If it were up to me, I’d have a stunning gas range from Viking. But it’s not up to me. My landlord and wallet make that decision, and they’re screaming “NO” so loudly you can probably hear it.

So it’ll be awhile before I’m in the market for a new oven, but if you’re ready to buy one, be prepared: There are a number of decisions to make before you fork over the cash. To guarantee your oven fits your needs, ask yourself these five questions:

1. How much room do I have to work with?
If your kitchen is short on space, consider purchasing a wall oven that’s separate from the burners. Splitting the two features can give you more flexibility in layout and often make the workflow of your kitchen a little smoother.

Once you’ve narrowed down where the new oven will sit, it’s important that you measure the space as exactly as possible. Depending on the measurements, this could narrow down your options significantly.

2. How much interior space do I need?
Do you have a large family? Or do you often cook for a bigger group? Although ovens are available in only 24-, 27-, and 30-inch varieties, the interior cavity space of each may surprise you. So if you’re worried about fitting that 20-pound turkey in there, you better open it up and take a look for yourself. Before heading to the store, measure your largest baking sheets. You’d hate to buy an expensive oven only to discover you also have to buy new bake ware because they don’t fit.

3. What type of baking/cooking do I do the most often?
Are you a big baker? Pay special attention to the multi-loop element in the bottom of your stove. A longer one with more loops will cook your cheesecakes, pies, and breads more evenly. And that can make the difference between good cinnamon rolls and out-of-this-world cinnamon rolls!

If you cook odd-size foods – like hams, turkeys, and roasts – check out how many rack levels there are. Many ovens only come with four levels, but you should look for an oven with five if you cook taller foods often.

Folks that spend a majority of their time in the kitchen should also consider purchasing a convection oven, which comes equipped with a fan to circulate heat more efficiently. This means you can cook multiple dishes without worrying about their place in the oven.

4. What features do I need?
Ovens can come with a variety of bells and whistles. Everything from a self-cleaning feature to electronic touchpad controls and a frameless glass door are available. Narrow down your must-haves before heading to the store.

5. Is the oven energy efficient?
You’ll get the most bang for your buck if you purchase an oven that uses the least amount of energy. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy can help you choose the greenest option.

With these questions answered, it should be a breeze picking out your new oven. Good luck!

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You don’t want to begin your journey looking for kitchen appliances unprepared. Because an appliance showroom is packed with products, it can be an overwhelming experience if you don’t know exactly what you want. Knowing your needs, style preferences and budget before you start shopping can help you maneuver through rows and rows of appliances. Here’s some helpful information to start you on your journey to discover the best and most important appliances – ovens, cooktops, ranges, refrigerators, ventilation systems and dishwashers – for your kitchen.

The Look

Appliances should blend in with other design elements in your kitchen. You can achieve this by having them built into the cabinets or paneled to look like them. Or if you prefer, you can make a statement with a stand-alone, like those made with a decorative vent hood and carved wood ornamentation or a stainless steel refrigerator. Keep in mind where you place your appliances will affect the other design elements in your kitchen. For example, a range or a separate cooktop and oven could change your countertop and cabinet space plans.

Your options for appliance designs include: built-in, paneled, freestanding professional-style, freestanding restored or reproduction antiques or standard freestanding models. A new neutral is stainless steel appliances which work well in all styles of kitchens, from Old World to contemporary to Mediterranean to traditional.

Keep in mind that in order to get the commercial feel of a professional-style appliance you’ll need to splurge. Increased cooking and storage capacity and an oversized look come at a price that almost doubles standard appliances. True commercial units aren’t rated for residential use because of their special ventilation needs, massive size and safety issues, but most pro-style appliances come close to giving the advantages of a restaurant-grade appliance, including greater durability, more precise temperature control and a stainless steel finish. If you love to cook or have a big family pro-style is worth a look.

When it comes to your stove, you can make a big statement by buying one that has bright colored knobs or a 1930s-style range complete with porcelain enamel surfaces accented with nickel-plated trim. Knowing the look you want will narrow your search rather quickly and set you on course for the more important task – what you need from your appliances to effectively and efficiently run your kitchen.

The Scoop on Appliances

Know your cooking needs
When it comes to deciding on your cooking gear, you should look for features that will improve your cooking speed and precision. Things you should consider are whether you need pro-style or standard, gas or electric and how you want to place them (built-in or freestanding).

Pro-style vs. standard
One of your first decisions should be whether you need the increased cooking capacity of a professional-style range or cooktop or if you’d be happier with a less expensive model that has more standard features.

Here’s how the pro-style features measure up against a more standard model:

A pro-style has four or more burners at 15,000 BTU while a standard model offers an assortment of burners ranging from 5,000 to 14,000 BTU. Pro-style has large control knobs, while standard has small knobs or a digital control panel. Pro-style has continuous cast-iron grates while standard have separate steel burners. Pro-style also has more oven racks and is 36 to 60 inches wide as opposed to the standard 30 inches.

Gas vs. Electric
For the most precise temperature control you’ll want to go with gas. The biggest advantage to going electric is that it’s cheaper and gives you the option of having a sleek glass ceramic surface, which is far easier to clean than a burner.

Cooktop Placement
You’ve got some flexibility when it comes to the placement of your oven. You can pair together a separate oven and cooktop; or you can make it part of a range; or mount it on the wall.

A popular and space saving option is stacking two wall ovens either on top of each other or side by side with countertop space in between them so you can have more cooks in the kitchen.

If you don’t plan on using both ovens regularly you may want to consider a combination oven which allows you to use it as a microwave and convection oven when you need it.

Warranties

Warranties vary by manufacturer and appliance model, but most appliances come with a one to five year warranty.

Energy Efficiency

Thanks to the Federal Trade Commission all new major household appliances are required to have a bright yellow-and-black EnergyGuide label placed on them so that you will know the annual energy consumption and operating cost for each appliance.

Trendy Tips

It’s worth taking the time to explore ways to make your appliances more accessible, like raising your dishwasher so you don’t have to bend down to load and unload it. Check out all the wonderful options available for your drawers like warming ovens, refrigerators and dishwashers. If you’re a pizza lover you might enjoy creating a crusty pizza pie in a pro-type brick oven or if wine is your passion you might want a beverage chiller or storage unit – some even come with a cigar holder. If you’re considering a trash compactor, consider moving it to the garage to free up space in the kitchen.

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