Range cookers 'popular kitchen appliances' ★★★★★

Published on: 28/10/2010

Range cookers are becoming an increasingly popular addition to the kitchen, according to interior design expert Elspeth Pridham.

In November's issue of Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms, she said that although they take up more floor space, they are a worthy investment for keen cooks.

She suggested that the "dreary economic climate" has left many homeowners hankering after a "cosy golden age", where range cookers fit right in.

The growing emphasis on the kitchen as a place for socialising has also boosted their popularity, she claimed.

Ms Pridham pointed out that range cookers provide greater capacity than a standard built-in oven and usually have a generous hob with up to five burners.

"Although previously viewed as traditional, you don't have to live in a rustic farmhouse to qualify for a range," she remarked.

"Over the last few years modern, streamlined designs have come to the fore, so for every classic red Esse or AGA there is a stainless steel Wolf or Rangemaster."