Assuming you have a color choice you may want to think first about the brand. If you have already selected some of your other kitchen appliances you may want to stick with that brand to keep a consistent look or pick another brand with similar handles.
Fuel type will need to be determined. Normally your home will already be set up for Gas or Electricity making the choice a simple one. But some people do like one over the other and may have the additional fuel/power connection added. Beside Gas or Electric you may decide on both with a dual fuel unit this choice has a gas cook top and an all electric oven. Remember you will need both a gas and a 220v electric connection.
The next consideration is what style do you want or need. The two most common are the Free Standing range that fits between or next to the counter with the back fitting against or near the back wall and the Slide In that usually lips the counter top on both sides and has a few inches of counter top behind the cook top. Slide in ranges also have the controls located on the front of the stove where many consumers find them to be most convenient. There are also other choices such as Free Standing with front controls as well as drop in ranges.
Another choice is how many burners do you want and generally the selections are 4, 5, or 6 with several configuration choices. With a gas range you may want all round burners or an oval burner. Plus you can pick the location of the oval burner to be in the center or the side burner. Electric choices include where the large burners are located, is there a power burner, expandable burner, bridge burner (works like a gas oval burner), etc.
Besides the important basic considerations there are loads of additional features you may want to think about. Here are just a few:
- Where is it manufactured?
- Surface or Grate material.
- Convection oven?
- Bake only.
- True convection.
- Self clean or manual clean.
- Steam clean.
- Induction cook top verses gas verses electric.
- Air Guard (Kenmoreexclusive).
- Rack material (porcelain verses steel).
- Oven mitt racks.
- Easy glide racks.
- Oven mitt racks.
- Easy glide racks.
- Number of racks.
- Oven size.
- Single oven verses double oven.
- Gas sealed burners verses open burners.
- Does the surface design work with your cook ware.
- Cook top color and finish.
- Control panel accent lighting.
- Delay start.
- Slow cook.
- Sabbath mode.
- Temperature probe.
As with most appliances, there are many things to consider before you make your final decision. We will address the general considerations in another article, but for now let’s talk about what type of cook top you will select.
When shopping for a range, most people are thinking in terms of an electric coil cook top. a smooth top electric cook top, or a gas burner cook top. Few people are even thinking about the fourth available choice…the induction cook top. Many people have never even heard of induction.
So what is induction and how does it work? Using high frequency induction coils located below a smooth surface, the induction coil creates an electromagnetic field of energy generating heat directly into the cookware. So the pan, skillet, or pot will begin heating instantly cooking the item while the surface remains cool. The induction cook top will heat faster than electric or even a gas cook top and boil water in a fraction of the time.
Induction is more energy efficient than gas or electric cook tops partially because it delivers a much higher percentage of the actual energy consumed to the food being cooked. The induction cook top will provide instant response similar to that of the gas cook top.
Induction cook surface benefits include:
- Faster heating compared to gas, electric coil, and electric smooth top.
- Precise controller cooking temperatures.
- Energy efficient – more efficient even than gas or electric.
- Easy clean up – the surface remains cool so no burn on mess.
- Temperature control can be adjusted with greater precision than gas or electric especially at lower settings making it ideal for jobs like melting chocolate and cooking delicate foods and sauces.
- Induction is faster and more responsive and brands with the power assist function will generate rapid heat bringing items to a boil quickly.
- Induction provides very precise control to raise and lower temperature.
- Precise controller cooking temperatures.
- Energy efficient – more efficient even than gas or electric.
- Easy clean up – the surface remains cool so no burn on mess.
- Temperature control can be adjusted with greater precision than gas or electric especially at lower settings making it ideal for jobs like melting chocolate and cooking delicate foods and sauces.
- Induction is faster and more responsive and brands with the power assist function will generate rapid heat bringing items to a boil quickly.
- Induction provides very precise control to raise and lower temperature.
Because induction cook surfaces require cookware that will conduct electromagnetic energy and some consumers existing cookware may not be compatible, many people dismiss the choice. It may be worth mentioning that I have personally seen beautiful 10 piece stainless steel cookware with copper clad bottom (induction compatible) for as low as $129 and even $99 on sale. So when you think about the investment you will make for a stove of this quality, the small additional investment in new cookware may make perfect sense. And who wouldn’t want a beautiful new stainless steel cookware set anyway?
That is my opinion and I hope you will find this to be good food for thought.
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