Choosing your range cooker
Well, you’re remodeling your kitchen. You know more or less what the aesthetic will be. You have an idea of the joinery style, materials and finish. The furniture is more or less decided and you even know the lighting style you want to aim for. That just leaves what you hope will be the centerpiece of the room: the kitchen. So where do you start? Electric cooktops come in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes, and are available to fit a variety of budgets. Fuel types vary from traditional gas to modern induction models. So first things first…
Budget
The cost of a range cooker varies dramatically from an entry-level model from Flavel at around £600, to a mammoth cooking unit from high-end French manufacturer Lacanche weighing in at a hefty £12000. Overall though £2000 will see you buy an excellent range cooker which will have a high build quality and offer enough cooking features to keep the most discerning home chef satisfied. Rangemaster or Stoves, both UK manufacturers, fall into this category and produce renowned kitchens that are extremely useful, well built and look good.
Slightly higher-end cooker manufacturers such as Falcon and Britannia bridge the gap between domestic and commercial, offering cooking features typically found in restaurant kitchens, such as rotisserie and chef’s griddles. The construction quality also goes up a notch, being essential the thickness of the materials and the quality of the finish.
At the higher end of the scale are the monolithic kitchens by GE Monogram and Lacanche. They are typically hand-built from the highest-quality materials—heavy-gauge steel, cast iron, and solid brass—and offer a wide range of useful, high-end kitchen features. Ranges at this level offer the same cooking power as commercial models and, in fact, can be found in the homes of many celebrity chefs.
a matter of taste
Country kitchens generally fall into traditional or contemporary categories; however, some models have timeless appeal and fall comfortably into either category. Traditional kitchens offer a homey, farmhouse feel with thick, lustrous enamel, heavy, beveled oven doors, and arched baker-style windows. Solid cast iron skillet supports and metal control knobs complete the look. Notable traditional-style kitchens include the Rangemaster Classic, Stoves Richmond, and Redfyre models.
Modern styling comes through with sleek stainless steel and gloss black finishes, clean, utilitarian lines, and sharp contrasts. The full glass doors stand out to a great extent, as do the ceramic hobs and induction hobs. Popular contemporary cooktop models include the Professional Plus by Rangemaster, the Ethos Series by Rangecookers Appliances, and the Mercury Cooktop Collection.
Does size matter?
If you’re replacing an existing kitchen, size will be an essential factor in your choice of replacement. Kitchen ranges generally come in nominal widths of 90cm, 100cm and 110cm, with a limited number of models available in narrower and wider sizes. It is important to remember that the nominal width of a kitchen refers to the width of the space in which it will be housed; for example, a 90 cm kitchen will often measure an actual width of 89.5 cm.
However, a wider kitchen will not necessarily offer more cooking capacity. Manufacturers sometimes take a 90cm kitchen chassis, add two slab sides, and release it as a 100cm model. Obviously, the capacities of the oven and the cooking surface will be the same in both, so there will be no functional gain.
Gas? Electric?
As previously mentioned, electric cooktops are available on a variety of fuel types. Dual fuel models combine electric ovens with gas burners: All gas cooktops combine gas ovens with a gas cooktop. All electric models offer electric ovens with a ceramic hob or, increasingly, with a powerful and efficient induction hob. The choice of fuel type depends on a couple of factors: the style of cooking and the availability of gas and electricity from the network. Gas cooking is the preserve of traditional expert cooks who can juggle dishes in the degraded heat zones of a gas oven, while induction offers more convenience and control.
Some properties in rural areas often do not enjoy a main gas supply, thus requiring the use of an all-electric cooker or a gas cooker converted to use LPG (bottled) gas. Conversely, there are times when an electrical supply is powerful enough for an all-electric or dual-fuel cooker, so gas cookers are a viable option.
cooking characteristics
Electric ranges offer a variety of features depending on the model, fuel type and brand. Features like multi-function ovens and telescoping shelves are standard in an increasing number of mid to high-end kitchens, such as catalytic or pyrolytic cleaning ovens. The timer functions are extremely useful, as are the warming drawers for preheating dishes. Always consider whether the features that appeal to you now will be useful in the future; more features usually equates to more costs, so there’s little point in paying for features you’ll probably never use.