How to choose

Unless you're stuck on faster food, you'll find good cooking and stainless trim for less than $1,000. See our recommendations (Electric ranges and gas and dual-fuel ranges are available to subscribers) for top models. Then follow these tips:

Consider your cooking

Look for a kitchen range with a large oven and at least one high-powered burner or element if you often cook for a crowd; our oven scores reflect usable space based on our measurements. A high-powered burner is also a plus for searing, and ranges that did well in our low-heat tests are especially good for simmering delicate sauces.

Look for ways to save

A convection oven can cut cooking time for some foods, but it often costs at least $150 extra. You'll also pay more for dual-fuel ranges and models with a second oven, and typically much more for professional-style ranges. Our tests continue to show that pricey "pro" ranges are a poor value overall. We've also found that dual-fuel ranges add cost without adding performance.

You'll find complete buying advice for these appliances on our ranges product page.