Range Cooker Reviews

THE PERFECT RANGE COOKER –TO MAKE THE PERFECT KITCHEN

Range Cookers:

Today’s world has a lot of choices to choose from in all fields. And everyone’s world starts from their home. When you plan your home, the kitchen is an integral part of your house and cookers are the most irreplaceable item which originally makes a kitchen. Today’s cookers are quite modern and there is enough competition to make them more updated in facilitations and also gives a great cut in rates.

When you decide to go for buying a cooker, the best you have to choose is the range cooker which is multi functional and multi-deviced with a grill, oven and a hob along with other special features.

There are some range cookers which allow you to program the timing of ovens to on and off the process on your absence also. There are electronic clocks and controls to regulate the temperature. There are surface indicator lights and safety knobs.

You can also check if the child safety provided or not.

Types of Range Cookers:

There are the freestanding range cookers which have a smooth and finished side and have their controls on the backsplash.

The slide-in range cookers have a seamless built-in look which have their controls right out on the front.

There are also the drop-in range cookers which do have an unfinished side that require cabinet designs changes for a tight fitting and they also have the controls on the front.

Classified Check List:

The most important features you have to finalise before you purchase a range cooker are the size, the fuel type, the most needed cooking options, and also the safety measures.

A normal freestanding cooker comes with one or two oven and/or an oven and separate grill with a 4-zone hotplate. They also feature a grill. There are range cookers which have a storage drawer, slow cookers with warming areas and separate compartments.

Size:

The hob to base height and depth of most cookers are of standard measurements of 900 x 600 mm but there are varying levels of width. You have to be sure of the size of your kitchen and where you want your range cooker to be placed with a hitch with your other kitchen units. Also you should decide upon the number of people you have to cook for daily which decides upon the size of the oven and the number of grills you may need.

Size of the Family	Optimal Oven Cavity Size
With 1-2 people	A 2-3 cubic feet
With 3-4 people (small family)	A 3-4 cubic feet
With 4 or more people (large family)	A 4 + cubic feet

You can choose a style which goes along with the backset of the kitchen like if it is more traditional outlook, very professional or a modern contemporary modern hi-fi look.

Colouring: These days the stainless steel is the most trendy like of today’s range cooker but still there are a variety of other colours also. (White and brown, unusual colours like black, racing green, blues etc)

Fuel Type:

These freestanding range cookers can be an all-electric or and all-gas or a dual fuel. In cases some have an electric oven but fitted with a gas hob. There are some range cookers are befitted with features for switching to liquid propane gas (LPG) instead of natural gas.

All Gas: In an all gas range cooker the cooking environment is moist inside the oven which also offers a greater flexibility in the usage of the gas hob. But you have to check out if the bottom of the oven cavity has equal heat distribution.

Gas ranges are available in open burner and sealed burner. Sizes range from 20″ to 40″. You must have access to natural gas.

In an open burner there are large openings in the cook top and they lift up to clean the spills that leak into the opening of the cook top. The drip pans also can be lifted and rinsed in a sink.

A sealed surface range cooker has a cook top designed recessed below the countertop. They are directly attached to the cook top and the spills and splashes drain into it which can be cleaned later.

A gas range can be used in cooking while there is no power supply also.

In an all gas range cooker, either there is a natural gas piped in directly in most of the UK homes or an LPG which is supplied from an outside tank. Some of the cookers have a special kit supplied for this conversion.

The law states that all the gas appliances must be installed by only a member of the CORGI (Council for the Registered Gas Installers). The CORGI members maintain and have to meet a very high installation and safety measures before they become the members of the organization. If it is not fitted by the CORGI member then your warranty becomes void and the gas supplier may decline to connect the supply.

All Electricity: This electric range cooker has a wide range of choices with a solid plate or a ceramic hob with a fan or multifunctional ovens. An electric cooker needs a power supply of a 30 amps cooking circuit from a standard 240 V AC supply. They are available in two designs of coil element and smooth top. The sizes are between 20′ – 36′.

The coil element ranges have radial elements which are easy to clean and plug-in. They also have drip pans which can be lifted for cleaning and offers even heat distribution while cooking.

The smooth top range cookers have radial elements heat quickly and are adjustable in size. They can accommodate both large and small pans and have a triple element that can heat a large griddle or a casserole dish. The smooth top has a durable ceramic and is sealed so as not to allow spills to drip down the burner.

When you go in to purchase an all electric range cooker select the one that uses both the top and bottom elements for cooking.

Gas vs Electric with their pros and cons:

		GAS		ELECTRIC
	PROS		CONS		PROS	CONS
Ovens	The moist heat does not allow the roasted meat to dry easily		To get more even temperatures should choose a fan-assisted model		There are a number of versatile programming found in it	Food should be preheated for the non fan-assisted types before cooking
Grills	Great for instant heating needs		Uneven heating is a natural con		An economical half-grill	Rather slow in heating
Hobs	Easy controls and fast cooking		Tough cleaning in traditional models with lots of nooks and crannies		Very easy to clean with most of the models	Slow in heating up with cheaper solid plates and is less controllable than gas

Dual Fuel: This is the most popular and favored type of range cooker as it offers you the ease and speed of an electric oven with the controllability and flexibility of a gas hob. They have instant heating and increased temp controls and are reasonably affordable. The dual fuel supply needs only an electric connection of 13 amps supply.

Ovens:

Before committing to the purchase, check out the ovens:

Convince the type of oven you want as per your requirement. There are range cookers which have one single large oven or some have a choice of two ovens with varying oven capacity. Also check their energy ratings and the electric consumption used by them.

In an average range cooker the oven capacity is of 63 litres, whereas in a built in oven it is likely to be 55 litres. At times you have a large oven capacity of up to over a 110 litres’ capacity.

In a dual fuel range cooker, look out

• When you do not have a manual, it is best to have a gap of 50mm on either side for gas and dual fuel range cookers.
• For an auto timer
• A minute minder
• A viewing oven door and an interior light
• Non tip shelves and roasting shelf attached to the oven door
• Drop down grills
• Shelf rack which allows you to pull the entire set out
• If a pizza plate or a rottiserie is offered
• Easy grip controls
• Storage compartments for your pots and pans

Multifunctional cooking:

Conventional cooking with tip and bottom heat	Pastry and baking
Fan cooking for fast and even	Time saving and for sweet and savoury dishes
Pizza setting	For a crisp and brown base and melted topping
Fast grilling	Heats up in less than thirty seconds
Fan defrost	Safely defrosts without cooking in contrast as in a microwave
Full or half width grill	Safely defrosts without cooking in contrast as in a microwave
Cast iron pan supports	Smooth or ribbed griddle with a triple ring wok and wok candles. Some have fish burner also
Cooking space	Check for the ideal cooking space that goes along with your kitchen and decide the size

In convection ovens there is a third oven heating element around the fan in the rear of the oven. This is in addition to the standard roast and grill elements. This helps you to cook meat 30% faster and you can opt for conventional baking and roasting or convectional roasting and baking.

When you choose an electric fan oven remember to decrease the temperature and cooking time because the heating element around the fan cooks faster and at lower temperatures. There is no need of pre-heating.

The fan assisted oven makes use of the entire top and bottom heat with the fan but this requires preheating.

In some new models of range cookers there is a slow cooking option for cooking stews and the likes of food.

Today’s range cookers specialise in multifunctional cooking which are widely available in freestanding range cookers. They offer cooking facilities like convectional, conventional, fan, grill, and a combined option of fan and grill for rotisserie. This is great for the modern and traditional style of cooking.

Grills:

A separate grill offers total cooking freedom as you can cook a variety of dishes in the oven and make use of the grill simultaneously.

A grill should be nested in a separated area between the main oven and the gas hob and it is the best of choices to an eye level grill. If there is at least two-shelf space, then you have more cooking space and helps you on easy cleaning. Sometimes there are items which spit fat at the grill if it is too closely placed.

In a gas grill with the flame the centre is hotter than the edges which requires constant shifting of the cooked item. But the latest vitro-grills hide the flames and the heat is spread evenly to the sheet of ceramic glass material. This prevents the smoke.

In an electric grill, go for the ones which have thermostat controls as it is easy to set the grill to a specific temperature. The electric grills are slow in heating but once heated the cooking is okay.

HOBS:

All the modern range cookers offer a variety of pan support along with its hobs.

The cast iron pan support is supposed to be the most durable. This type cannot be washed in a dishwasher as it rusts and is more heavier and expensive than its enameled counterparts.

The enameled pan support are made of mild steel and then enameled and can be easily cleaned in water. But over a long period of usage the enamel wears off due to exposure to enormous heat from the burners.

The stainless steel pan turns blue when heated and easily scarred while cooking.

Gas Hobs : Gas is best for hob as it is fast and easy to control. They usually have four burners. It has one large rapid burner of 2.8kW, two medium with 1.8kW, and a small one of 1kW for gentle simmering.

Large hobs have as far as eight burners with added features like a griddle plate or an elongated burner for fish. They have a stand to support wok.

Choose gas hob with auto-ignited facility and also with a flame safe system. This cuts off the gas if the burner is accidentally extinguished with wind.

Gas hobs come in a variety of stainless steel or mild steel or glass or a combination of metal and glass.

The glass hobs are usually black glass. It is actually a dark red and has a hard wearing and adjusts to high level of temperatures.

Electric Hobs: An electric hob heats up slowly and cools off slowly.

During installation check for cable supply and you should have the correct power feed for the hob.

Solid plate hob:

These types of hobs were used in olden days yet the new version is quicker to the old ones. The plates are of cast iron which is slow to cool. They also rust easily.

Ceramic Hobs:

These types of hobs are made of hard brittle yet heat resistant material. They are made up from firing a mixture of substances in high degrees of heat.

They are nothing but heating elements with electricity which are hidden under glass. They are otherwise called as Quicklight, Radiant, or HI-lite. This is so because they have a black surface made out of special glass-like substance. There are tightly wound elements which heats up when the power is on and cooks faster than a solid plate hob. The power that is used for this type of hobs is 30 amps normally.

These ceramic hobs have two types of controls, the touch control or knobs.

These knobs are becoming very popular but are expensive since they also come with a timer facility which allows a period of simmer and then switches off. They are more easy to clean.

Induction hob:

Induction hobs generate heat by using high power electric or magnetic field. They are very quick to heat than a gas one. Also only a magnetic based sauce pan could be used.

If you have a pace maker fitted then you cannot use an induction hob because of the powerful magnetic field it generates.

STANDARD SAFETY MEASURES:

There is also hob safety which is fitted with thermocouples which compliances with the legislation for flats and other multi-dwelling habitats. The safety thermocouples switches off the gas automatically if the flame accidentally extinguishes and these measures are taken in compliance with the FSD legislation clause 8.2.1 of IGE/G/5.

Special care should be taken in the installation of the hobs. The minimum distance between the gas hob and cooker hood is above 750 mm. Since there are lot of specifications to these fittings it is best to be fitted by a CORGI fitter who is familiar with all the rules and regulations. Otherwise it is illegal.

MAINTENANCE: The cleaning of the range cookers is one of the most important things one has to look for. You have to clean your range cookers regularly than allowing them to have dirt and grease pile up. These modernized ovens do have varying built-in cleaning facilities. You have to look for the ones which is most suitable for your schedule and timings.

There are the stay-clean liners which are detachable metal liners along the sides and also on the back.

The catalytic liners are also on the sides as well as the roof and the back. They are treated with a special material which absorbs grease splashes and when the oven is run in higher temperatures like the 200 C these splashes get themselves and burnt and clears off.

The pyrolysis is the best of the cleaning processes which is also labour-free. When the programmer is set to pyro, the heat inside the oven is hike to an extreme high and all the spills and splashes are reduced to a fine grey ash which is readily wiped after cooling. It is also a lot more cheaper as a regular pyro cycle comes around only a 22p.

HOOD:

To make your kitchen have the fresh look and easy to clean while cooking meals you can furnish your range cooker with a chimney hood that matches the style and size of your cooker.

SPLASHBACKS:

You can also go for a backplate which sits at the back of the cooker and thus protects the walls from all the spills and splashes. It completes the stylish look of the kitchen area.

ENERGY:

It is good enough to know that majority of the built in appliances have energy rating levels. The ones that do not have this ratings are the hobs, hoods, and microwaves.

The best is A and the least is G. Some range cookers have double ovens and they have two rating levels for both the top and the bottom oven.

WARRANTY:

Always check for the warranty period offered by the manufacturer and for the additional spares or labour guarantee period. Some provide an annual maintenance and charge for it.