Ranges: features that pan out.

Larger ovens, quicker cooktops, and speedier self-cleaning are a few of the features you'll hear about as manufacturers woo busy cooks. Some features can slice the time you spend over a hot stove. But others promise more than they delivered in our labs.

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One innovation that worked well is the new Power Boil element on GE's $1,100 JBP81SL smoothtop electric range. GE says it maximizes pot-heating speed without damaging the glass cooktop by combining high, 3,000-watt cooking power with a special controller that keeps heat in check. Indeed, the new GE boiled water faster than all but the top-scoring Kenmore smoothtop. But that model costs $350 less.

You'll also see the first ranges from LG, the Korean brand known for its refrigerators, washing machines, and cell phones. But months of boiling water, baking cookies, and broiling burgers in our test kitchen show that those relatively pricey ranges and several other newcomers face hot competition from less-tony competitors. The details:

"Biggest" doesn't measure up. LG touts an "industry leading" oven capacity for its $1,300 smoothtop LRE30755. While the blue, convection-equipped oven was among the largest tested, five higher-scoring models offer similar usable space, four for hundreds less. As with other ranges, we found usable space to be less than claimed capacity.

More isn't necessarily better. GE's and LG's latest smoothtops also feature six-pass broiling elements, which zig and zag over more surface area than the usual four-pass versions and are claimed to speed broiling and improve evenness. But 10 other models in this report broiled our tray of tested burgers at least as quickly and evenly for as little as $530.

New burner, high price. Bosch claims the new burner design on its $1,650 HGS715 gas range does a better job of simmering by directing the flame more efficiently. The Bosch was among the best at melting chocolate and simmering tomato sauce in our low-heat tests. But four other gas ranges did as well on low heat for less money.