Electric Range Cookers for the home

So you know that you now need a new cooker, preferably an electric cooker, and you start your search online. The cooker is arguably the most important of all kitchen appliances. We don't need to buy or replace them very often, but when we do we are faced with a wide array of different types to choose from. This guide focuses on freestanding cookers, where the oven, grill and hob are included in one neat package that fits into a gap between kitchen units.

The majority of people will now use price comparison website's like Pricerunner or Kelkoo to find the best deal. But be careful you get the right price as quoted.

In this section we are going to look at the best type of electric range cookers to buy along with the cheapest and most expensive available. We are an impartial company offering our experience in the trade and we offer unbiased advice to help you the consumer get the best advice available.


The step by step guide to purchasing an Electric Range Cooker.


Choosing an Electric Range Cooker

There are two main types of electric cookers, single and double. The single oven cooker has a single fan assisted oven to cook food and usually comes with a standard variable grill. Single ovens are fairly easy to keep clean and are a popular choice when you have limited space in your kitchen.

The double oven cooker has two twin fans assisted ovens and as standard a grill at the top and the majority have easy to clean catalytic linings. The power output can vary for both single and double but a double is around 45 amps. Double Ovens provide the extra cooking capacity needed on special occasions, for extra flexibility, foods requiring different cooking methods can be cooked at the same time.

Manufacturers

The most popular brands are Cannon, Hotpoint and Indesit which are part of the Indesit group of companies. Zanussi who is part of the Electrolux group is also another popular brand to choose from. The majorities of people who purchase from these brands are price conscious and are really looking for something cheap and cheerful.

Now the best brand to choose would without doubt be Britannia, Smeg or some of the AEG range. For a quality long lasting product you simply can’t go wrong. These brand cookers are quite expensive but please bare in mind the saying 'You get what you pay for'. Paying
a little more in the long run is really worth it, as you won’t need to keep replacing your electric cooker and pay for expensive spares.


Colours Styles & Features


There isn't really much to choose from when it comes to styles and colours although Rangemaster has a line of electric range cookers from stainless steel, blue, green, cream, graphite and black. Why I even found an electric range cooker which had bright yellow doors in front of the range. The main colours that people choose are Black, White and Stainless Steel. Many of the Cannon ranges come in cream but the main ones are the
most popular.

Many of the electric cookers come with a ceramic top hob with a standard 4 ring design.
The features range from touch screen display to your standard knob control. There are
also some high quality electric cookers that include a heat sensor control that can control the temperature of your oven depending on what food you are cooking

To fit an electric cooker you will need a 30-amp cooking circuit from a standard 240V AC supply in your home.
 
A freestanding cooker can be broken down into three main components; oven, hob and grill. Each of these offer different features according to the fuel type you choose.

It's worth thinking about the following extra features on an electric cooker:
 

• An auto-timer switches the oven on to a pre-set temperature at a pre-set time.
• A minute minder reminds you when cooking time is up.
• A glass door and interior light let you see what's happening inside the oven.
• Non-tip shelves are very useful and look out for ovens that have a roasting shelf attached to the door.
• Drop-down grills allow easier cleaning.
• A shelf rack enables you to pull out all three or four shelves at once.
• Some of the latest models also offer pizza plates and/or rotisseries.
• Easy grip controls are particularly good if you are the kind of cook who gets sticky fingers during cooking.
• Storage space: some cookers offer a storage draw below the oven. These are good if you don't need a large oven, and are short of space elsewhere in the kitchen for storing pots and pans.

Below are some of the generalized specifications for the various sizes of electric range cookers, keep in mind this is just to give you an idea since all makes and models along with the price category will affect the features.

The Best Products to Consider

Below we list the top recommended products to consider when buying online. We only offer unbiased advice and we do not persuade towards any products for the benefit of any suppliers or manufacturers.

These products are available to buy online from most of the kitchen appliance suppliers although we would recommend you contact first to make sure the item is in stock and delivery is within a reasonable time period.