Best and Worst Pro-Style Ranges From Consumer Reports' Tests
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The stakes are high when shopping for a pro-style range. That's not only because of the steep prices—some cost upward of $7,000—but also because they’re often part of a major kitchen remodel.
And nobody wants to spend $50,000 or more on a dream kitchen only to discover that the shiny new pro-style range takes forever to boil a pot of water. For the pro-style ranges in our ratings, their Overall Score ranges from a high of 75 all the way down to 27.
Suffice it to say that price doesn't correlate with performance when it comes to ranges.
“We see conventional ranges under $1,000 near the very top of our performance ratings,” says Tara Casaregola, the CR engineer who leads testing of ranges, cooktops, and wall ovens. And just as often there are pro-style ranges at five times the cost that fall flat.
But while our tests routinely confirm that shelling out big bucks for a pro-style range won’t guarantee top performance, we get it that the look and feel have appeal. Some folks want a pro-style range anyway, so let us at least steer you in the right direction.
How We Test Ranges
Our testing procedures call for a healthy mix of carefully calibrated tests and hands-on baking to get a feel for what a consumer would experience at home. We measure how fast the biggest burners heat water and how steadily they simmer. We record temperatures throughout the oven cavity and confirm results by baking cookies and cakes and analyzing the evenness of the color when they're finished. (Here at CR, we bake an average of 200 cookies per month.)
The market for pro-style ranges has been dominated for years by brands including Viking, Wolf, Thermador, KitchenAid, Dacor, GE Monogram, Kenmore Pro, Jenn-Air, Miele, and American Range. But recently we’ve seen a new subclass of pro-style range emerge. There are brands competing to bring pro-style to consumers at a more reasonable price, often with 30-inch models under $3,000. We test these models as well, from the likes of Smeg, NXR, Bertazzoni, Thor Kitchen, Kucht Pro, Haier, and Verona.
If you’re wondering whether a pro-style range is right for you, start with our range buying guide. CR members can read on for five of the best pro-style ranges from our ratings, in both 30- and 36-inch widths. Plus, scroll down to the end for a glimpse at two pro-style models to avoid.
Two Pro-Style Ranges to Skip
These two ranges can be found near the bottom of our pro-style range ratings and aren't worth the money, according to CR's experts.
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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc.
