An oven is a tool which is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide the chamber with heat in a controlled way. Because they are used for a variety of purposes, there are many different types of ovens. These types differ depending on their intended purpose and based upon how they generate heat. Ovens are often used for cooking, where they can be used to heat food to a desired temperature.
Some ovens heat materials using the combustion of a fuel, such as wood, coal, or natural gas. Microwave ovens heat materials by exposing them to microwave radiation and electric furnaces heat materials using electricity. Some ovens use convection, the movement of gases inside the heating chamber, to enhance the heating process, or, in some cases, to change the properties of the material being heated, such as in the Bessemer method of steel production.