How to choose the best dual fuel range cooker
Dual fuel range cooker buyers guide
Here at Knees Home & Electrical, we offer a wide selection of dual fuel range cookers from highly regarded manufacturers such as Belling and Smeg. Our range includes the popular Rangemaster dual fuel range cooker and a selection of Stoves dual fuel range cookers. When you come to choose which option is best for you, there are a few things you should consider.
Dual fuel range cooker sizes
The dual fuel range cookers we stock at Knees are free-standing and come in three standard width sizes: 90cm, 100cm, or 110cm. If you require a cooker to fit into an existing gap between your kitchen units, it’s important that you correctly measure the space where you’ll want your cooker to be installed to make sure that you choose the right one.
When measuring, don’t forget to check the depth of the space available and make sure you allow extra room for gas pipes and fittings at the back.
If you have the space, the greater the width of your range cooker, the larger the cooking area – both on the hob and inside the oven. Larger sized options, such as 110cm cookers, are ideally suited to homes with a large family or for those of you who love to host dinner parties.
If you have fewer mouths to feed, a smaller option is likely to be more sensible and better value for money – after all, there’s no point buying more than you’re going to use. The smaller 90cm range cookers are still spacious and usually include at least four burners and two ovens.
Dual fuel range cooker style types
Functionality aside for a moment, let’s consider how you want your new range cooker to look. Choosing a style that is right for you and your kitchen doesn’t need to be difficult. You will find an assortment of styles, whether you want to stick to the traditional farmhouse look or go for a more modern professional appearance. You can also co-ordinate the colour of your new range cooker to match it with the rest of your kitchen appliances or perhaps take the opportunity to experiment and go for something bold. We stock options in cream, grey, blue, red, brown, and black as well as a number of other colours.
Hob and oven types
A dual fuel range cooker can offer you the best of both worlds which is what makes them such a popular choice. You may prefer the experience of cooking on a traditional gas hob, as it’s what you’re used to and gas offers a good level of control. At the same time, you may like the way an electric oven offers a nice even heat and speedy cooking. Bringing both of these elements together to offer a cooking experience that ticks more of the boxes is what dual fuel range cookers are all about.
Key features
When you’re considering which dual fuel range cooker to buy, the most important features to look for will vary depending on your specific requirements.
Cleaning
Most people tend to look out for easy clean surfaces on their hobs and ovens, so you’re likely to come across features to minimise cleaning time. These include pyrolytic cleaning, catalytic lining, or easy-clean enamel.
You’ll find that the best of the three, in terms of ease of maintenance, is pyrolytic cleaning as this is a specific program available on the appliance that burns food residues away so they can simply be brushed out.
Catalytic linings have a similar effect when higher temperatures are used for cooking and help to absorb cooking residues.
Easy-clean enamel makes it easy to wipe away food residues.
Do bear in mind, however, that surfaces such as oven doors are not likely to have self-cleaning features and will still require you to clean them regularly by hand.
Fan assisted
The majority of range cookers have a minimum of one fan assisted oven, in which there is a rotating fan that enables better heat distribution. These can speed up cooking time as the oven will heat up more quickly. This is likely to matter more for bakers as each area within the oven will offer a consistent temperature for even baking results.
Other key features you might want to look out for include:
- a timer
- telescopic shelves to enable the safer checking of food during cooking
- interior light
- a handy rack to safely check roasting tins
- a grilling function
- a wok burner
- and an automatic safety shut-off feature.
The best dual fuel range cookers we stock here at Knees will suit a range of needs and budgets, ranging from £800 to £11,000. We know that buying a dual fuel range cooker can represent a sizeable financial commitment and that it’s important to make sure you’re making a suitable choice for both your budget and requirements.
Getting value for your money is about paying for the features which you most need or want. These are going to be different for everyone and it can sometimes be difficult to decide exactly which dual fuel range cooker will be the best option for you. Whether you’re looking for one of the Stoves dual fuel range cookers, a Rangemaster dual fuel range cooker, or something else, there’s sure to be something to suit your budget.
If you’re still not sure after considering the size, features, and style of the cooker that you’re looking for then you can always ask one of our knowledgeable and friendly Knees team. We are always happy to assist you and help you identify which are the best dual fuel range cookers for your budget.
