Range cooker reviews: FAQs
Range cookers made the best small cakes
Range cookers are gorgeous, but are they any good?
Oven performance
If you have the cooking skill to appreciate the flexibility they offer you, range cookers are a good choice. But amateur cooks may find their foibles off-putting.
The good news is range cookers' ovens cooked the best and most consistent small cakes we've seen in recent cooker tests.
But some ovens take twice as long to heat up as others, and they're often hotter than the temperature you set on the dial, so recipe cooking times will be inaccurate.
Using all your hob burners simultaneously may affect the oven temperature sensor, leading to the oven cooling – by 20° in the worst cases. So when you're catering on a large scale, your oven may behave slightly erratically.
The ovens are also small on some of the range cookers we tested, and some of them are set very low down.
Grills
We weren't impressed with the grills on the range cookers we've tested – even the best only manages to brown three-quarters of its grill area effectively.
The poor-performing grills only grilled a small area effectively
Cleaning problems
Stainless steel is great in a professional kitchen because it shows up every finger mark and speck of dirt, which could be harbouring bacteria.
But unless you adopt the professional approach of wiping down twice a day, your range cooker will be plagued by fingerprints.
The huge cast-iron pan supports are rough, heavy and large, which makes them difficult to clean, especially as most are too big to fit in a kitchen sink.
None of the range cookers we tested has the easiest-to-clean pyrolytic oven linings.
How can I get the best out of my range cooker?
It may sound obvious, but the instruction booklet is a great place to start. Most give lots of information on the different oven, grill and hob functions, plus advice for using features such as wok burners, griddles and hotplates (see Features explained).
Following the guidelines on which function to use, cooking temperatures and shelf positions should help you to get the best possible results every time.
Use the right-sized pan for your burners
How can I use my gas hob economically?
Avoid wasting heat by using pans of a suitable size for the burner, to prevent the flame extending beyond the base of the pan. Always put a lid over the pan when bringing things to the boil and reduce the heat afterwards.
Cut vegetables into small pieces and cook in as little water as possible to reduce cooking times.
How can I keep my range cooker looking spotless?
Stainless steel surfaces
Always remove fingerprints as soon as you make them, or they become harder to clean off. Wipe over with a clean cloth wrung out in hot soapy water, then polish off all water with a soft dry cloth.
The E-cloth developed for stainless steel is a great buffer – you can buy it from some supermarkets, electrical retailers and environmentally-friendly product websites.
Remove stubborn marks using a stainless steel cleaner, or rub in a few drops of baby oil to restore stainless steel finishes. Don't use cooking oils, as they contain salts which can damage the metal. Avoid wiping down with wire wool or other scrubby pads, which can scratch the surface.
Enamel pan supports
The first resort is to clean them regularly with warm soapy water. Use a cream cleaner for stubborn marks, and apply the cleaner with a sponge scourer if soiling is difficult to remove.
Griddle
Cast iron griddles build up a non-stick surface from the oil you use in cooking – you don't want to get rid of this by washing in detergent or dishwasher.
Scrub the griddle while still warm with hot tap water and dry immediately. Remove stubborn residues by scrubbing with salt and olive oil.
Oven
Always read the manufacturer's instructions for their advice. On enamelled surfaces, wipe the affected area with a damp cloth wrung out in warm water and mild detergent.
Remove obstinate marks using a paste or cream cleaner or well moistened soap-impregnated steel wool pad, rubbed gently so as not to damage the surface.
Catalytic or stay-clean liners can be cleaned by removing the trays and shelf, and leaving the oven on maximum for a further 15 to 20 minutes after cooking to allow the stay-clean process to operate.
Remove splashes of liquid or fat with a damp sponge. Don't use oven cleaners, alkaline or acid cleaners, or detergents to clean the oven.
