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In choosing an oven or range, one of the most important choices is fuel. Although there are pros and cons for using gas, electric or dual-fuel, personal preference plays a large part in which type you will actually use.
Here are a few basic definitions:
- Cooktops - Cooking surface with burners
- Ovens - Enclosed cooking areas
- Freestanding ranges - Units with both a cooktop and oven
Cooktops are installed in a countertop opening and offer you a choice of porcelain coated, painted steel, stainless steel, brushed chrome or glass tops. Built-in ovens do not have exterior side panels, so they must be installed in a cabinet, in a wall opening or under a counter. Lastly, a freestanding range consists of an oven with a cooktop. Drop-in and slide-in ranges have up front controls and extend over the countertop.
A new feature to ovens that you might be interested in is convection. A true convection cooking system utilizes both a rear element and a rear fan to circulate preheated air around the oven for faster and more even cooking results than conventional cooking. Some convection ovens allow you simply to enter your conventional cooking time and temperature, and the oven makes the precise conversion itself.
Now that you know the basics, here are some features you should consider when choosing a cooking appliance:
- Oven capacity
- Cleaning system
- Cooktop surface (glass, ceramic, porcelain-on-steel)
- Convection bake/broil/roast
- Closed-door broiling
- Burner size
Learn more about Whirlpool ranges and KitchenAid ranges
Learn more about Whirlpool cooktops and KitchenAid cooktops
Learn more about Whirlpool ovens and KitchenAid ovens
