I haven't bought a range in years and mine is nearly kaput. What's the difference between a freestanding and slide-in, and what the heck is a drop-in range? You're probably most familiar with a freestanding range, where the control panel is at the back and the range is placed against a wall. It fits the typical cutout but the sides of the range are finished, so you have some placement options. Freestanding ranges are the biggest sellers by far. (Our Ratings of freestanding
electric and
gas models are available to subscribers.)
While less popular, slide-in ranges are also easy to install. They can cost more and offer a built-in look since the cooktop is flush with the counters, making them a good choice for peninsula and island installations. The sides are not finished, so the slide-in must be installed between
cabinets. There's no back panel and the controls are at the front of the range. The $1,200 GE JSP42DN is a 30-inch electric smoothtop slide-in range that did very well in our tests and is a Recommended model.
Drop-in ranges don't have a bottom drawer and require custom-made cabinetry to be "dropped" into place atop toe-kick-level cabinetry. The cooktop overhangs the
countertops, enhancing the built-in look, and there's no backsplash so the control panel is up front. Drop-ins are a very small part of the market with few models and options to choose from.
By the way, 15 years is the average life expectancy of a gas range, 13 for electric, according to the National Association of Home Builders. You'll likely discover that since you last purchased a range, manufacturers have realized that Americans are very, very busy and have introduced such time savers as convection and induction.
—Kimberly Janeway
Build & Buy Car Buying Service
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