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Are you interested in buying a range? It’s a great investment, but there’s a lot that you’ll need to know to make the right decision for you. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered with tips to help with the process, from setting a budget to walking into a store. Read on for our guide to buying a new kitchen range.
What Is a Kitchen Range?
A kitchen range is simply a stove. It’s an essential kitchen appliance that you’ll find in various shapes and sizes in most kitchens worldwide. Generally, the appliance features a combination of an oven that you can use for baking and a cooktop that you can use for searing, sauteing, and boiling.
There are a ton of stoves for sale that come in gas, electric, and convection forms. Additionally, dual-fuel ranges have gas cooktops and electric ovens, or vice versa, for the best of both worlds. Now that we’ve defined a kitchen range, it’s time to determine the process for choosing the right one.
Set Your Budget
Setting a budget for your range is important. When you finally head to the store or order online, making a purchase will take less time since you know what you’re willing and able to spend. You’ll also be less likely to fall for a salesperson’s upselling, which can result in you buying a range with add-ons and features you don’t need.
Measure Your Space
Before looking at what kind of stove you might want, measuring your space is important. How much space you have will determine what you can buy. After all, if you can’t fit it in your house, you can’t use it!
Measure the width and height of your doorway and hallways. Then, measure the depth and width of the space you want your stove to go. Compare both measurements with any potential stove to ensure it can fit through your door and in the desired location.
If you don’t do this, you risk buying a stove that can’t fit in your home. Then, you’ll have to return it and order a new one. That’s a lot of work you can avoid with some measuring tape and take a few extra precautions.
Gas, Electric, or Induction?
Figuring out what type of stove you need is a foundational choice for picking the best range. Both gas and electric stoves have a ton of benefits.
Gas stoves are highly responsive and easy to fine-tune, making them essential for people who prefer more control over their cooking. Gas stoves are also generally more affordable and efficient than electric ones. They primarily run on propane and provide flames for your cooktop. Furthermore, gas ovens are easy to clean and are compatible with most pots and pans, from stainless steel to cast iron.
Electric stoves offer less overall control, but when you use them, your kitchen stays cool. This is perfect for people who like to spend long hours in the kitchen coming up with new recipes. Heat in electric stoves is also more even and consistent. Because of this, food doesn’t burn quite as much as it would on a gas stove. However, electric stoves generally cost more than gas ones. Also, you can’t use electric stoves during an outage unless you have a generator.
Lastly, induction stoves use induction technology that produces heat from magnetic currents, which distribute under the cooking surface. They’re easy to clean, quickly heat your food, and have simple controls. They also allow you to cook faster than the other two kinds of stoves, as they adjust to the side of your pots and pans. This means you’ll get your food on the table in half the time.
Select the Right Style for You
There are a few different range styles, and we’ll introduce you to them here. First, you have free-standing ranges, which—provided you measured your space beforehand—will likely fit into whatever space you have. They’re also the most common range style on this list.
Slide-in styles are counter-depth, and their controls generally are at the front of the counter. A slide in gas range is counter-depth, and its controls are generally at the front of the counter. To ensure this style appears flush with the counter, buy a trim kit to cover any gaps you find.
Finally, drop-in ranges are similar to slide-ins but usually have cabinetry installed under them.
Choose the Best Color and Finish for Your Kitchen
You want to buy a range that complements the overall theme and decor of your home. Luckily, there aren’t too many restrictions regarding color and finish for your stove. Black stainless steel looks luxurious and modern, but the appearance of this color and finish can vary significantly across brands. Conventional stainless steel is the most stylish choice, offering a sleek look and smudge-proof finish. And today, many brands now offer stoves in various colors, such as blue, red, and even yellow.
What Kind of Burners?
There are a couple of different burner styles you can get. The least expensive option is the electric coil style. These coils convert electricity to heat, but they work slowly.
You can also get a stove with a smooth surface, known as a smooth top. Smooth tops feature a layer of ceramic glass and work with electric and induction ranges. Smooth tops are sleek and stylish, but they’re easy to scratch.
Lastly, gas burners allow you to cook with actual fire. As mentioned, this burner style features the best temperature control, but it’s also easier to burn food with it.
Visit Stores and Sites
Now that you’ve narrowed down the type of range you want and need, it’s time to head out and buy it! However, you need to take a few extra steps. Make sure you research a store’s reputation if it’s a smaller franchise, and browse online for reviews of the range model you’re looking for. When reading reviews, go to the negative ones first, and search for a pattern. If what you find is a deal breaker, there are a ton of other brands and stoves to choose from.
We hope this ultimate guide to buying a new kitchen range was helpful! If you’re interested in buying a range or any other appliance, check out our selection at Town Appliance! We’ve got a wide variety of styles and sizes, so you’re sure to find the right one for your home.
