The 10 Best Cookers - June 2017
Every week we analyse the technical specs, reviews and prices of every cooker on the market in the US to determine our top 10 list.
In total we compared over 2,060 cookers, 552 reviews and 186 prices. Last updated 20 June 2017.
Bosch HCE422120C
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Bosch HCE854823C
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Philips HD4928/01
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No matching products found.
Choosing The Best Cooker
A cooker is the central componant of many larger kitchens - they are usually made up of a freestanding oven, with a hob comprising of several burners on top. Their size mean that they have a sizable footprint in the kitchen, but can also be used to cook several dishes at once - making them invaluable for large families.
There are several different types and configurations of cooker, and your choice will be dictated largely by how much food you prepare on a regular basis, and whether you need the capacity for both oven cooking (such as baking cakes or pies) and hob cooking (such as boiling and frying).
Oven
The oven is the main section of a cooker, and is mainly used for baking, roasting and slow-cooking dishes. Most cookers will have a single oven with the hob placed on top - however some more expensive brands contain 2, 3 or even 4 ovens. In these cases there is usually one oven that is the larger 'main' oven (for cooking large dishes like turkeys or geese) and several smaller ovens.
The capacity of the oven(s) is extremely important since the larger the capacity, the bigger the dishes you can prepare. Oven capacity is measured in litres - we look both at the capacities of the individual ovens and the total capacity of the entire cooker to help you make an informed decision.
Hob
The hob is the second section of the cooker - a collection of hot plates or burners which allow several different dishes to be cooked at once. When comparing hobs on a cooker, it's important to look at the number of cooking zones (burners or hot plates) on the hob. Most cookers have 4 burners spaced evenly across the top of the machine - however some models have as few as 2, or as many as 7.
Another important consideration is whether to choose a gas or electric hob for your cooker. Both have advantages and disadvantages:
Gas Hob:Gas burners have no heat-up time, so are far quicker to use, and the heat levels are easier to control than electric. Gas flames tend to spread more evenly across the bottom of pans, meaning quicker heating and more even cooking. They are also cheaper to run than electric hobs, saving you money on daily use.
Electric Hob:Electric hot plates take time to heat up, and tend to have a far more concentrated heat radius, leading to uneven heat distribution with large pans. They are also more expensive to run than gas hobs - however they are easier to clean, and significantly easier to set up and use.
Power Level
The power level of both the oven(s) and hob is an important consideration - the higher the power level, the faster and more efficiently food can be cooked. All our ovens and cookers are measured in watts (W).
Energy Efficiency
All our cookers are graded on their energy efficiency. The higher the grade, the less energy will be used during cooking, and the cheaper the cooker will be to run. Look for a cooker graded at A++ or above for the best efficiency in daily use.
Extras
Finally, there are a multitude of smaller features and functions to consider when choosing a cooker. These can involve safety features such as child locks and automatic shut-off systems and pre-programmed settings to make cooking popular dishes extremely easy. We also have cookers in a wide range of colours and styles, so you can match it perfectly to the design of your kitchen.
Cooker Retailers, Prices and Features
Cooker Prices
In total we found 9 cookers ranging from $595 to $7,599. On average, a new cooker costs $1,736 and 80% of cookers are priced between $645 and $1,395. The Samsung NE59M4320 is the cheapest cooker at only $595, and Thermador PRD364GDHU is the most expensive at $7,599.
Cooker Brands - Price Range
Thermador cookers start at $7,599 and the most expensive Thermador cooker costs $7,599. The highest average cooker price out of all brands is Thermador cookers with an average price of $7,599.
The average price of LG cookers is $1,045 which is the second highest average price of all cooker brands. LG cookers range in price from $645 to $1,395.
Samsung cookers start at $595 and the most expensive Samsung cooker costs $1,395. The average price of Samsung cookers is $962 which is the third highest average price of all cooker brands.
Cooker Brands - Average Ratings
We have checked 2 expert reviews and 343 user reviews for cookers and used these reviews to determine the average rating for each brand of cooker. Hotpoint is the top rated cooker brand with an average rating of 93%. Zanussi is the second best brand with 92% and Cannon is the third best brand with 90%.
Biggest Cooker Retailers
The biggest cooker retailer by number of products currently for sale is Best Buy. We found 9 current cooker offers from Best Buy. The second biggest cooker retailer is Appliances Connection with 7 offers. That means Best Buy is significantly bigger than Appliances Connection when it comes to cookers. Overstock is the third biggest retailer with 3 current offers.
When Are Most New Cookers Released?
We looked at the release dates for new cookers over the last 3 years, but couldn't see any prominent trend. 56 new cookers were released in March 2016 making it the biggest month that year for new cooker releases. In August 2015 327 new cookers were released making it the biggest month that year for new cooker releases. July was the biggest month in 2014 for new cookers, with 208 new cookers released that month.
How Fast Do Cooker Prices Drop After Release?
New cookers drop in price by an average of 7% in the first 6 months after they wer first released. That means a saving of $117 on a typical $1,736 new cooker if you wait 6 months before buying.
Total Oven(s) Interior Capacities
The space available inside the oven(s) for cooking food.
The total oven(s) interior capacities of cookers range from 0.6L to 216L. The total oven(s) interior capacities of the majority of cookers range from 62L to 81L. The cooker with the biggest total oven(s) interior capacity is the LGLDE4415ST, which is a 207L Total oven(s) interior capacity cooker and is priced at $1,394.60. The LGLDE4415ST, which is priced at $7,599.00, has the smallest total oven(s) interior capacity and is a 135L Total oven(s) interior capacity cooker.
Burners/cooking Zones
Comparing all cookers, the burners/cooking zones range from 1 to 8. The burners/cooking zones of the majority of cookers range from 4 to 5. The LGLDE4413, which can be purchased for $1,294.70, has the most burner/cooking zone and is a 5 burner/cooking zone cooker. The LGLDE4413 has the least burner/cooking zone. This cooker is a 2 burner/cooking zone cooker and is on sale for $7,599.00.
Biggest Cooker Retailers
We found 9 current offers for cookers from Best Buy making it the biggest cooker retailer. That is significantly bigger than the second biggest retailer, Appliances Connection for whom we found 7 current offers for cookers. The third biggest retailer is Overstock with 3 current cooker offers.
Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Cookers?
Appliances Connection most frequently has the cheapest cooker prices (found to be cheapest for 6 cookers).
Proportion of Cookers for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?
With the cheapest price on 85.7% of its cookers, Appliances Connection is most frequently the cheapest cooker retailer.