Hi all

We are just about to start a kitchen refit and are fitting a range cooker (110cm). We have looked at the usual suspects (Rangemaster, Smeg, Belling etc). Brands like Britannia (although beautiful) are a bit out of our price range but recently we have become aware of a couple more brands that we previously hadn’t heard of (Fisher & Paykel and the amazingly bonkers steampunk Bertazonni – but unfortunately neither of those brands do a cooker in the required width) so can anyone recommend any other mid-priced brands that we should look at? Looking to spend a max of £1600, but preferably around £1300.

Cheers

I had a Kenwood, it was fine. It didn’t even break when I left the grill on for a week. Yes, really.

Can’t get a Kenwood in 110cm 🙁 Shame as the build quality looks really good compared to some (are you reading this Rangemaster/Aga)?

I have a stoves sterling one.

http://www.rangecookers.co.uk/stoves-sterling-1100ei-induction-product,3752.aspx

The build quality is so-so. I abuse it each and everyday and it’s held up ok these last 5yrs, but the knobs a re a bit plasticcy and the wire shelves a bit shit.

The induction hob is generally good, although it doesnt seem to get on with the last two sauté pans I’ve bought – it doesnt seem to want to give them full power – I think it’s some kind of magnetic sensor issue with some pans that just dont have enough ferromagnetic core to them or somesuch.

£1900 seems a lot for this, but maybe theyve upped the quality. I dont think I paid that much for mine. Depending on cash, I’d possibly look around other brands first before buying another stoves one. But if I couldnt find anything substantially more solid for less £ then Id buy one again.

There are a few Mercury ranges coming up on Ebay, if you’d consider used. RC1090 is the model to look for, from when they were run as an upmarket domestic model made by Lincat and before they sold the business to AGA/Rangemaster. Rock solid machines, ours is all stainless, and 13 years old and if we had the gas burner centres re anodised it could pass as new.

We have an old belling full gas one that came with the house it must be at least 20 years old, apart from struggling to find a replacement knob (my mother broke one by turning it the wrong direction, the finish has wrinkled on some others too) as the fitting has been updated sometime in the last 20 years (new knob looks identical, but the socket is deeper so wont fit our cooker) we’ve had no problems whatsoever with it.

If i were to buy a new one, I would quite happily have another Belling, albeit I would probably go for a dual fuel model rather than full gas.

I had a Smeg a few years ago. Looked pretty but it broke down after a couple of months and needed a new controller.

Wouldn’t buy another.

We are just about to start a kitchen refit and are fitting a range cooker (110cm).

Make the hole bigger?

Rangemaster here – love it but in some areas the build quality could be better.

My only experience of range ownership was a Britannia that we had to leave behind when we moved from our last house. It was excellent and we bought at a decent (30% IIRC) discount from the 2.5k RRP..

I’d buy one again.

(I know you didn’t want info on Britannia, but I figured it was worth tempting you.)

Our Leisure Rangemaster 110 has been almost faultless in 15 years (I replaced the fan oven element a couple of years back at £27).

Britannia are beautiful but they are around £4,500 now.

The Rangemasters feel really tinny and cheap now – the only cheaper well made ones seem to be Smeg and Kenwood.

Had a belling in the last house, it was really good for the money.

We went to the local currys / comet (whichever) and had a look at a few, the difference in build quality is significant between brands and you really can’t tell just from pictures on the net.

Loads of the premium brands had cheap plastic knobs that looked nice online!

Had a belling in the last house, it was really good for the money.

We went to the local currys / comet (whichever) and had a look at a few, the difference in build quality is significant between brands and you really can’t tell just from pictures on the net.

Loads of the premium brands had cheap plastic knobs that looked nice online!
Agreed – we had a look at some at the weekend and was surprised at the lack of quality of some (Rangemaster in particular). There was one Belling I liked but it had an enamel range top (ie the bit surrounding the gas hobs) and I really want stainless steel.

I really want stainless steel.

We had stainless but afterwards agreed we probably wouldn’t again. A real PITA to keep smudge free. Easier back then when we weren’t parents.

Worth considering.

Britannia are beautiful but they are around £4,500 now.

A quick look suggests ours was probably the Q Line (or equivalent). These seem to be at the lower end. Was great and well built. We only had it for 5 years but felt like it would have gone on for much longer.

We had stainless but afterwards agreed we probably wouldn’t again. A real PITA to keep smudge free. Easier back then when we weren’t parents.

Whilst I would like to agree with you (we had stainless in the last place and yes it was a pain to clean) but I just think the enamel finish looks cheap by comparison and I think I would rather have more time cleaning….