Best Range Brands of 2026

Electric smoothtops and induction ranges are sleek and easy to clean, and they perform well, too. As a group, the top-performing smoothtop electrics can actually outperform gas models when it comes to boiling water in a hurry on a high setting. And in general, induction models, which use an electromagnetic field to heat up a pot or skillet, tend to perform even better on both high and low settings. CR also tests a number of electric coil ranges, which tend to be less expensive options for shoppers.

Many serious cooks love gas ranges because they’re highly responsive. They not only heat up in a hurry but also cool down in a flash, which can keep your custard from scorching.

As you can see in the chart below, there’s a big distinction between the top four brands in our evaluation and the rest of the pack.

GE heads our brand ratings with seven recommended models in our ratings of single-oven gas ranges. In our survey data, the company receives a top score in predicted reliability, though its owner satisfaction score is lower. LG and Café also earn strong scores in our gas range brand ratings.

At Consumer Reports, we provide three crucial pieces of information that can help you find the best range for your kitchen. 

Model performance: We capture the performance of individual models in our range ratings. You’re able to search by model and see how well a particular range performs both on the cooktop and in the oven, and what features it has. This is the best and most detailed indicator of how a particular model will work in your kitchen. (You can also check out our roundups of the best electric ranges of the year, best induction ranges, and best gas ranges.)

Reliability and owner satisfaction: Each year, we survey hundreds of thousands of CR members about the products they buy and, in particular, how well those products hold up over time and prolonged usage. We use the information to generate a brand-level predicted reliability score for every type of major appliance we test. We also ask people if they would recommend their appliance to a friend or relative, and use those responses to tabulate a brand-level owner satisfaction score. The results can be found in our ratings charts and in our rundown of the most and least reliable electric range brands and the most and least reliable gas range brands.

Brand-level performance: These brand scores, shown above, reflect how well the ranges from a particular brand perform in our testing and surveys, and whether they provide good value. The scores aren’t model-specific, but they can be a good backup if you’re interested in a particular model we haven’t tested. Just remember that a high brand score isn’t a guarantee that every model in that manufacturer’s line is a winner. It’s possible for a company to earn an overall high score for its ranges even if it has a few duds in its lineup. The reverse is also possible.

At any retailer, you’ll find dozens of ranges—if not more—to choose from, many with fancy features. But what’s most important is a range’s ability to perform essential tasks really well day in and day out. Does the cooktop perform well at both high and low temperatures? Is the oven temperature even and accurate? When our test team evaluates a range using our sophisticated instrumentation in our labs in Yonkers, N.Y., we look for the following characteristics.

It boils and sears quickly. Our testers measure how quickly a range’s burners come up to their highest setting. That’s important for, say, boiling water.

It simmers steadily. In our labs, we also test how well the range can simmer delicate foods like tomato sauce and chocolate without scorching.

It bakes evenly. The most crucial function of the oven in a range is baking, and the best models from our tests bake evenly on multiple racks, regardless of what you’re cooking. Our test engineers bake over 300 cakes and 1,900 cookies each year, looking for the models that do the best job baking on multiple racks.

It broils well. Many ranges struggle to broil evenly, and still more never get hot enough to sear. The best ranges do both with ease.

It holds a lot of food. Manufacturers love to make claims about the size of their ovens, often counting unusable space (like beneath the lowest rack) in their capacities. We measure the space you can actually use and give top marks to models with the most capacity.

It (self-)cleans easily. Our testers make the oven as grimy as possible to test the self-cleaning cycle, baking on a truly gross proprietary mixture that includes shredded cheese, tapioca, and pie filling. We run the self-clean function to see how effectively each oven converts that baked-on gunk into fine white powder that can easily be wiped away. The best need only a simple wiping. The worst require lots of scrubbing and still don’t come fully clean.

It’s reliable. Great performance isn’t worth much if you can’t depend on your oven to maintain its performance in the long run. The models in this roundup have above-average long-term reliability.