Gas cookers use gas as the fuel for the integrated oven, grill and the hob. They are often cheaper to run than electric cookers but it is often more difficult for the user to control the oven temperature than with an electric cooker, although many users prefer gas burners as a personal preference as the heat is instant. Gas cookers usually have one or two ovens and four or five gas burners. There is also a gas grill which is usually integrated into the top oven. All gas cookers should be installed by a qualified professional certified by GasSafe and must have a nearby source of gas, either bottled (LPG) or mains gas.
Electric cookers use electric as the source of fuel for both the oven and the hob. Many users prefer electric cookers to gas as it is easier to control the temperature, plus they can be installed virtually anywhere as long as they are within reach of an electrical source. It is also easier to install an electric cooker as they do not always need to be installed by a professional. Electric cookers usually have one or two ovens and a hob consisting of four or five burners, plus an electric grill integrated into the top oven. The hob can be one of several different types, the main types being a ceramic hob, which has a glass surface, electric sealed plates or an induction hob.
Range cookers are larger width cookers with an emphasis on design as well as functionality and they usually come in widths of 90 cm to 150 cm or even wider. Range cookers usually have two side by side ovens and may have a separate grill or warming compartment. They can have several burners often including a specialist wok burner and/or griddle. Range cookers are available with gas, electric or dual fuel as their fuel source. Range cookers were originally designed to provide all of the household heating and hot water as well as cooking, but many now are only designed to provide cooking facilities. Range cookers are generally the most expensive type of cooker and while the main characteristic of a range cooker was the traditional or retro design, they are also now often available in a minimalist and modern design.
Freestanding cookers are not designed to be integrated into the kitchen units and are freestanding on the kitchen floor, consisting of one or two ovens, a grill and an integrated hob or set of burners. Most manufacturers recommend that there should be a gap of at least 5cm around any freestanding cooker. They are often less expensive than built in cookers and can be moved out of place easier for cleaning. Freestanding cookers can use gas, electricity or dual fuel as a fuel source. They usually come in widths of 50cm or 60cm and many freestanding cookers have integrated splash-backs to prevent food from going onto the back wall.
Dual fuel cookers are cookers which uses electric for the oven and grill and gas, either bottled or mains, for the burners. They are a popular choice as many users prefer the better heat distribution of a gas burner together with an electric oven. Dual fuel cookers are available in many widths, 50cm, 60cm and the larger range cookers.
Built in cookers are integrated into the kitchen units for a more co-ordinated design. Built in cookers usually consist of an electric oven which is integrated into the kitchen units plus a hob or set of burners which is purchased and installed separately. Built in cookers can use gas, electricity or dual fuel as a fuel source. There are both single oven and double oven built in cookers, with a standard width of 60cm.
LPG cookers are any type of gas cooker which uses LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas) as its source of fuel rather than natural gas cookers which use mains gas. There is little difference in terms of cooking performance, the only real visible difference being how the gas is delivered. LPG comes in bottles which have to be changed whenever they are empty, whereas the natural gas is pumped in by the gas company through the mains. However, many households may not be able to install a mains gas connection due to their location.
Dual fuel range cookers are range cookers which use both gas and electric as their energy source, electric for the oven and gas for the burners. A range cooker is wider than a standard cooker, although narrow versions are available for smaller kitchens, and are traditionally styled cookers with a very distinctive design, although modern versions are now available. They are often 90cm to 150 cm wide and the wider cookers have multiple ovens and several burners. Some specialist range cookers can also provide domestic heating and hot water as well as cooking.
Natural gas range cookers are range cookers which use mains gas as opposed to bottled or LPG gas. As with all range cookers they come in various sizes between 90cm and 150 cm or more, and can come in different designs including traditional or classic and contemporary. A natural gas range cooker can be more difficult to install as you need to have good access to a mains pipe and it might therefore not be suitable for many households, however mains gas does give the advantage that the user does not have to manually change gas bottles as it is piped in automatically from the gas provider. All gas cookers have to be installed by a registered and qualified fitter.
LPG gas cookers are any type of gas cooker which uses Liquefied Petroleum Gas as its source of fuel. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is supplied through gas bottles and they are often easier to install than natural gas cookers, although still more difficult than electric cookers, however many people prefer to cook with gas. LPG gas cookers have to be installed by a registered fitter who will have to install gas pipes to the bottles outside if there is not already a suitable connection. Consumers using LPG gas cookers have to manually change the bottle when it is empty, although they are available at many sources including most garages.
Electric range cookers are far less common than dual fuel range cookers and come in widths of between 90cm and 150 cm, although wider ones are available. They usually have multiple electric ovens and electric hobs, with the capacity for several burners. The hobs can either be induction, which require special saucepans, ceramic or electric sealed plates.
Freestanding electric cookers are designed to be freestanding in the kitchen and not built into the kitchen units. They consist of one or two ovens and a hob, with a grill integrated into the upper oven. They use electric as the energy source for the oven, the grill and the hobs. Freestanding electric cookers are usually 50cm or 60 cm wide and often have features such as splash-backs to protect the wall or catalytic liners for easier cleaning.
LPG range cookers are range cookers which use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as the fuel for the ovens and burners. LPG is bottled gas and may be the only suitable gas option for households which are not connected to mains gas. A disadvantage of LPG range cookers is that the bottles have to be changed manually when empty, although this is fairly infrequent and the householder may in fact only have to change them every few months or less.
Freestanding gas cookers are installed freestanding in the kitchen without being integrated into the kitchen units. Freestanding gas cookers legally have to be installed by a registered GasSafe fitter and they have to be placed with access to either bottled or mains gas, which can make them much more difficult to install than electric cookers. Some users prefer gas burners to electric hobs as they often provide better heat distribution. Many gas cookers have integrated splash-backs to protect the kitchen wall from food. The standard size for a freestanding cooker is 50cm or 60 cm wide.
LPG gas range cookers are any type of range cooker which uses Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a gas which comes in bottles and is available from many places including supermarkets and garages. LPG gas range cookers are cookers which are available in wider widths than most cookers, from 90 cm up to 200 cm and are very design focused, many with a traditional or rustic design. LPG gas range cookers are suitable for users who prefer to cook with gas but who do not have the possibility to connect to the mains gas for whatever reason, and they should always be installed by a registered fitter.