AEG vs Belling Cookers

AEG and Belling both offer cookers with ceramic hobs and double ovens, and the price gap between them is small. AEG's entries start at £699 with the CCX1530ACB SurroundCook cooker and include the CCX6740ACB 112-litre double oven with four ceramic hobs at the same price. Belling's MRAFHOUSE60EBLK ceramic double oven costs £649, as does its cream sister model, the MRAFHOUSE60ECRM. The FARMHOUSE60EBLK electric cooker with ceramic hob costs £799, and the FARMHOUSE60DFBLK dual fuel model, with a gas hob and electric oven, is also £799.

AEG's strengths are SteamBake, SurroundCook and catalytic cleaning. SteamBake adds steam for bread and pastry, SurroundCook spreads heat across several shelves, and catalytic liners absorb grease on selected models. Belling's MRAFHOUSE range puts a 33-litre top oven above a 70-litre bottom oven, with an AirFry mode, four ceramic zones and easy-clean enamel. That makes the £649 Belling double oven £50 cheaper than the £699 AEG CCX6740ACB, and it adds an AirFry mode the AEG double oven does not offer. The FARMHOUSE models give 65 litres in the main oven and 37 in the second.

AEG suits keen home bakers and families who want consistent multi-shelf results from a freestanding cooker. Belling suits buyers who want a double oven at a slightly lower price, or a dual fuel option if they already have a gas supply. The FARMHOUSE60DFBLK is the one to choose for a gas hob with electric ovens. Check your circuit rating for electric models, and measure the 600mm width before ordering. Both brands' double ovens give you two cooking temperatures at the same time.

Bottom line: choose AEG if you want SteamBake and SurroundCook baking from £699 and value its catalytic cleaning. Choose Belling if you want a ceramic double oven with an AirFry mode for £649, or a dual fuel cooker at £799.