There are many different types of electric ranges with an array of features to choose from, such as convection technology, air-fry and broil settings, and ranges with double-ovens and induction cooktops. Stuart Eason, founder of professional appliance servicing company, Appliance Expert, says that one of the most important features to look for in a good electric range is a self-cleaning function. “The technology in self-cleaning ovens has been around for 40 years, and it really works,” he says. “It eliminates the need for regular rigorous cleaning by hand, and, since the grease and food deposits are designed to be burned to ash and not stick onto the machine, it helps extend the life of the range.” Our top pick for the best electric range is the GE Profile PS960YPFS model, which features a steam cleaning self-cleaning method, no-preheat air fry, and the ability to sync two burners for a larger cooking surface. In addition, it has both air fry and convection settings, a massive 6.6 cubic foot capacity within its double ovens, and a stainless steel finish that is fingerprint resistant. Here are the best electric ranges. Keep in Mind: If you don’t need all these features, e.g. WiFi connectivity, you could opt for a more affordable model. In addition, it’s a no-preheat air fryer for healthier cooking in minimal time. It has WiFi connectivity so that you can operate your oven remotely, including preheating it, and monitoring its progress via the SmartHQ app. One of its most impressive features is its SyncBurners, which allows two of the elements to be on at the same time. This lets you prepare a large tray of food over two burners for a larger cooking surface. It has a sleek appearance and a fingerprint-resistant stainless steel finish that effortlessly wipes clean. Finally, it has a steam clean self-cleaning function to get the oven sparking and keep it in tip-top shape for longer. Price at time of publish: $2,968 Style: Slide-in | Size: 28.25 x 29.88 x 37.25 inches | Capacity: 6.6 cubic feet | Number of Burners: Five Keep in Mind: It’s a basic model with only four elements. For a range at this price, we were impressed that it comes with self-cleaning technology which means that you don’t have to scrub your life away cleaning it. There’s also a Sensi-Temp function that will sense when your food is about to burn and will lower the temperature automatically. The range also comes with a large-capacity lower storage drawer with enough room for oven trays and oven dishes. It comes in three finishes—black, stainless steel, and white—to suit any kitchen style, and it is the ideal starter range, second oven, or can even be used as a main range for anyone who doesn’t really want to spend too much on a good cooker. Price at time of publish: $578 Style: Slide-in | Size: 28 x 30 x 47 inches | Capacity: 5.3 cubic feet | Number of Burners: Four Keep in Mind: There’s no air-fry option. The app practically turns even the novice into a full-blown chef with step-by-step recipes and instructions and even video tutorials, but that’s not all. Instructions and cooking settings get sent to the oven automatically so you can just deal with the prepping. Once all the food is in the oven, you can monitor your food’s progress from the comfort of your couch via your phone with the range’s in-oven camera. There are five elements and the SyncBurner capacity allows you to use two burners at once for large pan-cooked dishes. The precision cooktop sensor can maintain the temperature you set within one degree, akin to using a gas range. Finally, you can customize the look of your Café range by choosing the color of the handles—you can pick from brushed bronze, stainless steel, copper, and black for a personalized aesthetic. Price at time of publish: $4,403 Style: Slide-in | Size: 29.87 x 29.5 x 37.37 inches | Capacity: 5.7 cubic feet | Number of Burners: Five Keep in Mind: It’s not available in any other finishes, and there’s no storage drawer. Featuring convection technology that creates even heat distribution no matter where in the oven you place the tray, this range will help you make the perfect cookies and other baked goods. It has a funky blue interior, and the oven door windows are extra large so you can easily glance in and see how your cooking is coming along. The ovens work independently of each other, so you can have a dessert in one and dinner in the other. There’s an in-oven broiler to keep food warm, and the appliance’s self cleaning technology only takes 10 minutes to get the oven looking like new again, even if a pan has bubbled over and made a total mess. The knobs are large and easy to use, and there’s a child lock function, too, for extra safety. Price at time of publish: $1,198 Style: Freestanding | Size: 28.9 x 29.94 x 47.3 inches | Capacity: 7.3 cubic feet | Number of Burners: Five Keep in Mind: It might not be the best electric range for anyone who is not tech-savvy. There’s so much you can command this range to do from your phone, tablet, or even by voice command via Alexa or Google Assistant. For instance, by simply scanning a barcode on a frozen packet of food with your phone, the ideal cooking settings will be sent directly to the range for you without you having to lift a finger. In addition, the compatible Yummly app has a bunch of helpful features like recipes, ideas, and cooking tutorials. You can operate the oven remotely using your phone and also disable the control panel to make sure no one messes with your settings when you’re away from the range. The oven also comes with Frozen Bake technology that allows you to bypass preheating for frozen meals. It’s a true convection oven with a large capacity of 6.4 cubic feet, which is more than enough for a large family or for those who like to entertain. The oven is self-cleaning, and there’s an in-oven broiler, too. It comes in four finishes, including two that are fingerprint resistant to look cleaner for longer, and there’s a lower drawer to store extra oven trays. Price at time of publish: $2,070 Style: Slide-in | Size: 28.63 x 30 x 36 inches | Capacity: 6.4 cubic feet | Number of Burners: Five Keep in Mind: It is not considered “true” convection when used with the additional heating element, only with the fan. With this warm air being brought in from the element via the fan, the oven temperature remains more uniform when compared to traditional or regular convection ovens. In addition to all the convection goodness, you’ll also be getting a five-element cooktop with a griddle burner for steak, burgers, or grilled cheeses; an airfryer with a tray; and a large 6.3 cubic foot capacity for cooking dinner and all the sides, all at once. What’s more, the oven is WiFi enabled, and you can operate and monitor it remotely via your smart device and the Samsung SmartThings app. It also has a self-cleaning steam clean function to keep it effortlessly clean and extend its life. It’s available in three finishes, although the plain stainless steel model is not fingerprint resistant. Price at time of publish: $950 Style: Freestanding | Size: 28.69 x 29.94 x 47.06 inches | Capacity: 6.3 cubic feet | Number of Burners: Five Keep in Mind: You need special induction cookware to use this cooktop, and it will turn off if you take a pan off it for more than 15 seconds. This model might be a little pricier than other electric range options, but little details, such as the glide-out trays, glass touch controls, and a baking drawer, make it easy to see why. This range offers true convection technology providing even-heat cooking, and it will even convert the cooking times for you so you can put down the calculator. It has a self-cleaning function that will get the oven sparkling clean in under an hour, removing even the most stuck-on, spilled-over messes. There’s a steam rack for even more cooking options, and, while you can set the temperatures yourself, the oven can set these automatically and save you the hassle. Price at time of publish: $3,240 Style: Slide-in | Size: 28.88 x 29.88 x 36 inches | Capacity: 7.1 cubic feet | Number of Burners: Four Keep in Mind: It doesn’t come with an air-fry tray, but it doesn’t need one to work. You can purchase this separately, however, if you want it. Before other brands jumped on the bandwagon, the Frigidaire Gallery models were the first line of ranges, both electric and gas, to offer air frying technology within its ranges. In addition to this handy feature, this range also has five elements, including one triple expandable element which offers 6-inch, 9-inch, and 12-inch sized elements all within one element. There’s a 3,200-watt element that provides a super-quick boil, and a quick preheat, too. No elbow grease is needed when it comes to cleaning this range as it has a 30-minute steam cleaning option that gets the oven spick and span without the use of chemicals. There’s even a large bottom drawer for all your pans, trays, and other cookware. Price at time of publish: $1,098 Style: Slide-in | Size: 29 x 29.88 x 36.63 inches | Capacity: 5.4 cubic feet | Number of Burners: Five Keep in Mind: You won’t be able to cook copious amounts of food at once in its 2.6 cubic foot capacity oven, and it’s not self-cleaning. There are four coil burner elements on this range’s cooktop, each with different sizes and heats for various cooking types, and the cooktop is a smooth porcelain steel for easily wiping up spills. Under each burner is a removable chrome drip bowl, which makes clean-up even easier if your pots happen to bubble over. The oven door window is not massive, but the automatic light makes it easy to see what’s cooking as it’s cooking. This electric range has a cute-yet-traditional style to it that looks fabulously clean in a wooden or white kitchen, and it’s priced affordably, too. It also comes with a one-year limited warranty from the manufacturer. Style: Freestanding | Size (W x H x D): 20 x 24.5 x 42 inches | Capacity: 2.6 cubic feet | Number of Burners: Four
What to Know About Electric Ranges Before Shopping
Style
Electric ranges can either come in single or double-oven versions and in an array of finishes, such as stainless steel, black, and white. Some brands offer other, more funky colors like cream, green, and gold. Many of the best electric ranges have a fingerprint-resistant finish that looks cleaner for longer and doesn’t show every tiny mark or smudge. The first thing you’ll have to consider, however, is whether you need a slide-in or freestanding model. Slide-in ranges are designed to slot seamlessly in between your kitchen cabinets and therefore don’t have finished siding. There are also drop-in ranges that are similar to slide-ins but also exclude the finished bottom panel and a bottom tray storage drawer. Freestanding ranges can stand alone anywhere in the kitchen but can also fit in between kitchen cabinets if you prefer. Though they come with the finished siding, some are removable.
Size
Electric ranges tend to have a height of 36 to 41 inches and a depth of 25 to 27 inches. Most standard-sized electric ranges measure 30 inches in width; however, anything from 30 to 36 inches is considered standard. Electric ranges with widths measuring 20 to 24 inches fall under the compact category, whereas anything with a width of over 36 inches is considered wide. Extra-wide ranges measure anywhere from 48 to 60 inches, although these appliances are usually commercial models. Range capacity usually falls between 4.5 and 6.5 cubic feet for standard models, while some double ovens and those with extra-large capacities can go up to an impressive 7.5 cubic feet to accommodate plenty of food and many trays. While electric ranges traditionally came with four cooktop elements, many newer models now feature a fifth middle burner. Some, such as extra-wide models, even have six elements. Each element on an electric range offers a different wattage to provide more temperature and power variation for cooking various dishes.
Power
Electric ranges are powered by corded electric and draw around 2,000 to 5,000 watts. Each element on the range will have a different wattage, with the largest typically using the most power. Using our top pick for the best electric range, the GE PS960YPFS, as an example, its largest element is 12 inches in diameter, and it uses 3,600 watts. Its two smaller burners measure 6 inches each—one rated at 100 watts and the other at 1,200. The elements with more power are good for cooking large amounts of food quicker, but these use the most amount of electricity. Lower wattage elements are more cost-effective as they require less electricity to operate, and they’re better for slow cooking, warming up food, and bringing water to a slower boil.
Features
Though new electric ranges are available with many features, it’s always best to buy one with settings that you will actually use (more features costs more money). More modern features are also more costly to repair should they ever need it. Electric ranges can have convection cooking, a broiler, an induction cooktop, and WiFi compatibility, which can allow you to operate and monitor your range remotely via an app on your phone or tablet. Self-cleaning functionality is also important and could save you hours of scrubbing. This feature is also important to extend the life of the range.
Your Questions, Answered
How long should an electric range last?
A good electric range can last anywhere between 10 to 15 years, according to Eason. “As long as you keep it clean and set the self-cleaning function regularly,” he says, “there’s no reason your new electric range shouldn’t last you a long time.”
How do I clean an electric range?
It’s recommended to clean any food residue from your cooktop every time you use it. For the oven, if anything spills over inside, you should clean it once it’s cooled down; otherwise, a good clean once every three months is sufficient. To clean an electric range, a soft sponge should be used on the cooktop so as not to scratch the surface. A scraper can also be gently used to remove any stuck-on messes. You can use a special electric cooktop cleaner, but for a more natural solution, a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda works just as well. Sprinkle a good amount of baking soda in the oven and spritz with a solution of white vinegar (one part) and water (three parts). Let it sit for around 20 minutes before scrubbing it with a dish sponge (you can use the scouring side, too). A small brush or old toothbrush is great for getting into any crevices, like around the edge of the door. Wipe clean with a damp sponge, cloth, or paper towels until no residue is left. Sometimes, however, the situation will call for a little more elbow grease. “For extremely grimy ranges and racks, you could get a professional in to clean it for you,” Eason suggests. “If you want to tackle it yourself, there are some good oven cleaning packs that you can put the racks in and let them soak to get them sparkling clean.”
Is it cheaper to cook with gas or electric ranges?
“Gas is cheaper,” Eason says, “but not everyone has the option to have gas appliances. Also, if you’re not using your range every single day—some people use theirs multiple times a day—you might not see much of a difference in your utility bill.” In general, all gas appliances are known to be up to 30% cheaper than electric versions. However, it’s good to bear in mind that gas prices fluctuate and utility costs differ in each state.
Who We Are
This article was written by Kat de Naoum, who has over 10 years of commerce writing experience. Kat is also the commerce editor-at-large at Thomas-Xometry, the leading U.S. online platform for supplier discovery and product sourcing. For this article on the best electric ranges, Kat reviewed multiple models and spoke to Stuart Eason, founder of professional appliance servicing company, Appliance Expert. She also researched factors such as each electric range’s power, size, style, and value for money.
