Important features Electric ranges
All ranges
Nearly all now include a self-cleaning feature and—for gas models—sealed burners, which keep crumbs from falling beneath the cooktop. Spending more typically gets you a stainless-steel trim, a warming drawer, and six or more oven-rack positions. An especially useful feature: a raised edge around the cooktop to contain spills.
Oven controls are typically on the backsplash behind the elements or burners. Slide-in models eliminate the backsplash and side panels to blend into the countertop. You’ll also find lower-priced dual-fuel ranges that meld a gas cooktop with an electric oven. But even these typically cost hundreds more than electric- or gas-only ranges and haven’t improved performance in our tests.
A self-cleaning cycle uses high heat to burn off spills and splatters. An automatic door lock, found on most self-cleaning models, is activated during the cycle, then unlocks when the oven has cooled. Also useful is a self-cleaning countdown display, which shows the time left in the cycle.
Higher-priced models often include convection, which uses a fan and sometimes an electric element to circulate heated air. It can cut cooking time for large roasts, but you typically pay hundreds more for it. A few electric ovens have a low-power microwave feature that works with bake and broil elements to speed cooking time further. Some use a halogen heating bulb as well as microwaves. Another cooking technology, Trivection, uses thermal heating, convection, and microwaves to cut cooking time. Though very good overall, it’s very expensive.
A variable-broil feature in most electric ovens offers adjustable settings for foods that need slower or faster cooking. Ovens with 12-hour shutoff turn off automatically if you leave the oven on for that long. But most models let you disable it, while a child lockout lets you disable oven controls for safety.
Electronic touchpad controls are common, while a digital display makes it easier to set and monitor the precise temperature. A cook time/delay start lets you set a time for the oven to start and stop cooking, though you shouldn’t leave most foods in a cold oven for long. An automatic oven light typically comes on when the door opens, although some ovens have a switch-operated light. Also useful: a temperature probe you insert into meat or poultry to indicate doneness. Oven windows without a decorative grid usually offer the clearest view, though you may welcome the grid to hide pots and pans if you store them in the oven.
For electric ranges
Consider where the controls are located. On most electric cooktops, they take up room on the surface. Some electric cooktops have electronic touchpads that allow the cooktop to be flush with the counter.
Coil elements, the least expensive electric option, are easy to replace if they break. Spending $200 more will buy you a smoothtop model.
Most smoothtops have expandable or dual elements that allow you to switch between a large, high-power element and a small, low-power element contained within it. Some include a low-wattage element for warming plates or keeping just-cooked food at the optimal temperature. Some have an elongated "bridge" element that spans two burners to accommodate rectangular or odd-shaped cookware. And many have at least one hot-surface light—a key safety feature, since the surface can remain hot long after the elements have been turned off. The safest setup includes a dedicated “hot” light for each element.
Many electric ranges and cooktops have one large higher-wattage element in front and one in back. An expanded simmer range on some smoothtop models lets you fine-tune the simmer setting on one element for, say, melting chocolate or keeping a sauce from getting too hot.
Nearly all now include a self-cleaning feature and—for gas models—sealed burners, which keep crumbs from falling beneath the cooktop. Spending more typically gets you a stainless-steel trim, a warming drawer, and six or more oven-rack positions. An especially useful feature: a raised edge around the cooktop to contain spills.
Oven controls are typically on the backsplash behind the elements or burners. Slide-in models eliminate the backsplash and side panels to blend into the countertop. You’ll also find lower-priced dual-fuel ranges that meld a gas cooktop with an electric oven. But even these typically cost hundreds more than electric- or gas-only ranges and haven’t improved performance in our tests.
A self-cleaning cycle uses high heat to burn off spills and splatters. An automatic door lock, found on most self-cleaning models, is activated during the cycle, then unlocks when the oven has cooled. Also useful is a self-cleaning countdown display, which shows the time left in the cycle.
Higher-priced models often include convection, which uses a fan and sometimes an electric element to circulate heated air. It can cut cooking time for large roasts, but you typically pay hundreds more for it. A few electric ovens have a low-power microwave feature that works with bake and broil elements to speed cooking time further. Some use a halogen heating bulb as well as microwaves. Another cooking technology, Trivection, uses thermal heating, convection, and microwaves to cut cooking time. Though very good overall, it’s very expensive.
A variable-broil feature in most electric ovens offers adjustable settings for foods that need slower or faster cooking. Ovens with 12-hour shutoff turn off automatically if you leave the oven on for that long. But most models let you disable it, while a child lockout lets you disable oven controls for safety.
Electronic touchpad controls are common, while a digital display makes it easier to set and monitor the precise temperature. A cook time/delay start lets you set a time for the oven to start and stop cooking, though you shouldn’t leave most foods in a cold oven for long. An automatic oven light typically comes on when the door opens, although some ovens have a switch-operated light. Also useful: a temperature probe you insert into meat or poultry to indicate doneness. Oven windows without a decorative grid usually offer the clearest view, though you may welcome the grid to hide pots and pans if you store them in the oven.
For electric ranges
Consider where the controls are located. On most electric cooktops, they take up room on the surface. Some electric cooktops have electronic touchpads that allow the cooktop to be flush with the counter.
Coil elements, the least expensive electric option, are easy to replace if they break. Spending $200 more will buy you a smoothtop model.
Most smoothtops have expandable or dual elements that allow you to switch between a large, high-power element and a small, low-power element contained within it. Some include a low-wattage element for warming plates or keeping just-cooked food at the optimal temperature. Some have an elongated "bridge" element that spans two burners to accommodate rectangular or odd-shaped cookware. And many have at least one hot-surface light—a key safety feature, since the surface can remain hot long after the elements have been turned off. The safest setup includes a dedicated “hot” light for each element.
Many electric ranges and cooktops have one large higher-wattage element in front and one in back. An expanded simmer range on some smoothtop models lets you fine-tune the simmer setting on one element for, say, melting chocolate or keeping a sauce from getting too hot.
