Regency Gas Fireplaces manual Wide Range of Models and Styles

Rangetop options include low-heat burners for precise control, and high- speed burners, which make boiling faster. Photo courtesy

of Viking.

“Rangetop options include sealed burners to keep spilled foods from leaking below the cooktop, and a down-draft ventilating fan built into the cooking surface that vents through a sidewall.”

is that it preheats faster, which means less time hovering over the
oven and wondering if the desired temperature has been reached.
And if you often put food in the oven while it’s preheating, gas
ovens reach baking temperature faster than electric ovens with-
out using the broiler, which could ruin food placed too close to		A typical gas burner
the broiling area.
		can bring water to
Wide Range of Models and Styles		boiling faster than
		a comparable elec-
The most common type of gas range features four burners on top
		tric burner. Photo
of an oven in a single unit, but many other combinations are
		courtesy of Maytag.
available to fit the cabinetry of your kitchen, your cooking and
baking habits, and your taste. Other possibilities include a dou-
ble oven, a gas range with overhead microwave oven, slide-in
models with unfinished sides that slide between cabinets, drop-
in models installed inside base cabinets, separate oven and cook-
top that are built into the kitchen, and commercial models with
an even wider range of options.
Many homeowners are upgrading to ovens with stainless
steel or chrome-plated exteriors, which are durable, stain resist-
ant and easy to clean. However, the finishes of such units can
discolor if overheated. Porcelain enamel is the tried-and-true fin-	peratures 25 to 50 degrees below a conventional oven. Cooking
ish, durable and resistant to heat, stains, acids, scratches, fading	times and temperatures on favorite recipes will need to be
and yellowing. Baked enamel or electrostatically applied poly-	tweaked to handle convection-oven cooking, but who doesn’t
ester resists chipping better than porcelain enamel, but is less	want to have dinner or enjoy a treat a little sooner? Because heat
durable, so it can stain and scratch more easily.	from convection ovens enters the cooking box from the top, racks
Of course, the style and finish of your range is important to	within the oven may need to be lowered.
the overall look of the kitchen, but advances in cooktop and oven		Low-temperature ovens feature heat ranges as low as 140 de-
technology have brought advanced products to the market that	grees to thaw foods and keep prepared dishes hot without drying
can speed cooking times, warm at low temperatures and add con-	them out prior to serving.
venience to the cooking process.		Programmable ovens allow timed or delayed cooking for chefs
Convection ovens use forced air to cook foods faster at tem-	on the go. A cold oven can be programmed to heat up at a spec-

ified time, cook for a preset number of minutes and then either shut off or lower the temperature to a warming setting. An in-use oven can be programmed to shut off after a set period of time.

Keeping clean is as important within the oven box as it is in the rest of the kitchen. Ovens are available as either con- tinuous cleaning or self-cleaning. As the name implies, con- tinuous cleaning works at normal baking and broiling temperatures to remove baked-on materials through the addi- tion of catalytic materials into the porcelain enamel coating of the oven walls or liner panels.

Operating the oven at higher temperatures will remove food debris faster. Self-cleaning ovens work during a separate high-

heat cycle that can reach 1,000 degrees, reducing oven debris to a white ash that can be removed with a damp cloth.

Innovative Options for the Cooktop

Innovations to gas ranges haven’t been limited to the oven. Cook- top options can expand a cook’s repertoire, give him more control over the cooking process and speed clean-ups. Burners are available with heat output ratings considerably above or below standard. Low-heat burners allow precise control to simmer foods and prepare delicate dishes. On the other end of the scale, high- speed burners make boiling faster and the preparation of foods in extra-large pots and skillets easier.

Other rangetop options include sealed burners to keep spilled foods from leaking below the cooktop and a down-draft ventilating fan built into the cooking surface that vents through a sidewall. This type of rangetop construction is used in mod- els that feature such options as a rotisserie, griddle or extra set of burners.

A gas range is a serious investment, so you should take the time necessary to assess how you cook both on the rangetop and in the oven, then choose a model that matches your cook- ing style closely. A standard model may be perfect, but a pre- mium oven could save you time and money in the long run by offering a wider range of options. Talk to friends and neigh- bors about their cooking experiences and how they chose the oven for their kitchen.

Finally, judge purchase costs against operating costs. A higher-priced gas oven may be more efficient than a lower- priced one, which will save you money on operating costs in the long run. Spending a little more upfront actually could pay for itself during the long lifetime of a gas oven.

And remember, the blue flame on the rangetop burner means that you’re in control.

For More Information

Bosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.boschappliances.com Fisher & Paykel Appliances Inc. www.fisherpaykel.com General Electric . . . . . . . . . . .www.geappliances.com Kitchenaid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.kitchenaid.com Maytag Customer Service . . . . . . . .www.amana.com Maytag Customer Service . . . . . . . .www.maytag.com Viking Range Corp. . . . . . . . . .www.vikingrange.com Whirlpool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.whirlpool.com

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