BEKO BBVM17400B built-in oven, 72 L, hydrolytic cleaning, steam, black

A 72-litre cavity is the mark of a full-size oven: it takes large baking dishes, a whole turkey or several trays of biscuits at once. On ordinary days the extra room means a gratin and roast vegetables for the side can cook at the same time. The oven is 59.5 cm high and 59.4 cm wide; when choosing between under the worktop and a tall unit, go by the niche dimensions in the installation manual.

With hydrolytic cleaning you pour a little water into the base of the oven and start the cleaning programme. The oven warms up, the water evaporates and the steam softens grease and food residue stuck to the walls and floor, which you then wipe away with a cloth once it has cooled. No harsh cleaners or long scrubbing are needed, which makes it a practical way to keep the oven tidy after every bigger cooking session.

The oven has a steam function: steam adds moisture to the cavity, which helps with bread, buns and yeast dough, for example, and keeps meat from drying out. The manufacturer does not state the number of heating functions, and according to its data this model has no convection, meaning fan-assisted heating. The full list of functions and how to use steam are described in the BEKO user manual.

The oven is set with electronic controls, and the selected settings appear on the LED display, so you can check the temperature and mode at a glance. The energy class is A+. The oven is 59.4 cm wide, 56.7 cm deep and 59.5 cm high and weighs 35.8 kg. With a heavier oven like this, a second person helps to slide it evenly into the niche during installation.

The black finish matches dark kitchen fronts, adds contrast in a light kitchen and pairs well with a black hob and cooker hood. If the oven goes into a tall unit together with a microwave, it makes sense to choose both in the same shade. A microfibre cloth is the easiest way to wipe the black surface without leaving streaks or fingerprints.

The BEKO BBVM17400B suits a household that cooks often and needs a full-size 72-litre oven, in a kitchen where black appliances are preferred. Hydrolytic cleaning suits people who want to clean the oven with water and steam instead of harsh chemicals, and the steam function suits anyone who bakes bread and buns at home.