Gas Range Features

• Gas ranges with visible flames have features cooks love. Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images

  The visible flame on a gas range is an attractive feature for many cooks. Cooking with gas gives you quick control. Temperature settings are easy to adjust when you can look, evaluate and respond. Other factors also come into play in contemporary kitchens. Gas ranges, in general, cost less to operate than electric ranges. And gas ranges have features that lend convenience to food preparation.

Options for Style, Size and Finish

• One style of gas range is the freestanding variety. The range rests on a floor and is self contained. It may have a conventional oven an additional oven of the traditional, microwave or convection type. A conventional range may include an oven and separate broiler or an oven and broiler in one compartment. Usually, the gas cooking surface has from four to six burners. Some models have burner surfaces that convert to a griddle surface. Common dimensions are widths of 20 to 40 inches.

  Some ranges slide in between base kitchen cabinets, eliminating the need for the range side to be finished. If one side is exposed, a panel may be attached to give the range a finished look. Others have a built-in oven and separate cooktop, leaving the cabinets below open for other uses.

  An exterior finish that is heat resistant and durable is porcelain enamel. Other common finishes are baked enamel or a polyester coating. While baked enamel and the polyester finishes resist chipping better than porcelain enamel, they may not be as stain and scratch resistant. Chrome plate and stainless steel finishes offer durability, stain resistance and easy cleaning. Their potential disadvantage is overheating, which can darken or discolor them.

Options for Oven Cooking

• A convection oven transfers heat via currents of forced air. Food cooks faster, even at temperatures of 25 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit lower than a conventional oven. Cooking times and rack positions may need adjusting.

  A range with a convection and microwave combination oven is another option. These perform a number of functions efficiently and quickly: bake only, broil only and microwave only. Other functions are combinations: convection-plus-microwave and microwave-plus-broil.

  Self-cleaning, while it is not a cooking function, is a feature gas ranges offer.

  Ovens can have a low temperature feature, allowing you to keep foods warm. Families with multiple members, schedules and activities find this feature handy. Another feature that assists with timing is programmable cooking, by which the cook can delay the start time, set a time for the cooking to end or hold at a keep-warm temperature.

Options for Stovetop Cooking

• Low-heat burners are a feature that enables control of very low level heat. Some cooks appreciate this for the preparation of delicate sauces and for candy making. High speed burners increase the heat output. For bringing foods up to boiling temperature quickly or for cooking in large quantities, this option has an advantage.

  Some ranges have a sealed burner feature to limit leaks and spills and make cleanup easier. Many gas ranges, however, have a standard feature burner pan that catches spills well.

  Another feature of some gas ranges is a down-draft fan for ventilation, which can be built directly into the cooking surface that is vented to the outdoors.