The starting point in choosing a range is Gas, Electric, or Dual-Fuel? This choice is usually determined by your home's preexisting set up, but given the choice, gas has numerous advantages. Gas ranges give instantaneous control of heat and offer strong visual cues to the heat level. Gas ranges could care less about a power outage. Gas ranges are easily used with pots and pans that are no longer flat. Easy cleaning, once the bane of gas ranges, is available on top-of-the-line models that use sealed burners. Finally, gas is less expensive to use than electricity, if your unit has pilotless ignition. Electric range advantages are that you don't need plumbing, they are very reliable, many cooks prefer electric ovens, and smooth-top models are easy to clean, although not friendly to warped-bottomed pans. In either type, there are many models that combine features and design to make cooking both functional and enjoyable or you can go high-end, and combine the best of both worlds with a dual-fuel range, utilizing a gas cook top and electric oven.

Burners/Elements

Gas burners are available in the conventional grate configuration and in the sealed-burner type. Sealed-burners eliminate the space between the grate and the range top, stopping spills from running down into the space and dramatically easing cleanup.

Electric elements are either coils, disks, or smooth-top. Coils are the most common and least expensive of the electric element types. Cleanup is relatively inconvenient.

Disks are solid elements that are sealed to the range top to simplify cleanup. They are relatively inefficient (slow to heat and cool), are difficult to use with warped pots and pans, and do not glow to indicate that they are hot. They are becoming less and less common.

Smooth top actually refers to the ceramic glass sheet on which the pots and pans rest. There are actually three different types of heating elements that may be used below this range top. Radiant elements are wire coils and radiate heat within the circumference of the coil to the glass top. Halogen elements are a type of bulb that radiates heat within its circumference to the glass top. These two types rely on a panel indicator light to let you know they're on and that the glass top may be hot. Magnetic-Induction-type elements are the most sophisticated electric elements. These elements heat the pan while leaving the glass top cool. Heat is instantaneous and the induction unit will turn off when the pan is removed from the burner. Although more expensive, this type of element comes the closest to offering the versatility of gas.

Features

Pilotless Ignition: On gas ranges this little electric sparking device eliminates the continually burning pilot light. Efficient and economical.

Self-Cleaning Oven: Forget the rubber gloves and oven cleaners. A self-cleaning oven, which heats oven grime until it turns into ash, is a near must. Some ovens claim to be Continuous-Clean. These have a type of textured surface that is supposed to eliminate grimy buildup.

Oven Door Window: So you don't have to open the door to see if the turkey is brown, an oven door window is a useful and efficient extra.