Why I feel good about a 4 burner range

15 years ago

I thought long and hard on this--when I started our kitchen adventure I was sure I wanted a 6 burner range. Why? Because it had two more burners!

But then I cooked for the extended family last Christmas on our old range. I didn't need more than 4 burners, not even a little. So for me, I couldn't justify it.

Then, when we started our project this fall, we bought a 2-burner Waring Professional hot plate for our makeshift dining room kitchen. It occured to me that if I ever do need six burners, I can pull out the old hot plate. It's likely I'd only need the extras for a simmer or other simple cooking, so that would work. I save the $1000 or so for upgrading from 4 to 6 burners, I get a smaller oven that should preheat quicker (and since it's the BlueStar still has more room than I'll ever need), and overall better kitchen space (yes, that 6 inches of countertop makes a difference.)

It's certainly something to think about. I'm sure there are some of you who have large families or do enough cooking that 6 or more burners is worth it. But there's probably a lot of people like me who are thinking of it and for the number of times they need it can make do with a portable burner of some kind.

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chipshot

15 years ago

Four burners are fine for us too, especially when they're not crowded together.

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Comments (21)

shappy
15 years ago
I do LOTS of cooking, I don't think there's ever been a time when I needed 6 burners. I wish I had bought a smaller, less expensive range. I agree with you.
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paddy_99
15 years ago
I once asked a question on this forum about people really needing six burners and most people used the extra burners to slide pans on to after cooking in them. They never actually used the two extra burners for anything but a place to park their pans.
rnest44
15 years ago
I too plan to have a four burner range. Four burners were all I ever planned to have, I just wasn't sure if it would be induction cooktop or gas range. If an induction range other than diva or kenmore were available... for now it's a gas range. So what range do you folks have and do you love it?
oofasis
15 years ago
I'm not a professional chef, but I am a passionate Italian cook, and I've never had the occasion to use more than four burners. In fact, in thinking about it, I don't know if I've ever used all four burners at once. I selected lots of wonderful thing$ for our remodeled kitchen, but my cooking didn't warrant the extra expense of a five or six burner range.

I chose a Frigidaire SS slide in that functions wonderfully for my cooking. I'll admit that the warming drawer has never been used except to store pans because the need just hasn't arisen.

I do have one regret, and that was in getting a combo convection. I shouldda checked the interior measurements 'cause the fan is a space hogger. We saute more than we roast, so it's not a frequent issue, but still...
ya_think
15 years ago
While I have definitely run out of burners on 4-burner ranges, I would say that my desire for six burners has a lot more to do with space than with count. Let's assume that typical burner space is set up as 11" square, as I believe it is on chairthrower's Bluestar. Now let's take a simple meal like chicken parm for more than a couple people. At best you're going to get 3 pounded chicken cutlets in a 12" pan at a time without crowding. If your pasta stock pot is 11" diameter, then you can't have it and two 12" skillets centered on burners. Of course the stock pot doesn't have to be perfectly centered but your skillets do, so even if you slide the pot to the side a bit you've got a crowded situation. Is it manageable, of course. Would the extra room be nice, IMO yes. You could choose to hold batches in a warm oven if it's not being used for something else. You could have hot plates, rice cookers, electric tea kettles, etc. to alleviate the need for extra burners when entertaining, but how much room do they take to store, and they sure use up more than 6" when they are on the counter.

Each to his own to be sure. For me, even though it's only once in a blue moon that I would use more than four burners I would never dream of "wasting" the potential extra burners with a griddle or grill. And yes, in an ideal situation I would supplement the huge 36" oven with a smaller wall oven.
zoenipp
15 years ago
Chairthrower,

I have a 6-burner range and totally agree with you about the 4-burner being adequate if you have any space or $$ limitations whatsoever. Another thought is that the 30-inch range ovens have quicker preheat times. And you could use the savings from buying a smaller range towards the purchase of a second wall oven. The 36-inch range's top is nice real estate but very rarely do I actually cook on more than 4 burners at once. And lots of times I'm wishing my range oven heated up more quickly.
friedajune
15 years ago
I agree with Ya Think. I have a 30" 4-burner range, and have frequently wished for a wider rangetop for the reasons Ya Think listed. However, if I were to get a 6-burner, I would just get a 36" rangetop or cooktop plus 30" wall oven, rather than a 36" range. I would never need a 36" oven and wouldn't want to wait for it to heat up. In my "next kitchen" in some future far-off dream house, I will have the 6-burner cooktop plus 30" wall oven setup.
sasafrass
15 years ago
Between a convection/micro, oven and four burners I've got more cooking options than I'll ever need. Congratulations to you Chairthrower for not caving into the "keeping up with the Jones's" syndrome that we're all paying for now!
Happy cooking.
palomalou
15 years ago
It may have something to do with the height of the cook: I have used more than 4, but only on occasion. OTOH, it is very hard for me to reach over the front to tend to the back, so I use the 3 front ALL the time. And I'm not abnormally short, but have very short arms.
capecodcook
15 years ago
I agree that four burners are adequate most of the time. But. The nice thing about a 6 burner unit is having three across the front-no reaching into the back row across a hot skillet to stir something. It's all up front and accessable. And three burners for dinner is fairly common. Another example of extra room I guess. The whole thing is just less cramped. (Actually we have a 48" with griddle.) The two of us can share the cooking with ease without elbowing each other constantly. Not sure we have ever had all six going but have had two stock pots simmering in back and had three burners going in front with dinner on occasion.
breezy_2
15 years ago
I think there are very good points if 4 burners is all you need most especially the 30 inch oven factor. The 36 inch oven with a 6 burner is a bear to pre-heat and mine cooked VERY hard. I found the 36 inch oven to be a real challenge. However, I constantly ran out of room and burners on my 6 burner range, not for volume of food but more variety as well as the space/crowding issue. Granted it is not often that I use/need more than 4 burners but when I do, I really really do.
alexrander
15 years ago
I'd rather have an induction hob on the side of a 30" if I needed the cooktop real estate.

The Bluestar bowls are 11 1/4 by 11 deep. Side by side, on a 30" range you can run two 17" pans.(because of the 6" middle space) A more reasonable pair of 12" pans run side by side and a tall 10 or 11 inch stock pot is no problem- the front pans are slid forward a bit if you have a straight sided 11 stock pot on back. Island trim on the backsplash gives a bit more room for curved pans.

Crowding a pan is less of a problem with a Bluestar because they can produce so much heat. Centering a pot is not much of a problem either, also due to the design of the burners. Besides, a well-made pot will take care of those issues.

The advantage of a 48" is when two people are cooking side by side.
wekick
15 years ago
I have a 36 inch, 6 burner range and love the 6 burners, but I really like you idea of adding the hot plate to the four burners. You can add induction too. You could have 7 or 8 burners if you needed them. One thing about the 6 burners is you have to clean all 6 all the time. Before I had 2 ovens, I had a small separate oven that I used outside in the summer to keep from heating up the kitchen. Auxiliary appliances can be a very good way to make the most out of your kitchen. There are lots of configurations of ranges with some subtle differences you may not even notice until you cook with them. It seems with my Wolf range the burners set a little bit farther back then they did with the Dacor range that I had. The spread between the burners also varies and there are some 48inch ranges that only have 6 burners with 15 inch platforms. The 36 inch range only has 6 more inches to accommodate the 2 extra burners, so in most cases this means strictly the 11 inch platforms. If I was buying 30 inch, I would try to find a range that has the biggest platforms(up to 15 inch)or at least spreads the burners out to accommodate the bigger pans.
rnest44
15 years ago
wekick, I'm getting a four burner range and I appreciate your insights and ideas. I'll have an induction plate from my temporary kitchen. I just hope I don't like the induction better than the gas and only want to use it!
joann23456
15 years ago
I could use a fifth burner on a pretty regular basis, maybe once a week. Not for anything fancy, either. For example, last night, I made sautÃ©ed pork chops, gravy (from a roux I made, so I needed the burner for awhile, not just after the pork chops were done), broccoli, mashed potatoes, and stewed apples. I had to cook the potatoes in the microwave because I had no burner for them.

More than the fifth burner, though, what I want is space. I hate using a 12" fry pan and then not being able to use the adjacent burner except with a very small pan.

I have the space, I love to cook, and I'll scrimp elsewhere to get the 36" cooktop (or rangetop?) I really want. I agree that it's easy to get carried away, though, and that it makes sense to look at how you cook to see what you need.
harry_wild
15 years ago
For me; a 5 burner is the best configuration because I do all of the messy cooking in the center burner. The spills, etc.. stay on the stovetop and not on the left, right counters and on the floor or backsplash. Makes life much easier.
idrive65
15 years ago
I rarely used all 4 on my old range, so having 5 was a bonus. My SIL went from 4 to 6+grill on her new 48" range, and she uses every burner and both ovens pretty often. The most important thing is to get what *you* want/need, not what a kitchen designer or neighbor thinks you should have.
nicole__
15 years ago
I have 6 burners. LOVE THE LOOK!!! I use the 3 front burners and push the pans towards the back to cool them. I'm saving the granite counters!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also have a HUGE kitchen. So I need the "look" or I'd look like I was living in a huge space and was "kitchen poor". I believe you should always have "more" in case you need it. That's my definition of living well! I would like to have a built-in griddle as well, yet I own one that fits across two burners. :0) I love extras! I love being spoiled! Extras make me feel spoiled!
chipshot
15 years ago
Are you sure you're not really Sarah Palin?
lucypwd
15 years ago
This makes me think about my decision at the final hour to switch from a super pro type 48" gas rangetop, to a 36" 5 burner induction. I stopped to think about how "I" cook and clean. When I really examined how I function in the kitchen, the choice was clear. People thought I was crazy. No one knew anything about induction. I"m so glad I followed through with what was right for me. I like having the three large burners, love the quick response and clean lines, and easy cleanup. Like you I will probably never need more than 4 burners. Save your space and money for things you really will use!!

Why I feel good about a 4 burner range

chipshot

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shappy

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