user friendliness
If the Hisense BSA66346PBGWIFI built-in oven stands out from the competition, it's probably not because of the design. The front is completely black and decorated with a handle that extends across the entire width of the door. All this is not original, but it will not stand out in the kitchen, whatever its style.
Aesthetically speaking, nothing very original.
The control panel is located above the door. It relies on sensitive buttons, a digital segment display similar to our parents' clock radios, and a series of diodes that light up depending on the settings and options chosen by the cook. Finally, the water tank connection for the steam functions is on the right side and can be opened using a push-pull system.
Here we fill the tank.
Although setting up a cooking level is not impossible without studying the instructions, careful reading is helpful in order to fully understand certain symbols that are not so descriptive. For example, the button decorated with three bars is used to select a type of setting (fully manual or automatic); Also, you can open the “Options” tab to change the light intensity of the control panel, the presence of fast preheating, etc.
In manual mode (or “Pro” according to Hisense vocabulary), cooking programming begins with selecting the mode (natural convection, pulsed heat, etc.) using the left and right arrows on the far left of the control panel. Good point, a small diagram explains to the user which elements are used: the fan, the upper resistance, the lower resistance, etc. Next comes the indication of a cooking time, again using arrows surrounding the symbol of a clock. Finally, we adjust the temperature (up to 300°C, from 5°C to 5°C) using a very similar method. Once these steps are completed, you can start cooking by touching the Start button, so you don't have to rush through the configuration. Of course, you can return to any parameter before starting cooking.
The steam injection button is decorated with a cloud.
The BSA66346PBGWIFI benefits from four automatic cooking modes: frozen food cooking, pizza cooking, meat cooking and intensive cooking (or air fry). To access it, press the famous button with three horizontal bars and then, again using the arrows, select the corresponding mode, indicated by illuminated icons.
Novice cooks finally have a cooking assistant. As a reminder, this is an algorithm that selects the best mode, temperature and duration, taking into account the preparation to be cooked (specified by the user) and the quantity. A real screen would undoubtedly have made things easier, as Hisense offers no fewer than 22 recipes. In this case, you must constantly read the instructions and remember that the Pr04 program is intended for small pastries with yeast.
You might think that connecting to your smartphone would make using the cooking assistant easier. Unfortunately, that's not entirely the case. The app simplifies manual cooking settings and launches one of the four automatic modes offered, but the recipes in the wizard don't quite match those grouped in the recipes offered in ConectLife, which range from chocolate muffins to stuffed zucchini, Yorkshire pudding, style to Ukrainian cabbage paupiettes. We can certainly find some connections, but in the many menus we quickly get lost between the oven and the app. A little more consistency wouldn't have been superfluous.
The ConectLife app.
©Hisense
Still, the app is very convenient and allows you to set up a multi-stage cooking process, something not all other connected ovens on the market offer. It provides some advice on using the BSA66346PBGWIFI and includes an online user manual. Of course, it also sends notifications at important cooking moments. But what doesn't hurt anything: the connection between the oven and the end device (smartphone or tablet) works without any problems.
We connect the thermometric probe to the top right of the cavity.
Hisense is quite generous when it comes to accessories, as the BSA66346PBGWIFI is equipped with a thermometric cooking probe, a grill, a high grill pan, a deep grill pan and a utensil for the Air Fry function.
The grid on the telescopic rails designed for the Air Fry function.
Modes and functions
The Hisense BSA66346PBGWIFI is a very versatile oven due to the many cooking modes available and its very extensive cooking assistant.
The manual function combines 13 cooking modes. We therefore find the classic natural convection (the lower and upper resistance work together), the rotating heat (the annular resistance and the fan are used), the eco and the large grill. In addition, there are Air Fry, Pizza (the lower heating element, the ring heating element and the fan work), rotating heat grilling, quick cooking (the grill, the lower heating element and the fan are used), slow cooking cooking (only the grill and the lower resistance heat up), upper and lower resistance with fan, large grill with fan, large grill and base and finally grill with ventilated base. Even the most demanding cooks should therefore find the ideal cooking method for a difficult recipe. Note that no cooking program uses the steam injector. To use this, you must manually use the corresponding button on the control panel.
In addition to the four automatic programs (in which a pizza function is provided, which already makes two), the Hisense BSA66346PBGWIFI also has an assistant for 22 preparations: pastries, baked goods, ready meals, etc. We also note the presence of an assistant who Pizza prepared. So here we are at three events.
Hard to know what's in the oven
More recipes are available in the application and thanks to the internet connection the choice is not fixed. Recipes are added, others are removed. And guess what, there is a pizza recipe!
Cook
The cooking performance of the BSA66346PBGWIFI is nowhere near that of the Hisense BSA66333PX, but remains satisfactory overall. This causes the temperature to rise very quickly. In pulse heating mode, it only takes 3 minutes and 50 seconds to increase the temperature inside the muffle from 25 to 185°C. In static heat mode it's even a little faster (2 minutes 40 seconds). Please note that fast preheating is activated automatically and you need to deactivate it via the options. The temperature rise will then be much slower and you will have to wait 7 minutes and 25 seconds in pulsed heating mode and 8 minutes and 50 seconds in static heating mode for the temperature to rise by 160°C.
The temperature curves show that the BSA66346PBGWIFI has difficulty stabilizing. There are periods of overcooking and undercooking, and the difference between the lowest and highest temperatures can be up to 15°C. This shouldn't be a problem in everyday use for cooking a gratin or quiche. Unfortunately, getting their soufflés to rise can be difficult for the most demanding cooks.
Temperature curve of Hisense BSA66346PBGWIFI oven in pulse heating mode (200°C).
One would have thought that the static heating mode would be more stable than the pulsed heating mode. This is not the case and the temperature curves show similar profiles that are hardly representative of stable heat. A similar observation can be made at 200 °C and 250 °C.
Temperature curve of Hisense BSA66346PBGWIFI oven in static heating mode (250°C).
Surprisingly, the curves in Eco mode show quite acceptable heat stability. However, the various temperatures measured are almost 60 °C below the required values.
Temperature curve of Hisense BSA66346PBGWIFI oven in Eco mode (200°C required).
Let's end on a positive note. Regardless of the cooking method and temperature chosen, the eight curves representing the temperature recorded at a specific location in the cooking chamber are very close to each other. This means the heat is evenly distributed throughout the muffle. Cookies on a tray bake the same whether they are placed at the front, back, right or left.