Range Cookers vs Built In Ovens

Oven Space

On average, range cookers have 50% more oven space than a built-in oven. Range cookers also give more cooking flexibility due to having more oven compartments. Although you can get a built-in double oven, a range cooker can have up to 3 or even 4 oven compartments. This allows you to cook different dishes at different temperatures at the same time.

In regards to oven space, range cookers get our vote.

Hob Choices

Range cookers come with hobs as standard. You also have a choice as to what kind of cooktop you’d prefer. Your choices typically include gas, ceramic or induction. Of course, if you opt for a built-in oven, you have full freedom to choose a separate hob of your choice. You could even choose an air venting hob, which is a hob with a built-in extractor.

Therefore, although there are lots of hob choices in a range cooker, you do have more choice when buying a separate cooktop and built-in oven.

Cleaning

There are a lot more cooking segments in a range cooker. Although this means you have more cooking flexibility, it also means it’s more time consuming to clean. You can get some easy-to-clean models with pyrolytic and catalytic self-cleaning functions. However, these are also available in built-in oven models.

Ultimately though, because of the additional oven space and cooktop, there is more involvement in cleaning a range cooker.

Height

A built-in oven gives you a bit more choice on positioning. For instance, if you don’t like having to bend down to retrieve your food every time, or you have a condition that makes this hard for you, a built-in oven can be installed at eye level. This makes it easier to take out, or even to just check on your food.

It sounds like a small thing, but it actually makes quite a big difference. This isn’t a flexibility that you can get with a range cooker unfortunately.

Versatility

You can turn your kitchen into a more versatile cooking zone with either a built-in oven or a range cooker. Buying a built-in oven means that you can choose additional appliances to build your own range. For example, you could pair a built in double oven with a separate hob that you can position anywhere in your kitchen. This can give you more design freedom.

On the other hand, you could purchase a range cooker that has additional features, such as warming drawers, separate grills, various hob types or a griddle. Range cookers often have more features and functions than your typical built-in oven, giving you more cooking versatility with just one purchase.

In order to get the same versatility out of a built-in oven than a range cooker, you’d have to purchase many additional appliances and accessories. Because of this, we believe range cookers win the versatility vote.

Energy Efficiency

It’s important to consider the energy efficiency and running costs of your home appliances. By using less energy, you’ll save money on your energy bills and also help the planet.

It’s difficult to compare the energy efficiency of a range cooker vs a built-in oven. That’s because a range cooker also includes a hob. Therefore, if you’re running both the hob and the oven, you’ll more than likely be using more energy than just with a built-in oven. However, if you were to just compare the range cooker oven to a built-in oven, there would be almost no noticeable difference.

Many factors influence the energy efficiency of a cooking appliance, such as size, model, age, and energy rating. So, regardless of if you choose a range cooker or a built-in oven, we always recommend looking for the most energy efficient options.