Freestanding, 30-inch electric ranges (also called stoves) are the unsung heroes of many kitchens. They’re affordable, safe, and efficient, with versatile cooktops and consistent ovens—and they’re a lot more sophisticated than they used to be.
We recommend the good-looking GE JB735. This range offers a convection oven and the best cooktop in its price range (usually around $1,000 or less), and you can choose from four finishes.
This convection range has the best cooktop and oven for $1,000 or less, and it comes in four finishes.
This range has a bigger, better convection oven and a slightly better cooktop layout than our pick. But its elements have less power, and it comes in only two finishes.
For the price, this smooth-top stove offers especially good functionality and quality. But it has smaller elements than our other picks, and it doesn’t offer convection.
This model has the strongest power burner and most flexibility we’ve seen on a freestanding range, and it has Wi-Fi connectivity for remote monitoring and feature updates. But it comes in only one finish.
The double-oven version of our upgrade pick has one of the largest lower ovens we’ve seen in this category.
This convection range has the best cooktop and oven for $1,000 or less, and it comes in four finishes.
Note: The GE JB735 has been discontinued and replaced with a new line, the 600 series, that we’re in the process of evaluating.
The GE JB735 is a sturdy, handsome stove with excellent cooking and baking features for the price.
The cooktop has the broadest range of power of any electric stove we’ve found in its price range. The GE JB735’s five elements include a large, 9-inch element with a quick-boil setting and a 12-inch element that’s wide enough to evenly heat larger skillets and stockpots. Two 6-inch, lower-watt elements in the back are ideal for simmering, and there’s a central warming burner for tasks like melting butter or keeping finished dishes warm.
Both large elements have a flex-width feature that you can adjust to work with smaller pots, so you don’t needlessly heat up your kitchen along with your food.
The JB735 has a convection oven—a fan circulates hot air for faster and more consistent baking or roasting. This produces flakier pie crusts, more evenly baked cookies, and crispier, juicier roasted foods in less time. The JB735 also has an air-fry mode.
The oven isn’t the largest of our picks, but it’s big enough to easily roast a 26-pound turkey, and its two oven racks can be adjusted to six levels.
It has two self-cleaning options (high heat and steam), and its storage drawer is sturdier and bigger than most.
This range has a bigger, better convection oven and a slightly better cooktop layout than our pick. But its elements have less power, and it comes in only two finishes.
Note: The Frigidaire Gallery GCRE3060A has been discontinued and replaced with the Frigidaire Gallery GCRE3060BF, which we are currently evaluating. The new model has an improved cooktop with a slightly more powerful large element, the ability to bridge two medium elements to support easier use of a griddle, and knobs that are located on the front of the range, which is easier and safer for many people to use. This model’s oven is slightly smaller than that of its predecessor and comes with two oven racks instead of three.
If you prioritize your oven, consider the Frigidaire Gallery GCRE3060A. It offers most of the robust features of our top pick, but this model has a bigger, better oven.
Like our top pick, the GCRE3060A has a cooktop with five elements, including a 12-inch element for oversize pans, a 9-inch element with a quick-boil setting, and a low-wattage warming element. Though this model’s cooktop isn’t quite as strong or versatile as that of our top pick, the GCRE3060A’s cooktop is more flexible: You can adjust one of the two largest elements to work with three pot sizes, instead of just two.
Avid bakers will appreciate the oven, which is about 2 inches taller than that of our top pick, has seven rack positions (versus six), and comes with a third rack. The GCRE3060A’s oven is also what’s known as a “true convection oven,” with an extra heating element near its fan, for even faster and more-consistent baking or roasting. Like our top pick, the GCRE3060A has two self-cleaning options (high heat and steam).
For the price, this smooth-top stove offers especially good functionality and quality. But it has smaller elements than our other picks, and it doesn’t offer convection.
Compared with our top picks, the GE JB645 sacrifices some oven performance and cooktop versatility. But it offers stronger features, more power, and a better design than most budget-priced electric ranges.
This model’s cooktop has four elements that are more powerful than what you’d find on most sub-$1,000 ranges. Its largest element is 9 inches in diameter, so cooking with extra-large pots can be frustrating, but it will still work fine with a variety of cookware. However, the JB645 lacks the fifth warming element that our other picks have.
It doesn’t have convection, and because of its design, this oven is a bit harder to keep clean than our main picks. But it has a high-heat self-cleaning mode, which most budget stoves lack.
This model has the strongest power burner and most flexibility we’ve seen on a freestanding range, and it has Wi-Fi connectivity for remote monitoring and feature updates. But it comes in only one finish.
Note: The GE Profile PB935 has been discontinued and replaced with the GE Profile PB900YVFS, which we are currently evaluating. The new model has a notably larger oven capacity than the previous version, but the cooktop has less powerful or flexible elements than those of its predecessor, and it doesn’t have a bridge between two medium elements to support easier use of a griddle.
The GE Profile PB935 is a step up from our top and runner-up picks. Its sleekly designed, five-element cooktop offers the most flexibility, convenience, and power weve seen on any freestanding electric range.
It has the strongest power burner of any range we considered, which should bring water to a boil and skillets to searing hot faster than our other picks. The largest element accommodates three pot sizes instead of just two. You can also sync its two medium-size elements so you can use a griddle, a rare feature on freestanding electric ranges.
The PB935 has a true-convection oven (an extra element by its convection fan helps it to heat faster and more evenly).
Its Wi-Fi connectivity allows for feature upgrades (like downloading a new cooking mode as soon as it’s been developed), as well as remote management (you can turn the range off or change the temperature) and alerts for when timers go off.
The double-oven version of our upgrade pick has one of the largest lower ovens we’ve seen in this category.
The GE Profile PB965 is the double-oven version of the GE Profile PB935. It has the same versatile and powerful cooktop as our upgrade pick. Its smaller top oven is great for when you need only one rack. And its larger lower convection oven is bigger than those of most double-oven models available (it should fit a 23-pound turkey). You do, however, give up a lower storage drawer with this style.
Smooth top ranges take longer to heat up since the heat has to transfer through the ceramic surface. However, the flat surface means smooth top ranges tend to heat pots and pans more evenly, so you don’t have to worry about burning half your dish while the other half remains cold.
A smart range: GE Profile PB935
This model has the strongest power burner and most flexibility we’ve seen on a freestanding range, and it has Wi-Fi connectivity for remote monitoring and feature updates. But it comes in only one finish.
Note: The GE Profile PB935 has been discontinued and replaced with the GE Profile PB900YVFS, which we are currently evaluating. The new model has a notably larger oven capacity than the previous version, but the cooktop has less powerful or flexible elements than those of its predecessor, and it doesn’t have a bridge between two medium elements to support easier use of a griddle.
For just a few hundred dollars more than our top pick, the GE Profile PB935 is a big step up.
It has an exceptional cooktop. The PB935’s cooktop has five elements and the strongest power burner (3,600 watts) we’ve seen on any freestanding range. The largest element can be adjusted to fit three pan widths (12 inches, 9 inches, 6 inches), instead of only two (like on our top pick and budget pick). And you can accommodate a griddle or grill pan by syncing the two elements on the left side of the cooktop.
It has a fast, precise oven. This range has true convection (an extra element near its fan helps spread heat), and its fan blows air in two directions, to better distribute heat. In the PB935, roasting and baking should both be a bit faster and better. It has an air-fry mode, and, at 5.3 cubic feet, it has the same ample oven capacity as our top pick.
And it comes with a third rack. Our top pick comes with only two.
It has Wi-Fi connectivity. Wi-Fi connectivity isn’t yet mainstream on ranges, but that’s changing. The PB935’s connectivity lets you use an app on a smartphone or device to track the status of and get alerts for your oven temperature and timer. It also allows you to control some oven settings remotely or with voice commands. These capabilities can make cooking easier for those who are blind or have low vision, or for those with hearing loss. Wi-Fi connectivity also allows for software feature upgrades (like downloading a new mode for air-fry as soon as it’s been developed), and it could one day include remote diagnostics.
But it can’t automatically sync with a range hood or an over-the-range microwave vent. Some other GE Profile Wi-Fi–connected cooktops—including the double-oven version of our upgrade pick—are able to do so.
It has a sleek design. The metal and glass are more seamlessly integrated, and the oven is a glossy black enamel. This model has a big oven window and higher-end knobs and handles than our other picks.
But it comes in only one finish. The PB935 is available in fingerprint-resistant stainless steel.
A cheaper electric range: GE JB645
For the price, this smooth-top stove offers especially good functionality and quality. But it has smaller elements than our other picks, and it doesn’t offer convection.
GE makes a lot of decent inexpensive ranges, but the attractive, ceramic-glass-topped GE JB645 is a particularly good value.
It has a great cooktop for the price. The JB645 has four elements (our other picks have five, including a warming element). But it’s uncommon to find two 3,100-watt elements on such an affordable stove. Both are positioned in the front, and they can be set to either 9 inches or 6 inches, to accommodate different pan sizes. The largest element is only 9 inches in diameter, however. So cooking with pots that are larger than 9 inches across the bottom can be more frustrating (the outer edge won’t heat as evenly).
It has strong oven features but no convection. The 5.3-cubic-foot oven doesn’t have convection or an air-fry mode, but it does have two broiler settings. However, its bottom baking element is exposed to spatter and spills, making cleanup trickier.
It has a self-clean mode. The JB645 has a high-heat self-cleaning option, which is not guaranteed on cheaper ranges.
But its control panel doesn’t have a number pad. The control panel has up-and-down arrow buttons, which aren’t as easy to use to input times and temperatures.
It should be simple to have repaired. This range is the most popular stove that GE Appliances sells. It’s easy to find, and it’ll likely be easy to have serviced, too.
It comes in four finishes. The JB645 is available in white, black, stainless steel, and fingerprint-resistant slate.
What’s the Difference? Glass Top Stoves vs. Coil Top Stoves
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