Ventilation Buying Guide
Few things are better in life than walking into your home and smelling the mouth-...
Kitchen Range Features and Options
Range Buying Guide Table of Contents
- Programmable / Smart controls - such as delay and time-bake cycles, allow you to preset your oven and start and stop when you want it to.
- Digital Display/ Electronic Controls - provides easy-to-read controls and allow for more precise temperature settings.
- 12-hour Shutoff - most modern ranges are equipped with an integrated twelve-hour shut-off safety device that automatically shuts the oven off after it has been left on for 12 hours.
- Sabbath Mode - allows override of the twelve-hour shut-off, making it possible to keep cooked foods warm for longer timeframes; this feature eliminates tones, timer beeps and displays.
- Child Lockout - allows you to disable the oven controls, so a child cannot inadvertently turn it on.
- Safety Indicator Lights - indicates when a cooking surface is still hot or a burner is still on; in higher-end models these lights are an attractive LED lighting.
- Simmer/Low-Heat Burner - a simmer setting that allows certain burners to provide gentle, gradual heat - great for cooking sauces.
- Convection-Oven Cooking - often included in higher-priced models, a convection oven will cook your food faster and more evenly.
- Variable-Broil - provides adjustable settings for foods that need slower or faster cooking.
- Refrigerated Range – a specialty range that combines the heat of an oven with cooling capabilities; this feature allows you to thaw an item in the oven throughout the day, then start cooking it at a pre-programmed time, the oven then switches to a warming mode once food is cooked.
- Self-Cleaning Oven - uses high heat to burn off spills and spatters; features include an automatic door lock when the cycle is activated and a countdown timer that displays how much time is left in the cycle.
- Downdraft Venting - some higher-end ranges come with a built-in downdraft vent that eliminates the need for a range hood.
- Continuous-Clean Oven - oxidizes dirt during normal cooking - doesn't clean as completely as when in self-clean mode, but avoids the need for special high-temperature cleaning cycles.
- Multiple Racks and Positions - most range ovens offer three adjustable racks, while many high-end models offer five or more; look for smooth-glide racks.
- Warming Drawers - more common on 30" ranges, warming drawers are found under the oven of the range in place of the traditional storage drawer; some offer a choice of warming temperatures, while others can actually be used for baking.
- Larger Oven Windows - allows you to view the contents of the oven without opening the door.
- Designer Finishes - black and white finishes are the most common and the most budget-friendly, but there are plenty of other choices: Stainless Steel is popular, as well as black stainless, graphite, and bronze; luxury models come in bright baked-enamel colors and pearl-like finishes.
- Trim Skirts - decorative trim that attaches to the legs of the range to give them a built-in look.
- Dual-Element Burners - some electric ranges feature an inner ring for smaller pans and a large outer ring for larger pots and pans; a flick of the switch turns on the preferred size.
- Bridge Element - an extra element between two main elements on a smooth-top cooktop that can be turned on to create a large surface for large pans such as griddles.
- Warming zones - more common on electric cooktops, this feature offers an additional element with a low-heat output to help keep foods warm without overcooking.
- Trivection/Speed-Cook - a microwave feature in some electric ovens that speeds cooking. Trivection uses three technologies: thermal heating, convection, and microwave energy to reduce cooking time. It's an expensive feature, but works very well.
- Pilotless Ignition - saves gas that would otherwise be used by a pilot light, and reduces the chance of gas leak.
- Automatic Re-Ignition - if the burner turns off while cooking, this feature automatically re-ignites it.
- Heavy-Duty Grates - grates made from heavy porcelain-coated cast-iron or stainless-steel.
- High-Heat Burner - a high-heat gas burner that almost instantaneously increases cooking heat and allows you to quickly boil or sear foods to seal in flavor.
- Sealed Burners - gas burners are available in the conventional grate configuration and in the sealed-burner type: sealed burners eliminate the space between the grate and the range top, stopping spills from running down into the space and dramatically easing cleanup.
- Seamless or Continuous Grates - allows you to easily slide heavy pots between burners without doing any lifting.
- Modular Cooktop - allows you to customize your gas range with grills, griddles, wok rings, baking stones, etc. - these options are more common on high-end gas ranges with six or more burners.
Popular Articles
Gas, Electric, Induction, Convection - What Does It All Mean?
Newer technologies, including the growing popularity of induction heat, are allowing...
Small Electrics Buying Guide
Cooking is easier and more enjoyable if you have the right appliances in your kitchen....
Dishwasher Buying Guide
Dishwashers are not just dish washers anymore. They're plate warmers, sanitizers,...
2010 KBIS Kitchen and Bath Show in Chicago
The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is the world’s largest international trade...
Popular Blogs
Popular Products
Jenn-Air's Duct-Free Downdraft Cooktop
Jenn-Air has created an exclusive duct-free downdraft kit allowing their downdraft...
Whirlpool Helps Consumers Cook and Clean Efficiently
Seeking to help consumers better manage their kitchens, Whirlpool introduces a variety of...
Whirlpool "Change your Refrigerator Water Filter" Month
To ensure clean drinking water, Whirlpool encourages consumers to make a resolution to...
Whirlpool's Online "Cash for Appliances" Rebate Program Tool
Whirlpool introduces an easy-to-use rebate finder tool on three of its brand Web sites -...