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Kitchen and Dining
Ranges
A range is one of the most important items in your kitchen besides the refrigerator. To clarify: a range, also known as a freestanding range, refers to a cooktop with an oven underneath that comes as a single unit. You can also purchase separate cooktops and wall ovens. Here are the top picks to start, as per the recommendations by ConsumerSearch.
Choosing a Range
The first step in choosing a range is to determine what kind of cooktop you want to have. There are three major options. Click on the link below the picture to learn more about each individual type of range and the pros and cons of each. Or just keep scrolling to read about other factors to take into account before buying a range.
Major Considerations
Since a range is a large appliance, it is a rare and relatively pricey purchase. There is no reason to overspend on a range, although not getting the best range you can afford may be a mistake. So how do you strike a happy medium? - Choose your price range. Honestly consider how much you can afford. Up to $800?
 Up to $1500? Or more?
- Ask yourself, "How much do I really cook?" Most basic users don't need a model that costs upwards of $1000. Serious cooking every day and/or cooking for large crowds warrants a better model with more features than the basic mainstream model. More expensive models also offer sleeker designs so that they blend more with the most modern kitchen.
- Think about what you cook most. Are you an avid baker? Stir-fry and paella lover? Remember to pick the right size oven and stove top for your needs.
- Pro? Who's a pro? Unless you are needing a very high-capacity, ultra-high heat, stainless steel model, stick to low and mid-range models less than $1500. They offer just as good performance at a lower price and often have all the functions that a cooking enthusiast could want.
Features- Racks: They should be durable and slide in and out of the oven easily. There should also be about six-plus height settings.
- Warming Drawer: Most models offer this feature. It's useful for storage and warming.
- Top: Look for smooth, raised edges without lots of seams so that you can clean it as easily as possible and so that nothing spills over the sides of the range while cooking. Look for models that have a seamless slope from the top to the back guard to make cleaning even easier.
- Controls: Digital touch pad adjustments are more precise than dials. Consider their placement: if they are on the front, they can be bumped into accidently or turned on by children.
- Self-Cleaning Function: For improved lifespan and oven cleanliness, this is a nice feature to have.
- Oven Window: If you use the oven a lot, don't get a range that features a dark, decorative oven window because it makes it harder to see what you are cooking. On the other hand, if you like hiding items in the stove while it is not in use, an opaque or semi-opaque window is best.
- Other Features (Important for any range, no matter what fuel you use.)
- Safety switches that prevent toddlers from turning on the stove.
- Porcelain drip pans are easy to clean and retain their luster.
- Easy-to-use controls (either digital or knobs).
- Easy-cleaning features, such as removable grill and sealed burners.
- Heavy, porcelain grates. Or as an alternative, continuous grates that span the whole cooktop (they can be harder to clean though).
- Multiple burner sizes for different sizes of pots and pans.
Gas Ranges
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- Pros:
- Gas cooktops are preferred by professional chefs.
- Cheaper compared to a hybrid range, which has a gas stove and an electric oven.
- Cons:
- Need a gas line hookup and electricity.
- Gas ovens are considered inferior to electric ovens because they do not heat as evenly.
- Functionally, most gas ranges are very similar; the differences are in the features.
- Look for easy-to-use controls, easy cleanup, and good safety features.
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Electric Ranges
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- Pros:
- More efficient than gas stoves.
- Electric ovens are considered superior to gas ovens for even cooking.
- Doesn't need a separate gas line since it just plugs in.
- Cons:
- Cooktop control is not as fine as a gas range, especially with coil models.
- Electric cooktops can retain heat for a long time.
- Look For:
- Functionally, most electric ranges within a given category (coil or flat) are functionally very similar; the differences are in the features.
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Dual-Fuel Ranges
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- Pros:
- Best of both worlds. This is the type of range used by professional cooks.
- Dual-fuel ranges combine the preferred fuel for each use -- gas cooktop and electric oven -- into one model.
- Cons:
- You have to have a gas hookup, which can cost extra.
- Dual-fuel ranges are the most expensive of the three.
- Look For:
- The same features as any other gas cooktop and electric oven.
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For more information about oven features, read the guide to wall ovens. For more information on cooktop features, read the guide to cooktops.
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