Tips for choosing Zigmund & Shtain ovens

The most sophisticated and laborious dishes of meat, fish and vegetables are often cooked in the oven. The characteristics of this technique affect what kind of dishes can be cooked in it and how successful they will turn out. Therefore, it is worth considering the features of different models of Zigmund & Shtain ovens and familiarizing yourself with tips for choosing them.

The company Zigmund & Shtain GmbH was founded in the German city of Dresden in 1991 on the basis of several defense enterprises, which, after the end of the arms race, it was decided to convert to the production of household appliances, including kitchen appliances. The company's products quickly became popular on the German market, thanks to which the brand was able to significantly expand and turn into an international corporation. Currently, the head office of the concern is located in Dusseldorf, and its production facilities are located in Germany, Italy, France, Romania, Turkey and China.

Z&S products first entered the Russian market in 2002 and quickly won the trust of domestic buyers. In 2014, 2 products of the German company (cooker hood and hob) were awarded the prestigious Russian Product of the Year award. Along with the official representative office of the company in Moscow, there is a wide network of certified service centers in the Russian Federation, which are open in all major cities of the country.

Since all the company's products are primarily targeted at the German and other EU countries' market, Z&S ovens have all the necessary certificates of conformity in accordance with the current norms of European legislation, which means that they are distinguished by a fairly high level of assembly quality and safety of materials used in production, as well as low energy consumption. At the same time, the concern considers an important part of its mission to save the time and effort of the owners of its equipment. Therefore, all internal surfaces of gas models of ovens are covered with easy cleaning enamel.

The German concern is confident in the quality and reliability of the equipment supplied, so the warranty period for all oven models is 3 years. After the expiration of this period, an additional warranty for components is valid for another 2 years. A noticeable difference between gas models and most analogs is the presence of a convection mode, due to which the capabilities of this technique significantly expand. In such ovens, you can dry a large amount of rusks and herbs, bake large pieces of meat, bake solid pies and quickly defrost meat and vegetables. All gas ovens are equipped with an electric ignition system.

All device models are equipped with telescopic rails, triple-glazed doors, programmer, temperature probe and lighting system. Also, in most models, a tangential cooling system is installed, which reliably protects furniture located near the device from overheating. Famous designers and engineers work on the appearance and ergonomics of Zigmund & Shtain equipment. Thanks to this, it uses the most modern and fashionable technical solutions - for example, control toggle switches in most models are "recessed" in the front panel.

The German concern produces a wide range of ovens of various types. So, according to the method of installation, they can be divided into independent (installed separately) and built-in (intended for installation in kitchen furniture). According to the energy carrier used, German ovens are divided into gas and electric (unfortunately, the company does not offer combined models yet). In terms of design features, all ovens of the company can be divided into:

• retro (they use massive gilded handles, curly doors and wood-like paintwork);
• classic (an ordinary oven in a familiar style);
• futuristic (made in Hi-Tech style with touch panels, displays and other modern elements).

In terms of size, two types of equipment can be distinguished:

• compact (45 cm wide);
• standard (60 cm wide).

Let's consider the model range of the German concern in more detail.

The Z&S range of gas ovens has only 10 models, the most popular of which are:

• BN 19.503 S - an independent budget option without a convection system with a volume of 62 liters and a width of 60 cm;

• BN 02.502 D - a built-in oven with a retro design, 60 cm wide and a volume of 59 liters;

• BN 20.504 - spacious (67 l) built-in model 60 cm wide with a strict classic design;

• BN 21.514 X - an elegant version with a volume of 67 liters, made in a retro design with an arrow temperature indicator, a clock and decorative stripes on the door.

The number of variants of electrical equipment offered by the company is noticeably larger and amounts to 88. Most often, the attention of Russian buyers is attracted by the following models:

• EN 106.511 B - budgetary and compact version with a volume of 56 liters with a classic design, energy class B;
• EN 202.511 S - stylish model with a tinted door and a volume of 59 liters, belongs to energy class A;
• EN 118.511 W - model with a volume of 62 liters with a classic design and two trays;
• EN 114.611 B - an option with a volume of 60 liters with 6 operating modes of the programmer (defrosting, bottom heating, top heating, combined heating, grill, convection);
• EN 120.512 B - model with a volume of 60 liters with a futuristic design and touch controls;
• EN 222.112 - spacious (67 l) and modern version with touch control, equipped with a door closer and booster.

The first parameter that is important to consider when choosing an oven is its size. This is especially true for built-in appliances, which need to be precisely adjusted to the dimensions of the seat provided by your furniture. When choosing between gas and electric models, it should be borne in mind that the only advantage of gas technology over electric is the noticeably lower cost of gas compared to electricity... At the same time, electric models are much safer, have a much wider functionality and provide a more uniform heating of the oven volume.

Before buying an electric oven it is worth checking the condition of the electrical wiring in the kitchen and, if necessary, replace it with a newer one - otherwise, a breakage or even a fire may occur. The same goes for the outlet you plan to plug the oven into. When connecting such equipment, you will definitely need to install a ground wire and a separate protective circuit breaker, which, in the event of an overload or malfunction, will turn off the device without letting it fail. For joining wires, especially copper with aluminum, use only screw terminals. Soldering and even more twisting connections are unsafe.

Most owners of German ovens in their reviews and reviews note the high level of quality and good reliability of this technique.As additional advantages of this equipment, the authors of reviews often mention the elegant design, ease of maintenance of these ovens, the availability of convenient operating modes, ease of control, and uniform heating of the entire cabinet volume. Many owners also note the presence of telescopic guides as an important advantage. Owners of gas ovens additionally note the presence of a convection system as an advantage.

Despite the fact that the company has been operating on the Russian market since 2002, many reviewers believe that the company's products have appeared on the shelves of domestic stores quite recently and, therefore, are little known to ordinary customers. So, in terms of status, Z&S equipment is still noticeably inferior to more "promoted" German brands like Bosch. Of course, the products of the German concern are not devoid of other shortcomings.

The owners of the EN 222.112 B model in their reviews sometimes note as a disadvantage the insufficiently high maximum heating temperature, which is 250 ° C. And the authors of the reviews on the EN 120.512 B electric oven often complain that it has an energy class A, while close in terms of parameters, analogs often belong to class A + (they consume less electricity in the same modes). The opinions of the owners of the ovens about the "recessed" tumblers were divided. Most reviewers consider this a good find, but some oven owners note that it can be inconvenient to use such toggle switches.

For an overview of the Zigmund & Shtain EN 118.511 S electric oven, see the video below.