Best Slide-In Ranges of 2024

We test slide-in ranges the same way we test all ranges, including gas, induction, conventional electric, and pro-style varieties. To put each model through its paces, our experts use a combination of calibrated time and temperature measurements that size up how evenly an oven distributes heat and how quickly a cooktop heats water.

We also cook up a variety of foods to see what results you’ll get at home: tomato sauce to test simmering, chocolate to assess melting, and more than 2,400 cookies and 400 cakes each year to evaluate baking.

At most large retailers you’ll find at least a dozen slide-in ranges to choose from, some with fancier features than others. But what’s most important is a slide-in range’s ability to perform some very basic tasks really, really well, day in and day out. That’s why we recommend slide-ins only if they meet the following criteria.

• They heat water fast. The best slide-in ranges in our tests are quick to bring a large pot of water to a near-boil.
• They simmer steadily. They have a low-heat burner that’s capable of maintaining a steady temperature when simmering liquids, so you don’t need to stir constantly to avoid scorching, say, tomato sauce or chocolate.
• They bake and broil evenly. Cakes and cookies emerge uniformly baked from multiple racks. And the broilers heat evenly while still getting hot enough to sear.
• They offer plenty of space. Many manufacturers inflate oven sizes by counting the space where you can’t cook, like the bottom of the oven. We measure and score usable capacity from the lowest rack position.
• They self-clean well. For those with a self-clean feature, we bake a mixture of eggs, tapioca, pie filling, and a few other tough-to-remove foods onto the walls of the oven, then use the self-clean cycle and give each model a good wipe-down to see how effective the self-clean feature is at loosening grime. (Here’s how to clean an oven without a self-clean setting.)
• They’re reliable. We survey thousands of CR members each year about the reliability of their ranges, and we tabulate scores based on those responses.

There are three things to consider before buying a slide-in range. First, unlike a traditional range, which can stand freely in a kitchen, a slide-in range needs to be installed between base cabinets with countertops. That’s because most slide-ins have a cooktop that slightly overlaps the countertops on the sides. Also, some models have unfinished sides.

Next, be aware that the front-mounted controls on slide-in ranges, though attractive, can pose potential hazards. They’re easier to bump into and activate, and for a toddler to reach. Most ranges don’t have a safety setting that prevents burners from being accidentally activated.

If you have toddlers in the house, consider installing burner knob safety covers, which prevent the burners from being activated by young kids. These covers are made by the same companies that make other baby safety products, like outlet and doorknob covers.

Last, slide-ins typically cost thousands less than a built-in pro-style range, but you’ll still pay a premium of about $200 over a comparably equipped freestanding range that has a back control panel.