There are two different installations when it comes to oven ranges, freestanding and slide-in. Neither is better than the other. Freestanding is exactly what it sounds like, a unit that has finished sides and a backguard that houses controls as well as protecting the wall behind the range from splashes or accidents. They can be installed in between cabinets or stand on their own.  Slide-in oven ranges have unfinished sides and are designed to be installed between cabinets or in a kitchen island space. These ranges do not have a backguard so often kitchens have easy-to-clean tiles installed behind them, but they sit seamlessly flush to your counters and between your cabinets.  Beyond those two installation choices, gas ranges vary with their features and price point. Professional ranges are significantly more expensive but have powerful stovetops burners that will have you cooking faster and quicker. However, some of the more moderately priced home consumer models are catching up to them, offer a wide range of conveniences that the professional models might not have, like pre-programmed bake functions and Wi-Fi capabilities.  Here are the best gas ranges that I recommend. What We Don’t Love: Expensive, basic design This freestanding range has all the features of a professional range at about half the cost, as well as a few bells and whistles that a professional range doesn’t. For starters, the oven space is a fairly roomy 5.6 cubic feet and there is a storage drawer underneath it. It also features a third heating unit in the back for true convection, creating an evenly heated environment throughout as well as a super-fast no-preheat air fryer option as well. The range has 5 different burners, including a center removable griddle that is great for everyday cooking. One burner has a super-powerful 20,000-BTU tri-ring that allows you to bring the water to boil superfast as well as lower the heat to a bare simmer.   The built-in Wi-Fi allows you to preheat the oven, check on the preheating as well as change the temperature from anywhere in your home with just a smartphone. One thing this oven is missing is a proofing function for bakers like me. Type: Freestanding | Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 x 28.75 x 47 inches | Number of Burners: 5 | Oven Capacity: 5.6 cubic feet | Self Cleaning: Yes What We Don’t Love: Super expensive, learning curve to use features If you’re looking for a 36-inch range, which is larger than the standard 30-inch range, Miele is one of the best options out there. A professional range often means fewer features since professionals want to just cook without the frills. But Miele changes that dynamic with their M Touch digital oven display that has 95 different pre-programmed bake options.  This range is what’s known as dual fuel. The gas cooktop is combined with an electric oven, which allows for more precise baking with fewer temperature fluctuations. The oven can go from a low 75 degrees to 575 degrees, with a rapid preheat and wireless probe for roasts. It has Moisture Plus, a programmable steaming function that ensures your bread has the European caramelized crust most home bakers strive for. Along with all that, the range has 6 burners that go up to 19,500 BTUs as well as one that drops low enough to keep your food at a bare simmer, perfect for delicate sauces. This is the oven range for you if you entertain a lot or want to create professional-level baked goods. Type: Freestanding | Dimensions (WxDxH): 36 x 26.5 x 35.5 inches | Number of Burners: 6 | Oven Capacity: 5.7 cubic feet | Self Cleaning: Yes What We Don’t Love: Gets a bit crowded if using all 5 burners, the broiler is under the oven This oven range isn’t the cheapest one on the market but it has a lot of features that others don’t in its category. This includes a powerful 15,000-BTU burner that will bring your water to a boil fast. The range even comes with a griddle that fits snugly on the grates, which is useful for everyday cooking. The continuous cast-iron grates on top not only look professional but are completely practical too. You no longer have to worry about placing your small pots right in the center of the rack or they will fall off. You can also slide the large and heavy pots around from burner to burner easily, without fear of dropping or spilling the content.  The oven is no-frills, with no convection or self-cleaning options and the broiler is in a drawer underneath the oven, meaning you have to bend over all the way to use it. But the large, wide oven window makes it easy to peer into the oven as your item bakes or roasts. If you’re on a budget, this range is a great option. Type: Freestanding | Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 x 27.2 x 46.25 inches | Number of Burners: 5 | Oven Capacity: 5.1 cubic feet | Self Cleaning: No What We Don’t Love: Oven capacity is slightly smaller, bottom storage drawer is flimsy and small This freestanding oven range has an integrated griddle in the middle for easy everyday cooking. It features an 18,000-BTU burner for professional-level power when I need fast heating and cooking. It also has a low simmer burner for those persnickety dishes like fettuccine Alfredo. The 5-cubic-foot convection oven has a rear fan to circulate air to ensure even temperatures inside as well as an air frying mode which circulates the air faster to brown and give food a blast of heat. The self-cleaning option has a steam cleaning feature for lighter cleaning duties which means daily maintenance is easy. This range has all the best features for the enthusiast cook or baker. Type: Freestanding | Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 x 28.75 x 47.25 inches | Number of Burners: 5 | Oven Capacity: 5 cubic feet | Self Cleaning: Yes What We Don’t Love: Steaming “easy clean” option not very robust, stainless steel gets dirty easy This slide-in oven has one of the most spacious ovens with 6.3 cubic feet of space. Because of the large oven, there are seven different adjustable rack positions that give you the versatility to make bacon and a breakfast casserole at the same time. The ProBake feature also means the heating element has been moved from the bottom of the oven to the back, which ensures even heating throughout the oven. The bake modes options include proofing, delayed baking, and warm. The 17,000-BTU burner means fast boiling and the 5-burner cooktop is great for those folks who don’t want a griddle in the middle. The rear and center burners are less powerful, good for keeping food warm or at a simmer. This slide-in oven range has tons of features and will truly be appreciated by any regular home baker. Type: Slide-in | Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 x 28.9 x 37.88 inches | Number of Burners: 5 | Oven Capacity: 6.3 cubic feet | Self Cleaning: No What We Don’t Love: Learning curve for the double oven, top oven can run hot Double ovens are great in theory but sometimes it just means you have two small ovens, which isn’t super useful for large roasts like your Thanksgiving turkey. Samsung’s innovative Flex Duo allows you to convert one large oven into two ovens, or vice versa, by simply taking out a divider. Though there’s a little bit of a learning curve to using this, the fact that you can just use the top oven for smaller dishes means you’re not heating up the entire oven nor do you have to bend over all the way to open it. A total back saver if you are older or have limited mobility. The gliding rack inside is also a nice touch for not always having to reach into the oven to get the dish. There are also plenty of other features, including a wok grate, a griddle, powerful burners (18,000 BTUs) as well as built-in Wi-Fi capabilities to check on the oven and your food from anywhere in your home. If you are looking for the flexibility of a double oven that allows you to cook food at different temperatures, consider this one your best option! Type: Freestanding | Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 x 25.9 x 47.1 inches | Number of Burners: 5 | Oven Capacity: 5.8 cubic feet | Self Cleaning: Yes What We Don’t Love: Very expensive, not a lot of extra features  Bluestar might not be the most recognizable brand in this list of oven ranges but it deserves to be. Not only is this unit powerful with the front to burners topping out at a blazing 21,000 BTUs, but it has sleek grates that allow you to move your pot all over the stovetop. Like other professional ranges, BlueStar does not have a huge number of features, focusing more on usability over bells and whistles. There’s no Wi-Fi or self-cleaning, but there is a convection oven that includes a crazy powerful 1,850-degree commercial-grade infrared broiler. Beyond all that, BlueStar is known for its customizable units. If you’re a designer or just love color, BlueStar has more than 1,000 different colors and finishes to choose from as well as 10 different metal trims. BlueStar is the oven range for you if you need something that unique that stands out from all the rest. Type: Freestanding | Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 x 24 x 36.75 inches | Number of Burners: 4 | Oven Capacity: 4.6 cubic feet | Self Cleaning: No What We Don’t Love: Expensive, stovetop and oven are difficult to clean If you’re an avid baker, this slide-in range is ideal. It has one of the largest oven cavities for a 30-inch model at 6.5 cubic feet. But it also has features like convection baking, a steam rack, and a gliding roll-out rack. Best of all, there is a baking drawer at the bottom of the oven that also works as a warming drawer, or as a mini oven that allows you to bake at a different temperature than the main oven. The range is also impressive with full grate coverage and a middle oval burner that griddle. Powerful burner range from 5,000 to 19,000 BTUs for fast boiling or gentle simmering. But the full features of the oven are what make this range stand out for home bakers. Type: Slide-in | Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 x 28.9 x 36 inches | Number of Burners: 5 | Oven Capacity: 6.5 cubic feet | Self Cleaning: Yes What We Don’t Love: Very expensive, custom order, oven is on the smaller side If you’re in the market for a professional range, Wolf is top of the class. Like a lot of other professional ranges like Thermador or Viking, Wolf doesn’t have a ton of features. In fact, it’s practically no-frills with its when it comes to the range and oven.  But what makes Wolf stand out from the others is the precision in which you can bring the heat in the burners from super hot to barely warm. Topping out at 15,000 BTUs isn’t the most powerful, but power isn’t everything, especially if you are a cooking enthusiast that wants the ability to regulate your temperature. The convection oven is just as precise, with a built-in temperature probe that ensures your dishes come out just the right doneness. For those that appreciate the finesse, Wolf is the professional range of choice. Type: Freestanding | Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 x 23.4 x 37 inches | Number of Burners: 4 | Oven Capacity: 4.4 cubic feet | Self Cleaning: No

What to Look for When Buying a Gas Range

Installation

Ranges are built as freestanding or slide-in, and this will affect not only the look of your kitchen but how it’s installed. Slide-in models sit flush with your countertops or kitchen island and between your cabinets. They create a seamless sleek look, with the control panel in the front not in the back. Freestanding models, with finished sides, have a back panel and can be installed both between your counters or on their own anywhere in the kitchen. They aren’t as sleek looking but also tend to cost just a little bit less than their slide-in counterparts.

Stovetop Power

Stovetops are usually rated by BTUs, a term that stands for British Thermal Unit. It’s the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree. The higher the BTU, the more power your stove will produce and the faster it heats up the pan. Higher BTUs mean faster boiling of water. For those who crave speed and high heat for searing, a higher BTU might seem the best bet. But keep in mind that power does not equal precision. Higher-end models come with duo or triple rings burners to achieve the higher BTUs as well as get the lower heat, allowing you to simmer sauces or melt chocolate without a double boiler.

Oven Capacity

Most 30-inch gas range stoves have an internal capability of ranging between 4.8 to 6.5 cubic feet, with most of them hovering somewhere around 5.2 to 5.5 cubic feet. If you have a large family or entertain a lot, oven capacity might be important for roasting that larger turkey or making multiple dishes at the same time. Additional features like self-cleaning, convection, a warming drawer, and Wi-Fi capability are nice but can raise the overall cost.

Do gas ranges need to be vented?

It’s a good idea to vent any cooking appliance, since as Ken Riemann, the Cooking Buyer for P.C. Richard & Son points out, “ventilation is used to remove heat, smoke, steam, grease, and any byproducts of burning gas.” But is it absolutely necessary? “No,” he says. In fact, “gas ranges do not necessarily require venting as much as electric ranges because the nitrogen dioxide burns relatively clean.”

How do you clean the range’s grates?

Riemann recommends following manufacturer Whirlpool’s instructions: removing non-cast iron or seasoned, coated grates and the burner caps to soak in hot, soapy water. You can scrub and rinse from there, but if they’re exceptionally dirty, you may want to create a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water, coat the grates, and let it sit in that instead. Then use a heavy-duty brush or non-scratch nylon scrubber to work on stubborn stains. Finally, rinse off the mixture, then wipe down with a soft cloth—this part is very important! Keeping it dry is how you prevent the parts from rusting.

Why Trust Simply Recipes?

This article is written by Irvin Lin, author of the cookbook “Marbled, Swirled, and Layered,” and an ongoing contributor to Simply Recipes. He runs his own blog Eat the Love, is a professional recipe developer, and has worked with a wide range of ranges, from the simple no-frills ones in his rental apartments to higher quality ranges in various homes, as well as professional ranges in showrooms and cooking schools. He loves the instant precision you get from cooking on a gas range. Read Next: The Best Air Fryers