With summer just around the corner, grilling is likely more on your mind than baking a delicious apple pie in the oven. Regardless, nothing beats coming home to the aroma of a hearty home cooked meal baking in the oven after a long day. If your family is anything like our family, dinner time can sometimes be a little hectic, which is why we like to cook with our double oven gas range. Having a dual fuel range can be a game changer for families or anyone who loves to cook, which is why we’ve put together this post to discuss some of the advantages of these appliances.
Advantages of Double Oven
Even if you’re not big on cooking all year round, having more oven space around the holidays can be essential to finishing meals on time. With double oven ranges, you can keep that turkey cooking all day and still bake the other dishes in time for dinner. You don’t have to worry about keeping one dish at 375 degrees while the other one needs to broil at 500.
Speaking of broiling, if you’ve ever tried to cook fish in your oven with anything else, you most likely learned how much of a mistake that was. Foods with different flavors or different types of foods can “taint” each other when they cook in the same oven. With a dual oven, you can bake the fish in the top while letting your delicious pie dessert bake in the bottom.
In addition, a dual oven can offer an extra safety parameter to your home. If you have little ones, you can avoid them opening up the oven and burning themselves by only cooking in the top oven. A home can be full of dangers for children, so cutting back on as many dangers as possible can help families have a little more peace of mind.
Things to Look For
So now that you’re sure you want a double oven, you’re probably wondering what to look for. At K&A Appliance, we offer hundreds of top-quality and affordable appliances that you can choose from. Here’s what we recommend to take into consideration before purchasing:
- Space: If you’re going to have a double oven range, you also need to take your cooking space needs into consideration. Unless you’re going to have a huge, 60-inch range, you’re not going to have two full size ovens. Most people likely won’t need two full size ovens, but make sure you check the size of each oven in a double oven to make sure it’s big enough for your needs.
- Technology: Smart appliances are becoming more and more popular in homes, and ovens are no exception. If you’re always paranoid about leaving the oven on, there are specific brands of ovens that will let you turn the appliance on and off from your phone. Even temperature can be controlled with smart devices, so keep these features in mind when you’re making a purchase.
- Controls: Self-cleaning, convection fans, temperature probes—there’s a long list of controls and features that come with some ovens. Take the time to think about what kind of cooking you plan on doing and what features could be most beneficial in your new appliance. Experts at K&A Appliance will help you narrow down the options if you’re unsure.
- Electric vs. Gas: This depends on your cooking habits, but most bakers tend to prefer electric ovens since they bake more evenly than gas ovens. At the same time, if you have a double oven range, you may still want a gas stovetop, so make sure you purchase an appliance that can support dual fuel food preparation.
Benefits of a Gas Range
When it comes to controlling cooking temperatures, it’s no secret that a gas stove is superior. Being able to instantly change the amount of heat with a flame is much better for cooking than an electric stove can offer. A lot of people tend to be scared off by an open flame for safety reasons, but there are also a lot of benefits to having a dual fuel range stovetop.
For example, gas ranges tend to be quite cost effective when it comes to utilities. Even if they’re initially more expensive, gas stoves won’t run up your electric bill, and they save more money in the long run. They’re also much more durable since the metal grates can handle more abuse than smooth tops on electric stoves.
Another benefit to having a gas range is that it won’t stop working if your power goes out. If you have a house full of hungry family members during a storm, you don’t have to stop cooking or baking with gas. In addition, if the power is out during a snowstorm, it can double as a heat source until the power comes back on.
Things to Look For
When you’re picking out a gas range, there are a few features you may have questions about. There are a lot of options to choose from, so here’s what we suggest to keep an eye on:
- Cooking Power: Depending on how you use your range, check what the BTU (British Thermal Unit) measurements are for the stove burners. The higher the BTU, the hotter your flame will get, and the faster your food will cook. You’ll also want to check how low the heat can get on your range for cooking that requires lower temperatures.
- Size: Remember that the size of your range will also relate to the size of your double ovens. Take into consideration how many burners you might want or need, and whether or not you want an integrated grill or griddle in your range.
- Slide-In vs Freestanding: If you’re concerned about covering up a backsplash or are particular about aesthetics in your kitchen, a slide-in range is definitely for you. While they are more expensive, slide-in appliances have no bulky backguard and have all of the controls at the front so there’s no risk of burning yourself reaching over a hot pan. Freestanding ranges, on the other hand, are much more cost-efficient and easy to install. These also do not require cabinets on either side since they’re completely finished appliances.
Top Dual Fuel Brands
Now that you know the benefits of both a double oven and a gas range, the question is if you want or need a dual fuel range. A dual fuel range means that you’ll be able to have the luxury of an even bake with electric ovens while still having a superior cook with a gas range. We have several brands in stock at K&A Appliance that meet these requirements:
- LG Double Oven Gas Range
- GE Double Oven Gas Range
- Whirlpool Double Oven Gas Range
- Kenmore Double Oven Gas Range
Even if you’re still unsure of your purchase, reach out to us today and we can help you make an informed decision on your next big investment. Our stores in Lancaster and Willow Street, PA are always fully stocked with a huge selection to choose from. All of our appliances are scratch and dent, which means they may or may not come with a few cosmetic blemishes, but they’re all brand new and offered at lower prices to save you money where it matters.