AGA Ranges
The kitchen range used to be a hulking, radiating vortex of warmth. As the family dog knew, it was the place to be; from it came two of life’s greatest necessities—heat and food. Somewhere along the way, kitchens moved away from their center a bit, or perhaps, the center of the house moved away from the kitchen. Regardless, the range shrank (literally and psychologically). In recent years however, it has reclaimed its niche. Today’s ranges are safer, faster, more efficient, and more comfortable than ever to use, and appliance giants and specialized manufacturers are offering full product lines loaded with mix and match options to customize your cooker.
HEAT SOURCES
Your most basic range choice will be between gas and electric. If you’re replacing an existing range, it’s easiest to use what was there before. Otherwise, choose from preference. The cooktops on electric ranges tend to be a bit less responsive than their gas counterparts, but they’re easier to clean and offer features gas cooktops don’t, such as dual-size ribbon coils that allow you to choose between a small or large cooking ring depending on the size of the pan you’re heating and bridge elements that combine 2 or 3 burners to form one large cooking surface for extra large pots.
COOKTOP LESS OR MORE?
Ranges are available from 24″ to 60″ wide, so how big is big enough? If you never use more than 2 or 3 burners at a time, spend your money on other features. Size matters, but it isn’t everything. For example, if you’re one of those people barbequing in 2 feet of snow, swap out a couple of burners for a grill. Be sure to get burners with a range of temperatures (referred to as BTUs) from low (550 BTUs for simmering) to high (up to 13,500 BTUs for searing and fast boiling).
If you go electric, spend the extra money on a ceramic glass cooktop. These models are safer and sleeker, and their flat surface is much easier to use and clean than models with exposed coils. For gas models, sealed burners are easier to maintain.
Elmira Stove Works
A BUN IN THE OVEN (is Worth Two in the Freezer)
Regardless of the burner heat source, many of today’s ranges employ electric ovens. If the cooktop is gas, these are referred to as dual fuel ranges. There are many types of oven heating, from conventional (using gas or electricity to heat the oven cavity to temperature) to convection (shielding the heat source from contact with food and using a fan to circulate the heat throughout the cavity) to trivection (a combination conventional, convection, and microwave oven that utilizes three types of heat to cut cooking times). Convection is the gold standard, but whatever type of oven you choose, don’t overlook its size; be sure to have a good look inside the oven, because the size of the door does not equal the amount of useable oven space. Check the placement of interior elements in the oven and be sure your Thanksgiving turkey will fit comfortably.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Don’t get a techie buzz checking out the options on today’s ranges. Remember, they all add to the cost. If you require functions galore, go for it. If all those LCD displays and push buttons intimidate you, choose a simpler model. Here’s a test: if you have to call your kids to program the TIVO, go basic. If you’re a BlackBerry-iPod-cell phoniac, amp up the technology.
WHAT’S OUT THERE?
Nearly every kitchen appliance company has thrown its hat in the range ring; these companies offer high-quality cookers on the cutting edge. Makers of professional and professional-style ranges are becoming household names as well. In addition, lesser-known manufacturers present appliances off the beaten path of many kitchen showrooms. These may require a bit more effort to locate and obtain, but their unique designs and features can be worth the effort. Even those curmudgeons among us who believe “they don’t make them like they used to” can find restored and reconditioned vintage ranges ready to take their place in any contemporary kitchen. Keep reading for a few favorites:
WORKER BEES (Under $3,500)
These 30″ ranges often present the look and performance of professional models at a fraction of the cost. Most come in standard colors with stainless or titanium options. The GE Profile line of freestanding and drop-in ranges offers electric or gas models featuring sleek styling and options such as trivection ovens (which cook foods five times faster than conventional ovens) and speed baking and broiling. KitchenAid has entered the game with ranges that carry on the sturdy, industrial look of their other appliances. Their 30″ range, available in full electric or gas, offers Sabbath Mode (which keeps food warm in accordance with kosher law) and a bread proofing function. Whirlpool’s stirred things up a bit with their Polara model, a futuristically-styled electric range with a refrigeration option that can keep food cold (37 degrees) in the oven chamber for up to 24 hours, then raise the temperature to bake or broil the contents. This allows you to program your oven for whatever time you like and put your roast in before heading off for work thereby eliminating the fight with your spouse or child over who forgot to get dinner started.
PROFESSIONAL RANGES ($3,500 and Up)
In recent years, the restaurant-style ranges have made their way into countless dream kitchens. These are big, bold, and beautiful appliances: they demand attention and practically inspire great cooking. These ranges generally don’t offer the bells and whistles of other models, but they’ve mastered simplicity. Viking offers two main series, the Designer and the Professional, with models from 24″ to 48″ wide. All models offer a variety of cooktop configurations including all burners, a full griddle or grill, or various combinations. Particularly impressive is the 48″ model that features two burners on either side of a large grill, with one large and one small convection oven. In addition to the classic stainless steel versions, Viking also now offers these ranges in a wide array of enamel color finishes.
La Cornue Professional Oven/Range
Wolf Appliance Company offers 30″ ranges, although is probably best known for its larger stainless steel models highlighted by fiery red knobs. Especially when their hands are full, cooks can appreciate Wolf’s rotating hidden control panel, fully extendable bottom oven rack, and hydraulic oven door system. A bake stone accessory and a recessed broil element offer additional cooking modes. Thermador makes ranges along a similar aesthetic, but their trademark blue knobs announce their lineage—the 48″ model sports four burners, a grill, a griddle, and two ovens.
If you love the size and feel of restaurant ranges but yearn for a bit more of an artisan’s finishing touch, check out La Cornue’s Grand Palais model, a gorgeous giant offering 13 different cooktop configurations, 20 colors, and 12 finishes to choose from. Or look into the cast-iron beauties from British range-maker Aga. Their mainstay is still the traditional Aga with its numerous hot plates and ovens set at various cooking temperatures, but they’ve added the Legacy line which retains Aga’s distinctive styling and couples it with gas for dual fuel capabilities.
If you prefer something old made new again, visit AntiqueAppliances.com, AntiqueGasStoves.com, and AntiqueStoveHeaven.com for vintage ranges lovingly restored to showroom condition. These companies offer ranges of the 1920s to the 1960s from stalwart makers such as Chambers, Dixie, Gaffers & Sattler, Hotpoint, O’Keefe & Merritt, Roper, Tappan, Wedgewood, Western Holly, and more. Many of these ranges were the originators of the brightly-colored enamel finishes and built-in grills, griddles, soup wells, and multiple ovens sought after in today’s top-end ranges. Long before stainless appliances were all the rage, for example, the Chambers company clad one of their ranges in copper. If you like things that look antique but cook like newer stoves, companies such as Heartland Appliances Inc. and Elmira Stove Works offer antique and retro-style models that have all the conveniences and efficiency of contemporary ranges. Heartland’s Classic Collection brings back the old-time elegance of late 19th and early 20th century stoves while Elmira Stove Works’ offerings span the styles of the late 1800s through the 1950s. These stoves tap into a golden age of ranges and, by so doing, help usher in a new golden age of kitchen design.
Gather the family and friends around the kitchen, because cooking is cool again, and the range is center stage.
Kevin Varrone is a regular contributor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
Aga Ranges: aga-ranges.com or 800-633-9200
AntiqueAppliances.com: AntiqueAppliances.com or 706-782-3132
Antique Gas Stoves: AntiqueGasStoves.com or 909-445-0300
Antique Stove Heaven: AntiqueStoveHeaven.com or 323-298-5581
Elmira Stove Works: elmirastoveworks.com or 800-295-8498
GE: geappliances.com or 800-626-2005
Heartland Appliances, Inc.: heartlandapp.com or 800-361-1517
KitchenAid: kitchenaid.com or 800-422-1230
Küppersbusch: Kuppersbuschusa.com or 800-459-0844
La Cornue: lacornue.com
The Fretz Corporation: Fretz.com or 866-934-4444
Thermador: thermador.com or 800-735-5547
Viking: vikingrange.com or 888-VIKING1
Whirpool Brand Appliances: whirlpool.com or 800-253-1301
Wolf Appliance Company: wolfappliance.com or 800-332-9513
