The quality of a product is almost directly tied to who the manufacturer of it is. For stores like IKEA that don’t display brands, it can be difficult to find out who the appliance manufacturer is. But having that information can make all the difference when making a decision about an appliance.
In this article, you will find a detailed report of who manufactures IKEA’s ovens, how we came to discover this information, and comparisons between buying from the manufacturer versus IKEA.
Electrolux seems to be the current manufacturer of IKEA ovens worldwide. Previously, it was Whirlpool, so ovens from 2020 or earlier are likely to be made by Whirlpool.
Previous Manufacturer
In the past, it was relatively common knowledge that Whirlpool was the primary manufacturer of IKEA’s electrical appliances, which would include ovens.
This could be figured out by checking IKEA’s warranties. For appliances, IKEA’s appliance warranty document explicitly stated that aftersales services would be done by Whirlpool. This is a fairly explicit indicator that Whirlpool was the manufacturer of the appliances.
However, the document linked above is from 2009 and is quite outdated. As such, we have to dig deeper to find out who the current manufacturer is.
Current Manufacturers
It seems that about two years ago, IKEA moved away from Whirlpool as the primary manufacturer and has since been selling appliances made by Electrolux as well as Midea (although Midea’s contribution does not seem as significant as Electrolux’s).
This shift was noticed by savvy buyers who started to find that ovens and other appliances sold by IKEA and Electrolux looked extremely similar. The only thing that separated the IKEA appliances from the Electrolux ones was the missing branding and some slight cosmetic differences.
For example, IKEA’s KONSISTENS is almost identical to the Frigidaire Gallery 27” Single Electric Wall Oven. It should also be noted that Frigidaire is owned by Electrolux.
So, although the appliance that was just referred to is called a Frigidaire, it can still be said to be manufactured by Electrolux.
The only visual difference between the two ovens is that IKEA’s handle is on top of the oven while Frigidaire’s is on the side of the oven.
Additionally, because Electrolux is manufacturing for IKEA, it is safe to assume they also handle service requests and warranties that are offered through IKEA.
Comparing IKEA and Branded Ovens
If there is an option to buy direct from the manufacturer, then why buy from IKEA?
One of the biggest differences I’ve found while researching these appliances is that IKEA’s ovens cost significantly less than what appears to be their identical, branded counterparts.
When looking at the two ovens that were described above, the branded version cost almost $1,500 more than IKEA’s version.
If that’s the case, then one may ask why they would even want to consider the branded model?
The main factor here may boil down to customizability. It seems that buying directly from the manufacturer allows for more options and features to include or exclude from the appliance. IKEA, on the other hand, has less customizability.
Customizability being things like the color of the appliance, additional functions, sizes, etc.
When it comes to warranties, again, the difference seems to be that the manufacturer offers more options and variations of the warranty, whereas IKEA seems to only offer a five-year warranty.
Frigidaire offers up to a five-year warranty but with options for shorter durations and services that are included in the warranty.
Other Countries
Although one might think that the appliances would vary across the world, Electrolux and Midea are also worldwide manufacturers. As such, there really isn’t any reason to think IKEA would be changing their manufacturer depending on the country they are in.
In the UK, IKEA’s ovens look nearly identical to the ovens that are sold by Electrolux UK. This being the case, it is safe to assume Electrolux is the manufacturer for IKEA there.
IKEA in Australia has a similar range of ovens as the UK, so again, it is reasonable to think that Australian IKEAs have their ovens manufactured by Electrolux.
IKEA in Belgium is the only site that explicitly states its manufacturers. They have listed Whirlpool, Electrolux, Midea, and BSH.
IKEA in Canada has a range of ovens that is very similar, if not the same as the range that is offered in the United States. That being the case, we can safely assume that Electrolux manufactures for IKEA Canada.
Are IKEA Ovens Worth It?
Overall, I think that IKEA ovens are worth it. They are being made by a reliable and well-reviewed manufacturer for literally half the price at times.
If you are willing to sacrifice a little bit of customizability when it comes to warranty options, aesthetic choices (colors, finishes, etc.), and functional capabilities, then I would say IKEA is the way to go.
Additionally, IKEA’s warranty for their ovens is a fairly good one. It is the same duration as the max offered by Electrolux, so there is no loss there either.
All things considered, I think cost would be the biggest factor, and because all the other factors are relatively even, IKEA is the way to go.
You can also get microwaves and fridges made by Electrolux at IKEA, although, just like the ovens, they are not branded and may lack some of the fancier features.