You don’t always get a lot of room for maneuver when you’re picking appliances for your kitchen. If you’re in an apartment, you may have to settle for top-and-bottom ovens built into wall A while your stove sits mid-counter on wall B. This arrangement is great if you happen to have a bad back. Bending and cast iron casserole dishes do not mix.
But what if you find that you’re refitting and you’re in position to gather all three elements of your cooking empire—stove, oven and second oven/broiler—into one place? It makes life so much easier when you don’t have to cross the room with blazing pans while kids run around the house. It’s so nice to have the ambient heat from the oven keeping your pans warm on the stove even with the flame turned out. And let’s not forget, a 48” range can add a note of upscale glamor to your whole kitchen.
Which to choose? Well, we’ve been checking out the domestic options for you on the grounds that you’re probably not trying to feed a football team every day from your home setting. We’ve set out the distinguishing details of five great 48” ranges which have had exceptionally positive feedback from customers, and followed these summaries with a buyer’s guide for what to take into account when you’re deciding which range is best for you.
In a hurry to arrange that delivery? Here’s our top pick.
Top 5 Best 48 Inch Range
OUR TOP PICK
Summary
In terms of oven capacity, the ZLine offers the least in this selection with an overall 6 cubic feet (cbft), divided between a main (4cbft) and secondary oven, both conventional temperature-controlled enclosures with broilers. That said, it still falls beneath the $5,000 mark for a 48” range, and it has several features going for it that we love.
Firstly, there are 7 burners. 6 is the typical ‘generous’ limit when combining stove tops with a griddle, which this model also features. You get a good range of flame strength, too: 2 x 18,000 BTU burners; 2 x 13,000; 2 x 8,500, and a gentler 4200 BTU burner.
This is fabulous news for people who regularly have to multi-cater. By this we mean separating meat and vegetarian food as much as possible during the cooking process as well as during the preparation phase.
It’s tricky enough sustaining good hygiene practices and keeping two discrete sets of chopping boards in play, but trying to keep physical distance between a spitting steak pan and a beanburger pan is easier said than done. The extra space is also a bit of a blessing for those feeding several fussy eaters.
The second wonderful element will appeal to parents with little kids running around. Okay, so you lose out on convection power in your two ovens. However, you gain peace of mind with an oven window which is triple-layered to keep the outside glass cool.
The ZLine ovens are also designed with Stay-Put hinges which won’t close a raging hot door onto your forearms or elbows while your hands are occupied trying to shift a casserole dish up to the stove for mid-braise rehydration. Neither will the doors swing outward while your attention is focused on the oven’s interior.
Pros
Adjustable legs
Safer in a home with small children
Good stove top arrangement
Easy to clean
1-year warranty
Cons
No fan oven
No automatic re-ignition safety feature mentioned
EDITORS CHOICE
Summary
Of the five products listed, this is the least expensive. You get a lot of capacity for your money—7.2cbft divided between a 4.5cbft convection fan oven (with a huge window) and secondary oven with broiler.
It’s not self-cleaning but designed to be easy to clean with a one-piece black porcelain drip tray (no annoying crevices for your bacon fat to escape into) and a black onyx porcelain oven interior.
The stove features auto-reignition capacity. In other words it will automatically relight the flame if it gutters out while the gas is still flowing. It’s an important safety feature—particularly in a kitchen subjected to strong drafts.
A less critical (but very nice) feature is the heating power under the griddle—you can set that flat top raging hot with an 18,000BTU flame. No danger of 5% fat burgers boiling on this: even with the greater water content, they’ll fry in a heartbeat.
Pros
Convection oven included
Good interior oven capacity
Easy to clean
Cons
No warranty details mentioned up front
BEST VALUE
Summary
This seems to be a hard 48” range to buy by itself. Though the initial sum may make you blink, this is a good option for someone looking to refit their kitchen entirely, or if you’re looking for a range which is entirely gas-powered. This is not one of the dual-fuel options.
The others in this selection are free-standing ranges—this elegant unit will be built in for that flush, upscale overall appearance. With this 48” range, you also get the under-cabinet range hood and dishwasher.
Looking at the range itself first, it features six burners overall with two high-power 18,000BTU stoves and a roux-friendly 650BTU simmer burner. A busy home chef will appreciate this; you don’t want your cheese sauce base vulcanizing while your pasta’s still got six minutes’ boiling time to go.
It’s also nice to be able to soften onions for relish without having to subject the pan to constant scrutiny. There’s also a griddle with a respectable 15,000BTU underlying flame.
The oven is where all the special features are gathered. The main convection (fan) oven has a 4.2cbft capacity, also featuring an infrared broiler and U-shaped bake burner.
The secondary oven is temperature controlled and features a single but strong 14BTU tube burner. You get a good array of cooking options with this unit.
Like the range, the hood is print-shielded, stainless steel and easy to clean. It’s got four extraction speeds so not everyone in the house needs to know what you’re cooking and you don’t have to swelter insanely while you’ve got two carbs on the boil as well as vegetables and your main.
The dishwasher is a 24” appliance, semi built-in, with a delay start option, 59” outlet hose length, and is 80+ certified for washing performance as well as holding an A++ energy-saving rating.
Pros
Great package for a refit
Automatic reignition feature
2-year labor and parts warranty
Reliable performance
Features a fan oven
Efficient infrared broiling is reliable
Light stainless-steel drip pan
Cons
No clock or timer
You’re committed to the bundle
RUNNER UP
Summary
This is the oven that comes closest to the Thor Kitchen 48” range, minus the built-in element (the Kucht is freestanding) and the three-item refit bundle. Like the Thor kitchen unit, this is a gas appliance in its entirety.
The stove tops have the same configuration, albeit with lesser power in Kucht’s burners (max 15,000BTU) and more heat under the griddle (18,000BTU).
The oven capacity will also be familiar to those checking out the Thor kitchen unit; you get a 30” fan oven with inbuilt 16,500 BTU infra-red broiler to your right and 18” 15,000BTU secondary, temperature controlled oven to the left. Both interiors combine to 7.2cbft overall capacity—more than enough for stress-free entertaining or energetic batch cooking. It’s great to be able to gently cook dessert in your secondary oven while the primary is searing the outside of a joint prior to a longer slow cook.
In further Thor mimicry, this 48” range comes with a 2-year parts and labor warranty. As a nice extra touch, you have the lifetime right to contact a Kucht oven expert for advice over video chat.
Pros
Good warranty terms
Good oven features
Excellent griddle heat
Good stove configuration
Auto-reignition feature
A more individual look with choice of Tuxedo black or Royal blue heat dials
Cons
Some may prefer dual fuel
Anecdotal evidence suggests you’ll need to oil the griddle well
RUNNER UP
Summary
We’re (bravely) closing off our list with the dearest option of them all. This is a premium range minus the Smart facilities. So, what do you get for your investment?
It has the largest oven capacity of this selection with two automatic convection conversion ovens, one of 5.75 cubic feet and the secondary of 2.5 cubic feet (8.25cbft altogether). Both come with oven temperature probes. You get five rack positions in the main oven, four in the left. The five racks roll on bearings designed to withstand the intense heat of the self-cleaning process. Yep, this oven self-cleans. You can spend that scrubbing-and-scraping time reading slow-cooker recipes instead. As for cleaning the outside, that’s a snip—before a swift wipedown, you can remove the dials and put them in the dishwasher.
There is also a Sabbath mode on both ovens, allowing a total Sunday shut-off of power.
The stove has a nice distinguishing feature: the grates are reversible so that you can safely contain a wok or bain marie basin as well as standard flat-bottomed pans. Each burner is capable of firing up to 18,000BTU.
Overall, it’s a beautiful high-end oven which will help you keep on top of just about every catering situation. Just don’t let your whole family know or Thanksgiving and Christmas catering will become your job each year.
Pros
Beautiful design
Self-cleaning
Exceptional internal space
Reverse convection / European convection option on both ovens
Strong flame on stove tops
Reversible grates
Sturdy, easy-slide roller racks
Timer and temperature indicators available
Cons
Warranty 1 year (could be more generous for the price point)
Price
The removable, dishwasher-proof dials felt a little cheaply made to some
Best 48 Inch Range Buying Guide
So, that’s a quick look through five great options with varied combinations of stove and oven features. You may want to look wider or examine the specifications more closely to see if you can pin down exactly what you need.
To make it easier to decide which is the range for you, this is a short reminder list of the things you may want to take into account before making your purchase decision.
Budget
There is a very wide ranging budget between the most basic 48” ranges, which come in at $4,000 at the cheapest, to the professional-at-home Smart ranges, which could set you back anywhere between $9 and $16k, depending upon how many exclusive features you want (such as Smart capability, infrared griddles, self-cleaning ability as standard, and so on).
Amazon and Home Depot’s 48” price array of gas or dual-fuel ranges reflects a domestic rather than professional selection. Through both outlets, you can select your upper price range as part of your filtering process.
For premium range lines, you might try a vendor like Yale Appliance
Unfortunately, none of the ovens we looked at came with a Liquid Propane conversion kit. That said, they’re quick and easy to order and it is worth asking your vendor if they will provide one. Some manufacturers are currently very eager to please.
Size
All but one of the ranges featured in this article was freestanding. Do you know how much room you have to work with for the installation of the unit?
Take care to measure in both metric and imperial and consult the product specifications on the precise dimensions to ensure that you have room to maneuver upon set-up, particularly in terms of unit depth where the rear meets the gas or propane outlet. Make sure that you have room to set up the LP-NG conversion kit where that’s necessary.
Dual Fuel
We mentioned a couple of all-gas options in this list, but this is going to be an important decision based on both cost and convenience.
If you’re concerned about long-term efficiency and fuel costs, then check to see which products have better energy ratings. This is typically included with the product specification information.
Inclusion of Convection/Fan Oven
Essentially, any oven with a fan is a convection oven, regardless of the fuel source. An advantage of a fan oven is that you can cook at lower temperatures and pre-heat for shorter times. A disadvantage (if you’re a baker) is that fan ovens tend to dry the air out.
If most of your cooking concerns cookies or cakes, you might get more consistent results with a conventional temperature-controlled oven. What do your long-term cooking priorities look like?
Range Heating Power
How much of your life is going to be spent using that griddle? If you don’t have the full power of 18,000BTU under your flat-top, then make sure that the broiler facilities meet your approval. After all, for the size of the investment, you want all your cooking options in one place.
The power in the burners isn’t such a deal-breaking feature—at least not in this selection. Other than the Kucht, every unit named here has at least one burner capable of flaming at 18,000BTU. Standard domestic ranges typically provide anywhere between 450BTU and 15,000BTU.
Reliability and Warranty
With such a huge investment, you’ll want to be sure that your initial coverage is adequate for your needs. Check to see if there is an extended warranty option, and whether it is a limited or full warranty. All of the ranges mentioned here had good feedback for sustained reliability past the first year, which is promising among a group of new models. However, it’s always worth checking in advance how easy it is to get replacement parts or accessories in the event of accidental damage.
Appearance
Finally, pick a range which speaks to you as soon as you look at it. If you’re investing in a 48” range and the full firepower of two ovens, then clearly the kitchen is a huge part of your heart and home. Feel proud just looking at a picture of the range which suits you best.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the value of a sealed burner?
If scrubbing burn marks off the drip trays is not how you would choose to spend your time in the kitchen, always make sure you have sealed burners.
They feature a layer between your flame and the main structure of your stove, extending the lifetime of your range both in terms of appearance and function. When you buy something beautiful, you want to keep it looking shiny-pin-new for as long as possible.
What does BTU stand for?
British Thermal Unit, though it hasn’t been specifically British for a very long time. An international measurement, it essentially relates to the force required to raise the temperature of 1lb of water by 1°F.
What are the benefits of an infrared broiler?
The two key benefits are that infrared heating reaches a higher temperature. So, if you want that searing done quickly without zapping your food of all moisture, then Infra Red broilers are the stuff of cheffy dreams.
They’re also very energy efficient because they require very little preheating, relying upon radiation instead of convection to transfer heat through the air.