Ranges for any Kitchen Design
Select a range that fits your budget and lifestyle by following these simple tips and knowing what to look for.
When it comes to ranges there are two types to choose from, gas or electric.
Lets first go over some the advantages and disadvantages of the three.
Electric
Electric ranges, depending on what part of the country you’re in these days, can save you significantly on utility bills. Unless of course you live where I live and energy prices have tripled, than gas would DEFINITELY be the way to go.
Electric ranges come in two versions, your traditional coiled eyes, and your smooth glass/ceramic top. Now, the glass/ceramic top tends to be more popular because of how easy it is to clean. It requires a cleaner called, “Cerama Bryte” which can be found here 20928-2 Cerama Bryte Ceramic Cooktop Cleaner , so this is by far the cheapest Cerama Bryte I have found anywhere! Some places sell this stuff for over $20! Although this is the least expensive cleaner, expect that extra expense with an electric range. Another thing to remember with the glass/ceramic tops is that they can crack if something heavy such as a cast iron pot hits it.
Most importantly, these types of tops take longer to heat up, and longer to cool down as opposed to gas, or even the coiled eyes. This could possibly pose a danger, depending on the quality of range you purchase because when cooling down, there may be no indication that the burner is still hot, possibly causing you or a loved one to be burned. This also would make the cooking area warmer.
Finally, these types of tops don’t provide the even heat distribution throughout the pot or pan as gas does. This trait goes for the coiled eyes as well. Modern pots and pans are grooved on the bottom so full distribution of heat wouldn't be possible with anything electric.
Coiled eyes, can produce a slightly better performance than the glass/ceramic tops believe it or not. Depending on the quality of the coils (the more coils in an eye the better!) they're able to provide faster cooking and faster cool down time. With coiled tops, the coils are your heating element, with glass tops, the coiled heating element is beneath the glass surface which causes the delay in cook times. Coiled eyes can just be a pain to keep clean, so depending on how often you cook, glass surface may be your best bet.
Although it seems as if electric tops have a lot of downsides, which it's really not that bad, I'm just pointing out every little thing, don't go converting your electric over because of what you read here, if you have electric it's fine! Especially when it comes to the oven. Now all chefs prefer electric ovens because of their convection capability. Not all electric ovens are convection, but only electric (thus far) can be. Convection ovens have fan built in the back that circulates the warm air evenly throughout the cavity to ensure your food is getting an even bake. Convection ovens also cook faster than traditional ovens. For these reasons this is the top choice, and generally there isn't a huge price difference, so if it's in your budget, I would strongly suggest it.
Gas
If you were to ever visit a chef’s kitchen you would find a combination range, an electric convection oven with a gas cooktop. Reason being, for the cooktop, you get instant on/off heat. Gas cooktops can also cook more evenly depending on the cookware being used. Most pots and pans today do not use totally flat bottoms like in the olden days (no offense to you with older cookware!) but they make it difficult for the electric cooktop to get an even heat flowing through the pot/pan. However fire, of course, can penetrate between the grooves and gets that pot/pan sizzling almost instantly.
Most of the new gas models use an electronic spark ignition, rather than the traditional continuous burning pilot light. Great! No more lighting matches! This can save as much as 30% in energy costs, and also keeps your kitchen cooler in warm weather.
If it’s gas you’re going to be in the market for, the better the range, the higher the BTU (British Thermal Unit) will be. Your average gas range will produce about 9,000BTU. A higher end model may produce up to 12,500BTU. 10,000 to 12,500 BTU will be a great gas range. Commercial ranges use 16,000BTU and they produce heats unsafe for a home, so if you are interested in something above 12, consider that as a factor. However, if you want the commercial range look, without the unsafe heat and hefty price tag, there are ranges made for you! Just visit the sites below, either Select Appliances or AJ Madison. You'll definitely find what you're looking for there!
Size
Ranges, both gas and electric, come in three general forms. Free-standing, slide-in, and drop-in.
Freestanding ranges are those that you see in homes. They have the back plate which in most cases the controls can be found. Most free-standing ranges are 30 inches wide, but models in 20-inch, 24-inch, 36-inch and 40-inch widths are available.
Slide-in ranges are very similar to freestanding but don’t have the back plate. Instead, the controls can be found to the side of the burners on the cooktop or on the front of the range.
The Drop-in ranges sits on a low cabinet base and does not have a lower storage drawer, like the free-standing or slide-in ranges do. The controls on a drop-in are located in the same places as a slide-in range.
Drop-in and slide-in ranges are typically 30-inches wide; but can come in other widths.
Insulation
There are many reasons why a range can cost more than the other, and here’s a big one, insulation! Lack of insulation can cause the outside of a range to get hot, causing you or a loved one to get burned, or just creating a lot of unwanted heat in the kitchen, which will increase your energy bill.
You can sometimes tell the amount of insulation in a range by opening and closing the door, generally if it’s heavy it’s more insulated, it’s also trimmed on the inside with a gray net-like material. Ranges with no insulation just have black rubber trim around the inside of the door.
Another way to measure a range’s insulation is to knock on the cooktop. If you get a “clanky” sound then there’s not much insulation there; but if it’s a solid, dense sound to it, that means insulation is evident. Glass/ceramic tops usually have a good amount of insulation to them.
Features
Like any other appliance, ranges offer a wide variety of features. Some of the most common are broilers or second mini ovens, meat thermometer, large window, programmable oven, griddles and grills, self-cleaning, etc. Out of all of these features I’ll just explain self-cleaning and convection because these features work the same on every range.
Cleaning Methods
There are three types of cleaning methods: self-cleaning, continuous cleaning, and standard cleaning ovens.
A self-cleaning oven has a high-heat cycle, with temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees. The heat turns oven soil into a gray powdery ash that can be wiped up with a damp sponge. When the cleaning cycle is in use, the oven is locked. Self-cleaning ovens have a special porcelain enamel on the inside and a special door seal to stand up to the high temperatures.
Continuous-cleaning ovens have walls that have been treated with a catalyst that oxidizes oven soil while the oven operates at normal temperatures (I know science class was a long time ago). This system does not clean as completely as a self-cleaning oven, but eliminating the high heat cycle reduces its purchase price.
Standard cleaning ovens must be cleaned by hand, using soap and water or a commercial oven-cleaning product. Some models have a removable oven bottom or a removable door to make cleaning easier.
Convection
Convection ovens bake the same as your traditional oven, however, these have a fan in the back of the cavity, that blows the heat all around the inside of the oven to produce an even heat throughout the cavity. This results in faster, more efficient cooking and better tasting food.
Capacity
Finally, check the capacity of the range. Though they may be the same size on the outside, certain ranges are able to facilitate larger capacities than others. While inquiring about the inside of the range, if at all possible you can get porcelain racks, GET THEM. These will come in handy during self-cleaning. Generally you must remove the metal racks so they aren’t damaged by the heat. But porcelain racks can withstand the high temperatures which means less work for you! Let's also not forget no more scrubbing or aluminum foil... or am I the only one who does that?
Energy Efficiency
Ranges are not considered to be energy efficient appliances. So don't waste your valuable time comparing energy consumption. If any brand name claims to have ENERGY STAR ranges, double check with EnergyStar.gov this is a government site that will inform you of every energy compliant appliance made in the U.S.
Where to Buy Ranges
Here is a list of great places to shop for ranges. These sites carry brands from all over, you'll have access to any range on the market with these five sites:
 Sears offers a wide variety of low-end to high-end ranges and other types of range combinations. Sears also delivers and is able to professionally install any range that you choose. They will also haul your old range away for the price of $25. Sear's Ranges
  Best Buy offers several name brands in ranges. They will deliver, professionally install, and haul away your old appliance. If your purchase is $499 and up, your delivery and haul away is free! If it's under $499, than the two together is $49. Be sure to always check out their current promotions as well as the manufacturers website for their own personal promotions. This way you can double up on savings! Best Buy's Ranges
If you need help with installation, this link will find local contractors to install the appliance for you, if the place of purchase does not.
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