This is our setup, Thermador gas rangetop, Miele wall ovens…the top oven is a combi-steam. 7 1/2 years old, no repairs. All perform flawlessly. For baking, the Miele convection oven is easy to program, and a dream to use.

Do you want a cooktop or a range top? Range tops are usually pro style, higher power, and more expensive, and the cabinet design around them is usually more specific to the range top you have, and more expensive.

A cooktop is mounted on a cutout in the counter and the cabinets are continuous across the front like they are in front of the sink. Less expensive and easier to replace if necessary, in the future. Cooktops are really all a basic cook needs if they want separate appliances. A rangetop is kinda overkill unless you have a bigger budget and want the esthetics

I know you said you like the look of it, but do you like the look of it that much more? Because even if you don't cook a lot you want it at least to be reliable, so that means you don't want to by the cheapest one you can find because you don't like cooking. There's not a wrong answer, people buy $20,000 ranges and never turn them on except to boil water.

My only complaint would be having to clean cooking splatter off the drawers. My hubby loves BLTs and grilled cheese, but makes a bit of a mess with the grease part. And he is too much of a treasure for me to make a fuss over it.🙂

This is a GE cooktop and it lists for around $1000, and it's sometimes around $700

Other than Z-line, I think range tops are going to be twice this, at least.

I don't know that grease spatters so much in a downward direction. My parent's house had a cooktop with bright white cabinets, including a functional drawer immediately below the cooktop. My sister and her kids used to spend a month every summer with them, and they were messy cooks who fried bacon or something nearly every day, and the cabinets below the cooktop really did not get greasy. Everything else did, which required cleaning up, after they cleaned up (because they weren't very good at that either) But the lower cabinets? Not really.

“A cooktop is mounted on a cutout in the counter….Less expensive and easier to replace if necessary, in the future.”

Actually, a cooktop will be a more difficult replacement in the future. A cooktop has a specific cutout in the countertop. The replacement cooktop - even if the same brand - will most likely be a different size. Even a quarter inch difference will mean the new cooktop won’t fit in the existing cutout. We have seen this situation many times on this forum. The homeowner can try to find a new cooktop that is smaller than the existing cutout, and then just have filler pieces made. But if the new cooktop is bigger, you’ll have to get a counter fabricator to come in and enlarge the existing cutout.

A rangetop on the other hand needs no specific counter cutout. Like a range, it fits between the adjacent base cabinets in widths of 30”, 36”, 48” or 60”.

Another issue with a cooktop vs a rangetop is the knobs of a cooktop take up space on the cooktop surface. The OP did not say what width rangetop she is considering. If a 30” width, a cooktop in that size has limited space for larger pots and pans due to the knobs on the cooktop surface. A rangetop has its knobs on the vertical surface not taking up cooktop space (see @darbuka’s and @palimpsest’s pics above to see what I mean). A cooktop’s knobs location also means your hands are closer to the heat and spatter whenever you want to adjust them.

The OP specifically said she likes the looks of a rangetop. I agree with her. A rangetop’s beefy Pro-style appearance is appealing. As to reliability, a gas rangetop is a simple appliance and little can go wrong with it, compared to ovens and ranges which are more complex and have more things that can break.

I’d look for features like btus and how cleanable are the surfaces and grates. No gewgaws like brass burners or ornate knobs which become unsightly. Also keep in mind whatever your exhaust hood will be. If your hood exhaust is limited by either budget or existing ductwork, then find rangetop models with lower btus than the super-powerful rangetop models.

I don't really have any vested interest in what the OP gets, but if there is ever a need for replacement, it will require another range top, or possibly reconfiguring the cabinets. If the cutout is different for a replacement cooktop, then if the cutout needs to be a little larger sometimes it requires only to cut the countertop. If the cutout needs to be smaller, it might be necessary to replace the countertop, but not replace actual cabinets, or you can buy custom trim kits for this purpose.

Again, if a replacement is required, a quick search shows the option of about 530 cooktops available from one vendor vs. about 230 range tops. If the OP ever wants to switch to induction there are approximately 110 Induction Cooktops at this vendor, and 8 induction range tops.

I am just giving another set of information to an OP who doesn't like to cook. You might not like that information for whatever personal reason you may have, but that does not make it Wrong or Bad information. Like I said, I don't really care what the OP ends up buying.

You might not like that information for whatever personal reason you may have”

Nope, no “personal reason”. In re-reading my comment I see no indication of that.

If there is ever need for replacement of the rangetop, a new rangetop can be dropped in without reconfiguring the counters or reconfiguring the cabinets. I have direct experience with this. The house we moved into had a 36” rangetop from 2003, which we replaced with a new one. It was a simple swapout.

There have been posts on this forum re the cutout size for a replacement cooktop, and I am making sure the OP is aware of that. Also the knobs taking up space on the cooktop surface is a matter of geometry.

@thinkdesignlive we have a kitchenaid gas stove and oven standalone, i rarely use the oven we mostly use our little not so little oster electric counter oven.

@palimpsest I was looking at gas range tops because of the aesthetics, I have never used an induction and not a fan of the electric i have used maybe things are diffent now. i use a lot of stainless steel pots and pans along with my various cast iron pans.

@ShadyWillowFarm that is a very valid complaint lol, right now i have to constanly clean what i do have becuse of teens and husband so i don’t forsee that changing till the end of days sadly

The OP was specific in her inquiry. She’s looking for a rangetop, both for esthetics and the ergonomics of pots and pan drawers underneath. And, while she doesn’t have a passion for cooking, she does in fact cook. She made no mention of price being a factor, so I don’t know why one commenter decided to bring that up.

The fact is, from a cleaning standpoint, rangetops are better. With the vertical knobs below the cooking surface, they tend not to accumulate splatter and grease, unlike the knobs on cooktops, which are adjacent to the cooking grates.

Also, the metal surface of that cheap GE cooktop palimpsest is extolling, will be a bear to clean. Cooking remnants really adhere firmly to metal, esp if not wiped immediately. A quality rangetop, like the Thermador I have, has a thick enamelled surface surrounding the burners. Any stuck on food or grease, is easily removed with a spritz of Windex and a sponge, or Clorox Wipe. Or, if its been a while since the rangetop was cleaned, a little bit of Soft Scrub, will suffice.

For Stef C, the Thermador checks all of her boxes. It’s a quality rangetop, without the open burners and super high BTUs of a Bluestar. It’s easy to clean, and has the appearance she prefers. Plus, after 7 1/2 years of heavy use, the unit has never needed service. So many brands have problems with ignitors needing replacement. Never been an issue here.

@M Miller thanks, yes this exactly! I don’t like the knobs on the counter and i will probably stay between 30-36 wide and I won’t be remodeling again unless we move somewhere else. In the little research i did I Liked that they have specific measurements across brands for easy swap out if neccesary but thats something im hoping we never have to do.

I am not "extolling" anything. I don't care what the OP buys. I don't work for GE, I don't know anything about that cooktop in particular. I have a range top in my own kitchen. Apparently some of you do care very much what the OP buys or you need to recreate her kitchen in your kitchen's image or something.

I "prefer the look" of a Mercedes S-Class Sedan, but since I don't drive but every couple years, I don't have one.

I don't know WTF everybody's problem is in here, I was just clarifying that there may be other, generally less expensive options for someone who doesn't like to cook that much. The OP mentions "cost effectiveness" and mentioned one of the cheapest range tops you can get. To me, than means she is not looking for Thermador price or performance if she's looking at the cheapest rangetops you can get as a possibility. That's the only reason I mentioned something else. I am not forcing anybody to do anything.

I don't mean You OP.

I'd consider (and own) an induction rangetop of which there are four reasonably-priced models. You can test whether your existing pots and pans will work with induction with a magnet: If it sticks, the cookware will work with induction. Induction is more similar to gas than electric radiant as changes in power levels are immediate. Induction cooktops are easy to clean as the surface does not get hot like electric radiant and is completely flat unlike gas.

• Fulgor Milano F6IRT304S1 30 Inch Induction Rangetop
• Fulgor Milano F6IRT365S1 36 Inch Induction Rangetop
• Bertazzoni PROF365IRTXT Professional Series 36 Inch Induction Rangetop
• Bertazzoni MAST365IRTXT Master Series 36 Inch Induction Rangetop

My husband manages to get grease on the knobs and the floor and the ovens below. Multitasking? Multitalented???. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thursday morning - he’s cooking bacon! I’d film him to show how the grease splatters, but he’s in his underwear.😇

My nephew generally adds to the situation you describe by draining the bacon grease into a teacup or something else inappropriate, instead of one of maybe a dozen small pyrex custard dishes available?

$7

Yeah I am not sure why those screens that you can put in the DW fell out of common usage.

We have one of those.

We acttually cook our bacon in the oster counter oven we have. i set it at 400° put them on a cookie sheet with some parchment set them in during preheat and just check on them for crispiness usually it take -15-20 depending on how you like them. Minimal mess and minimal effort.

From a cleaning standpoint, induction wins.

Also safety.

Also boiling water to make pasta faster.

Also as usable workspace for things that aren't cooking.

Because you're short (whatever that means) and are planning a microwave over an oven, be very careful with the height of the installation of those. I am 5’3 and 3/4” (average height for a American female) and my microwave is basically unusable because of the height being few inches too high. It is not safe for me to reach up and over the door to remove hot things. I am told by the KD and contractor that the 2 ovens cannot be lowered. So far the only solution offered is for me to buy a stand alone microwave with a side hinge and a trim kit. It will still be too high but I can step in closer. I do not find this ”solution” acceptable so it falls to me to search for other options.

Be sure they take into account your height and arm reach before they order or install any cabinets or ovens. Probably splitting up the ovens and not stacking them is the easiest way to avoid any problems.

For an apathetic cook, induction seems perfect. It's just so fast, and so simple. Huge bonus is MUCH easier cooktop cleanup. And as someone who has an induction cooktop, I would definitley vote for doing a rangetop instead. For the reason M Miller stated--no knobs taking up room on the cooktop.

If you are primarily cooking with stainless and cast iron, induction will work great. I had to replace a few older stainless pans. Almost all newer stainless is induction-compatible.

"We will probably get a bulit in oven with a microwave above it."

The KitchenAid KOCE500ESS achieved a recommended rating from CR.

@hhireno: "I am told by the KD and contractor that the 2 ovens cannot be lowered."

The KitchenAid KOCE500E specifications state that the cutout can be as close as 4" to the floor while 19-1/4" is recommended (which is why you should always check a manufacturer's specs, not just believe what you are told).

@hhireno Im shorter then you. Thats a great point, I will see what they can do.

"Im shorter then you"

See the KitchenAid KOCE500E specifications linked above. You can install this wall oven as low as 4" from the floor.

I'm shorter than both of you (maybe). Definitely check your personal measurements. And if your kids will be cooking, don't have a highish microwave. If you're describing your cooking habits correctly, you won't mind the lower oven as much as you'd mind the higher microwave. :)

I would consider having a separate microwave in a completely different location. The use isn't really the same, they just get stacked with the conventional oven because they are both ovens. I have found that the microwave functions best in a location separate from cooktop or range and separate from wall oven.

Agree with palimpsest. Specifically, it's really nice to have the microwave in close proximity to the fridge, and outside of the prep zone. Or if you use the microwave for beverages, close to your mugs and coffee/tea/hot chocolate supplies.

I would consider having a separate microwave in a completely different location.

That is something I considered, along with skipping a microwave, but allowed myself to to be persuaded else wise, which is just salt in my wounds over this whole problem. I had a combo unit that was fine, but upgraded to separate units and she stacked them. Since the combo was fine for 20 years before this I didn’t think there might be a problem with the new ones. I foolishly assumed hiring certified professionals meant I didn’t have to consider things I didn’t know, which was 99% of the renovation. As written here often, you don’t know what you don’t know.

Good luck Stef C.

I have a separate microwave and wall oven, but they are in the same cabinet. Both are at comfy heights. I should point out that my wall oven is a 24" speed oven, so not as tall as a typical wall oven, and that my microwave is just a countertop model sitting in a finished cavity. (I figured if the speed oven was good enough as a microwave, I could put books or canisters on the shelf.)

I had a combo unit in a previous house and it was fine; neither oven was too high or too low. I haven't sized new ones.