Dual-Fuel Ranges

Dual-fuel ranges pair an electric oven with a gas cooktop

A dual-fuel range couples an easy-to-control gas cooktop with an even-heating electric convection oven. However, this feature comes with a high price tag; we found almost no dual-fuel ranges that cost less than $2,000. Installation costs may be higher as well, because most dual-fuel ranges require a 240-volt outlet in addition to a gas hookup. In addition, most dual-fuel ranges measure 36 inches wide or more, while the standard width of a range is only 30 inches -- so fitting a dual-fuel range into your kitchen may require some remodeling.

At the high end of this already high-end product range, we found good overall reviews for the Viking VDSC530-4BSS (*Est. $4950). This professional-style range is rated the best "splurge pick" among dual-fuel ranges in a recent Good Housekeeping review. The editors praise its performance at simmering, baking and browning, as well as its sleek design, with heavy black porcelain grates and "chunky, user-friendly knobs that say 'pro'." The editors of ConsumerGuide.com also admire this model's design, saying "quality is evident in the bulk of this heavy, impressive range." They also praise the Viking's performance and features, such as sealed gas burners, a 4.7-cubic-foot convection oven and an "infinite range" of heat settings. On the other hand, one other professional test rates its performance merely good: Testers say it broils and simmers well but is only so-so at boiling and baking. Not only does the Viking underperform most dual-fuel ranges in the test, it doesn't fare as well as ordinary gas ranges costing one-tenth its price.

The 30-inch VDSC530-4BSS dual-fuel range comes with four burners covered by a full-cooktop grate; the larger 36- and 48-inch versions can be customized to include six burners, a central grill, or a smooth griddle. This range also comes in an immense variety of finishes. This range has a stainless-steel finish, but it is also available in black, white and 21 custom colors, including unusual shades like apple red and iridescent blue. It can also be converted to run on liquid propane rather than natural gas. The Viking VDSC530-4BSS has a detailed warranty that covers the whole unit for three years, the surface and tube burners for five, the porcelain oven for 10 and the stainless steel exterior for life.

For those who don't require the heavy-duty design and sleek looks of a professional range, Good Housekeeping also recommends the Bosch HDS7282U (*Est. $2,075) as a budget pick. (This is a 30-inch freestanding version of the HDI7282U, which was included in Good Housekeeping's tests.) The editors describe this range as even-cooking and easy to operate. The one user review we found at Epinions.com agrees, praising the HDS7282U's large capacity and beautiful browning. However, the user, a professional chef, expresses frustration with the burner sizes, saying that the simmer burner was not useful for him, and he found himself constantly shifting pots around to take advantage of the higher-powered burners.

Though less expensive than the Viking range, the Bosch HDS7282U dual-fuel range includes most of the same features: a 4.6-cubic-foot convection oven, four burners with a variety of heat levels, continuous cast-iron grates and special heat settings for simmering delicate sauces. It also includes a couple of extra features the pricey Viking range doesn't have, such as a warming drawer and a temperature probe for roasting meats. The only feature it doesn't offer is the wide range of colors; the Bosch HDS7282U comes in stainless steel only. It also has a standard one-year warranty instead of the lengthy warranty that comes with the Viking range.

The Kenmore Elite 75603 (*Est. $1,925) dual-fuel range has not been included in any professional reviews, but it gets good feedback from owners. The gas cooktop has five sealed burners covered with cast-iron grates, ranging in power from 5,000 to 14,200 Btu. The range includes two ovens -- a 3.7-cubic-foot main convection oven plus a 1.7-cubic-foot side oven -- so you can cook items simultaneously at different temperatures. This makes the 40-inch-wide Kenmore Elite larger than most ranges, which measure 30 inches wide. The Kenmore Elite 75603 comes in a stainless-steel finish, and it's covered by a one-year warranty.

Users at Sears.com give the dual-fuel range 4 stars out of 5 in nearly 40 reviews. Users say the Kenmore Elite 75603 bakes, browns, and braises well, and the stylish exterior is widely praised. There is a lot of disagreement about how easy the cooktop is to clean; some say it cleans up easily thanks to its ceramic surface and easy-to-remove burner grates, while others complain that it "shows everything." Some users also find it inconvenient that the side oven lacks a self-cleaning feature and must be cleaned manually. However, the main complaint about the Kenmore range is that oven space is limited, especially in the smaller side oven, which cannot accommodate full-size baking dishes. We also saw a few complaints about durability, including such issues as flaking enamel, a warped cooktop and a plastic control panel that melted from the heat of the stove.