Replacing a Rangemaster? Take a Look at our Trading-up Guide...

Here at Rangecookers.co.uk we hear from lots of people who have had a Rangemaster range cooker for years, and now it is time for a replacement feel they would like something a little further up the scale. In this article we look at some of the options.

A Rangemaster is many people’s introduction to range cooking, and an aspiration in itself. This mid-market brand is certainly the most prolific on the UK market - good-looking cookers with a remarkable amount of choice when it comes to style and format, whether you need a 90, 100 or 110cm model. There may come a time, though, when a change is due or you are ready for something a little better, and given that a Rangemaster should last 15 to 20 years a lot may have changed and you may be in a position to consider a cooker from a stable with a higher pedigree. A smart new kitchen or simply a love of cooking may lead you towards a more considered purchase with a higher price tag, but where do you start and what are you getting for the extra money? The general answer to the latter is, of course, build quality, as well as some enhanced features. Rangemaster cookers do a good job but are built to a price, so there are production limitations in terms of materials and components used. With a premium brand there is more scope for heavier grade steel, more insulation, triple glazing, powerful brass burners and bespoke hobs, not to mention better chassis, hinges and all the things you cannot see. Are you paying a premium for a posher badge? There may sometimes be a touch of that, but you can feel sure that there are some very good reasons to set your sights and your budget a little higher.

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Rangemaster is a good mid-range choice, but for more build-integrity and a better cooking experience you may want to aim a little higher




Bertazzoni


This beautiful brand deserves close consideration if you are looking for an attention-grabbing range cooker with more than a touch of style. This family-owned manufacturer has been building cookers for over 50 years, and is now regarded as one of the world’s finest. Their Professional Series is bold yet refined, and the stunning Heritage series a very tastefully executed and competent alternative style, with equally gorgeous matching hoods. On the Professional 120 model you get TWO 11-function ovens, and on all models there is a touch-control digital programmer that allows perfect control of cooking: it displays the oven functions selected, manages time during cooking and gives feedback on real-time temperature. Energy-efficient triple-glazed oven doors feature soft motion hinges and an anti-slam closing system. Powerful and versatile dual control wok burners can be reduced to a very gentle simmer-heat, and there is an integrated stainless steel teppan-yaki style griddle on 120 models. A cost-reduced Master Series is also available.

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ILVE


Another premium Italian manufacturer, Ilve (pronounced il-vay) have been around for many years as a global brand with a phenomenal reputation as a range cooker specialist with panache. Their factory near Venice produces ranges in widths from 70cm to 150cm, in two premium styles - a contemporary Roma and a heritage style Milano, as well as two cost reduced model called Ultimo and Moderna which offer the same impressive specification but with some subtle cost-savings, like double-glazed doors rather than triple; plastic knobs rather than metal; enamel oven linings rather than self-clean. Roma and Milano models also feature Ilve’s E3 technology, which gives you more accurate digitally-set temperatures in five degree increments up to an unusually high 300°C - great for bread-making of pizza-cooking, for which there is a dedicated oven function. This is an Italian cooker, after all.

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Lacanche


Perhaps one of the best loved and most aspired-to cooking brands in the world, Lacanche is a pretty unique manufacturer of truly commercial-grade cookers for the domestic market and you will find a Lacanche in the homes of rich and famous food lovers all over the world, and in those of discerning but more humble customers too. Behind the very pretty facade is a super-impressive yet straightforward piece of engineering designed to perform to the utmost and to last a generation. Heavy metal combined with high lustre enamel makes for a heady combination, and with a head-spinning variety of sizes and formats from 70cm to 220cm to choose from it can be a confusing process, so why not give us a call and we will talk you through the options. Whichever you choose, your bespoke cooker will be built by a single craftsperson in deepest Burgundy and delivered to you in 8 to 10 weeks. The rest is up to you!

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Britannia


Italian cookers built for the UK market, Britannia range cookers are a very refined alternative which have a great reputation and a very good profile as one of those “I’ve made it” brands many people aspire to own. Not just attractive to look at, Britannia ranges are very much built for cooking, with high-specification multifunction ovens which include meat probes for accurate results every time, quiet and triple glazed Quickstart ovens, powerful easy-clean hobs and soft-close storage drawers. Solidly made, Britannia’s glossy persona comes in two premium styles, the contemporary Delphi and the tasteful heritage-style Fleet, as well as some cost-reduced but still excellent models, the Q Line and Stanza.

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Falcon


Perhaps an obvious choice as a step up from Rangemaster, Falcon is also built by Aga Rangemaster but is a more serious brand aimed at home chefs looking for a robust no-nonsense range with great credentials and a reputation for integrity. These handsome range cookers share some of the same underpinnings as Rangemaster, but are built to a higher standard, using thicker steel and a more simplistic approach. Falcon ranges dispense with windowed doors and auto-timers because “serious cooks do not need these” - heavy, robust shelving and powerful five burner gas or induction hobs are all you need to produce great food. These ranges look great, too, and a Falcon range will be just as at home in a traditional setting as it will in a sharp and contemporary space. Stainless steel side panels also ensure they look good free-standing or on the end of a run of units, without the need for cabinetry or a dubious end-panel. The entry-level Continental 1092 model is actually brilliant value, giving you all the usual Falcon quality (and even windowed doors) but with some money-saving touches (no separate grill, no oven liners) to make stepping up to Falcon a little easier.

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Mercury


Another Aga Rangemaster brand, Mercury is a step up from Falcon price-wise, due to the more complex build its refined looks and enhanced features demand. Very crisp and well-presented, Mercury’s hifi-like controls are turned from solid aluminium, meaning they look great are delightful to use. Similar delightful detailing goes into the door handles and branding, with 5cm stainless steel side panels giving that distinctive Mercury look. These panels also have an impact on the underlying cooker formats, so the 100cm model uses the Aga Rangemaster 90cm chassis, the 1082 model a 100cm chassis and the 120 model a 110cm chassis. No timers or windows to worry about, and a choice of dual fuel or electric induction models to suit your needs. A Mercury range cooker is a stunning statement and a real head-turner for any design-aware home where cooking is a crucial aspect of daily life, or you simply want a beautiful cooker.

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Aga


Well worth a mention is the Aga Masterchef XL series, a conventional range from that famous brand which many aspire to have in their home. This sturdy and handsome range uses the same platform as the aforementioned brands, and is built very much to the same standard as Falcon, with a solid feel and some features borrowed from the similar-looking but inferior Rangemaster Elan. A fine cooker with the very best pedigree, the Aga Masterchef XL should tick all the boxes for many looking for a traditional range with Aga kudos. With a pleasing symmetrical layout, the Masterchef XL 110 also features a slow cook oven positioned conveniently on the top right, where it can also serve as a useful warming oven. Chunky Aga looks with all the modern conveniences, the Masterchef XL is a great formula, whether for a modern home with a traditional outlook or vice versa.

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If you are lucky enough to be considering moving up from Rangemaster we hope the above gives you some useful sense of direction to begin the search for your perfect range. Our team is always here to help, though, as is our lovely showroom here in Chester. A list of ranges currently on display is available, together with the full address and directions HERE. We are primarily an online business, of course, and if Chester is a little out of your way our comprehensive website and expert staff should furnish you with most of what you need to make the final decision, so please call on 01244 402975

to speak to a member of our team.