RANGE BUYING GUIDE
Throughout this guide dashed links will take you to filtered product lists.
INTRODUCTION
Whether you are a master cook who can effortlessly whip up a complete feast, or just want to be able to make your next box of mac ’n cheese for the kids, you already know that the right cooking equipment will help you meet your culinary needs.
But where to start?
There is lots to choose from, with new designs and new technologies, and popular features that are more affordable than ever. Fortunately, choosing your cooking appliance doesn't have to be too complicated. This Guide will help you sort among the electric and gas options, cooking tops and ovens, and additional features to find the equipment that suits your needs best.
STEP 1: REPLACEMENT, OR NEW KITCHEN?
If you are replacing an existing range, the easiest thing to do is match key features of that range: gas or electric, freestanding or slide-in. All you need to do is carefully measure the width, depth, and height of the space where you'll be putting the new range. The most common size for ranges is 30 inches wide, by the way. (But if you will want more than the standard four burners on your cooktop, the unit will be wider than 30 inches.)
If you're installing your range into a new kitchen or doing a major redesign, you have many more choices and can design around whatever you select. The main constraint in this case will be between gas and electric: For a gas range, you have to have gas coming into your house. Even if your previous range was electric, if your house has gas heat then you have access to gas for your stove, though it may cost extra to bring the pipe in to the location of the range. If yours is an all-electric home, you can still get a gas-powered range or oven by installing an LPG (propane gas) tank on your property, at extra cost of course.
STEP 2: PICK A STYLE, ANY STYLE
More than any other kitchen appliance, ranges offer lots of options: whether you want an all-in-one unit (the most common choice) or a separate cooktop and oven, or an all-in-one plus a second oven. Your decision will mainly depend on your personal preference, and what you already have in your kitchen.
For the all-in-one cooktop/oven ranges, you can purchase in one of three styles: freestanding, drop-in, or slide-in. Freestanding ranges have finished sides so they can positioned between two cabinets or at the end of a line of cabinets within your kitchen area. They vary in widths from 24 to 48 inches, although most are 30 inches wide. Freestanding ranges have their controls on the "backsplash" at the back of the unit. Some ranges include a second oven or a microwave unit above, at eye level, often with a ventilation unit built into it for whisking away cooking smoke and odors.
Slide-in models are designed to seamlessly merge with the countertops on either side; they eliminate the backsplash and place the controls on the front of the range, and generally have unfinished sides which are concealed by the counters on either side.
Finally, drop-in models are intended to drop into a space in the cabinetry to look truly built-in. They rest atop a low pedestal, and typically lack the lower storage drawer you find on slide-in or freestanding models. Drop-in models sometimes require cabinet modification to ensure a tight fit. Like slide-ins, drop-ins have their controls on the front.
The alternative to the all-in-one range is separate cooktop and oven units. This is generally more expensive but it offers more flexibility. You put the cooktop on a counter, and then put a single or double oven against a wall. This is great if you have two people cooking at the same time, because they needn't get in each other's way.
An advantage of separate components is that you can choose custom features on each unit that suits your particular cooking needs, such as the number of burners, separate gas cooktop and electric oven, and more.
A downside is that you have to have the room configuration and the dollars to spend in order to purchase and install the separate units. If you choose to go this route, basic electric cooktops start around $200, and gas cooktops will cost you a little more, especially if you choose a model with sealed burners. Built-in oven units will cost you around $500.
STEP 3: BASIC TYPES OF RANGES AND HOW TO CHOOSE
Now that you’ve decided what style of range will fit best in your kitchen, you can focus on choosing what type of range you want. BUT…before you find yourself too deep in this decision process, make sure that you measure your available space; you don’t want to buy a range and then not have it fit in your kitchen.
Now comes the age-old question, gas versus electric?
This is getting to be a tougher question. In the old days, gas was considered the best choice for the cooktop, and electric for the oven. But advances in design and engineering now make both choices attractive in both positions.
The advantage of gas is that it provides instant heat, many people like being able to see the flame in order to judge the amount of heat being delivered, and when it's turned off, cooking stops immediately and the burner cools quickly. While gas ranges cost more, gas fuel is less expensive to use than electricity in most parts of the country.
The advantage of electric ranges is the lower cost of the range, more even heating, and the wider availability of an electric power supply compared to gas. Some people worry about the possibility of leaking gas and don't like open flames.
Now, however, gas stoves have been modified to provide more even heat distribution, like electrics, while electric stoves are being designed to provide faster heating like gas stoves. Electric starters replace gas pilot lights, which also saves money on fuel. On electrical stoves, warning lights tell you if electric heating elements have cooled down yet. So the choice is becoming, more than ever, a question of personal taste.
Whichever type of power you choose, it's a good idea to go into the store and try out stoves that interest you. Try the controls, especially, to make sure you find them conveniently located, easy to use, and easy to figure out. It will also give you a chance to check on the difference between dial controls and electronic pads, which is also a matter of taste. And as we mention below, bring some of your largest cookware to make sure they fit to your satisfaction.
Electric cooktops tend to be more popular than gas for two primary reasons: These models are cheaper than their gas counterparts, and electricity is generally more widely available than gas as a power source. Electric models also provide an assortment of flexible features along with consistent, even heating to satisfy all of your cooking requirements.
If you choose electric, you need to decide between two main types of cooktops: the standard coil burners, or the smooth-top ceramic glass cooktops.
- Coil Cooktops: The traditional coil burner electric range has metal coils which sit above the surface of the cooktop. It is reliable, and newer models have also made it easier to unplug the coil elements and to get to the drip pans for cleaning. A variation is the solid-disk or solid-element burner, a cast-iron solid surface with textured rings on the surface so pans don't slide.
- Electric-coil ranges generally offer two high-power elements (8” coils at 2600 watts) plus two low-power elements (6” coils at 1500 watts). Some models offer other variations in power as well.
- Smooth-Top Cooktops: Growing in popularity – they now account for more than half of all electric cooktops sold – are the smooth-top electric cooktops. These cooktops put the radiant elements underneath a sheet of ceramic glass. To clean, all you have to do is wipe the surface with a special cleaner. Recent advances make the ceramic surface more scratch resistant and less likely to crack if you drop a heavy pot on it. There are also models that use halogen bulbs as the heating element, and induction-heat models that use an electromagnetic field to heat pots, though these are expensive and not widely available.
- Smooth-top ranges have a wider range of element size and heating capacity. Expect small, low-power elements at 1200 to 1500 watts; medium-power elements using about 1800 watts; and high-power elements rated at 2000 watts and up for larger pots.
In both types of cooktops, the newer models offer lights that glow as long as the cooking elements are too hot to touch, since it's otherwise not easy to tell at a glance.
Some electric grates are designed so you can easily slide a pot from one to another, which is convenient.
You can expect to pay between $400 and $700 for an electric coil range, and $700 to $1400 for an electric smooth-top ceramic range – although prices on the smooth-tops are coming down.
If electric burners thrive on offering even and constant heat, gas-burners are defined by speed and temperature control. Once you turn on the burner, your food begins cooking immediately and when you turn it off, cooking stops almost instantly. Gas is an especially good choice for pots and pans that don't have flat bottoms; a wok, for example, works better on a gas cooktop.
Many gas cooktops have a top that lifts up like the hood of a car so you can clean the drip pans, and some have burner grates that can be removed and put into the dishwasher for cleaning. But these days you can get sealed gas burners, so you don't need the lift-up hood because spills stay on the surface and can be easily cleaned up. Gas ranges are still more expensive than electric ranges, with prices ranging from $2000 and up, although gas is cheaper to use.
There are some cooktop designs with griddles or grills in the center of the cooktop between the two rows of burners; other designs use this space as a resting spot for pots. There are also models that let you swap out the burner grates for a griddle or grill.
Heating power for gas ranges is measure in terms of British thermal units per hour (BTU/hr), rather than watts. Most gas ranges have four burners: a large burner (12,500 BTU/hr) for fast heating; two medium burners (9000 BTU/hr), and a smaller burner (5000 BTU/hr) for simmering. You can also get a high-output burner (15,000 BTU/hr) that can heat up almost instantly for quick boiling.
For the best of both worlds, consider a dual range which combines a gas cooktop with an electric oven. While these models are slightly more expensive than solely gas or electric ranges, they allow you to combine the features you like of each. (Many experts feel, however, that neither gas nor electricity has any special advantage in an oven; you may feel differently.)
STEP 4: FITTING YOUR FAMILY’S NEEDS: OVEN CAPACITY AND FLEXIBILITY
The oven is where capacity and flexibility have the most impact.
Consider both the size of your family and your cooking routine. Most ovens range from 3.3 to 5.0 cubic feet, whether gas or electric. Normally, a family of one or two people will need an oven with a cavity of two to three cubic feet; a family of three to four people will need three to four cubic feet; and a family of four or more will need four-plus cubic feet. Of course, your needs may be greater than this if you do a lot of cooking or prepare more elaborate meals.
Make sure when researching an oven’s capacity that you look beyond the measurements provided on the data sheet, which doesn't consider the configuration of the oven’s interior and how the heating elements and extra features may get in the way of large or unusually shaped cookware. The best thing to do is to bring with you to the store the largest piece of cookware you will use in the oven, to make sure it fits and that the heating elements don't get in the way. You should also bring your widest baking sheets; and if you plan to put them in side by side, bring two.
Shelves are an important contributor to flexibility. Adjustable is good. Split racks can help you squeeze extra usable space from your oven. Heavy-duty racks can help support that big Thanksgiving-Day turkey.
You might also want to look for counterbalanced oven doors, which they don't fall down with a bang or slam shut.
As a general rule of thumb, if your baking needs are fairly straightforward and you don’t have oversize or oddly shaped cookware, then the standard oven with three racks should offer you enough space and be just fine. If your cooking needs are more complex, consider models which provide more space and flexibility with split or adjustable racks.
STEP 5: CHOOSING ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Now you can focus on the special features that have been introduced by manufacturers in recent years.
Professional Ranges: Some of us who love to cook just love the idea of a professional range. The ones the pros use are built heavier so they can be used hard all day long. They have more burners, higher-output burners and ovens, larger ovens or even double ovens, heavier cast-iron grates, large knobs, and lots of stainless steel.
They can also be breathtakingly expensive. If you like the look but not the price, take a look at so-called "commercial/residential" ranges. These offer more power and more capacity, at lower prices, with less weight (so you don't have to reinforce the floor), yet have all the bulky knobs and stainless steel you'd ever want, but more convenience features such as self-cleaning ovens – which most professional models don't have, by the way.
Decision Tip: This is a category that should send you to our Consumer Reports partner site to ponder the repair history of various models, since some expensive professional ranges have surprisingly troublesome repair histories.
SPECIAL FEATURES FOR OVENS
Convection: Often included in higher-priced models, both gas and electric, the convection oven will cook your food faster and more evenly. A fan in the back of the oven circulates heated air evenly around whatever you are cooking, Baked goods come out golden brown yet delicate in texture; roasting can produce browned yet tender and juicy roasts in 20% less time.
Self-Cleaning: Most ranges have a self-cleaning cycle which uses high heat to clean your oven by burning off spills and spatters. Some pro-style and gas ranges don’t offer this feature so be sure to check. The oven door is automatically locked when the cycle is activated and then unlocked when it is done and cooled down. Some models include a countdown timer which informs you how much time is left until the cycle is finished. An alternative is the continuous-clean oven, which oxidizes dirt during normal cooking. It doesn't clean as completely, but it avoids the need for special high-temperature cleaning cycles – and these models are a little cheaper.
Heat Variation/Smart Controls: Some ranges offer programmable timing options and temperature controls which allow you to preset a delayed start and stop for the oven. For a busy working mom this is a great feature to have. She can plan meals in advance and start cooking at any given time. Also look for an automatic meat thermometer.
Refrigerated Range Model: Some ranges now combine the heat of an oven with the cooling capabilities of a refrigerator. This feature allows you to thaw an item throughout the day until it starts cooking at the preprogrammed time, and then when the item is cooked the feature automatically transitions to a warming mode which keeps the food warm until it is time to eat.
Warming Drawers: Many ranges, both gas and electric, have warming drawers that can keep cooked food warm while you wait to serve the food. These drawers also can include up to five specifically designed temperature settings to ensure that the drawer is set at the right heat for whatever it is holding.
Adjustable Racks: Most ranges use 5 rack positions, but some pro-style models only use three. An additional sixth rack adds versatility to a range because it allows for more baking and broiling options.
12-hour Shutoff: This safety feature automatically shuts the oven off after it has been left on for 12 hours.
Child lockout: This is another safety feature which locks the control panel so children can’t accidentally turn the oven on or off.
Wall Oven: Even if you get an all-in-one range with oven, you may want a second oven installed as a wall oven, which offers convenient access because you don't have to bend down to use it. This could save your back when taking out that big turkey. If it's a second oven, you can use one for baking and the other for roasting at the same time – an idea just made for Thanksgiving dinners and two-cook families.
SPECIAL FEATURES FOR COOKTOPS
Electric
Warming Burner: Some electric models are equipped with an extra burner that is specifically designed to keep food at an even, serving temperature.
Dual-Element Burner: Offered in some electric models, these burners have a smaller inner ring that generates less heat, and a larger outer ring that generates more heat: You can turn on one or the other, or both, depending on what you want to do and also on the size of the pot or pan. Some models offer a "5th element," a low-output burner just for keeping foods warm.
Indicator Light: These lights, offered on electric models, stays lit until the burner cools down. It works as a safety feature, warning you of the hot surface, and saves energy by reminding you to turn off a burner after you are finished cooking.
Gas
High-Heat Burner: Some gas models have a high-heat burner which almost instantaneously increases cooking heat and allows you to quickly boil or sear foods to seal in flavor.
Pilotless Ignition: Saves gas that would otherwise be used by a pilot light, and reduces the chance of gas leak.
Automatic Re-Ignition: If the burner turns off while cooking, this feature automatically re-ignites it.
Extra Space: Some models have extra space dedicated for griddles to make cooking breakfast in the morning a little easier.
Modular Cooktop: Allows you to pop on a grill, rotisserie or griddle over the regular burners.
Heavy-Duty Grate: For the largest burner, to support heavy pots.
Both
Simmer Setting: Both gas and electric models offer a simmer setting which allows certain burners to provide gentle, gradual heat. This feature is great for cooking sauces or anything that needs to be slow-cooked.
Griddle: Some models put a pancake griddle in the middle of the cooktop, between the two sets of burners. In some high-end models you can get a grill for grilling meats.
STEP 6: INSTALLATION
Here are a couple of tips to make sure that your installation goes smoothly.
First-Time Installation: As a rule of thumb, gas ranges cost more to install than electric. With gas models you must make sure that you have both a gas hookup (either to natural gas or a liquid propane tank) and a 120-volt household electric circuit to run the clock, pilotless ignition and other electrical features.
Replacing a Range: As with most kitchen appliances, it is generally a good idea to replace an old unit with a new one that’s the same type and style. When you do this make sure that all the hook-ups are the same, so you don’t get surprised when it’s time to install the new unit.
Exhaust/Ventilation System: Not necessary but useful is an ventilation system to exhaust gasses, smoke, heat, and aromas (and reduces the chance of your smoke alarm going off when you singe something). A traditional exhaust system, above the cooktop, requires ductwork up through the cabinet to ventilate to the outside of the house, which may require extra-cost work. If you don't have or don't want to spend money to add ductwork, you can get ductless hoods, which just filter the smoke and aromas out of the air. There are also "downdraft" exhaust systems, which use a fan to pull smoke down into a ventilator located between the grills on your cooktop, or built into the backsplash of the range.
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