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What Are the Benefits of a Range Cooker?
Are you thinking about upgrading the cooker in your kitchen? Then you may be wondering whether to choose a regular cooker, or a range cooker. In this article, we’ll tell you about the benefits of selecting the latter. Keep reading to discover the benefits of range cookers…
What is a range cooker?
A range cooker is a type of freestanding oven that is typically much larger than a regular cooker. The most common sizes of range cooker are 90 cm, 100 cm, and 110 cm.
Range cookers have much larger capacities than regular built-in cookers, with two or more ovens.
You’ll generally find that range cookers have plenty of additional features over built-in cookers, too. These features can include warming compartments, hobs, additional cooking plates, separate grills and more.
Some range cookers even include boilers - providing hot water for your home. In some instances, these boilers can be plumbed into your home heating system to provide hot water for your radiators.
La Nordica Family 3.5 Wood Burning Range Cooker
The benefits of range cookers
With range cookers being so distinct from the standard built-in cookers you find in most homes, they offer a range of unique benefits. Benefits that we’ve outlined below.
Style
This is arguably one of the biggest benefits of buying and owning a range cooker. They really are stylish and can completely transform even the most humble of kitchens.
Because of their imposing stance and bold appearance, range cookers create a focal point within your kitchen - acting as the central point around which activity can take place, be it cooking or socialising.
As you’ll find when you explore our range, range cookers are available in a wide range of styles and colours. It’s equally possible to buy sleek, contemporary range cookers with clean, simple lines - as well as more ornate, traditionally-styled range cookers.
With regard to colour, it’s possible to buy range cookers in traditional blacks and greys, however it’s also possible to buy range cookers in more colourful hues such as lustrous, deep reds and rich creams.
In short, if you’re looking to add something to your kitchen that’ll make it look fantastic, choose a range cooker!
Increased home value
One of the most overlooked points about range cookers, is that they can add to the value of your home.
According to a survey of 2,100 UK adults conducted by SellingUp/Populus, 38% of respondents felt that a range cooker made a home more desirable.
Indeed, according to online property marketplace Zillow, kitchen renovations as a whole can provide an up to 80% return on investment.
In other words, by investing in a range cooker, you’ll also be enhancing the value of your home more broadly. So, although range cookers tend to be more expensive than regular built-in cookers, you can more than recoup your initial outlay.
Longevity
Another major benefit of range cookers is how long they last. We’re talking decades!
Range cookers - especially the wood burning variety that we sell here at Direct Stoves - are fairly simple appliances, and as such, very rarely go wrong.
In fact, some range cookers have been known to last as long as 50 years! Yes, you read that correctly.
Whilst range cookers do have a higher upfront cost than regular built-in cookers, their huge lifespan more than offsets this. Plus, bear in mind that your average built-in cooker will only have a lifespan of between 10 and 15 years, so in the long term a range cooker can work out cheaper.
Versatility
Range cookers are arguably the most versatile kitchen appliance you can buy. Not only do they typically have two ovens, but they’ll have a hob, warming compartments, grills and other features.
This means you can do a lot with them!
Whether you want to cook a stew, fry some bacon, heat up a kettle of water, keep some freshly-baked bread warm, or cook a pizza - a range cooker is likely going to let you do these things (and more!).
Wood-burning range cookers also give off a lot of heat, and can be used to keep your kitchen warm. In fact, if you enjoy spending time in your kitchen, a range cooker can save you from having to put your central heating on at all!
As we mentioned earlier, some models of range cookers also include boilers. This means they can provide hot water for your home - be it for heating purposes or for use in your kitchen.
As range cookers are so versatile, they can also save you from having to buy other kitchen appliances, saving you money both now and in the future.
La Nordica Rosa 4.0 Petra Wood Burning Range Cooker
Storage
Because of their imposing size - and the fact that many models have drawers/compartments - range cookers can be used to store a wide variety of kitchen items such as pots, pans, and griddles.
Many range cookers also have handy handles, lips, and rails on their exterior from which you can hang things like towels, ladles, and other similar utensils.
Basically, range cookers are a great way of organising your kitchen, allowing you to tuck plenty of items tidily out of the way.
Convenience
Because it’s possible to keep range cookers running all day, you’ll find that things like boiling a kettle or rustling up a snack become much easier and convenient.
Just pop them on the hob or in the oven, and you’ll have a drink/snack in only a few minutes.
Range cookers are also convenient in the fact that they are effectively an entire kitchen in one single unit. You can keep all of your cooking activity in one part of your kitchen rather than being spread out everywhere.
What’s more, range cookers are also convenient in the sense that they are freestanding. This means that if you move house, you can take your range cooker with you. That’s not something you can really do with a built-in cooker and fitted kitchen!
Efficiency
Because the costs of electricity and gas have soared to such heights in recent months, a wood-burning range cooker can now be a more efficient way of cooking food and heating your kitchen.
Plus, because they are multifunctional, you can use your range cooker to heat water rather than turn on an electric kettle - saving you even more money.
Should you choose a wood-burning range cooker with a boiler, you can even heat your home beyond the kitchen - with the cooker providing hot water for your radiators.
Eco-friendly
Today’s wood-burning range cookers are remarkably eco-friendly. This is because they use advanced combustion technologies to ensure they are clean burning. As a result, wood-burning range cookers release far less smoke and combustibles than many people realise.
They are also eco-friendly in the sense that, should you be burning firewood from sustainably-managed forests - you’ll be burning a renewable resource. This compares favourably to fossil fuels such as oil and gas.
Another tick in the ‘eco-friendly box’ for range cookers is their longevity. Because they can last decades, range cookers are far more eco-friendly than regular built-in cookers that have shorter lifespans. A range cooker can literally last you for life, thereby saving on the earth’s natural resources.
Cost-effective
Because range cookers combine multiple appliances into one, and are so long-lasting, they often work out to be the most cost-effective option for many kitchens.
This is especially true if you’re embarking on a kitchen renovation project, as a range cooker will reduce the amount you spend on other appliances etc.
More cooking space
If you’re an avid cook, or often need to cook large amounts of food, then a range cooker is often the best choice.
Why? Well, primarily because the ovens in range cookers tend to be on average about 20% larger than the typical oven in built-in cookers in most kitchens.
As we mentioned earlier, range cookers also tend to have features like warming compartments and warming trays, meaning you can keep more food warmer for longer too.
Range cookers with two ovens can also allow you to cook all of your dishes in one go, saving you time in the kitchen and allowing you to spend more time with friends and family.
Improved use of space
Because range cookers are effectively an entire kitchen in one, they help you make better use of space in your kitchen. Instead of having multiple appliances taking up space, you have one appliance that can do multiple things!
As such, range cookers are ideal for small and large kitchens alike.
Range cookers UK
It’s true then! Adding a range cooker to your home comes with many benefits. If they sound like the kind of benefits you’d enjoy, then explore some of our most popular range cookers below.
La Nordica Rosetta Sinistra Wood-Burning Range Cooker
La Nordica Rosetta Sinistra Wood Burning Range Cooker
If you’re looking for a compact range cooker that’ll be perfect for a smaller kitchen, then the La Nordica Rosetta Sinistra could be the perfect option.
With a heat output of 6kW and an efficiency rate of 74%, the Rosetta Sinistra will heat your kitchen and cook your food whilst making your firewood last - ideal for the current energy crisis we’re all living through!
As you can see from the picture above, the Rosetta Sinistra is beautifully designed, with rustic, traditional styling on the enamelled facade. The top cooking plate and rings, as well as the internal facing of the hearth, are all made from the highest quality cast iron. The doors and frame are made from enamelled cast iron, making this an exceptionally well-built range cooker.
Other features that you’ll find in the Rosetta Sinistra, include:
- Adjustable primary and secondary air intakes for improved combustion control.
- A post combustion system that reduces emissions.
- Extractable wood drawer to store firewood.
- Ceramic glass, which is designed to stay clear.
To make it even better, the Rosetta Sinistra has an hourly consumption rate of only 2 kg of firewood, meaning your firewood will go further.
La Nordica Sovrana Easy Evo 2.0 Wood-Burning Range Cooker
La Nordica Sovrana Easy Evo 2.0 Wood Burning Range Cooker
Offering a more contemporary, modern look, the La Nordica Sovrana Easy Evo is a range cooker that’ll perfectly complement minimalist style kitchens.
Bursting with modern combustion technology, the Sovrana Easy Evo 2.0 is energy rated A+, has an efficiency rate of 81% and a total heat output of 7.5kW. This makes it a very powerful, yet economic range cooker.
With an enamelled cast iron facade and frame, a top cooking plate and rings in polished cast iron and enamelled steel doors, the Sovrana Easy Evo is built from the finest materials - meaning you’ll be buying a range cooker that offers decades of reliable service.
Other features of the Sovrana Easy Evo 2.0, include:
- Extractable ash drawer.
- Post combustion system that minimises emissions.
- Double glass oven doors.
- Extractable wood drawer.
Plus, it has an hourly consumption of firewood of only 2.2 kg.
Esse Ironheart Wood-Burning EcoDesign Range Cooker
Esse Ironheart Wood Burning EcoDesign Range Cooker
Combining a stove and range cooker into a single appliance, the Esse Ironheart is an exceptionally popular option for kitchens across the UK.
It’s easy to see why. Esse has been designing and manufacturing stoves and range cookers since 1854 and this heritage shines through in the Ironheart.
Able to burn firewood at an efficiency of 82%, the Ironheart will make a highly economical addition to your kitchen.
It’s also packed with really useful features like a six-pan hotplate, an oven which allows you to regulate the heat from around 100ºC to 260ºC, and shelved fire bricks that allow you to grill food in the Ironheart’s firebox.
What’s even better is that the Esse Ironheart is EcoDesign compliant, meaning it burns exceptionally cleanly, emitting only very small amounts of smoke and other combustibles.
Invest in a range cooker from Direct Stoves today
Range cookers are the perfect addition to kitchens - large or small, traditional or modern - and Direct Stoves is the best place to buy one.
Why? Because not only do we have one of the best ranges of range cookers online, we make buying one easy.
We offer FREE mainland UK delivery and 14-day no hassle returns. We also make it easy for you to spread the cost of your range cooker with a range of finance options. These finance options include 0% interest over 12 months (on orders over £400).
If you have any questions before you hit that ‘buy now’ button, then our expert, friendly sales team is happy to help. You can reach them by phone on 0161 516 3549 or by email at: [email protected].
Shop range cookers at Direct Stoves now
For more range cooker and stove advice and information, read the Direct Stoves blog…
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