igh end cooktops and ranges have BTUs that go lower and higher for more precise cooking.
The heat output from electric cooktops is measured in watts. Output varies from stove to stove and burner to burner, but most people buying electric units aren’t serious cooks so they are not all that interested in the specific heat outputs of electric stoves. Instead, they are usually more interested in the different types of electric cooktops surfaces.
Smooth top (glass-ceramic cooktop) surface: These cooktops are made of smooth glass-ceramic with heating units under the surface. This type of cooktop is prone to scratches, and not all cookware is safe to use on the surface, but the smooth surface looks sleek and is easy to clean.
Electric coil surface: Electric coil stoves are economical but notorious for uneven cooking because it’s hard to keep the coil perfectly level. In addition, electric coil stoves are slow to heat and slow to cool and more difficult to clean.
Next, let’s talk about the newest kid on the block...
Induction cooktops: Induction burners use the heat created from electromagnetic energy to cook your food. An element that creates an magnetic field is located just below the surface of an induction cooktop. When you put a piece of cookware containing iron, a cast iron skillet, for example, on top of that magnetic element, it causes a vibration that converts to heat.
Induction cooktops are safer than gas or electric burners because they don't use flames or direct heat -- induction burners only produce heat while iron containing cookware is in direct contact with the element.
Induction cooktops are also more efficient and heat things quicker than other types of burners. Many induction models can boil a large pot of water in 6 minutes.
The main downsides to induction cooktops are that you can’t use just any old cookware on an induction stove and they tend to be more expensive than comparable gas and electric units.
Ok, that was cooktops… If you don’t want a separate cooktop and wall oven, you’ll want to choose a range.
A range combines a cooktop and an oven in a single unit. You can find ranges as small as 20 inches wide, which are ideal for tiny homes and RVs, or as large as 60 inches wide.
A standard range is 30 inches. Most folks building custom home will choose either a 30, 36 or 48 inch range.
Ranges come in three basic types: slide-in, drop-in and freestanding.
A slide-in range slides between two lower cabinets and because of that, has unfinished sides. Slide-in ranges are more expensive than freestanding models. A slide in range sits on the floor.
In contrast, a drop-in range is dropped into the lower cabinetry, so it has cabinetry on 3 sides. Instead of it sitting on the floor, the bottom of a drop in range rests on a short piece of cabinetry. A drop-in range also has unfinished sides since cabinets will be on each side of the range.
Freestanding ranges are an economical option and can fit anywhere in a kitchen. A freestanding range can be placed between two cabinets or it can be placed at the end of a row of cabinets.
Freestanding units have finished sides, and the range controls are often located on raised panel on the back of the unit. This raised back control panel is a less expensive to manufacture than controls on the front of a range, so free standing ranges are less expensive than other models.
Now, what about the different types of ovens.
When selecting an oven it’s best to look at its interior dimensions. The amount of interior space can differ greatly, even in ovens with the same external dimensions.
If you choose an oven with a 24-inch-wide interior, it can probably accommodate a standard cookie sheet, but most roasting pans will be too big.
A 27-inch-wide oven can handle just about any size roasting pan, even a large turkey roaster.
A 30-inch oven has room for two cookie sheets side-by-side.
Conventional ovens cook food by using non-circulating, heated air inside the oven. Conventional ovens can be powered by either gas or electric.
Convection ovens were developed in the 1950s to help commercial bak