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How to buy a range or oven

In the market for a new range or oven? Here's our guide to making appliance shopping a more pleasant and worry-free experience.

Molly Price Former Editor
Ashlee Clark Thompson Associate Editor
Ashlee spent time as a newspaper reporter, AmeriCorps VISTA and an employee at a healthcare company before she landed at CNET. She loves to eat, write and watch "Golden Girls" (preferably all three at the same time). The first two hobbies help her out as an appliance reviewer. The last one makes her an asset to trivia teams. Ashlee also created the blog, AshleeEats.com, where she writes about casual dining in Louisville, Kentucky.
Katie Pilkington Associate Editor / Reviews - Appliances
Katie is a writer, a humor blogger, a Vietnam War historian, and an avid cook. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and is hard at work on her first novel. When she's not writing about tech, she's reading about armored cavalry units in Vietnam, or teaching her labradoodle, Lola, to overcome her lack of opposable thumbs.
Ashlee Clark Thompson
Katie Pilkington
8 min read
Watch this: Here's everything you need to know about buying an oven or stove

Ranges and ovens are investments worth thinking over -- they cost at least $500, you use them nearly every day and you're going to hang onto them for at least a decade. You need to take your time when it's time to add a range or oven to your home, and we're here to help you sift through the options.

First, let's get a few vocab terms out of the way to make sure we're on the same page:

  • Oven -- The appliance in which you bake or roast; this can be part of a range or separate and placed in a wall or counter; typical capacity is between 4 and 6 cubic feet.
  • Stovetop/cooktop -- The burners on which you cook; can also be part of a range or separate and built into a counter.
  • Range/stove -- An appliance that has both a stovetop and an oven; standard width is 30 inches wide.

And, obviously, if you're looking to for just a small toaster oven, that's a different conversation altogether.

Pop quiz

Take a minute to ask yourself some questions about what you're looking for in an oven or range. These will help you narrow down your search and firm up your opinions of what's really important for your lifestyle. 

What type of home cook are you?

Do you take your cues from Top Chef challenges, or are you a frozen pizza type of cook? Do you love baking pastries, or do you stick with the stovetop? Be realistic about the features you need in an oven or range to keep yourself from wasting money on upgrades you'll never use.

What type of appliance does your kitchen accommodate?

Do you have a built-in wall oven and separate cooktop, or do you only have space for a range? Stick with a product that will fit into your current setup, unless you're ready for a big renovation to accompany your new appliance purchase.

What type of power hookup do you have?

Check to see if you have a gas line or just an electric outlet.

What's your budget?

Some ranges can cost as much as a year's salary (I'm serious). With that said, set a budget so that shiny stainless steel finishes and touchpad controls don't blind you to the reality of what you can afford. Fortunately, our testing has shown us that you can find good appliances at any price. Here's a broad view of what to expect in different price ranges:

  • $500 - $1,000: This is a bare-bones appliance. You can perform basic cooking functions. Your options for finish are black, white and bisque, though you can find a few stainless-steel-covered models in this price range.
  • $1,000 - $3,000: You have more options when it comes to cooking modes, style and finish, such as stainless steel.
  • $3,000 - $6,000: Here is where you can start to get fancy with options like dual-fuel power, slide-in design and convection fans.
  • $6,000 - $10,000: Products in this price range emulate professional-grade appliances you'd see in commercial kitchens. For ranges, you'll see all-stainless-steel construction (not just a finish on doors and control panels) and models that are wider than the standard 30 inches to accommodate six or more burners.
  • More than $10,000: If you're playing with this kind of money, you can get a customized appliance. Ranges and ovens in this category come in multiple colors and finishes, along with unique, built-in features such as a water connection to automatically release steam during baking.

Now let's get into the meat of what to look for when you pick an oven or range.

Power options for stoves and ovens

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The Kenmore 41313 range has a smooth electric cooktop and an electric oven.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Electric

The heat output from electric cooktops is measured in watts. Output varies from stove to stove and burner to burner, but the output generally falls somewhere between 1,200 watts for low heat on a small burner and 3,800 BTUs for high heat on a large burner, though we've seen outliers at both ends of the spectrum. There are different types of electric cooktops from which you can select:

Smoothtop (glass-ceramic cooktop)

These cooktops are made of smooth glass-ceramic with heating units under the surface. A built-in sensor lets you know when a burner is still hot. This is important with smooth electric cooking surfaces, because the burner doesn't always turn red if the heat is low.

Keep in mind that this type of cooktop is prone to scratches, and not all cookware is safe to use on the surface (the appliance's manual will give you those specifics).

Electric coil

These burners convert the electricity that runs into the coil into heat. These cooktops contain thermostat sensors that notify you when a burner is on, but not necessarily whether it is still hot. Electric coil stoves are notorious for uneven cooking because of uneven distribution of the coil.

In short, it is hard to keep the coil perfectly level, which can make all of the food in the pan slide to one side. In addition, electric coil stoves are slow to heat and slow to cool. But ranges with this type of cooktop are cheaper than comparable models.

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The Kenmore 95073 range has an induction cooktop and an electric oven.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Induction cooktops

Induction burners use the heat created from electromagnetic energy to cook your food. An element just below the surface of an induction cooktop creates a magnetic field. When you put a piece of cookware containing iron on top of that magnetic element, it causes a vibration of sorts that converts to heat through a series of magnetic interactions with iron (you can read more about the science behind induction here).

These cooktops are safer than gas or electric burners because they don't use flames or direct heat -- induction burners won't start to heat if you put something on them that doesn't contain magnetic material. Induction cooktops are also more efficient and heat things quicker than other types of burners (the ones we've tested have boiled a large pot of water in an average of 6 minutes).

There are a few downsides to induction cooktops. You have to make sure you have cookware that will work with the cooking surface, and ranges with induction burners tend to cost more money than comparable electric or gas ranges.

Electric ovens: This type of oven uses a heating element that is either visible on the top or bottom of the oven, or hidden. Our baking tests show that they often cook more evenly than their gas counterparts.

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The SMEG C30GGRU is a gas range, so it has a gas cooktop and oven.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Gas

Gas cooktops

Both home and professional cooks have valued gas stovetops because of the how uniform the heat output is. An open flame surrounds the bottom of your cookware, which evenly distributes the heat around it. This heat output is measured in BTUs (British thermal units). Like electric models, the power range varies from model to model, but the output generally falls somewhere between 5,000 BTUs for low heat on a small burner and 18,000 BTUs for high heat on a large burner. We've seen burners on high-end ranges get as low as 800 BTUs and as high as 20,000 BTUs. If you're a speedy cook, be aware that our cooking tests show gas cooktops tend to take longer to boil large pots of water than electric or induction cooktops.

Gas ovens

When it comes to gas ovens, we've seen in our cook tests that they have a harder time producing even baking results than electric ovens.

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The Dacor ER30DSCH has a gas cooktop and an electric oven.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Dual-fuel

Some ranges use two types of power: gas for the cooktop, and electric in the oven. These dual-fuel ranges are a good compromise for folks who want the direct heat of a gas burner but the even cooking of an electric oven. However, these hybrids cost more than traditional one-power-source ranges.

Design styles

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The Kenmore 97723 is an example of a freestanding range.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Freestanding

Freestanding ranges are designed to fit anywhere in a kitchen. Oven controls are often located on a back panel that raises up above the cooktop. These are less expensive than slide-in models.

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The Samsung NE58K9850WG is a slide-in range, so it doesn't have a back panel and sits flush with surrounding countertops.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Slide-in

These ranges don't have a back panel and are meant to fit in flush with the surrounding countertops. Slide-in ranges are often more expensive than freestanding models because of the mechanics that go into putting all the controls up front.

Drop-in

Drop-in ranges are similar to slide-in models -- they sit flush with the surrounding countertops and all the controls are located at the front of the unit. But this type of range looks like you dropped it between two cabinets because of a strip of cabinetry you place beneath the appliance.

Bonus features

The search for an oven or range can resemble a visit to a car dealership -- there are always opportunities to upgrade. Assess your needs and decide if these bonus features are worth throwing down more money for an appliance.

Wireless connectivity

Companies have become more proactive in including wireless capabilities such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and near-field communication (NFC) in their ovens and stoves so you can control your appliance from your smartphone. For example, you could begin to preheat your Wi-Fi-enabled oven on your way home from the grocery store, so it's ready for your frozen pizza by the time you get home.

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The GE PHB920SJSS induction range has built-in Wi-Fi and works with Alexa, Amazon's voice-activated virtual assistant. You can give voice commands to this Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker to control the range.

Chris Monroe/CNET

Manufacturers have also started to connect appliances with smart-home products to add some automation and voice control in the kitchen. For example, GE's Wi-Fi-connected ranges work with Alex and Google Assistant, so you can give voice commands to control your appliance. And Jenn-Air wall ovens work with Nest Learning Thermostats so you can automatically lower your home's temperature when the ovens get hot. 

Convection fans

Convection fans are built into the back of oven walls. They circulate the heat in the oven so hot air is more evenly dispersed, which means your food will bake more evenly. You'd want convection fans if you're baking food like cookies on more than one oven rack at the same time. Midprice ovens will have at least one convection fan. Some ovens have what's called "true" or "European" convection, which means there's a heating element that surrounds the fan that warms the air as the fan blows. Read more about the science of convection here.

Special cooking modes

Your basic oven can bake and broil. But as the price for ovens increases, you'll see that there are more cooking options. For example, ovens with convection fans will have modes for convection baking and convection roasting, which will enable the fans and heating elements. Some ovens also come with cook settings for specific foods, such as pizza or turkey, or food preparation methods, like dehydration or bread proofing.

Bottom drawers (baking/warming/broiling)

Some ranges come with a bottom drawer that can serve one of many purposes depending on the model. Some range ovens offer a baking drawer, which enables a person to use the main oven to roast or broil, and the baking drawer for smaller dishes, so you can cook more than one thing at the same time using different temperatures. A warming drawer will keep food warm, but it won't cook the food. Some ovens have a broiler drawer, which functions like a traditional broiler and must be watched just as closely to ensure that food does not burn.

Temperature probes

Temperature probes plug into the wall of your oven, and you use them to monitor the internal temperature of meat as it cooks. The temperature displays on the control panel of your oven, so you don't have to open the door to see if your dish is done.

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The KitchenAid KFDD500ESS range has two oven cavities, so you can bake two dishes on different temperatures at the same time.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Double ovens in conventional space

The ovens on some ranges have dual baking chambers, which give you the flexibility of double wall ovens without the need for more space. These ovens allow the convenience of simultaneous cooking at different temperatures. Some ovens come with a divider that allows you to split your single oven into two unique temperature zones that will remain separate as long as the divider is in place.

Final thoughts

Buying an appliance is a personal experience. You have to pick the stove or oven that works best for you and your needs. Sure, there are a lot of extras that you can select to add some convenience or consistency to your cooking. Just remember that all you really need is a stovetop that heats pots at a decent clip and an oven that will cook your food evenly.