Size, Space, and Venting Considerations When Shopping for Your Next Cooking Appliance

Whether you're simply replacing a range, cooktop or wall oven, or you are starting from scratch and designing a whole new kitchen, there is no shortage of choices when it comes to selecting your cooking appliances.

And with advancing technologies, it’s now possible for the home chef to take advantage of cooking features once only available to professional chefs.

source: Jenn-Air

Before you start shopping for your new cooking appliances, there are some basics you should start with such as size and space. Of course if you are replacing an existing appliance you will have more limitations than if you are designing a brand new kitchen.

If you are replacing an existing appliance – measure, measure, measure! Even if you are replacing your existing 30” range with a new 30” range, it’s very important to measure. Measure the width, depth and height of the space you have.

When you go shopping, bring the dimensions of your space as well as the locations of electrical outlets and gas lines so that a salesperson can assist you in making the right choice for your space.

Also, it’s easiest and most cost effective to stick with the same fuel source of your existing cooking appliance – gas or electric. If you have electric but have always wanted gas, it can be done for a price so it’s best to consult with your plumber before making your final decision.

If you are designing a whole new kitchen then you have a little more freedom when it comes to selecting your cooking appliances. Designing a new kitchen allows you to choose the fuel type and size that best suits your needs.

When deciding what size cooking appliances to buy, consider the amount of cooking you do and for how many people. If you are the cook for a larger family, a common 30” range or 30” cooktop, which typically has only 4 burners, may not be big enough. As range and cooktop sizes goes up so do the number of burners.

When considering oven capacities, I find the most critical thing is to see the oven in person, so you can figure out if your 12lb turkey or your extra large casserole will fit.

An oven may list large cubic feet, but the interior may have protruding heating elements, or an odd shelf arrangement that may not allow your extra large turkey to fit, so be sure to look inside.

Typically, ovens range from 3 to 5 cubic feet. Wall ovens come in widths of 24”, 27”, 30” and even 36” wide, while the size of range ovens is related to the width of the range.

Most 30” to 36” wide ranges have one oven with at least 4.0 cubic feet in capacity, although some newer models come with two ovens, one being quite small –tall enough for a pizza or cookie sheet, but not much more.

Ranges 48” wide and up typically have two ovens that have different capacities – one larger and one smaller.

Learn more about the different types of cooking appliances: Ranges, Cooktops, and Wall Ovens.

Venting Considerations

Whether you decide on a range or a cooktop you will need to consider your venting options. Good ventilation not only removes cooking odors but also helps reduce and filter heat, grease and moisture.

There are two general types of ventilation – external and re-circulating. External is the most common and preferred method because it vents odors to the outside, but some building situations prohibit external venting, making re-circulating the next best choice.

Both venting types come in several styles– wall mounted hoods, island hoods, downdrafts and microwave hood combinations.

There are also different levels of power available. Ventilation power is measured by how many cubic feet of air is moved per minute – also known as CFMs.

The best way to determine how much power you need is to check the manufacturer specifications; it'll list the recommended number of CFMs your range or cooktop needs.

Learn more about the importance of kitchen ventilation and the options available in Clearing the Air – A Guide to Kitchen Ventilation.