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Next to the living room, the kitchen plays a unifying role in the home. In fact, many consider it the heart of the home – and the heart of the kitchen is the cooking range. As such, it is vital to choose the right cooking range that will meet your needs and preferences.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a cooking range for your kitchen.

Cooking entails a lot of movements. As such, you should be able to move freely around the kitchen, so it’s important to consider the right size of the cooking range. Usually, kitchens come with built-in racks, drawers, cupboards, sink, and other furniture – not to mention, other kitchen appliances. 

So, when choosing a kitchen range, it is vital to consider the existing space. The cooking range should fit perfectly into it. When you choose an over-sized stove, it can take up too much space. You might even need to renovate the kitchen!

Cooking stoves come in a variety of sizes. If you have limited space, portable electric stoves offer the best option. They can fit virtually in any kitchen size. You can even place on the worktop without any worry! 

How often do you cook? How about the volume? When picking out the cooking range, you should think of it as your partner that can withstand the grueling demands of the kitchen. 

If you love to host parties or cook for a bigger crowd, you need to have a heavy-duty gas stove with several burners. It should also be durable enough that you don’t have to replace it too often. Of course, you don’t want to worry about the unit breaking down when you need it the most. 

What recipes do you normally cook? Whether you only cook regular viands or some Michelin-grade culinary masterpiece, Pick out a versatile cooking range that is able to adapt to different cooking needs. Take note that it is not only you who will eventually use the stove. Your cooking stove should easily accommodate their cooking styles.

Kitchen ranges can be categorized based on the heat source. The basic options are gas, electric and induction ranges. Generally, gas stoves are preferred by serious cooks because they heat up faster and offer better temperature control. Electric and induction ranges offer a good alternative and are becoming more popular because of their affordability. 

While each type has its own pros and cons, most homeowners pick their range depending on their cooking preferences. Here we take a look at each type of stove.

For quite a long time, gas stove tops were the only choice. They have long been the most preferred type due to its precise temperature control and instantaneous heating. You can fry, boil, sear, flambé, and sauté on your gas stove with relative ease. The metal burner grates allow you to use any type of cookware – even those with non-flat bottoms. However, the sturdy metal burner grates might make it difficult to clean up. Food particles also tend to accumulate and “bake” up around the grates.

Gas stoves are best for people who want to try different cooking styles. It is also best if you cook large volumes of foods or if you need instant heating. A major consideration when choosing a gas range is that you need to have a readily available gas line. If your kitchen doesn’t come with this feature, you need to have one installed -- but this can be quite pricey.

One of the downsides of gas stoves is that they tend to heat less evenly. There are some useful cooking tips at MamiCookingTips.com on how to ensure evenly cooked meals on gas ranges. 

The best portable electric stoves are very popular, less expensive and versatile. Usually, they come with ceramic or glass cooktops that are smooth. When not in use, electric stove look neat and clean. With its sleek, flat surface, you can use any cookware with flat bottom. This design also allows easy after care. You just need a damp flannel to clean up the mess.

It uses electricity to produce heat and is great for everyday cooking needs. It produces a consistent and even heat distribution compared to gas oven. Although it generally produces good heat, temperature control can be quite a challenge. Another concern with electric stoves is that they don’t produce instant heating. You have to get used at how long it takes to boil water or heat a pan. 

Basic cooking techniques such as boiling, searing, simmering and frying can be achieved with electric range. However, when you want a quick sear, be sure to let the burner reach the desired heal level before you finally put the meat. 

If you are a serious cook, electric range might not suite well with you because of these cons.

Lastly, we have the induction range. This relatively new technology is gaining popularity. It comes with smooth, neat cooktop same with electric range. But unlike electric range that uses electric current to generate heat, induction cookers use electromagnetism to heat up the cookware. This technology allows faster heat up and precise temperature control. 

Beneath the “burner” zone lie coils of metal where electric current runs through to produce a magnetic field. Unlike the gas or electric range, you can touch the burner area without being burned! It only heats up the iron pan and not anything without metal. 

Basically, induction ranges offer fast pan heating and efficient cooking. It allows you to do different cooking techniques like frying, boiling, sautéing, and even searing. The best thing about induction range is it allows you to instantaneously regulate the temperature. Add to that, cleaning up the induction range is easier because of its smooth cooktop area. You don’t have to worry about food particles “baking” on the burners.

There you have the most basic pointers to help you find the best cooking range for your kitchen!