There are so many decisions involved in buying cooktops, ranges and ovens. When considering what to buy, shop. Check out the manufacturers' Web sites.
If you are planning a new kitchen, talk to a designer about finding stoves and other appliances that match your lifestyle.
Keep in mind cost, the amount of food you prepare regularly, simplicity of operation, and how much heat cooking will generate in the kitchen, especially in the summer if you don't have central air-conditioning.
Let's begin with the most unusual idea of recent years: Whirlpool's Polara refrigerated range.
Of course, ovens are designed to heat, but Mike Moody, the company's director of brand cooking, says that modern life demands something more out of traditional appliances.
Say you have a pan of frozen lasagna, and you are certain that it will not be thawed for dinner. Then you have to warm it through, and you are now looking at eating at 10 p.m.
"The Polara can be programmed to cool, thawing the lasagna slowly and evenly," Moody said. "Then, at a preprogrammed time, the range will switch to baking mode, making sure that the lasagna is ready when you come home."
The oven will stop baking at a preprogrammed time. If you get held up in traffic, it will kick into warming for an hour. If you get home late and decide to forgo the lasagna, the range will return to refrigeration for up to 24 hours.
The compressor for the refrigerator is in the storage drawer in the bottom of the oven, Moody said. At 30 inches wide, the stove will fit any standard space.
Price: $1,899. Information: www.whirlpool.com.
Manufacturers are going the whole nine yards these days to accommodate the needs of a diverse market.
Case in point: GE has introduced a "Sabbath Mode" feature on more than 65 of its models, including wall ovens and ranges, that meets the requirements of a national kosher-certifying agency, Star-K.
