Choosing the Right Range for Your Kind of Cooking

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Aug 12, 2010, 08:00 ET

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Aug 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The days of choosing among a limited selection of ranges from a handful of brands are long over. Today's cooks are faced with a dizzying array of options that can lead to just as many questions. Should I go with gas, electric or a combination of the two? What about a built-in grill or griddle on the cooktop? What's the difference between traditional convection and True Convection?

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The key to choosing the right range is taking a long hard look at how and what you like to cook, and then spending some time researching which ranges offer the "must have" options for your cooking style. That's the advice of Deb O'Connor, senior manager of brand experience for KitchenAid, the brand that introduced, among other innovations, the first convection and steam-assisted ranges for the home kitchen. To help simplify the selection process, O'Connor offers the following suggestions based on various cooking styles:

The Short Order Cook: Is breakfast a big deal in your home? Love the home fried potatoes, burgers and grilled sandwiches served at diners? Then consider a 36" range with a griddle between its four burners or a 48" model with six burners for the ultimate in versatility.

The Grill Meister: Enjoy cooking outdoors? Love to see impressive grill marks on your steaks, chops and grilled vegetables? Then opt for a 36" range top with a grill surrounded by four burners. To allow for carefree, high-heat grilling be sure to pair it with a sufficiently powerful ventilation system and consider an exterior blower motor (affixed to the outside of the house) to supplement its ability to remove the heaviest smoke.

The Frequent Entertainer: Nothing tests the skill and juggling ability of a home cook like entertaining. For those with extra space, a 48" range with six burners and two separate ovens, each with three racks, allows for cooking and baking many different dishes at one time at different temperatures. For those with a traditional 30" space, KitchenAid will soon offer the first dual fuel range with a double oven, providing the industry's largest capacity.* Another smart choice is a range with a built-in warming drawer for keeping foods at the optimal holding temperature while waiting for guests.

The Aspiring Chef : For those who want both the performance and looks of professional grade equipment, KitchenAid offers a number of commercial-style ranges that provide the best of both worlds: the precision of a gas range top paired with the even cooking of an electric oven. These dual fuel ranges are available in everything from 30" slide-in models to 48" versions featuring two separate ovens, two 20,000 BTU dual flame burners and a built-in griddle.

The Recipe Tinkerer: Relatively new for the home kitchen, steam-assisted cooking has long been a secret weapon of restaurant chefs for achieving everything from moist chicken with crackly skin to perfectly crusty baguettes. The moisture from the steam prevents foods from drying out, meaning no need for basting. Best of all, it cries out for experimentation with both familiar and new recipes. KitchenAid offers both dual fuel ranges and double ovens with steam capabilities.

The Master Baker: If even browning of cookies, breads and pies on multiple racks is a priority, O'Connor recommends a range with True Convection. Unlike standard convection, which simply moves the oven's hot air around with a fan, True Convection utilizes a fan with its own built-in heating element. This allows for better, more even performance for not only baking, but convection broiling and roasting as well.

"Of course, few home cooks confine themselves to a single cooking style," says O'Connor. "The good news is that with so many models and configurations available, every cook can choose a range that suits a variety of needs."

Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Over 90 years later, the KitchenAid brand now offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars. To learn why more chefs choose KitchenAid for their homes more than any other brand** visit http://KitchenAid.com.

*Among leading brands based on combined capacity of both ovens.

**Based on a September 2010 survey, KitchenAid was found to be the home kitchen appliance brand chosen most often by members of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the American Culinary Federation when asked about refrigerators, ovens, cooktops, ranges, dishwashers, microwave ovens, electric mixers, blenders, food processors, kitchen gadgets and toasters.

SOURCE KitchenAid