Pyrolytic vs catalytic cleaning ovens

[MotherofPufflings]

In the process of ordering a new kitchen and choosing appliances. The oven range I'm looking at has either catalytic or pyrolytic cleaning options, with pyrolytic being about £100 more. Is it worth paying extra for pyrolytic? I figure it's the price of less than two professional oven cleans, so maybe worth paying the extra for 🤔

Yes they’re brilliant! You do have to keep the glass clean it doesn’t do that. I found the catalytic never worked even following the instructions and having a decent make off oven.

I used to sell ovens. Pyrolytic ovens are usually better insulated as obviously they get very hot in cleaning mode. I had a client who used her oven a a kiln! The enamel is the regular shiny stuff so you can also clean it the conventional way if you like. All you have to do after pyrolytic cleaning is wipe down with a damp cloth to remove the ash. The grids are not usually cleanable in the oven, they need cleaning in the usual way. If you accidentally forget to remove the grids, they will discolour at best and warp at worst, so be very careful of that. Having said that, some ovens do have grids that can be pyrolytically cleaned, check the instructions. If the oven is very dirty when you clean it, it may smell and smoke during cleaning, and anything left in the oven that shouldn’t be there can catch fire.

Catalytic liners do clean as they go, sort of, but it’s common to be left with stubborn grease spots, and you cannot use regular oven cleaning products. A paste of bicarbonate of soda and water can be painted onto grease spots and left to draw out the grease, then wiped away with water, but this doesn’t always work, and the grease spots leave shadows. The liners work better for roasts if you preheat the oven to screamingly hot, then turn the heat down as the meat goes in, like the French do.

I prefer a conventional clean-it-yourself oven, but if I were choosing between pyrolytic and catalytic, I’d choose the former.

Absolutely worth it, I now do a regular low level clean which keeps my ovens looking like new, with very little effort and they are used a lot.

Very good but I would say stay away from Miele as they are absolute shite and break when you use the pyro clean.

Yes, it’s worth it. Put the racks into Oven Pride stuff whilst the oven is doing its clean.

Thanks all, you've convinced me!