A range cooker or a set of built-in ovens with a separate hob? It is one of the first appliance questions we ask in a design consultation, because the answer changes the whole plan. A range cooker is one large appliance that sits in a gap between units. Built-in ovens live in tall housings or under the worktop, with the hob set into the worktop somewhere else. Both cook brilliantly. They just suit different rooms, different cooks and different looks.
As an approved SMEG partner, we plan both every week. SMEG covers everything from a compact 60cm built-in oven to a 120cm range cooker, so there is something for most kitchens and most budgets. Here is how we help people decide.
What you are really choosing between
The range cooker
A range cooker puts the hob, the ovens and usually a grill in one appliance, standing 60cm deep in the cooking run. SMEG makes them at 90cm, 100cm, 110cm and 120cm wide depending on the collection. The larger models have two or three cavities. The 100cm Victoria, for example, has a grill compartment at the top, a main oven below it and a tall second oven with nine shelf levels, which is ideal for batch baking.
The appeal is obvious. It looks like a proper cook's kitchen, it gives you a lot of oven space in one place, and it is usually simpler to fit than a bank of tall units.
Built-in ovens and a separate hob
Here the ovens are fitted into the cabinetry, either at eye level in a tall unit or under the worktop. SMEG's built-in ovens come in 45cm, 60cm and 90cm sizes, with some 75cm models too, so you can mix a single oven with a compact combi microwave or steam oven above it. The hob then goes wherever it works best: on the back run, on an island or on a peninsula.
This route gives more freedom over the layout and makes the ovens easier on your back, since nobody has to bend down to lift out a roast.
Space and layout
A range cooker needs one clear, straight run of wall with enough width either side for landing space. We like to see at least a decent stretch of worktop on both sides, so hot pans have somewhere to go and the cooker does not sit hard against a tall unit or a wall. In a galley or L-shaped kitchen this usually works well. In a small room, a 110cm or 120cm cooker can take over the run, and a 90cm model is often the better fit.
Built-in ovens need tall housing units, which take wall space but give storage above and below. They are a good answer when the window wall is the obvious place for the sink, or when you want the hob on an island facing the room. If you are still deciding the shape of the room, our guide to kitchen layouts explains how each layout handles cooking, and the kitchen planning guide covers the measurements we check first.
Fuel: gas, dual fuel or induction
This is where many people change their minds once they see the options.
- Dual fuel. SMEG's dual fuel cookers pair a gas hob with electric ovens. You get the instant flame on top and even, controllable heat in the oven. You will need a gas supply at the cooker position as well as a suitable electrical supply.
- Induction. Induction heats the pan directly, so it is fast, precise and easy to wipe clean, and the surface around the pan stays cooler. Victoria, Portofino and Opera range cookers are all available with induction hobs. You will need induction compatible pans and a dedicated circuit sized for the appliance.
- Mixed hob. The 120cm Portofino combines multi-zone induction, three gas burners and an electric teppanyaki plate on one hob, above two independent ovens.
With built-in ovens the choice is simpler, as the ovens are electric and the hob can be gas or induction as you prefer. Your electrician or gas engineer will confirm the supply before we finalise the plan, and we build that into the schedule.
How you cook
Think about a normal week rather than Christmas Day.
If you cook for a crowd, roast and bake at the same time, or like having a separate grill, a two or three cavity range cooker is hard to beat. The 90cm Opera models have a single large oven of up to 115 litres, which suits big trays and large joints.
If you want steam cooking, a combi microwave or fast multi-stage cooking, built-in ovens give you more choice. SMEG's Galileo ovens, including Omnichef, SpeedwaveXL and the Steam100 and SteamOne models, can combine traditional heat with steam or microwave. Pairing a 60cm oven with a 45cm compact oven above it is one of the most popular setups we plan.
The look
SMEG's collections make the style decision easier, because each one has a clear character.
- Victoria is traditional, with a curved door, chunky controls and retro detailing. It suits painted Shaker kitchens and cottages, and it comes as range cookers and as built-in ovens, so you can match either route.
- Portofino is all about colour and Italian coastal spirit, with range cookers in shades such as red, turquoise and anthracite alongside black, white and stainless steel.
- Opera is the professional style range cooker, in stainless steel with a heavy-duty look.
- Classic is SMEG's understated built-in design, in stainless steel or matte black, and it suits handleless and minimal kitchens as well as more traditional ones.
- Dolce Stil Novo is SMEG's premium built-in collection, with copper detailing on dark glass. It looks at home in a wall of tall units in a Caledonia kitchen.
A range cooker tends to become the focal point of the room. Built-in ovens let the cabinetry lead, which suits people who want a calmer, more architectural look. You can see the collections we show on our appliances page.
Ventilation
Every hob needs proper extraction, and a range cooker needs a hood at least as wide as the hob. Above a range, a chimney hood or a canopy built into the cabinetry works well and frames the cooker. With a separate hob on an island, the choice is a ceiling or island hood, or a hob with integrated extraction such as SMEG's Classic induction hob with a built-in hood. We always prefer ducting to the outside where the building allows, and we plan the duct route at the design stage, not after the ceiling is finished.
How we plan it with you
In a design consultation at our Storrington showroom, we start with how you cook and who is in the kitchen, then look at the room. We check the wall lengths, the gas and electrical supplies, where extraction can run and whether the ovens or the hob should face the room. We then draw both options where it makes sense, in 3D, so you can see a range cooker against built-in ovens in your own kitchen before you commit.
Because we design, supply and fit, the appliance choice, the bespoke cabinetry around it and the installation are handled by one team. As an approved SMEG partner we can talk you through the full range, from straightforward single ovens to the Galileo and Dolce Stil Novo collections, and we also supply Siemens, Neff, Bosch and others if another brand suits better.
So which is right for you?
Choose a range cooker if you have a good straight run, love a traditional or statement look and cook big meals often. Choose built-in ovens and a hob if you want ovens at eye level, the hob on an island, steam or combi cooking, or a minimal look. If you are torn, come and see both in the showroom at 17 West Street, Storrington, or call us on 01903 357090.
