Even though everyone at VT—including our recipe tester—cooks on a stove that fizzles rather than sizzles (we still manage to turn out some wonderful meals), our special kitchen issue inspired us to indulge our ultimate cooking fantasies. We went in search of the appliance we would buy if we could, if space and money weren’t an issue. We traipsed through showrooms, turned knobs and yanked oven doors. We quizzed salespeople, product reps and kitchen designers on everything from low-heat warming drawers to high-power burners. The result? This guide that will get you fantasizing too—and possibly save some of the hassle if you are shopping for a new stove.
Dream big
“Do your homework” is the advice kitchen designers give clients, asking them to jot down measurements and compose lists of what they need. A better tactic? Treat your search like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—in an appliance store. Let yourself dream, and explore the best and brightest stoves on display. Scoping them out isn’t just fantasy shopping—it’s a roundabout (and fun) way of deciding what you do and don’t want in a stove. Besides, there’s no need to let the salesperson know your budget isn’t in the stratosphere as you check out these primo products:
Gaggenau Vario Built-in Appliances This German line knocked our socks off as the most veg-friendly of the built-in brands—we even got the illustrator for this story to use it as a model. (Quick lingo lesson: built-ins are stove cooktops and ovens that are inserted into walls and counters, as opposed to ranges, which stand alone.)
The cooktop inserts are all 15 inches wide, meaning you can fit the ensemble into any standard stove space (some insert brands have variable widths). Our favorite Gaggenau extras: the smooth-surface Teppan Yaki grill, which can cook pounds of veggies or a pile of pancakes, and the in-counter steamer.
“Sure, you can boil water for pasta and steam vegetables on a regular burner, but having the steamer option for these frees up your cookspace for other things,” raves Heather Storm, showroom manager at Purcell Murray, a premium kitchen distributor in Huntington Beach, CA. But separate built-in components where the stove is inserted into the wall aren’t for everyone. “You have to move around a lot with these, so if you feel more comfortable standing in one place, you should probably go with a range,” she advises.
Price: $10,000 for oven, customized cooktops and ventilation hood (gaggenau.com)
CornuFé Just last year, the crème de la crème of French cooking appliances, La Cornue, came out with a line of ranges that’s a lot more affordable than their customized stoves (which start at $22,000). With five gas burners, four chic color options and two electric ovens, “it’s beauty and brawn,” says Storm. The only downside is that you’ve got to be pretty sure of your baking skills: The doors have no window, so you can’t check how cookies or breads are coming along with a quick peek.
Price: $8,000 (lacornueusa.com)
Thermador Professional Series Range For that “I’m-a-chef” look and feel, you can’t beat this clean-lined, stainless steel beauty. Everything about it is easy—the knobs are easy to turn, the oven door is easy to open (not a given with other brands) and the porcelain-coated cast-iron grates are lighter and easier to clean than other models. Best of all, the Thermador Pro Harmony line is 24 inches deep and 30 inches wide—the size of a standard stove, so you don’t have to worry about it fitting in the oven space of your kitchen.
Price: $3,900–$6,400 (thermador.com)
All in moderation
If the price tags on those models give you sticker shock, don’t despair. “Most of us don’t need a Maserati stove,” says Heidi Karpa, Chicago-based designer for HGTV’s kitchendesign.com. After all, a rotisserie feature is not exactly the highest priority for vegetarians. And popular high-end options can also be found on less expensive models. Here, our midrange faves:
Viking 30-inch Gas Ranges The power of a pro stove with pretty finishes (14 color options in all), this gas-powered model is a workhorse that won’t leave you guessing. All four sealed burners have the same simmer and high-heat capacity (many models have only one or two simmer burners), and the convection oven boasts a bright light that makes it easy to check on baked goods without opening the door.
Price: $3,000 (vikingrange.com)
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The difference between a good oven and a great one lies in these five questions.
Is it self-cleaning? “The self-cleaning option is essential,” says Atlanta-based kitchen designer Catherine Dolen. “All ovens get dirty.”
Does the door open easily? Many high-end ovens have heavy doors that make getting in and out difficult.
Convection or conventional? By circulating the hot air, convection ovens cook faster and more evenly than regular ovens and allow you to bake more items at the same time—say, three or four trays of cookies instead of one or two.
How good is the broiler? For electric broilers, check the wattage and the number of passes—or coils—it has. Ten passes will ensure evenly distributed heat.
What about the racks? Make sure the racks are strong and slide out easily. Flimsy ones can cause burns and dinner disasters when they don’t provide enough support. |
GE 30-inch Free-standing Double-Oven Ranges These wildly popular stoves live up to their excellent reputation. With five burners, grill or griddle inserts and a warming drawer to keep foods hot, they’re a dream for kitchen multitaskers who cook more than one thing at a time.
Price: $2,000 (geappliances.com)
The bottom line
Still need to trim a zero off those price figures? “There are manufacturers who make really good smaller ovens that might work better in your kitchen space than a larger, more expensive model,” says Karpa. If you’re in the market for a bargain that cooks like the best, look into these:
GE Profile Gas Range This single-fuel stove may not have a convection oven or an extra burner like its more expensive cousin (left), but it does boast sealed burners, one simmer burner and a warming drawer.
Price: $800 (geappliances.com)
Kenmore 30-inch Electric Slide-in Range with Smoothtop You don’t have to feel guilty for going electric. “New electric stovetops heat faster and hold lower temperatures better than gas,” Karpa says. This model from Sears has a warming drawer, a high-power broiler and a simmer burner.
Price: $800 (sears.com)
Hotpoint Ranges Gas or electric, these no-frills models get consistent high marks from Consumer Reports for reliability and clean-up ease. That may not sound romantic, but it is the key to having fun in the kitchen. “If I don’t clean up well, I don’t cook often,” says Karpa. “So many people fall in love with heavy machinery that’s hard to clean and then never do more than boil water.”
Price: $300–$600 (homedepot.com) |
THS IS GOOD