. Neither replaces the versatility of an oven.
Best for: Batch cookers, meal-preppers, anyone who mostly eats one-pot meals.
Which Option Is Right for You?
Here’s a quick decision guide:
Your cooking style Best option Back-up option Roasts, chips, chicken, baking Air fryer Mini tabletop oven Curries, stir-fries, pasta, sauces Induction hob + halogen oven Induction hob + air fryer Ready meals, quick cooking Combi microwave Air fryer Stews, soups, batch cooking Slow cooker / multi-cooker Induction hob + slow cooker Everything, one appliance Mini tabletop oven with hob Combi microwave + hob Final Word
Replacing a built-in oven doesn’t need to involve an electrician or cost thousands. Whether you spend £70 on an air fryer or £150 on a mini oven with hob, you can get back to proper cooking within minutes of unboxing. The trick is matching the appliance to how you actually cook — and accepting that one appliance alone probably won’t cover everything a full built-in oven did. Two appliances almost certainly will.