<p>We have a 30" gas free-standing range, a Maytag, that’s more than 10 years old. It needs new burner heads at >$200. The backpanel is badly dinged up. The maintenance guy says that at this age, for this model, a circuit board could go at any time. So … I’m thinking maybe it makes sense to get a new one. </p>
<p>Kitchen range technology & features have changed a lot since our last purchase. One issue that’s giving my DW heartburn is the “continuous grates”. She thinks they are very heavy, will trap dirt/grease, and be a pain to clean. True? My impression is that they’re a marketing gimmick added to make the product look more “professional”; otherwise I’m neutral on them. Thoughts?</p>
<p>Another issue is the 5th burner that shows up on so many units. I think this is another marketing gimmick. Seems like it just takes up space and makes the product more complicated than it needs to be. What’s wrong with just sticking a griddle (which we rarely use) over two regular burners?</p>
<p>My philosophy about these things (appliances, cars, computers, etc.) is that I want the design & controls to be as clean as possible and no more complicated than absolutely necessary … but very well-made and durable. I like Macintosh computers. I like Volvo cars with very few added options (no idiot lights and bells to help me park or change lanes until they go haywire, etc.) I don’t care about cost (cheap is not a blow to my ego but I don’t mind paying more either). </p>
<p>With all this in mind, what’s a good range to buy?</p>
<p>Love my Maytag range that has a double oven in the standard 30". Upper over is small - enough for cookie sheet or 2-3" high pan. Lower oven is full sized. Lower pot/pan drawer was cut to make way for the upper oven. One complaint I’ve read is the door of the lower oven goes to the floor when fully open, so you need to bend a bit further. Even though I’m tall, this is not an issue that I worry about. </p>
<p>Actually free-standing grates are much easier to clean, as the surface below has no seams. With my range, the burner surface has 2 heavy grates that meet up in the middle.</p>
<p>I finally learned how to clean those grates. The range came with the house when I bought it, the grates had baked on grease and looked spotty with brown stains. You cannot clean it with dishwasher or even with steel wools. Thanks to cc members, I learned that I can use those hand held steamers to clean the grates, it did not remove everything with the first try but it is improving each time I worked at them.</p>
<p>There is a KitchenAid double oven that I covet. I would marry the thing if I could. I would like the fifth burner because when you put a griddle on the two burners, it’s hard to do much of anything else. Also, on my current range, there is a super-burner and a simmer burner, and the simmer burner really does pretty much just that, if I put the griddle on the other side, I’m really only left with one cookable burner.</p>
<p>I am putting in a recommendation for induction cooking. I have a double wall oven and recently replaced my gas cooktup with induction. I love it. It heats up very fast - will boil a stockpot of water in a minute or so. It’s completely flat and easy to clean. The heat is controllable like gas, and changes quickly in response to changed settings. There is no open flame or hot burner. You might need new cookware. I had All Clad already, and it is induction compatible.</p>
<p>My cooktop is GE, because I was working with an existing space and no other brands would fit. I’m very happy with it.</p>
<p>We had to replace our 17 yr old range about 3 years ago. I bought a gas range with convection oven - which I really love because my baking is so much more consistent now. </p>
<p>I love the 5 burners and continuous grate for cooking, and we use the griddle alot more than I thought we would. The continuous grate is wonderful when I am transferring heavy pans off heat to add ingredients or slow cooking time.</p>
<p>The one negative I have experienced is that we tend to use the continuous grate area as a staging/prep surface and crumbs end up under the grates (it is located centrally to pantry, stove and sink). I end up cleaning under them even on days I haven’t cooked because of this.</p>
<p>I second the recommendation for a convection oven. One of my two wall ovens is convection, and I love it. I only use the nonconvection oven when forced to (because the convection oven is occupied).</p>
<p>My Maytag has a convection in the lower oven and I rarely use that feature. I tried it several times and didn’t find it made a difference on cook time, so I don’t bother any more. I guess I need to read up more on it.</p>
<p>What I like the most is that the heat is even throughout the oven with convection, so results are better. I do find that the cooking temperature must be lowered by about 25 degrees, and time shortened. I use it for baking and roasting.</p>
<p>My mother has a normal-sized Bosch dual-fuel range that she loves. The burners are gas, the oven is electric convection. My niece has a great Dacor range, but I blieve that they are incredibly expensive. It doesn’t sound like the OP’s family does the kind of cooking that would justify spending more than $7K on a range. </p>
<p>To me, continuous grates are a great feature because they enable one to slide big, heavy stockpots around without lifting. If you never do that kind of cooking, obviously not a plus. I also would want 6 burners plus, ideally, a grill. Or at the very least 4 burners plus a grill. I prefer the flame on all of the burners to be infinitely adjustable, and far enough apart so that I can put big pots on them simultaneously. I also want one of the burners to have a wok ring. Again, that’s the kind of cooking I do. My ideal range is the 48" American Range product, which has two ovens. It means that everything can be under the hood, which is also important to me.</p>
<p>To me, the nightmare version of a range is one of those glass-topped electric flat things. Induction sounds intriguing, but I don’t have the pans for it.</p>
<p>I second the suggestion for an induction cooktop. I have had mine for about 5 years and love, love, love it. Everything cooks quickly and I have far more control over the heat than I did with gas. GREAT for simmering. And I like that the cooktop itself doesn’t heat up. Much safer for everyone.</p>
<p>I did need some new pots . . . it turned out to be my excuse to get the All-clad I always coveted (although there are less expensive pots that work. Just take a magnet to the store.)</p>
<p>I’ve looked at that line. It’s my favorite so far. The oven looks great. So do the controls (with just a couple of modes and one rotary knob). The burners on some of the Kenmore “elite” look better because they have a “double ring” (inner for simmer, outer for welding). The Bosch has 4, which would be fine but one is just for simmering. Maybe I can have that one retrofitted with a standard burner? Do people hack their stoves as some of us do computers?</p>
<p>I’ve got a 60-inch Wolf gas range with 4 burners, 2 ovens, a grill, and French burner (the last option was a mistake–I rarely use it.) Grates are fairly easy to clean and there’s one for each burner, so they aren’t that heavy. Electrolux bought Wolf and SubZero–I’m pretty certain that the range is still made in Wisconsin (at least it was when we bought ours–about 9 years ago).</p>
<p>We just bought a 30" Capital range. Yes, I know it’s not one that most people have heard of. It’s a brand started by the engineer who developed the first self-cleaning oven for Viking, and all sorts of other innoventions, then decided he wanted to do what he wanted to do and not what others told him. (The Capital is also used on Food Network’s “Chopped.”) It’s a professional grade range for about $2K less than a similar Viking or Thermador.</p>
<p>It does have 5 burners - the 5th on ours (the Precision model) is 25,000 BTUs with a wok grate. The other burners go down to a true simmer. Convection oven with broiler & rotisserie. And it’s simple - knobs, no buttons.</p>
<p>GE’s Profile Series always seems to come in at or near the top in Consumer Reports’ lists. Induction/convection/double oven types of features are all up to your needs and budget. Keep in mind that you’ll have to buy new cookware to use the induction cooktops</p>
<p>A friend has a Wolf from about a year ago and complains about it. I forget why. Will have to ask her.</p>
<p>That Capital range sounds really cool.</p>
<p>We are contemplating a kitchen remodel this spring. Currently, there’s a Bosch range in the island with a down draft that pops up when you press a button. It’s okay. Some of the burners are iffy and take awhile to ignite. Not quite enough horsepower for a good stir-fry. But not bad for the price, I think. Despite the down draft I still have to clean a long time after a big cook job. </p>
<p>The thing is that I have come to really enjoy cooking on the island. The kitchen remodelers are all recommending I put the range against a wall instead but I like the social aspect of stirring food around in a pan while talking with folks.</p>
<p>Has anyone addressed this particular issue? I know there are great big fans that hang from the ceiling but I think they look kind of awkward.</p>