Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
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Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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This smart induction range boasts speedy results, intuitive features, and a modern design that sets it apart from other models. Read More
This attractive induction range boasts even baking, fast cooktop heating, and intuitive app compatibility for remote monitoring and more. Read More
This double oven electric range is the best we've tested because of its effective burners, spacious ovens that evenly bake food, and sleek look. Read More
If you need fine control for your burners and mostly even baking in the oven, look no further than the KitchenAid KSDB900ESS dual-fuel range. Read More
This LG range bakes like a pro and succeeds at its Air Fry mode, unlike some of its competition. Its smart features are top-of-the-line. Read More
Range, oven, stove—call it what you will, but the large appliance in your kitchen that cooks, bakes, and roasts food is one of any household’s most important ones.
There are four different types of ranges: gas, electric, induction, and dual-fuel.
Each appeals to different types of chefs and home cooks, but here in the test labs at Reviewed, we test them and judge them based on the same criteria: ease of use, speediness, and cooking/baking abilities. After countless hours with our scientists, lab techs, and a professionally-trained chef, we can say with certainty that we've identified the best ranges on the market right now.
The Café CHS900P2MS1 (available at Best Buy for $3,059.99) is our top pick for an induction range because it boasts fast cooktop heating, even baking, and a wonderfully sleek design. We also love the Whirlpool WGE745C0FS electric range (available at Appliances Connection), and the GE JGB735SPSS gas range (available at ABT).
This Samsung Bespoke range is the best induction range we've tested.
Intuitive smart functions
Feature-packed
Stylish design
Speedy boiling
Odd burner layout
No catches to hold door open
The Café CHS900P2MS1 is the best induction range we've tested.
Fast boiling
Even baking
Attractive design
Intuitive controls
Preheat times tend to be long
The Whirlpool WGE745C0FS is the best electric range we've tested.
Effective burners
Large oven capacity and spacious cooktop
Bakes evenly across a single tray
Lower oven doesn't bake cookies evenly between two trays
The KitchenAid KSDB900ESS dual-fuel range.
7 cu. ft. combined oven capacity
Has a steam rack
AquaLift self-clean technology
Some baking performance may be uneven
We were pleasantly surprised with the LRGL5825F’s competent air fryer mode.
Useful smart features
True-convection oven
Excellent baking performance
Effective air fryer mode
Air fryer basket not included
Slow pre-heat
The Bosch HIS8655U is the best 36-inch induction range we've tested.
Spacious cooktop
Impressively even heating
Sleek design
Preheating requires attention
Initial off-gassing is intense
Nice design
Excellent cooking performance
Monitoring via Wi-Fi and remote control
Air fry setting disappoints
Additional purchase required for some features
Even baking
Short boil times
Has True Convection
Useful smart features like Air Fry and InstaView
Slow preheat
Air Fry tray sold separately
Even baking
Fast preheat
Useful smart features
Can’t use many features without app
No oven clock
Visible rubber bumpers on cooktop
One of the main ways to differentiate ranges is by their fuel type: gas, electric, dual-fuel, and induction. Depending on your cooking and baking priorities and how you learned to cook, one of these fuel types might be more appealing than the rest.
Gas ranges boil water faster but generally have lower cooktop temperatures. With gas ranges, there’s also the potential for uneven cooking and baking because of the central flame location. Gas stoves also aren’t as energy efficient as other types of ranges.
Electric ranges offer higher cooktop temperatures, but burners take longer to heat up; this means electric stoves are slower to boil water. When comparing gas and electric ranges, you’ll find that, typically, electric ovens offer more even cooking and baking.
Dual-fuel ranges are a good option for people who like the stovetop precision of gas and the precision of electric ovens. These ranges typically are more expensive than gas and electric ranges.
Induction ranges require specific cookware, but they have very high and low cooktop temperatures, so you’ll be able to boil water quickly and simmer easily. At Reviewed, we’re big fans of these ranges, but we also know a lot of people may be unfamiliar with these ranges so we have a guide that answers frequently asked questions.
Have you ever thought about your range’s control panel? What’s preferable for you, a front-mounted or back-mounted style?
Most freestanding ranges have back-mounted controls, but some slide-in ranges do as well. It’s worth considering the ergonomics of using the range when picking a front- or back-mounted control panel.
Having back-mounted controls means you may have to reach over hot food to adjust the oven temperature, the controls are also far enough away that you would have difficulty hitting something on the control panel by accident.
Front-mounted controls are easier to reach, but that convenience can turn against you if you brush up against a knob and accidentally increase or decrease temperatures, or if you have young children who are attracted to the knobs.
Depending on how much time you spend in the kitchen, it might be worth investing in extra options for your range. When it comes to the cooktop, anything above the standard four-burner setup is a bonus. Some ranges can have five or even six burners.
However, the more burners a range has, the more difficult it becomes to fit large pieces of cookware, such as a Dutch oven and a frying pan, on their respective burners at the same time.
Sometimes, those extra burners are specialty burners designed to accommodate special cookware such as a griddle or a wok; others are bridge burners meant to keep food warm without continuing to cook it.
Another possibility is to have a dual-ring burner, or a burner that includes a stronger heat source wrapped around a weaker heat source. That way, on a single burner, you can use just the smaller heat source for lower temperatures, but you can add the stronger heat source if you need higher temperatures.
Extra oven features can include everything from accessories like special oven racks or a temperature probe to special cooking features like convection settings, fast preheat, bread proofing (where the oven settings are customized to activate yeast and make bread rise), steam cooking (where you pour water into a reservoir and gently cook something with the resulting steam), air fry mode, and more.
Purchasing a range is making an investment in your kitchen and lifestyle. As with other large appliances, there are certain times of the year when you can save money on ranges. Manufacturers often release new models in January, so you may be able to find discounts on older models shortly thereafter. They also tend to go on sale during shopping events like Memorial Day, Presidents' Day, and Black Friday, so watch for major markdowns throughout the year if you’re looking for a new range.
We also recommend comparing prices at different retailers so you can find the best deal. There are a lot of great places to buy ranges online.
Convection ovens have a fan to circulate the hot air, but when shopping for ranges you may also see "True Convection” models. True Convection is an oven setting that includes installing an extra heating element and a fan in the oven.
True Convection’s additional heating unit and fan circulates the hot air, ensuring that cookies or cakes baked on different racks will bake through at the same rate, rather than the cookies closest to the bottom heat source baking faster than those on the rack higher up.
If you don't see mention of True Convection or European Convection, but do see the word "convection" in a range's specs, it means that the unit lacks an additional heating element, but does have a fan to circulate the hot air. While you don't get the full baking and cooking effect that you would with True Convection, the added heat circulation can cook or bake food more evenly than it would without a fan.
Ranges that don’t offer convection aren't bad—it will just take more time to cook and bake food all the way through. If you're a frequent baker or cook, convection can be a great time saver, but your dinners won't suffer unduly without it.
Slide-in ranges sit flush with your countertops, while freestanding ranges sit higher than the countertop level. However, the main differences between the two involve finish and ease of cleaning.
Because freestanding ranges are visible from all slides, they have a more finished look; slide-in ranges are meant to have their sides hidden by cabinetry, so the finish typically isn't as pretty on the sides.
Additionally, because slide-in ranges sit flush with your countertop, they're easier to clean because they do not have a large lip around the edge. Freestanding ranges often have larger lips around the edge of the cooktop to corral any crumbs that would otherwise decorate your floor. Freestanding ranges also typically have a back-mounted control panel for the same reason.
While slide-in ranges will do fine in a freestanding arrangement, the reverse is less true. If your current cooking setup has the range placed in a cabinet or countertop cutout, we recommend replacing that range with another slide-in range.
Conversely, if your range stands alone in your kitchen, we'd recommend replacing it with another freestanding range to cut down on food debris spilling everywhere.
At the Reviewed labs, we test ranges in-house, following specific scientific protocols to ensure consistency across products. We evaluate cooktop burners by performing water boiling tests and using a thermocouple thermometer to measure temperature ranges.
We evaluate the oven by measuring temperature fluctuations with the same thermometer. Then, we bake cookies and broil bread to assess the oven's ability to maintain consistent temperatures throughout. Finally, we use thermal imaging technology to judge the range's ability to hold heat without letting any escape.
Our article on how we test ranges offers more specifics on the Reviewed testing procedures.
Valerie Li Stack is a senior staff writer for Kitchen & Cooking. She is an experienced home cook with a passion for experimenting with the cuisines of countries she's visited. Driven by an interest in food science, Valerie approaches the culinary scene with a firm grasp of cooking processes and extensive knowledge of ingredients. She believes food speaks to all people regardless of language and cultural background.
Madison Trapkin
Contributor
Madison covered all things cooking as the kitchen editor for Reviewed in 2021. Formerly the editor-in-chief of Culture Magazine, Madison is the founder of GRLSQUASH, a women's food, art, and culture journal. Her work has also appeared in The Boston Globe, Cherrybombe, Gather Journal, and more. She is passionate about pizza, aesthetic countertop appliances, and regularly watering her houseplants.
She holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and a Master's of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy from Boston University.
Monica is Reviewed's Kitchen & Cooking editor and an avid home cook; she's been testing a wide range of kitchen products at Reviewed for three years. Previously the Digital Editor at Culture Cheese Magazine (and a former barista), she's also had her work published in The Boston Globe, Modern Luxury, Boston Magazine, and more.
Managing Editor, Kitchen & Appliances. Danielle has a B.S. from Syracuse University and a AAS in Culinary Arts from Newbury College. Previously, Danielle was a Test Cook and Associate Editor at America's Test Kitchen, as well as a freelance recipe developer and food writer. She’s the mom of two boys and loves making pizza on Friday nights.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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