Suggested Results

    Home Inspiration Before You Buy Range Cooker Buying Guide

    Lifestyle

    Range Cooker Buying Guide

    If you’re thinking of buying a new range cooker for your kitchen, you may feel overwhelmed by the choice on offer. Even here at Leisure alone we have a huge range for you to choose from!

    With this in mind, we’ve created this buyer’s guide, which covers everything you need to know about range cookers. From the different Leisure products, to fuel types, specification and more - it’s all here.

    What is a range cooker?

    Range cookers are a high quality, flexible option for those who love great design and great cooking. A range cooker is a freestanding cooker that usually comes with:

    • three good sized ovens
    • a selection of hob burners
    • a grill

    They’re designed to give plenty of flexibility and options when it comes to preparing meals, with lots of different cooking options available.

    One thing that most range cookers have in common is that they’re designed with a traditional feel in mind. While our appliances are thoroughly modern in terms of their design quality, specification and technology, their look draws cues from vintage cookers.

    What are the main benefits of a range cooker?

    Cooking flexibility

    Cooking flexibility

    If you’re the sort of person who loves cooking for your family or entertaining guests with multiple dishes, then a range cooker is essential. One of the main things that sets apart a range cooker from other alternatives is the number of compartments, with full-size cookers having up to four separate cavities.

    Beautiful design

    90cm Range Cookers

    Generally, good range cookers will also bring an element of great design to the kitchen. Far from being purely functional, they often offer beautiful craftsmanship, and their freestanding nature can make them a focal point in the kitchen. Where built-in appliances are designed to fully blend into cupboards and worksurfaces, range cookers have their own character.

    The Leisure Range

    People often ask ‘are Leisure range cookers any good?’ Well, at Leisure we’ve been making high quality range cookers for more than 130 years, and are now proud to be one of the largest manufacturers in the country. Let’s take a look at our range cookers:

    Classic

    Classic

    The Classic is our small-footprint range-style cooker that’s been engineered for those with only a small space to work with. Measuring just 60cm in width, it can be fitted in compact kitchens, and gives users a wonderful combination of high quality cooking, as well as the beautiful range-style design we’re known for.

    Gourmet

    Gourmet

    Another range-style cooker that’s been engineered for smaller spaces, the Gourmet is 60cm wide, and has everything you need to prepare great dishes. With a hob, a double oven, and available in various gas and electric combinations, this makes for a great choice.

    Cookmaster

    Cookmaster

    The Cookmaster is a high quality option for passionate home cooks. Featuring traditional styling, the Cookmaster range is an excellent choice for those who need plenty of cooking space. With gas and electric options, several oven compartments, and features such as easy-clean oven liners, this range cooker is well suited to a busy kitchen.

    Chefmaster

    Chefmaster

    Featuring five gas burners, three ovens, and a dedicated grill, the Chefmaster is one of Leisure’s most versatile cookers. With such a breadth of cooking options, it makes preparing meals for a large number of people much easier. It’s also suited to cooking multiple meals at once. Available in black, anthracite, and cream.

    Cuisinemaster

    Cuisinemaster

    Perhaps the ultimate modern cooker, the Cuisinemaster is one of our finest products. Available in all of our standard sizes of 90cm, 100cm and 110cm, plus our compact range style, the Cuisinemaster is a serious piece of kit. While it offers all of the flexibility you’d expect from a range cooker, the Cuisinemaster comes with more modern, sleek styling.

    Cuisinemaster Pro

    Cuisinemaster Pro

    The dual-fuel Cuisinemaster Pro has been designed with aspiring chefs in mind. Created with the functionality you’d expect from a professional cooker, it offers high quality construction, stylish and hard-wearing detailing, along with additions such as large-capacity oven and programmable functionality. If you’re serious about home cooking, then this might be the range cooker for you.

    Fuel Type

    Fuel is a really important thing to think about when it comes to buying a range cooker. There are three options to choose from in the leisure range: electric, gas and dual fuel.

    Gas

    Gas

    Gas range cookers are the traditional choice, and this means that the ovens, grill and burners all burn gas to create a flame. Let’s look at the benefits:

    • Gas burners are the heat source of choice for many cooks and professional chefs, because they’re the most responsive option. Gas offers precise control over temperature quickly.
    • Similarly, the speed that gas gives the grill and oven means that you can get fast results when cooking food.

    The downside of gas ovens is that they’re not compatible with fans, which means that heat distribution is not quite as even as with electric ovens. It’s also worth bearing in mind that gas cookers will still need an electricity supply for the timer and any other programmable options, as well as for the spark that creates the flame.

    Electric

    Electric

    Fully electric range cookers are the modern standard, and are great for those who want straightforward cooking, or have no gas supply. Benefits include:

    • Electric ovens are the most popular choice amongst cooks - both domestic and professional, because they give reliable results. Fan-assist ensures that heat is distributed evenly throughout the oven.
    • When it comes to the hob, electric burners are a really good choice for people who want to keep cleaning requirements down to a minimum, as the flat, smooth surface means that food can be easily wiped away.

    It’s worth bearing in mind that electric ceramic burners aren’t as responsive as gas burners, and the hob surface takes longer to cool. Induction hobs though, which use magnetic technology, offer the speed and responsiveness of gas, but with the easy-to-clean surface of a ceramic hob.

    Dual Fuel

    Dual fuel

    Dual fuel is the most popular fuel type for range cookers, and they’re designed to give users the best of both worlds. Those who require the responsiveness of a real flame on the hob, but want the accuracy of an electric fan-assisted oven should consider dual fuel.

    You’ll need both a gas and electric supply, but the flexibility of having both cooking options is highly desirable. Many range cookers in the Leisure range are available with dual fuel.

    Widths

    When browsing the various options in the Leisure range, you’ve probably noticed that there are several different widths for you to choose from. Let’s take a quick look at what each size brings.

    60cm

    60cm

    The smallest size offered by Leisure is 60cm. Designed for smaller spaces, these cookers are nonetheless a great choice for everyone from individuals to couples and smaller families. They’re not fully-fledged range cookers, but these range-style appliances still offer excellent functionality. 60cm is a standard size for many appliances, giving you a compact square footprint that’s easy to fit into just about any kitchen.

    90cm

    90cm

    The smallest standard range cooker size is 90cm wide. That’s only 30cm wider than a standard freestanding cooker or built-in oven. Ideally suited to families and those who regularly entertain, these cookers usually come with a tall third oven containing multiple racks, which is perfect for batch baking, preparing or keeping warm multiple side dishes and starters.

    100cm

    100cm

    Offering superb flexibility and space, the 100cm range cooker is a full-sized unit that’s designed to breeze through the demands of large families and parties alike. This size comes with at least four separate ovens or grills, giving a huge amount of capacity and flexibility. You also get up to seven burners, one of which is large and ideal for big pots or woks.

    110cm

    110cm

    110cm is the largest sized range cooker available in the Leisure range, designed for big families, feasts and parties. These large range cookers are often the focus of the kitchen. The 110cm width gives you two or three ovens, a grill, and up to seven hobs.

    Special Features

    While range cookers are inspired by a traditional look, here at Leisure we’re focussed on ensuring that our products feature the latest technical innovations and useful features. When asking ‘which range cooker should I buy?’, some of the important features to look out for include the following:

    Special Features
    • Programmable ovens that allow you to pick exactly how and when food is cooked - ideal for those with busy lives or those preparing for an evening’s entertainment.
    • Cook-clean liners, which make cleaning the oven straightforward, with the oven walls even cleaning themselves.
    • Slow-cooking functionality, which means that the oven can maintain a low temperature for long periods, slow cooking dishes to perfection.
    Special Features
    • Griddle plate - A delicious and healthy alternative to frying. Cooking on the griddle can jazz up a simple meat, fish or vegetable dish. You’ll get similar results from griddling as you would from barbequing outdoors.
    • True fan ovens, which ensure even distribution of heat throughout.
    • Wok burners are extra large burners that ensure you can get excellent heat distribution in a large pan such as a wok.

    Running Costs and Maintenance

    Energy costs

    It can be difficult to put a number on the running costs of a cooker, because it depends on how often the cooker is used, which parts are used, and how long the appliance is on for. Generally, range cookers and regular ovens have similar running costs if they’re used in the same way.

    Easy cleaning

    When it comes to maintaining your Leisure range cooker, we’ve taken every step to make sure it’s easy to clean. We know just how busy life can be, and once you’ve prepared a wonderful meal, the last thing you want to do is spend the evening scrubbing your oven. Here are a couple of things to remember:

    Easy Cleaning

    The Door Glass

    • The glass can easily be removed from our oven doors, with a simple mechanism detaching them.
    • Cook-clean liners are used across the Leisure range in the main ovens. These special catalytic liners burn off anything that sticks to them, which means you don’t need to worry about cleaning the oven walls after preparing a meal - even one that might bubble and spit while cooking.
    Easy Cleaning

      The Side Racks

    • Side racks are easily removed for cleaning, utilising a simple mechanism to detach and pull them out.
    • The exterior of the oven, including the hob, is designed to be cleaned with nothing more than a soft microfiber cloth, and warm soapy water. Done quickly after cooking, cleaning is a breeze.

    Where To Buy

    The Leisure range is available to purchase online and in retailers across the country, from independents to UK-wide outlets.

    Use our Find a Retailer page here to find your local Leisure stockist.