LG LDE3017ST Electric Oven Review

Introduction

The only negative things we found in this LG's performance were an unimpressive broiler and mediocre performance when the oven was on its maximum temperature setting.

We recommend this oven to anyone who needs excellent performance.

Front

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Range-top

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Upper Oven

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Lower Oven

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Cooking Performance

The {{product.model}} was a mixed bag in performance terms. On the upside, we saw extremely good range performance, with the induction elements managing to create a very wide range of temperatures (such as the incredible 100 to 796 degree range of the front left) and and quickly boiling water. The ovens were equally impressive, with wide temperature ranges and consistent temperatures

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Overall Oven Performance

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The {{product.name}}'s excellent performance started with a quick preheat to 350°F in just under six minutes. Once at the target temperature, this oven maintained fantastic consistency and averaged the proper temperature.

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Target Temperature Accuracy

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The top oven of the {{product.name}} hit the keep-warm temperature of 170°F perfectly, averaging just that in our 8 minute test. Set to 350°F, the oven exhibited a decently strong performance averaging 342°F, though it was 8°F less than it should have been. At the top of its temperature range, the oven didn't average its 550°F target temperature, aiming a bit lower at 519°F.

Temperature Fluctuation

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The {{product.name}} produced consistent temperatures with little variation, something in which bakers will rejoice. Ovens with lots of variance can easily overcook the outside of a dish while leaving the inside raw. At the 350°F setting, the temperature didn't get above 355°F, and not below 323°F--a fantastically small window in which the oven operated. Precision was not quite as good at the highest setting, exhibiting a bit more variance than we'd like to see, although variance often matters less at higher temperatures.

Secondary Oven Performance

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The lower oven offers a convection mode, where the large fan at the back of the cavity turns to circulate the air providing more even heat. In our tests, this convection mode scored exceptionally well for temperature variance, staying between 349°F and 367°F. While the average wasn't quite the 350°F it was set at, we calculate it at just 358°F, which is far from unforgivable.

Broiler Performance

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The broiler on this range took a rather long time to heat up, reaching only 477°F in the 20 minutes that we run the test for. That means that you'll need to spend a long time letting the broiler heat up before you can start using it to cook the food fully.

Broiler Features

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This broiler uses an electric element combined with a ceramic radiant, similar to the LG LDG3017ST. This indirect heating might explain the long heat up time, but the gas version of this range was much quicker to heat up. LG refers to this as InfraGrill technology, and broiler elements are present in both ovens, meaning that both ovens could be used to cook a dish and brown it off with the broiler.

Overall Efficiency

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The {{product.name}} offers good overall efficiency, using a moderate amount of electricity to drive both the range and the oven. To score efficiency, we compare the measured power draw to water boiling and preheating performance, as these are good indicators of energy spent. We found that this oven wasn't the most efficient range there is, but it particularly inefficient. There aren't any EnergyStar ratings for ovens, so it's not a particular point of contention in the marketplace.

Range Efficiency

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There are five ranges on the rangetop of the {{product.name}}. These range from the 100 watt warming ring in the center of the rangetop to the 3000 watt front left element. Two of these elements have smaller, less powerful inner sections that make them usable with smaller pans.

Oven Efficiency

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The two ovens draw a lot of power, with the smaller top oven being rated at 2100 watts, and the bottom oven rated at 2500. The broilers are rated at 2100 and 3800 watts.

Features

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The {{product.name}} offers a decent, but unspectacular range of features on the range top, with five electric elements under a smooth ceramic surface. The front two of these are high-power models that have two separate warming zones, and the middle one on the rear row is a low-powered warming element.

These elements are below a flat glass ceramic panel, which makes for easy cleaning. LG recommends using their own glass cleaner for this, as other cleaners may leave a residue that could burn in use.

The {{product.name}} has two ovens, with the smaller upper oven having a capacity of 2.3 feet, and the lower one 4.3 cubic feet. That is pretty typical for dual ovens of this size, with the top oven having an acceptable 6 inches of height. That's big enough for a small casserole dish.

The standard timer features are on offer, with modes for delaying the cooking start and setting the alarm to sound after a particular cooking time.
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Controls

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The burners are controlled by the touch controls on the left side of the panel above the range. These controls are a little awkward to use, as you have to reach over the range to use them, which could be uncomfortable if you have a large pot of something boiling on the pan. However, the main ring that will have the hottest pan on it is on the right side, so you won't have to reach over that. The touch controls are the + and -, which increase or reduce the power of the element. A single touch decreases the power by one notch, while pressing and holding increases or reduces the power until you release the button.

The oven controls are located on the illuminated panel on the top of the range. This uses touch screen buttons that are illuminated when you activate them. There is also a beep that lets you know that you have selected a control, but there is no touch feedback, so some users might not be comfortable using them if they don’t hear the beep. The temperature, date and other information is displayed on the large LCD display in the middle of the panel.

The broilers are controlled through the same touch-screen controls as the oven, with the same set of buttons controlling the temperature of the broiler.
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Cleaning

Conclusion

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Priced at around $1,300, the {{product.name}}, the is at the higher end of the price range for electric ovens. And it does offer a good range of features for the price, with 5 burners, dual ovens and an easy to use control system.

On the plus side, we found that the electric burners were capable of delivering a very good range of temperatures, ranging from a gentle simmer up to a high sear temperature, and the controls were easy to use and well laid out. The ovens also provided a good range of temperatures, although they were not capable of creating the high temperatures that dishes such as pizza might require.

Our overall conclusion is that the {{product.name}} is a good pick for the general cook, with a good balance of price, features and performance. The only major issue was the slow heatup of the broiler, which could be an issue for those who like to use this a lot.