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COPYRIGHT 2002 Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.
The humble stove's rise to kitchen centerpiece helps explain America's love affair with stainless-clad, pro-style ranges. But don't think paying thousands of dollars will buy you a better burger or a tastier sauce. As the Ratings on pages 18 and 19 show, three CR Best Buys--two electric ranges, from Maytag and Frigidaire, and one gas model from Hotpoint--outcooked the priciest models, yet cost less than $600 each. Spend $1,200 to $1,600, and you can get a gas T range with beefy cast-iron grates, stainless-steel trim, and other pro-style features without paying a pro-style price.
PERFORMANCE
We rated 49 gas and electric ranges, including electric coil stoves and smoothtop electric models with ceramic glass surfaces. Also included were seven dual-fuel ranges, which pair a gas cooktop with an electric oven.
Which is better, a gas or electric range? That depends on your priorities. Gas ranges are known for instant cooktop response and relatively precise control, while electrics offer faster cooktop heating and, for smoothtops, easier cleanup. But those differences may not matter if, like many, you buy a range based on the type you're used to and your home's energy source.
Dual-fuel ranges combine the control and response of burners with the familiarity of electric ovens, which account for the most sales. You'll pay a premium for dual-fuel ranges, however. Except for the $1,600 Kenmore Elite 4683 and $1,900 Jenn-Air JDS9860AA, those we tested cost well over $3,000. And like the pro-style, gas-only Viking VGSC3064B, Dacor PGR30, and DCS RGA-304, some dual-fuel models proved less than stellar at quick cooktop heating, baking and broiling, and other key areas we tested.
On top of the stove: Lower-priced models have the edge. If you hate waiting for water to boil, you'll love an electric coil range. All of them brought a large pot of water to a near boil in about 12 minutes. Some smoothtops came close, but most gas ranges took several minutes longer. By contrast, the pro-style, dual-fuel DCS RD-304 was slowest, at 21 minutes, despite its 15,000 British thermal units per hour (Btu/hr.) gas burners. High Btus should provide more heat and faster warming. But this model's extra-heavy, cast-iron burner parts and thick grates slowed warming notably.
Most electric and many gas models provided low heat for melting and simmering delicate foods without scorching them. Exceptions were the high-priced gas Viking VGSC3064B, Dacor PGR30, and DCS RGA-304, which scorched chocolate and boiled tomato sauce we attempted to simmer.
In the oven: Paying more can buy less. Smaller ovens are often another pro-style compromise. While the smallest we tested can hold a 20-pound turkey, the top-scoring mainstream models have room for a covered casserole dish on the shelf above.
The ability to bake multiple cake layers or trays of cookies evenly is also important for busy cooks. Nearly all of the tested ranges did just that. Most erratic was the dual-fuel Dacor ERD30S06, which baked our four cake layers well in one bake mode and left them undercooked in another.
Under the broiler: Most pro-style stoves do well, but so do others. For broiling, we looked for ovens that left meats with a dark brown crust on the outside...
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