Stoves

Cooking has never been so stylish

Kitchen remodeling seems to be the trend these days – nearly every home manufacturer is advertising their shiny new kitchens appliances. And appliances aren’t the standard white boxes they used to be – now they come in all sorts of different styles and colors. Stoves are no exception. A stove can really catch someone’s eye and be the focal point of a kitchen. If you have to cook, you may as well do it in style!

Editorial Review

Viking Stoves

Viking has been called the Rolls Royce of kitchen appliances. The goal of the company is to introduce professional-quality cooking appliances into the common home.

Pros: Viking sells not only traditional freestanding ranges and ovens, but also rangetops, cooktops and even warming drawers. Although the standard finish on a Viking stove is stainless steel, there are over 20 different finishes that can be specially ordered. Another advantage of ordering a Viking stove is the ability to customize the surface configuration. For example, you can decide where you’d like to have your grills, griddles and other surface elements.

Choosing a Stove

Choosing a stove starts with learning about the different types available. There are electric, gas or wood stoves available for purchase. Electric stoves are probably the most common and definitely the cheapest option. However, a gas cooking stove will give you more cooking precision because the heat is more concentrated. Gas cooking stoves will also lower your electric bill, and food will be easier to cook. A wood stove is better for the environment but requires a lot more work since you have to constantly fuel it.

Once you’ve chosen your type of stove, the next step is to choose between a separate oven and cooktop or a regular, traditional stove. Your choice will depend on your kitchen’s style.

Stove Styles

Old-fashioned or antique stoves will look great in a country or an antique kitchen. If you have a cottage or log cabin, a wood cook stove looks great tucked into a corner; plus, it gives you another heat source.

Art deco stoves can be found for a ’20s-style kitchen; however, these aren’t always the most practical options. Try a plain black stove and tile your backsplash in an art deco style instead.

Vintage kitchens look great with recreated ’50s-style stoves. Some companies will custom-build these stoves for you so that you can have whatever color and features you want without compromising the style.

A contemporary kitchen would look better with an island range and a separate oven, but a black gas range or range hood would also be stylish. An electric range, however, is cheaper.

Appliances come in all sorts of colors now, but you might pay extra for a hard-to-find color. You can find stoves in all price ranges, but if you’re looking at discount stoves, make sure to check the warranty. Also, be sure to talk to the sales rep and find out what kind of pots and pans you’ll need for your stove. Certain range types, like a glass top range, will need flat pans in order to cook safely.

A stove is an important part of a kitchen – make sure yours is safe and stylish.

Read our Editorial Review on Viking Stoves

Cons: Simply put, Viking stoves, ranges and other cooking appliances are very expensive. Viking ranges sell for between $3,500 and $10,000, so they are clearly not an option for those looking to redo their kitchen on a budget. Although most Viking products are very well made, there are some that have a few minor flaws (which is disappointing, considering how expensive they are). Some Viking stoves have problems with igniters that don’t ever seem to turn off. Others simply have poor design. For example, the knobs on some models are placed in very inconvenient positions. The top of the stove protrudes over the edge, which partially covers the knobs. This makes it very difficult to see them, and some owners claim that they need to kneel to tell whether they have set their oven to bake or broil.

Overall: Viking stoves and other cooking appliances have very impressive reputations. While they generally live up to the hype, they may not always be the best choice for the average kitchen. If you’re looking for a cheap stove, Viking is probably not the right brand for you.