How to choose a range or cooktop
Quick answer. For most operators, a heavy-duty gas six-burner with an oven below (900mm wide) is the safe, versatile workhorse: instant control, wok-capable, easy to service, and it suits nearly every menu. Only step up to induction if you're chasing a cool, precise open kitchen and already have three-phase power at the wall. Buy heavy-duty if the range runs hard all day, medium-duty only for genuinely lighter sites. If you're unsure on power or canopy sizing, call us before you order, that one conversation saves the expensive mistakes. And once the top's sorted, talk to us about pairing it with a combi to free up your oven work: our Retigo combi ovens come with a 3-month free trial and free installation, so you can prove the workflow before you commit."
Your range is the heart of the kitchen, and getting it wrong is expensive: too small and you bottleneck service, wrong fuel and you're fighting install costs or slow recovery all day. The trick is to work backwards from your menu, your covers at peak, and the power you actually have at the wall, then match the cooking surfaces to how your chefs really cook. Nail those three things and the shortlist writes itself.
The questions to ask before you buy
What's my menu and peak cover count?
Count how many pans and processes run at once during your busiest 30 minutes, not your average. A gastropub doing 60 covers with sauces, pasta and a wok needs more live burners than a cafe doing all-day breakfast. Size the top to peak service and you'll never chase tickets.
What power do I actually have: gas, single-phase or three-phase?
This decides more than any spec sheet. Gas needs a supply and a Gas Safe (commercial CP42) install. Heavy electric and induction usually need three-phase and a hardwired connection, not a 13A plug. Check your incoming supply and spare breaker capacity BEFORE you fall in love with a model, otherwise the electrician's quote will hurt.
How much space and what ventilation do I have?
Measure the canopy footprint and depth, and confirm your extraction can handle the kW load (gas throws far more heat into the room than induction). A 900mm-wide six-burner is the workhorse footprint; go wider only if the covers justify it. Induction runs cooler, which can mean a lighter ventilation spec.
Do I need an oven below, or is the top the priority?
Oven-below ranges save floor space and suit bistros roasting, finishing and holding at the pass. But if you already run a combi or convection oven, a boiling-top or induction-top-only unit frees that cavity space for more burners or a bratt pan. Don't pay for a cavity you'll use as a warming drawer.
Heavy-duty or medium-duty?
Be honest about hours and abuse. Medium-duty (lighter gauge, often on legs) suits cafes, pubs and sites cooking a few hours a day. Heavy-duty (thick cast burners, modular, built to run flat-out) is for hotels, high-volume restaurants and anywhere the range never really cools down. Buying medium-duty for a heavy-duty life is a false economy you'll replace in two years.
What's my real budget, install and running cost included?
The purchase price is only part of it. Add the electrical or gas install, extraction changes, and running cost. Induction is dearer to buy but cheaper and cooler to run; gas is cheaper up front but hotter and less efficient. Budget the whole job, not just the box.
The main types, and who each suits
Gas open-burner range
Chefs who want instant visual control, wok work and flame-cooking. The default for most restaurants and gastropubs. Fast, familiar, easy to service, and forgiving of uneven pans. Needs a commercial gas supply and good extraction.
Solid top (boiling top) gas range
Stock, sauce and volume kitchens that run big pans and want graduated heat, hottest at the centre, cooler at the edge. Great for holding multiple pots. Slower to heat and less responsive than open burners, so pair it with a couple of live burners.
Induction cooktop / range
Modern, cool-running, precise kitchens: fine dining, open kitchens, front-of-house cooking and sites chasing efficiency. Instant response, easy clean, far less ambient heat. Needs three-phase power, a hardwired install and induction-compatible ferrous pans.
Electric solid-plate / ceramic range
Sites with no gas and lighter volumes, or where induction is out of budget. Simple and robust but slow to respond and less efficient than induction. A sensible medium-duty choice for cafes and smaller pubs.
Oven-below range (any fuel)
Bistros and space-tight kitchens that need cooking top plus roasting/finishing in one footprint. Choose convection-below for even bakes, or a static cavity for roasting and holding.
What to look for
- Total kW load and phase: confirm gas kW for canopy sizing, and whether the electric model is single- or three-phase and needs hardwiring rather than a 13A plug.
- Burner output and layout: mix of high-output (for woks/searing) and simmer burners beats a row of identical medium ones. For induction, check the zone wattage and boost function.
- Build gauge and burner material: heavy cast-iron pan supports and burners for high-volume; look for one-piece or sealed tops that clean fast and resist warping.
- Flame-failure devices and gas safety on every burner (standard on commercial units), plus a robust, serviceable ignition.
- Oven cavity spec if oven-below: GN or 1/1 grid compatibility, convection vs static, door hinge and cavity capacity for your trays.
- Modularity and worktop/bridging options: modular heavy-duty suites let you add a fry-top, chargrill or bratt pan later; medium-duty freestanding is fine if the line is fixed.
- Cleanability: rounded corners, removable spillage trays, and a top that wipes down between services, this matters more than any brochure feature over a year.
- Wok suitability: if you cook Asian, look for a dedicated wok burner or ring, or a genuine high-kW open burner. A standard flat burner won't get a wok hot enough.
Costly mistakes to avoid
- Buying on price and going medium-duty for a heavy-duty workload. It'll warp, the burners will tire, and you'll replace it inside two years, spending more than the heavy-duty unit cost.
- Ordering before checking the power. Falling for a three-phase induction range when you only have single-phase, or gas with no compliant supply, turns a same-week install into a costly upgrade job.
- Undersizing the top for peak covers. Averaging your demand instead of counting pans-at-once during the Friday rush means chefs queue for burners and service falls apart.
- Ignoring extraction and running cost. A big gas top under weak extraction makes the kitchen unbearable; not costing the whole job (install, canopy, energy) hides the true price.