Ranges don't get burned.(Buyers guide)

Expensive ranges aren't always better. Our tests of 65 ranges found a $450 electric and a $550 gas model that performed better overall than a $5,200 pro-style one. But paying more can get you added style and the latest features.

Manufacturers are offering more powerful burners and elements, more versatile ovens, and better styling. But months of toiling over hot stoves, baking, broiling, boiling, and simmering confirmed that the latest may not be the greatest.

Dual-fuel ranges, for example, combine a gas cooktop with an electric oven. The claim: Gas is more responsive and electric ovens provide more even heat. But our tests show that electric cooktops tend to heat up faster and maintain low heat better. We also found no significant performance difference between gas and electric ovens. On average, the dual-fuel models we tested scored lower than top-rated gas or electric models.

A new dual-fuel range, a freestanding GE model, is no exception. Unlike other dual-fuel ranges, it plugs into a regular 120-volt outlet, saving the cost and mess of running a 240-volt line. But that savings comes at the price of mediocre broiling and self-cleaning capabilities. Its oven uses both gas and electric for cooking.

Here's what you'll see in the stores:

Pro-style look gets a makeover. More stainless models have sleeker styling with black accents, touch controls, and digital displays. It's an alternative to the heavy-duty, restaurant look popularized by Viking, Wolf, and others.

More ranges have two ovens. Two ovens allow you to roast your prime rib in one regular-sized oven and bake your dinner rolls in another smaller one. Some companies, such as GE, replaced lower storage or a warming drawer with an electric oven. Maytag's Gemini puts the smaller oven on top of the main oven instead, and the Sharp Insight stacks a microwave drawer above an electric oven. The Maytag is more versatile than the GE; you can broil and brown in it.