Best Electric Ranges of 2024

We test electric ranges with the same rigor used in evaluating all the ranges we rate. We bake hundreds of cakes and cookies each year and take thousands of precise temperature measurements to see how well each model bakes. We wire a broiler pan with special high-heat thermometers, called thermocouples, to measure not only how evenly a broiler heats but also whether it gets hot enough to sear.

As for the cooktop, we measure how quickly it brings 4 liters of water to a near-boil (our “cooktop high” test). We also test simmer functions (with water) to see how well a burner can maintain more modest temperatures for tasks like simmering tomato sauce or melting chocolate (our “cooktop low” test).

Performance tests aside, we also test for reliability. To do that, we survey CR members on whether their ranges have broken or stopped working as they should within the first five years of ownership, so we can calculate what brand of range is most reliable. And if you’re shopping for a new electric range because your old one broke, we have a calculator (and plenty of expert advice) on whether it makes more sense to repair or replace your broken range.

If you don’t find yourself baking or broiling two things at once very often, single-oven models will typically save you some money. They’ll also save you from bending as low as you’d need to with a double-oven range, which usually has its main compartment closer to the ground.

Double ovens typically combine a smaller oven on top of a larger one. They’re great if you often bake two things at once at different temperatures. There are some drawbacks, however, including the absence of a storage drawer.

While sleek styling and a dazzling array of features might impress, what’s most important is a range’s ability to perform some very basic tasks really, really well, day in and day out. And that’s what we zero in on when we’re choosing the best electric ranges. Here’s what our recommended ranges all have in common:

• They heat water fast. The best ranges in our tests quickly bring a large pot of water to a near-boil.
• They simmer steadily. They have a low-heat burner that maintains a steady temperature when simmering liquids, so you don’t need to stir constantly to avoid scorching.
• They bake and broil evenly. Cakes and cookies emerge uniformly baked from multiple racks. And the broilers heat evenly while still getting hot enough to sear.
• They offer plenty of space. Many manufacturers inflate oven sizes by counting the space you can’t cook on, like the bottom of the oven. We measure and score usable capacity from the lowest rack position.
• They self-clean well. For those with a self-clean feature, we bake a mixture of eggs, tapioca, pie filling, and a few other tough-to-remove foods onto the walls of the oven, then use the self-clean cycle and give each model a good wipe-down to see how effectively the self-clean feature loosens grime. (That said, many ranges don’t have a self-clean feature, and that’s okay, too. Here’s how to clean an oven without a self-clean setting.)
• They’re reliable. We survey thousands of CR members each year about the reliability of their gas, electric, and pro-style ranges, and tabulate scores based on those responses.