The Best Electric Range To Buy
Note that we are currently reevaluating all of our guides to ranges and our advice on buying them, and that includes learning all we can about induction stoves and cooktops. This is largely due to changing city and state regulations (video) on installing gas kitchen equipment and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which introduced the first federal consumer rebates on electric kitchen appliances. If you need to buy a new electric stove now, the picks below are all available and are made by companies we trust, so we remain confident in recommending them.
the best electric range to buy
For the models we were able to check out in a store, we looked for those with knobs that felt securely fastened to the range, without too large a gap between the dial and the body. We checked for oven doors that opened smoothly but not too lightly, racks and drawers that glided, and a tightly laminated control panel. (All of the units we saw were floor models, so they may have seen more wear-and-tear than a range in a typical house.)
A wok grate, temperature probe, or any other cooking accessory can be cool and useful, and many ranges come with one or more of these as a toss-in. But you can buy any of them separately, too.
We like affordable GE ranges in general, and if you want to go cheaper than our budget pick, the GE JB258DMWW is a good option. It has about the same specs as the GE Hotpoint, but it has a bigger oven and a self-cleaning mode.
As the name implies, electric ranges are powered by corded electricity, drawing around 2,000 to 5,000 watts. Electric ranges are available in six to nine-burner configurations, and each element on the range will have a different wattage, with the largest typically using the most power. The burners can be set at different heat levels for small and large pots.
For instance, electric ranges offer unparalleled cooking flexibility with features like convection cooking, a broiler, an induction cooktop and even Wi-Fi compatibility, allowing you to operate and monitor your range remotely via an app on your phone or tablet. Not to mention, some electric stoves come equipped with self-cleaning functionality so that you can knock another chore off your to-do list.
Remember, a more expensive range with more features will cost an extra amount in repairs should they ever need it. So buying one with only the settings you need is a better option as they are less expensive and will last longer.
Consumer Reports found that electric smoothtop ranges typically outperform gas ranges when it comes to using high heat, low heat, baking and even broiling because electric ranges can provide more even cooking and better temperature regulation.
Opinions vary about the best electric stoves, but GE, Amana, KitchenAid, Samsung, LG and Frigidaire are considered among the best on the market, along with others. Ultimately, the best electric stove will be the stove that best fits your needs.
Why You Should Get It: If you want to replace an old induction range and keep your current cookware, this KitchenAid model is sleek, powerful, and self-cleaning. Plus, it has an extra-large capacity.
Our top pick for an electric range is the Samsung NE63A6111SS. This user-friendly model offers a spacious 6.3-cubic-foot oven and a five-element cooktop with rapid boil elements to save you time. It's also equipped with Wi-Fi for extra convenience. If you're on a budget, consider the GE JB645RKSS. While its oven cavity is smaller, and its heating elements won't get quite as hot, it still offers plenty of versatility for cooking and baking tasks. Plus, it has an in-oven broiler and a drawer below the oven for extra storage of cookware.
In general, electric ranges do not use a lot of energy. The average wattage of an element on the stovetop of an electric range is around 1,200 to 3,300 watts. It can be harder to find the listed wattage for an electric oven. You may need to contact the manufacturer to request this information for a specific model.
Electric ranges have a typical useful span, like other major household appliances. You can expect to get up to 13 years of use from this mainstay kitchen appliance. There is very little maintenance needed to keep an electric range operating properly, outside of routinely cleaning the stovetop, controls, and oven.
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While the decision of which fuel to cook with might be out of your hands, you still have plenty of options when it comes to the model. There are dozens of options to choose from, but lucky for you, we've tested enough electric ranges to make some strong recommendations. That includes our best overall pick, the Whirlpool WGE745C0FS (available at Best Buy for $1,449.99) .
The Whirlpool WGE745C0FS electric range is a knockout across the board. It passed every test we threw at it with flying colors, from boiling water to baking pizza. Its ability to multitask sets it apart from other ranges, in particular having the option to bake two dishes at different temperatures simultaneously and fit at least four pots on the cooktop at once.
The LG LREL6325F Freestanding Electric Range was our former top-performing electric range. Its cooktop is sleek, easy to clean, and features two dual-zone burners. And the average boil times for its five burners are the fastest of any electric range we've tested.
It's one of the top-performing ranges we've tested and has many bonus features, such as the true-convection oven that can also air fry. The smooth, glass cooktop surface makes cleaning a breeze. Performance-wise, this range received perfect scores in our oven tests, from roasting pork chops to baking multiple trays of cookies.
This gorgeous slide-in range is great for baking enthusiasts and has a built-in oven probe to help you monitor the food. However, it took a while to preheat and bring a pot of water to a boil. Those basics aside, serious bakers will likely find a lot to like with this appliance.
You can also bisect the door, but only when and if you choose. Along with the oven(s), the rangetop easily reaches searing heats or simmering lows. Whether you want to cook a Thanksgiving turkey or cook multiple meals at once, this range can fit your needs.
Its Flex Duo divider means it's three ovens in one package: It can function as a large, single oven, or you can simply slide in the divider to convert it into two smaller ovens for baking two things at once. This model also offers Wi-Fi for remote preheat, two powerful burners, great low-heat simmering. And it boasts some of the best roasting we've ever tested.
The average boil time across its five burners (two dual-zone, three single-zone) was faster than our top-performing electric range, the Electrolux EI30EF45QS. We like that it has useful features like ProBake Convection, Remote Start, and ThinQ app capabilities.
If you like to multitask in the kitchen, then you'll love the Frigidaire FGEH3047VF. This range has five burners, the front two of which have multiple rings, and can reach temperatures well over 800F. The oven gets hot enough to cook a pizza (at 500F), and makes baking evenly baked cookies look like a cakewalk.
The real selling point of this range is that it comes with an Air Fry mode, which works best with the special tray that can be purchased separately. Our tests showed that the Air Fry mode worked beautifully.
On average, it takes the burners about 9-10 minutes to boil 6 cups of water, but the right-front burner was able to boil that amount of water in under 4 minutes, which is pretty speedy. Overall, this range is a good deal for what it does and consumers agree.
Not only do we perform repeatable, lab-based tests on ovens, ranges, and cooktops, but we also do real-world evaluations (think: cookie baking and the like). That means we can tell you which products will perform the best, will give you the most bang for your buck, or have the sleekest looks.
One of the most common tasks for a range or cooktop is to boil a pot of water. For each burner, we take an appropriately sized pot, and fill it up halfway with distilled water. Then, we position a thermometer horizontally in the middle of the pot, and vertically in the middle of the water column. We monitor the thermocouple and record the time it takes for the temperature of the water to reach 200F.
If you don't see mention of "True Convection" or "European Convection", but do see the word "convection" in a range's specs, it means that the unit lacks an additional heating element, but does have a fan to circulate the hot air. While you don't get the full baking and cooking effect that you would with True Convection, the added heat circulation can cook or bake food more evenly than it would without a fan.
There are also ranges out there that do not offer convection options at all; these ovens aren't bad, it will just take more time to cook and bake food all the way through. If you're a frequent baker or cook, convection can be a great time saver, but your dinners won't suffer unduly without it.
While slotting in and sitting on top of your countertop may seem similar, the main differences between the two involve finish and ease of cleaning. Because freestanding ranges are visible from all angles, they have more finished sides; slide-in ranges are meant to have their sides hidden by the cabinetry, so the finish typically isn't as pretty on the sides.
Additionally, because slide-in ranges sit flush with your countertop, they're a bit easier to clean because they do not have a large lip around the edge. Freestanding ranges often have larger lips around the edge of the cooktop to corral any crumbs that would otherwise decorate your floor. Freestanding ranges also typically have a back-mounted control panel for the same reason.
While slide-in ranges will do fine in a freestanding arrangement, the reverse is less true. If your current cooking setup has the range sitting in a cabinet or countertop cutout, we recommend replacing that range with another slide-in range. Conversely, if your range stands alone in your kitchen, we'd recommend replacing it with another freestanding range to cut down on food debris spilling everywhere. 041b061a72