The Top 10 Kitchen Ranges You'll Love

If you are planning to buy a new kitchen range, there are a number of factors you need to consider. Are you looking for a gas range or an electric range? Would you like an economical option or a high-end product? Are you comfortable using coil-tops or have a preference for smooth-tops? By learning about the different types of kitchen ranges, you will be able to make the right choice in no time.

Kitchen ranges: Learning the basics

Where there is a kitchen, there has to be a kitchen range as well. When it comes to buying a cooking range for your kitchen, there is no right or wrong choice. Based on your need and preference, you can choose from a wide selection of electric or gas ranges. Professional cooks usually opt for gas ranges since they prefer cooking over a direct flame. Electric ranges, on the other hand, typically take less time to heat up. If you want both gas and electric elements in your kitchen range, you can pick a dual-fuel range. Kitchen ranges are further categorized in terms of their designs. Standalone or freestanding kitchen ranges can be placed by themselves against the wall. With their finished side panels, they do not need to be placed between cabinets. In order to prevent the walls from getting dirty while cooking, these ranges have an attached back-splash, which in many cases also contains the oven and stove controls. Slide-in ranges, on the contrary, do not have finished side panels since they are designed to be fit in between two cabinets. Its top extends to the back wall and overlaps the counter on the both sides in order to prevent food from spilling into the gaps.

Types of kitchen ranges

Kitchen ranges are available in two basic types and a third that combines features of both. The main difference between these types of cooking ranges is the power source they require to operate. The capacity of electric ranges is measured in terms of watts, while the capacity of gas ranges is determined by British Thermal Units (BTUs). Gas ranges are ideal for cooking on high flames. Electric ranges, on the other hand, are perfect for everyday cooking as they are quicker to heat and more efficient in maintaining a uniform level of low heat.

Electric kitchen ranges

• Coil tops. The coil top kitchen ranges generally comprise two big and two smaller cooking units. As the name suggests, the stoves consist of metallic coil, which can be heated up to the desired level. Coil tops heat faster, and are a great choice if you are on a budget.
• Smooth tops. The sleek-looking smooth top cooking ranges employ the induction method for their stoves. Magnetic coils are placed below the ceramic cooking surface, supplying direct heat to the cooking vessel. They typically have four cooking spots in three sizes, but some may also contain a fifth spot in the center. Due to their even surface, it is much easier to clean smooth top ranges. They are also more energy-efficient than the coil cook tops. Magnetic pots and pans are required for induction cooking.

Gas kitchen ranges

If natural gas supply is available where you live, you can definitely think about getting a gas range. Majority of gas range designs has four stoves in three sizes, but some designs may contain a fifth stove as well. Most of these kitchen ranges are available with a metallic top with stoves on top, but you can find burners fitted on a ceramic top as well. It can be easier to adjust heat levels on gas stove just by looking at the flame. You can use cooking pots of various sizes and types on the gas burners. While electric stoves maintain the heat for longer, it is much quicker to switch from high to low heat on gas ranges.

Dual-fuel ranges

Dual-fuel ranges provide a combination of gas and electricity. For the chef in you, this type of kitchen range is perfect with its gas stoves, while the oven is powered by electricity.

Typical features of kitchen ranges available today

No matter how basic or advanced, the one thing all kitchen ranges have in common is that they are used for cooking and baking. Apart from that, the options offered by cooking ranges can differ from one another considerably. Here are some features that kitchen ranges usually offer these days:

• Digital time display. The digital time and temperature display can be found on almost every kitchen range model today.
• Touchpad oven controls. The modern kitchen range design features a touchpad for oven controls, light and clock settings.
• Convection ovens. A large number of pricier gas and electric cooking ranges comprise a convection oven. Convection ovens utilize fans to keep the hot air circulating inside the oven. The convection cooking method can help cook faster and are particularly suitable for roasting large portions of meat or poultry. You can also look for electric ranges that offer convection as an added option.
• Self-cleaning. It can be difficult to get to inner corners of an oven and clean it. Self cleaning is an extremely useful feature offered in cooking ranges. As part of the self-cleaning cycle, high heat is used to burn and dry out any messes created in the oven. During the cycle, the oven is locked automatically in order to prevent the oven door from opening until the oven interiors have cooled down.
• Oven control locks. The lockdown option for the oven regulators is especially useful for ranges that have the oven control touchpad mounted at the front, preventing it from resetting accidentally.
• Elevated burners. Cleaning up spattered liquids around the stoves is much easier with their raised edges. The elevation also prevents the spills from entering into the burner.
• High temperature cook tops. Gas and electric cooking ranges feature at least one stove that can be used to cook on high temperatures. This option is particularly useful for quick stir-fries or heating. Gas burners with a capacity of 12,000 BTU or higher are considered high-heat, while for electric tops, the lower limit is 2,000-2,500 watts.

Kitchen range brands to choose from

When you start looking around for kitchen ranges, you will come across a wide variety of brands offering a whole range of their products from which you can make your selection. These include Amana, Bosch, Electrolux, Frigidaire, General Electric (GE), Hotpoint, Jenn-Air, Kenmore, KitchenAid, LG, Maytag, Samsung, Thermador, Viking, Whirlpool and Wolf. Among these brands, Bosch, Electrolux, GE, Jenn-Air, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Viking and Wolf are especially known for their dual-fuel ranges.

Kitchen range shopping tips

Shopping for a kitchen range can be made easier with the help of these tips:

• Look for a kitchen range that offers at least one high-heat cooking element.
• If you frequently cook for company, look for an oven with five or more racks. You can also choose a double oven.
• Don’t fall for the watts and BTUs mentioned on the product catalog. While these two measures can help determine the heat range of the electric and gas ranges, respectively, they are not the only criteria for a kitchen range’s performance.