Renovating your kitchen? If you’re deciding between a versatile range and a sleek
cooktop, we break down the pros, cons, and costs for Eugene homeowners.
If you’re renovating your kitchen, there are a million and one design choices you have to
make, but you’re probably most focused on the large appliances. These are the devices
that you’ll use the most and that will have the biggest visual impact on the space. And
when it comes to appliances, few are as essential as the ones that cook your food!
Today, we’re focusing on cooktops and ranges. Specifically, we’ll be breaking down
the definitions, pros, and cons of each to help you decide which is right for your
kitchen. Ready? Let’s get cooking!
The Range: What It Is and Why It’s Great
The range is an appliance that combines a cooktop (a surface with burners) and an
oven (a heated chamber for cooking). It’s the total package when it comes to stoves.
Aside from the microwave, it consolidates your two main cooking appliances into one
centralized location.
Popularity
In the world of kitchen remodeling, ranges remain the most popular choice for good
reason. They are generally easier to install, cost less than buying separate units, fit into
standard cabinetry openings, and offer a vast array of aesthetic styles.
Versatility
Speaking of an array of aesthetic styles, you can find commercial-style beasts, slide-in
models that overlap your countertop for a built-in look, colorful retro units that add lots of
personality, and more.
Efficiency
Ranges excel in efficiency, mostly because they let all your stove-related gas, electrical,
and ventilation needs congregate in one specific spot. This simplifies the installation
process, keeping labor costs down.
Space-Saving
If you have a compact kitchen, a range is almost always the smarter spatial decision.
You do not lose wall space to a double oven tower, and you can keep more counter
space for chopping, mixing, plating, and entertaining.
The Drawbacks of a Range
Ranges do have drawbacks. The main one is that the oven is always below the burners,
so you must bend, crouch, squat, or kneel to check on anything cooking there. If
accessibility is a concern for you—or will be in the future—this ergonomic factor is worth
taking seriously.
Having the units on top of each other can also make it slightly inconvenient to have two
people using the appliances at the same time. If you’re using the cooktop and someone
else is baking something in the oven, you’ll have to step aside when they need to check
on their food. It’s a very minor inconvenience, but it might be worth considering.
The Cooktop: What It Is and Why It’s Great
A cooktop is just that and nothing more. Typically, homeowners who opt for the cooktop
will install an oven separately somewhere else in the kitchen.
Design Flexibility
Separating your burners from your oven allows you to arrange your kitchen more
creatively, precisely catered to the way you cook and flow in the space. Here are some
reasons people tend to choose cooktops:
Ergonomics: You want to be able to extract a cast-iron pot from the oven
without hurting your back.
Accessibility: You are or have a wheelchair user in the home, and a floor-
grounded unit isn’t usable because the door obstructs the wheels.
Convenience: You want to store cooking tools (like spatulas and spoons)
directly below the cooktop instead of to the side.
Coworking: You tend to cook with another person, and separating your cooktop
and oven lets you do so more comfortably.
Socializing: You want to face your family while cooking, rather than staring at a
backsplash.
Whatever your case, dividing your stove into two appliances offers design flexibility that
a two-in-one range can’t provide.
Sizing
Ranges are mostly one size, whereas cooktops occupy a wider spectrum of sizes. You
might choose a massive 48-inch surface with six burners, a griddle, a wok ring, and a
dedicated simmer plate or stick with something basic like four burners.
Safety
As we mentioned, it’s safer for your back to pull stuff out of an elevated oven that isn’t
directly below your cooktop. Furthermore, cooktops stay cool when they’re not in use,
especially if they’re induction. Conversely, a range might heat up the cooktop when the
stove is on, even if the cooktop isn’t.
The Drawbacks of a Cooktop
There are three main disadvantages to separating your cooktop and oven purchases.
Firstly, you must buy two appliances, which is generally more expensive. Secondly, you
need separate electrical or gas connections for each appliance. And thirdly, you lose
vertical cabinet space to house the wall ovens.
How To Decide
Alright, now that we’ve thoroughly reviewed the pros and cons of ranges and solo
cooktops, which is best for your kitchen? Let’s walk through the factors that you can
consider to help you decide.
Your Cooking Style and Lifestyle
Do you frequently host large gatherings? If so, a separate cooktop and double wall oven
is smart. You can roast the main dish at one temperature, bake pies at another, keep
sides warm in a warming drawer, and simultaneously use the cooktop for sauces. A
standard range struggles compete with that level of multitasking.
Conversely, if you mostly use the kitchen for morning coffee and occasional pasta
nights, you probably need only a nice slide-in range. It would give you the upscale look
you want without the complexity or expense of a split system.
The Impact on Cabinetry
Whether you go with a split or joint stove system, keep in mind that it will affect your
cabinetry.
If you choose a cooktop, the base cabinet must be designed specifically to house the
unit’s mechanical components while still maximizing drawer space below for pots and
pans. Meanwhile, the wall oven cabinet must be strong enough to support significant
weight and vented properly to prevent overheating.
Or if you go for a range, then you must be willing to sacrifice some lower cabinetry to
accommodate the oven portion of the appliance.
Ventilation Considerations
A professional-style range or high-BTU cooktop requires a powerful hood. If you place a
cooktop on an island, you need to decide between a downdraft vent (which pulls smoke
down) or an island hood (which hangs from the ceiling). Island hoods can obstruct
sightlines, while downdrafts are generally less effective at capturing heavy grease and
steam.
Let’s Build Your Dream Kitchen Together
Your kitchen should make you happy and fit seamlessly in the vision you have for your
space. At Prestige Statewide, we can make that happen.
When you partner with us for kitchen remodeling services, we handle everything from
the initial design concepts to the final installation of that gleaming new appliance. And
because we craft our own cabinets and partner with premium suppliers, we guarantee
that your new cooktop or range will fit flawlessly into a space designed just for you.
If you are ready to stop debating appliances and start planning a space that truly works,
let’s talk. Contact us today!
