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Now You’re Cooking! Here’s how to find the right oven, stove, range, or cooktop to make life in your kitchen easy, efficient, and enjoyable.

No more guesswork. Just great results every time, with Bosch’s 30-inch freestanding convection range, model HES236U. Operating it with Bosch’s Touch Turn control system is a breeze. You can access many cooking modes in fewer steps, and even self-clean your oven with a single control knob. The bottom drawer can serve as a warming drawer. MSRP is $1,699.

What’s Hot Now

It doesn’t matter whether you love to cook or can barely boil water: your kitchen is where you whip up a cozy dinner for two or lavish holiday feast for twenty. It’s where families spend mornings and evenings. It’s where you and your friends congregate and reconnect.

With so much time invested in one room, it’s not difficult to see why you want to make cooking as welcoming and efficient as possible. Yet the choices can be overwhelming when it’s time to buy. Wander through any appliance showroom these days, and you’ll be duly impressed by the dizzying array of options available to you. In response to your demands, manufacturers have developed a whole new generation of feature-laden ranges, cooktops, and ovens that deliver speed, efficiency and convenience, as well as striking good looks.

While commercial-style ranges with six or eight burners are still in demand, the look now is more streamlined and less bulky. Gas ranges are still the most popular with homeowners because of the ease of heat control on top, though some homeowners prefer dual-fuel ranges, which have gas cooktops and electric ovens.

Updated features and high-powered burners on electric ranges have made them more appealing, even for serious cooks. Smooth glass cooktops, in electric and gas versions, are being installed in more kitchens as we all discover the ease of clean up. Several manufacturers like Viking have now introduced induction cooking to the U.S. Popular in Europe for years, induction elements generate a magnetic field, which reacts with the iron in pots and pans and transforms them into the heat source. The energy transfer stops as soon as the cookware is removed from the surface.

Over the last few years, stainless-steel has become the first choice in appliance finishes. And with good reason: it blends well with a variety of design styles, from contemporary to country, and it’s become increasingly affordable, with ranges now available for around $600 for electric, such as GE’s 30-inch freestanding electric range (model JBP66SHSS) or $630 for gas, such as Maytag’s 30-inch Performa freestanding gas range (model PGR5710B).

Maintenance is easier, too, as manufacturers like Electrolux, with its 30-inch European-Styled electric wall oven (model E30EW75DSS), at $2,098 MSRP, have introduced stainless or brushed aluminum surfaces that resist smudges and fingerprints.

Do you crave style, but don’t have a lot of space? The 24-inch Metropolitan Gas Range from Capital Cooking is perfect for high-rise apartments and condominiums. The range has 15,000-BTU sealed burners, a 22,000-BTU convection oven, an 18,000-BTU broiler, and four rack positions in each oven. It’s available in LP or natural gas. The MSRP is approximately $2,600.

Time-Saving Cooking, Space-Saving Cooking

Like most families these days, you’re probably on the go round-the-clock. If you hate rushing home to get dinner on the table before the kids’ soccer game or your PTA meeting, Whirlpool’s one-of-a-kind Polara Refrigerated Range could be the solution. Make a dish like lasagna or stuff a whole chicken the night before, program the oven, and pop the dish in on your way out the door in the morning. You’ll enter cooling time, temperature and cook time, then press start.
The oven does the rest on its own, keeping your food chilled until it’s time to cook. If traffic has you running late, Polara shifts into a warming mode when the baking is complete. If you’re still not home an hour after the warming mode has begun, the oven reverts to a cooling mode to prevent your food from spoiling. You can still operate the range’s cooktop at the same time the inside is cooling. Polara is a standard-sized range that doesn’t require special installation and retails for about $1,399 to $1,599.

If you crave a home-cooked meal but never seem to have the time, a new generation of ranges might change the way you think. For example, GE’s Profile Trivection Oven cooks up to five-times faster than a conventional oven. How does it work? It uses three cooking methods: thermal to provide dry heat, convection to circulate air and heat for even cooking, and microwave technology to speed up the cooking process.

With the Trivection, you can cook a 22-pound turkey in two hours or lasagna in fifteen minutes. The range doesn’t require special pans, and it’s programmable so when you enter the info, the oven determines the appropriate time and temperature combination. Other features help you proof dough, keep foods warm, or defrost. It’s available in single-wall, double-wall, or slide-in versions and starts from $2,349. GE is also making its existing Advantium technology, which combines microwave and light for speedy cooking, in a built-in wall oven later this year.

Many of us want the convenience of double ovens—especially around the holidays, when we’re cooking large meals—but just don’t have the room or resources. That’s where Maytag’s Gemini Range comes in. The gas range has two ovens stacked in a traditional 30-inch range space. Separate electronic keypads control the ovens independently, so you can cook in the upper and lower ovens at the same time, at different temperatures, without sacrificing overall oven capacity. An optional half-rack gives you additional flexibility in the lower oven. The top oven can function as a warming drawer to keep foods toasty warm until you’re ready to serve.

On top, the range’s continuous burner design increases the cooking surface by giving you space for various sizes of pots. The range is available in gas or electric models, retailing around $799 to $1,599, depending on the model. Its unique design is a great way to lend a customized touch to an otherwise standard kitchen. GE will introduce a similar unit with an upper and lower oven this year.

Customize your cooking surfaces to fit your needs, with Miele’s CombiSets. Essentially, you create a customized cooktop that suits your individual space and cooking needs. For example, if you enjoy stir frying, select a wok grate and steamer. If you want to grill, you may want to add the electric barbecue and cast iron griddle pieces. The pieces are assembled next to one another in your countertop surface to create one permanent, multi-functional cooking center.

Modern and Modular

Whether you’re considering an electric or gas cooktop, Gaggenau’s latest offerings provide clean European styling for a contemporary kitchen design. The company, whose products are manufactured in France and Germany, offers a unique diamond-shaped glass Ceran cooktop for the ultimate in sleek functionality. At just 1-5/8 inches deep, the cooktop leaves plenty of room beneath for storage drawers and cabinetry. A gentle tap on the sensor control keys activates any of the five large variable cooking zones, while a digital display shows the current settings. For added safety, an indicator shows when cooking zones that have been switched off are still radiating heat.

But what if you want both gas and electric? For the best of both worlds, Gaggenau® Vario Series of modular appliances offer gas and electric cooktops, steamer, grill, Ceran cooktop, deep fryer, and its latest addition to the line, an induction wok. You choose only the cooking surfaces you want, and the cooktop is assembled to your specifications. For example, you can get a Vario 15-inch gas cooktop (model VG 330) for $1,069, a 15-inch electric barbecue (model VR 322) for $1,159, and a 15-inch electric deep fryer (model VF 332) for $1,139.

German manufacturer Miele has also embraced the modular market for the ultimate convenience and flexibility. The Miele Combiset allows you to choose from a ceramic double burner, double gas burner, wok burner, pot rest, cast iron griddle, electric boiler/fryer, or electric barbecue that grills over lava rock or water Options retail from $729 to $999. Combisets are ideal for small spaces like apartments, compact islands, or as a secondary cooking surface in the butler’s pantry.

The thin profile of this Electrolux icon 30-inch single wall oven belies its large, 4.2-cubic foot capacity with a unique cobalt blue porcelain chamber. It has true European convection cooking, halogen lighting that makes it easier to see your food through the window, and a special control panel that senses movement, lighting up before you even touch it. MSRP is $1,999.

Convenience Above All

If you’re the kind of person who loves to eat but isn’t very handy in the kitchen, Miele’s MasterChef oven series will make you look like the next Emeril. You don’t need an instruction manual; you don’t even need a recipe book. Forget complicated oven controls. Miele’s fully programmable digital interface guides you through every step of the process so even novice cooks can prepare meals with a minimum of fuss.

Let’s say you want to roast a turkey. Place it in the oven and insert the roasting probe. Then choose “Poultry” from the touchpad menu. You’ll be prompted through several questions such as the size of the bird. The oven then sets the optimum time and temperature, constantly reporting on its progress. The “Favorites” program allows you to store about 30 customized cooking programs of your favorite recipes in the oven’s memory. An “Update” feature allows you to upgrade to new versions of your oven’s controls in the future, just as you’d update software on your personal computer. Single ovens retail from $2,699, with double ovens starting at $3,999.

There are some cooking occasions when you simply need more: more power, more space, more burners, more ovens, more everything. You’ll get that with this DCS 48-inch dual-fuel range. The cooktop has a burner that delivers 17,500 BTUs, perfect for preparing fried Tempura or blanched vegetables, for example. A self-cleaning convection oven, 6.8 total cubic feet of oven space, four burners with a grill and a griddle, and a wok ring round out the complete package. MSRP is $8,619.

Status and Performance

In the world of kitchens, high-end manufacturers like Dacor, Viking, DCS, and Wolf provide the ultimate in style, cooking performance, and status.

For sheer impact, Dacor’s Epicure line offers handsome 30-inch, 36-inch, 48-inch and 60-inch ranges. The look is heavy and powerful, with the force of 15,000 BTU burners and wide platform grates that allow you to easily slide heavy or oversized pots. Choose from black, chrome, brass or copper trim accents to define your style. Dacor’s Millennia line offers all electric smooth cooktops on ribbon elements with three-second response times, while the Preference series provides an alternative design option to homeowners, with curving panels that make it easy to see the controls. Model SGM365SS Preference cooktop with five burners retails for $999, while a Millennia 36-inch cooktop with five cooking elements, fingertip controls, and beveled glass (model ETT365BK) retails for about $1,470.

Gas or electric ovens are also available. Ranges retail from around $2,300 to $11,670 (for example, model ERD30SS06CH, a freestanding gas range for $4,340) and wall ovens start from $2,100 to $3,950 (such as the 27-inch Millennia electric single wall oven, model MCS127SS, for $1,853).

Viking Range Corporation has long been a coveted name in the kitchen. Their offerings include 30-inch, 36-inch, 48-inch and 60-inch wide gas freestanding ranges, as well as cooktops, wall ovens, and their new rangetops. Viking’s Model VGRT3004BSS 30-inch gas cooktop, at $1,940 MSRP, gives you four stainless-steel burners with one 15,000-BTU burner, a special simmer setting for simmer cooking on all surface burners, and automatic electric spark ignition—there’s no standing pilot to re-light, waste energy, or add extra heat to your kitchen.

A compact 24-inch width freestanding range is available for smaller areas, so you can enjoy Viking’s reputation even if you don’t have tons of space. The gas burners feature infinite settings from 1,000 to 15,000 BTUs, so you can simmer or boil without switching burners. Automatic re-ignition burners relight if they’re inadvertently extinguished, even at the lowest settings.

If you prefer, you’ll also find commercial-type cooking power on Viking’s smooth electric cooktops with up to 2,500 watts of cooking power (model VECU165 with six elements retails for $1,169) or the new induction cooktops (model VGSU1014BBK, a 30-inch gas cooktop, retails for $1,265) launched last year. Gas ranges start from around $3,000, rangetops from about $1,800, cooktops from $1,300, and wall ovens start around $2,400.

Wolf is another company that will make your eyes light up and mouth water. Gas and electric cooktops, rangetops, and single- and double-ovens deliver legendary functionality and style. Prices start from $3,726 for ranges, $2,459 for rangetops, and $980 for cooktops.

Most Wolf range single-ovens can be bought for $3,456, but expect to pay $5,780 and up for double ovens, such as model DF606DC for $10,995. Sound pricey? Hardly, when you consider that it’s 60-inches wide and you get a dual-fuel double-oven range, two large-capacity dual-convection ovens each with 3.4 cubic feet of interior capacity, and a 22-inch char-broiler with two 16,000-BTU burners.

With their iconic red knobs, Wolf ranges are the stuff of dreams for many home chefs. But you don’t have to have a mammoth-sized kitchen to enjoy their reputation. Their latest offerings include 30- and 36-inch gas cooktops that fit in
a variety of kitchen settings, such as model CT30ESS for $1,545, a four-burner electric cooktop with four heating elements with six zones, and model CT36GSS, a five burner gas cooktop for $1,619.

If money is no object and status is your goal, check out ovens and ranges from AGA, La Cornue, and Diva de Provence.

The good news is that no matter how much or little you have to spend, chances are that there’s a cooktop, oven, or stove that’s right for you and your family. So give yourself some time, do some research, look around, and have fun! More Editorials