February 6th, 2025 | 12 min. read
Learn how to find the perfect cooking products with our Pro Cooking Buying Guide
Considering a professional range?
If you walk into your local appliance store and ask for the best stove, chances are you'll be shown an expensive dual-fuel range.
That could be a costly mistake.
In this article, you'll uncover the myths and benefits of choosing the best professional range for your needs and cooking style.
We'll break down the features, pros, and cons so you can confidently narrow your choices from hundreds to just a few.
By the end, you'll have a clear understanding of what to consider before making your purchase.
Stick around to learn the most important factor when buying a pro range—something most people overlook.
Hint: It’s service.
But first, let’s debunk three common misconceptions about buying a professional range.
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Short on time? Download our free Pro Cooking Buying Guide.
Our Experience, Your Advantage
In 2026, I’ll celebrate 40 years at Yale, not including the part-time jobs I had here as a kid.
You should know these articles exist to help our clients and anyone looking for clarity on how to buy appliances.
We do not accept payments from manufacturers or use affiliate links to earn commissions from other vendors.
What you’ll read is unbiased, based on decades of experience and insights from hundreds of thousands of service calls.
I hope you find it helpful.
Now for the bad part: navigating the myths of buying a pro range.
Debunking Common Myths About Buying a Professional Range
Myth #1: There’s a Single “Best” Professional Range
Despite all the marketing claims, there isn’t a single “best” professional range - it’s simply not feasible.
Every brand offers different benefits, whether it’s power, cleanability, or special features.
Some models come with elaborate integrations for recipe apps, while others, like the $75,000+ La Cornue, have no controls at all.
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You should also understand the differences between all-gas and dual-fuel ranges—but don’t worry, we’ll cover that shortly.
For now, just know that no single range combines every top feature.
What matters most is choosing the one that fits the way you cook.
Myth #2: Pro-Style Ranges Are the Same as True Professional Ranges
Many companies, such as Bertazzoni, ZLINE, Hallman, Ilve, Kucht, and others, market their pro-style ranges as professional ranges.
You’ve probably seen them in Google search results.
Their ultra-low prices can be half the cost of a true pro range.
However, these brands lack the burner output, broiling power, and oven capacity of real professional ranges.
So, you’ll need to decide between the power and functionality of a pro range or the lower price of a pro-style alternative.
Massive Buyer’s Tip: Always read reviews and visit a showroom before buying an unknown or off-brand range.
Read More: Professional vs. Pro-Style Ranges
Myth #3: Ventilation Isn’t That Important for Professional Ranges
Professional ranges can generate between 70,000 and 150,000 BTUs of heat and may include a grill or griddle, adding even more to the total burner output.
Now, imagine all that heat, grease, and smoke lingering in your home - trapped by your new energy-efficient windows and tightly sealed materials.
On top of that, cooking releases compounds like nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and particulate matter (PMI).
If you can’t install an overhead vent hood, we strongly recommend choosing an induction or electric range instead.
We have other articles on proper kitchen ventilation. Read this to learn more: The Ultimate Guide to Proper Kitchen Ventilation.
Now that we've addressed the biggest misconceptions about buying professional ranges, let’s narrow your choices - starting with size.
How to Buy the Best Professional Gas Range in 2025
Alright, let's dive into how to choose the right professional range.
In this next section, we'll break down the most important factors to consider, so you can make a decision you’ll be happy with for years to come.
The first step? Choosing the right size for your professional range.
Step 1: Choose a Professional Range Size
In most homes, the standard range size is 30 inches.
Professional ranges come in 24, 30, 36, 48, and 60-inch sizes, but larger models - starting at 36 inches - are the most popular because they offer an extra set of burners.
If you want two ovens and more cooktop options, consider a 48- or 60-inch model, or even a customizable range from a French brand like La Cornue.
Instead of two ovens, you can also choose configurations that include a steam oven, speed oven, or warming drawers for added versatility.
Most larger pro ranges offer up to 10 different stovetop configurations, including options like a grill or griddle.
A friend of mine is building his first house and is debating between a 36- or 48-inch range.
It’s a choice between one oven or two, an extra set of burners, and additional cooktop features.
Step 2: Determine Whether Gas, Dual Fuel, or Induction is Right for You
After choosing a size, the next decision is gas vs. dual fuel—a choice your electrician and plumber need to know in advance.
Gas vs. Dual Fuel: Power Requirements
- Gas ranges run on a 120-volt, 15-amp line.
- Dual fuel ranges require 240 volts and 30-40 amps.
- Induction ranges need 50 amps—but we’ll cover induction at the end.
Gas vs. Dual Fuel: Cooking Performance
- Gas ovens are better for roasting because they retain more moisture.
- Electric ovens provide more precise, even heat, making them ideal for baking.
- Certain brands, like Thermador, Wolf, and Miele, offer hotter infrared broilers, making them the best for high-intensity broiling.
It’s also not just about gas vs. electric when it comes to professional ranges.
Brands like Wolf, Thermador, SKS, and Miele offer better features in their dual fuel models compared to their all-gas versions. These upgrades include:
- Enhanced convection systems for more even baking.
- Advanced controls for precision cooking.
- Steam and speed functionality for added versatility.
If you like the idea of more advanced features, a dual fuel range from one of these brands might be the better choice.
Read More: What's the Difference Between All Gas and Dual Fuel Professional Ranges?
Step 3: Find the Right Stovetop for Your Professional Range
Okay, you’ve chosen the size and decided between gas, dual fuel, or induction.
Now, let’s focus on the stovetop. We’ll break down all your options so you can choose the best configuration for your cooking style.
High Burner Output
If you’re looking for the hottest burner to cook lobsters or boil large pots of pasta, Hestan has a 30,000 BTU burner, but BlueStar’s Platinum series delivers the most overall power with multiple 25,000 and 18,000 BTU burners.
Many brands, including Monogram, SKS (Signature Kitchen Suite), Fisher & Paykel, and Viking, offer 23,000 BTU burners, while Wolf and JennAir max out at 20,000 BTUs.
On the lower end, Thermador’s Pro Harmony series and Wolf’s all-gas ranges have the least output, with burners topping out at 18,000 and 15,000 BTUs, respectively.
Low Burner Output for Simmering
Thermador and SKS advertise the best simmer burners at 100 BTUs on two of their burners, but they achieve this by cycling on and off to maintain an average temperature.
Wolf’s burners, on the other hand, can simmer consistently at 340 BTUs across every burner.
However, induction burners offer the widest temperature range and can simmer at the lowest levels with precise, uninterrupted control.
Many brands offer induction modules, or you can opt for an all-induction range—even in 36- and 48-inch sizes.
Griddles
Griddles can cook anything.
Go to any busy American diner. They usually cook all that food on a griddle.
The old Yale Appliance showroom used to be on Canal Street next to the Garden. Across the street was Demos Cafe; that guy made omelets, hash browns, hot dogs, hamburgers, and any hot sandwich on the griddle.
If you've been to a ballgame at Fenway, you've seen sausage vendors cooking on a griddle.
But not all griddles are the same. You should know the different types before choosing one.
Gas-powered griddles, like those on Wolf and Miele ranges, heat up faster.
Monogram has a powerful 18,000 BTU griddle and shows the degrees if you want to cook by recipe.
However, JennAir and SKS feature a chromium-finished griddle, making it the easiest to clean of any brand - no scraping, just wiping.
Thermador and JennAir are electric for a consistent temperature, but electric griddles take more time to heat than gas or infrared.
You can always buy a portable griddle for almost any range, but a built-in griddle will perform better because it maintains a more consistent temperature.
Most professional ranges have a 12-inch griddle; on the larger 48- and 60-inch ranges, you can get a 24-inch griddle.
Read More: Should You Buy a Griddle for a Professional Range?
Grills
The infrared grill is considered the best type for a professional range because it delivers intense, direct heat that allows for a quick and even sear.
They're just like the sear element on a high-end Lynx grill, but smaller. Lynx offers 23,000 BTUs, while the average is 16,000 BTUs.
Infrared is also much easier to clean than a gas or electric grill. Any drippings are evaporated rather than you having to clean the burners.
Miele, JennAir, Monogram, and Wolf employ an infrared grill.
Viking's and BlueStar's pro grills use regular gas, which spreads the flame and is not as direct.
Once again, depending on the range size, you can have a 12 to 24-inch grill.
Remember, you must have a more powerful hood with an indoor grill to ventilate your space correctly.
French Tops
French top professional ranges look like griddles but have one big burner in the middle.
The French top is designed to be inconsistent with cooking multiple items at different temperatures, while a griddle is consistent.
You also leave the food in the pans on a French top rather than placing it directly on a griddle. Wolf, BlueStar, and La Cornue all have French top options.
Read More: What Is a French Top Range and Should You Buy One?
Sous Vide Panels
Sous vide cooking achieves precise internal temperatures through water immersion.
Some of us may have boiled Stouffers Oriental Chicken or Mongolian Beef in a bag in college.
Sous vide cooking is similar but more precise. Sous vide cooking became popular on cooking shows due to its ability to maintain even temperatures.
I've seen sous vide demos and was impressed. The meat retains its color and texture even after reheating.
Right now, only SKS’s professional range offers a sous vide stovetop option.
Induction Burners
Induction cooking uses magnetic heat to cook food efficiently and precisely.
The magnets in induction burners excite the metal molecules in the pan, which then heats up and cooks the food.
Induction burners heat up and boil water faster than a BlueStar gas burner and provide better simmering control than any traditional low-temperature pro-gas burner.
Induction cooking is also safer since the burners only activate when a metal pan is placed on the stovetop, so your children can’t accidentally turn it on without a pan.
Pro Tip: Want to check if your cookware is induction-compatible? Use a simple magnet. If it sticks, the pan will work on an induction burner.
A few pro ranges now incorporate both gas and induction burners:
- Thermador and SKS offer two induction burners on select pro ranges.
- Fisher & Paykel includes a 24-inch induction surface alongside four gas burners on its 48-inch pro range.
But nearly every brand now offers a 36-inch induction range, and if you need something bigger, Fisher & Paykel, AGA, and Fulgor Milano all have 48-inch induction models.
We cover gas vs. induction in other articles. If you want to learn more, here is a great resource to start with: Induction vs. Gas Cooking: A Quick Guide to the Pros and Many Cons of Both.
Looking for answers about Pro Cooking?
Short on time? Download our free Pro Cooking Buying Guide.
Step 4: Compare Ovens for Professional Ranges
The best oven may be La Cornue, known for its arched top design, which creates natural convection flow and consistent temperature.
In larger La Cornue ranges, you can even choose both gas and electric ovens within the same unit.
But keep in mind: La Cornue starts at $30,000.
Most professional ranges use either single or twin convection fans to distribute heat.
Wolf’s “VertiFlow” twin convection system, with two fans and two heating elements, is considered one of the best, with Miele’s twin convection system as a close second.
Today, all-electric pro ranges use True (European) convection, meaning a heating element is placed behind the fan to preheat the air before it enters the oven cavity, ensuring more even cooking.
For gas ovens, only SKS and BlueStar offer True convection technology.
Step 5: Should You Add a Specialty Oven to Your Pro Range?
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Most brands offer one or two ovens, but adding a specialty oven can elevate your cooking experience.
Miele, Thermador, and now SKS have changed the standard for pro-range features.
You have a steam oven option in the Thermador Grand 48 and 60-inch ranges.
Steam adds moisture to food, not baking out nutrients. Instead, it adds texture and flavor.
Thermador was also the first to add a warming drawer to keep food warm for up to three hours.
Miele's dual fuel pro range features steam assist, which is perfect for bread baking and adds moisture when cooking meats for better results.
On their 48-inch pro ranges, you also have a speed oven and a warming drawer option.
Speed vs. Steam Ovens in Professional Ranges
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Speed ovens will cook faster than steam ovens using a microwave and convection combination.
However, food prepared in a steam oven will be more flavorful.
Need it fast? Opt for speed. Want better results? Go with steam.
Again, it depends on what you value and how you cook.
Step 6: Choose the Right Oven Controls for Your Professional Range
Oven controls run the gamut from having no controls like BlueStar, Thermador Harmony, and La Cornue.
You can also get advanced controls that are fully accessible through your phone, with brands like JennAir, SKS, Wolf, Monogram, and Thermador offering smart features.
Many have also guided cooking to calculate temperature and time.
Wolf Gourmet and Miele M Touch are the easiest guided cooking systems to use.
All you have to do is input the food type and your preferred doneness level.
The system automatically calculates the time and temperature for you. Wolf even suggests the ideal rack position.
SKS comes in a close second with its swipe controls. Monogram, however, takes a different approach with some unique control features.
One standout is precision cooking on a 21,000 BTU burner using Hestan Cue technology, which lets you see the exact temperature you’re cooking at.
You can actually cook to a specific degree on the burner. The Hestan Cue front burner even provides step-by-step cooking instructions for guided precision.
For a personal touch, you can customize the backlit knob rings to any accent color you like.
Step 7: Explore Finish Options for Your Professional Range
For years, stainless steel was the only finish option for professional ranges.
But times have changed.
Wolf now offers dual fuel ranges in white and black. Viking has 17 color options.
La Cornue? 50 colors. BlueStar? 1,000 different colors, and you can even customize your own.
However, if you’re looking at Miele, Thermador, Monogram, SKS, or JennAir, stainless steel is your only option.
To read more about the best brands for custom colors, read this article: 10 Best Kitchen Appliance Brands for Color.
Now let's discuss the final problem: reliability and service.
Looking for answers about Pro Cooking?
Short on time? Download our free Pro Cooking Buying Guide.
Professional Range Reliability & Service: What to Know Before You Buy
Professional ranges require more service than any other appliance in the first year, based on over 33,000 service calls completed by our team last year.
Then again, in larger sizes, a pro range can function as the equivalent of one and a half to two standard ranges.
The most common repairs involve installation issues, minor adjustments, and gas ignitor problems - regardless of brand.
But service is one of the most critical factors when buying a professional range.
You want to match your cooking style with the brand that offers the right features, but service availability matters just as much. It varies significantly between brands.
Yes, performance and features differ, but some brands are far more reliable than others.
And just as important: you need to know who provides the best service in your area.
Do a Google search for appliance service providers near you to ensure you’ll have support if something goes wrong.
A 25,000 BTU burner will cook faster than a 20,000–23,000 BTU burner, but that advantage only matters if your range is working.
Features are fun, but service is more important.
Read More: The Most Reliable Appliance Brands
Do You Need a Professional Range?
Let's look at these two ranges:
On the left is a Café Appliances slide-in range, and on the right, a Thermador pro range.
Which is hotter?
The Café slide-in range is hotter and features two ovens, self-cleaning, and a clock and timer.
Another great option to consider is an induction range, which we've mentioned throughout this article.
Induction ranges are now available in 30-, 36-, and 48-inch sizes.
They heat faster, offer better simmer control, are easier to clean, and are the safest choice for households with children since the burners only activate with metal cookware.
Gas ranges, on the other hand, offer grill, griddle, and French top options and tend to be more reliable than induction.
So, you do have options - except in Massachusetts, New York, and California, where new gas installations are illegal in multi-family developments
How Do You Choose a Professional Range?
Okay, finding a range with every possible feature might be a challenge.
Unless you’re customizing a La Cornue with a gas and electric oven, plus any cooktop configuration you want - for $75,000 or more - and without a **clock, timer, or controls.
Instead, let’s focus on the only question that matters: What’s best for YOU?
- How will you use the range?
- Do you need a grill, griddle, sous vide accessory, or a French top?
- What about the oven - do you roast, bake, or broil most often?
Once you understand how you’ll use your range the most, you’ll be ready to choose the right one.
Lastly, don’t overlook service.
After comparing different brands, make sure to consider which company has the best service agency in your area.
Have a question? Drop it in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help.
Additional Resources
Educate yourself before you buy. Get our detailed Pro Range Buying Guide and compare all gas versus dual fuel ranges from brands like Thermador, Viking and Wolf. Over a million people have made smarter kitchen choices with our guide.
Related Articles:
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Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
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