7 Best Gas Ranges of 2024, According to Testing

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab our product analysts have tested almost 100 ranges in recent years, including more than 50 gas and dual fuel models.

We've also interviewed many industry experts and gotten a behind-the-scenes look at numerous kitchen appliance showrooms over the past couple of decades. The models on this list were picked based on testing of current models and previous testing of discontinued models from high-performing brands.

✔️ Type of fuel: While most of the time your choice of fuel is dictated by what kind of fuel line is available in your house or building, if you have access to gas you can choose between a traditional gas range or a dual-fuel range. A traditional gas range uses gas to fuel both the cooktop and oven, while dual-fuel uses gas to fuel the cooktop and electricity to fuel the oven, though it does require a higher-volt power supply source. If you are able to install a dual-fuel range you will get the best of both worlds, a quick and powerful cooktop and an oven that bakes evenly.

✔️ Size: There are a variety of different range sizes to choose from. Most ranges vary from 30 inches wide to 60 inches wide. The larger the range, the more space there is for additional burners. The capacity of most household ovens varies from 4.5 cubic feet to 6.6 cubic feet. Any oven over the size of 6 cubic feet is considered a large-capacity oven and is great if you need to cook large quantities.

✔️ Burners: Most gas cooktops have between four and six burners, with five being the most common. While the number of burners is important, you should also consider the layout of the burners on the cooktop. Five cramped burners are no more useful than four well-spaced ones.

• Size: The size of burners varies from small to extra large and quite often correlates with their BTUs. If a burner is a lot smaller than the pan sitting on top, the heat won't distribute as evenly. Look for at least one large burner in the front that will be able to hold a sauté pan or a large Dutch oven.
• Power (BTUs): The power of each gas burner is measured in BTUs, or British Thermal Units which is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. Some range cooktops offer a variety of different burner BTUs, while others share similar BTUs. You’ll want to look for a gas cooktop with a good variety of burners — so you can do everything from quick boils to gentle simmers — and a high average BTU. One 20,000-BTU power burner for boiling water is great, but it’s best to have a couple of burners above 12,000 BTUs.

✔️ Grates: Gas cooktop grates come in a variety of styles, but the most important thing to look for is that the grates are continuous, meaning they cover the surface of the cooktop end-to-end to prevent gapping, tipping and shifting of pots and pans. You also want elevated grates that can be easily lifted to clean up messes. Most grates are cast iron, which is heavy and durable but harder to clean and risks scratching your cookware. Some grates are enameled cast iron, which is easier to clean but risks chipping.

✔️ Oven settings: Newer gas ranges offer more oven settings than ranges of the past. Newer settings range from air fry to convection to steam cook. While these settings will help you unlock new cooking techniques, they are not completely necessary to get great use of your oven. Air fry settings use convection fans to circulate air rapidly to achieve crispy ingredients. Convection circulates air less rapidly than air fry for quicker and more even browning on delicate bakes like cake or cookies. Steam cook incorporates moisture, requiring less oil in your baking, and it's great for delicate ingredients that are prone to drying out in the oven like broccoli or salmon.

✔️ Self-clean: Most ovens feature a self-cleaning option, which traditionally uses extremely high heat to remove the grime. Newer models feature a steam clean option to loosen dirt and baked-on messes. Steam cleaning is a much quicker process since it doesn't require as much heat and allows for a quicker cool-down time. But while it's quicker, it may not be as effective as the traditional high-heat self-cleaning method — and ultimately requires more elbow grease.

Recent conversations around the possibility of federal consumer safety regulators introducing new rules for oven and stove manufacturers might have you concerned about whether a gas range can cause poor air quality or lead to respiratory issues. While burning gas certainly affects indoor air pollution, gas ovens aren't likely to be the sole reason that you develop a respiratory issue, and our experts say there are ways to mitigate risks.

Exhaust hoods, or range hoods, can help dissipate nitrogen dioxide build-up in addition to smoke, odors and grease. You can also open windows to better assist range hoods that don't vent directly outdoors. If your kitchen doesn't have a range hood, make sure to open a window to allow fresh air to move through the space and consider investing in an air purifier. Regular maintenance of your gas oven and stovetop is also crucial to ensure that air pollution remains as minimal as possible while you cook. Our experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab recommend doing the following:

✔️ Turn vents or fans on before you start cooking. It takes time for high-speed fan settings to kick in, and smoke and other pollutants in the air simply hang suspended if the airflow isn't strong enough. Turning your vent or fan on before you begin cooking helps ensure this won't happen.

✔️ Keep your gas burner clean. Grease, splatter and other kitchen residue can easily build up on the gas burners on your stove top, which may delay or prevent the complete ignition of a burner. This could contribute to potential gas leakage over time, according to Kitchen Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou. Keeping your burners clean can help prevent this.

✔️ Replace fan filters and have vents serviced regularly. You can do this with the help of your oven's manufacturer. Replacing filters regularly ensures grease and other airborne pollutants are captured effectively, leaving less work for air purifiers elsewhere in your home. And if it's possible, work with a professional to ensure the filters and vents are properly maintained.

For more detailed information, check out our full article on the safety of gas ranges and the potential regulations that might be passed.

You can use a wide variety of pots and pans on gas ranges, but there are some cookware materials that perform better than others with a powerful gas stovetop. Stainless steel cookware is strong, durable and can handle high temperatures, in addition to carbon steel skillets and cast iron pieces. Since nonstick pots and pans and ceramic cookware should be used at lower temperatures you have to keep this in mind while cooking on a gas stovetop and reduce your stovetop's heat to ensure your pan doesn't smoke.

To keep your gas stovetop in great condition, we recommend cleaning it regularly and after any major splatters, boil overs or spills. If you wait to clean it, you may find yourself wrestling with tough, burnt-on stains later. The experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab recommend using these best tested stovetop cleaners to clean your cooktop without any harsh scrubbing and these stainless steel cleaners for stainless steel knobs and handles.

Eva Bleyer is the reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab. She has rigorously tested a wide assortment of kitchen appliances, including microwaves, kitchen scales and blenders in the Lab. Eva has also tested almost a dozen ranges and interviewed many industry experts over the last two years to help determine the picks on this list. She is a trained cook — before working at Good Housekeeping, she spent quite a bit of time in front of a stove cooking for television shows, families and large events.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she oversees all of Good Housekeeping's content and testing related to kitchen appliances, tools, gadgets and gear. She's been testing kitchen appliances professionally since 2013.