The Best Slide-In Gas Ranges (2024)

Writer Tyler Wells Lynch, co-author of the guide to high-end ranges, undertook initial research and testing for this guide in 2018. His research included:

In late 2022, senior staff writer Rachel Wharton completed a new round of research for this guide. She evaluated those of our picks that had been redesigned, updated our discussion on evolving features like air fry, convection, and Wi-Fi–enabled smart apps; and added information about ventilation and federal and state programs that are encouraging people to switch from gas ranges to electric ones.

To be clear, we have not done our own hands-on cooking and testing, though that will play more of a role in future guides to ranges and stoves.

In this guide, we focus on gas-powered versions of stoves that are 30 inches wide (the most common size in the US) with front-mounted controls and no backguard—typically known as slide-in ranges.

This type of stove tends to cost more than freestanding models do, mostly because they look nicer; slide-ins sit nearly flush with your counters and won’t block the view of your backsplash. Otherwise, they tend to have similar cooking specs and are likely to have similar lifespans.

Slide-in ranges actually come in two subtypes, each with slightly different designs and installation requirements.

A true slide-in range must be installed between two cabinets. The edges of its cooktop will overlap your countertops by about an inch on either side of the stove, which gives it an upscale, built-in look. That design also prevents debris and liquid from falling into the tough-to-clean gaps between your stove and cabinets. The sides of the range are also unfinished. Some true slide-in models will leave a gap of a couple inches between the back of the stove and your wall, which you can cover with a trim kit or countertop material. True slide-ins are becoming increasingly uncommon, though a few brands still make them. If your kitchen has an old slide-in range now, it’s probably one of these.

A front-control range, on the other hand, doesn’t need to be installed among your cabinets (though it can be if you want). It doesn’t overlap with your countertops (though some brands sell “filler” kits if you want that look), and won’t leave a gap with your wall. They arguably have more in common with freestanding ranges, but most retailers categorize them as slide-ins, so that’s how we’ve chosen to do it as well. This is the dominant style of slide-in these days.

Price and performance are roughly equal for both subtypes, so it comes down to picking the one that fits your space. If you’re replacing a true slide-in range, you should probably stick with the same style. If you’re upgrading from a freestanding range, a front-control range will be easier to slot into the existing space without any modifications. If you’re renovating your kitchen, pick out whichever stove you want before your contractor or designer starts building so that they can set up the space the right way.

Compared with high-end ranges like those from Wolf, Miele, or Thermador, slide-ins typically don’t have such a heavy-duty build or luxurious look, nor do they usually have as versatile a cooktop or as consistent an oven. But slide-ins also cost thousands of dollars less and still look good compared with a run-of-the-mill freestanding range.

You can cook on any stove. But after talking to experts and comparing more than 60 different gas ranges, we think these are the most important features to look for in a slide-in:

Cooktop

You should expect a power burner of at least 17,000 Btu, if not a little stronger. With a stronger burner, cookware heats up faster, which saves you a few minutes waiting for big pots of water to boil or a pan to get hot enough for a great sear.

You’ll also get a 5,000 Btu simmer burner in the back row for warming, melting, and, well, simmering. Most manufacturers are tight-lipped about how low the simmer burner can be turned down, though Frigidaire told us theirs can get as low as 500 Btu, and we imagine other stoves can reach similar numbers.

As for burner layout, some readers have told us they prefer to have the two strongest burners in the front row of the cooktop because those are the burners they use most often. We favored stoves with this layout. But it’s worth noting that some pediatricians recommend that parents of young kids boil water on a back burner, out of sight and out of reach. (This is good positioning for the safety of your own arms, too.) If that’s a concern of yours, there are plenty of ranges with a strong burner in the back row. And in any case, almost any burner will eventually boil water, just not as quickly as a power burner.

Almost every slide-in range has five burners. Sometimes the fifth burner is in an oval shape, making it a good fit for a griddle (which sometimes comes with the range). Some people find the fifth burner useful, and others rarely use it; that depends on your cooking habits.

And continuous grates, usually made out of steel or cast iron, come standard on slide-in ranges. This surface looks good, makes it easy to slide cookware around the surface of the cooktop, and helps keep larger items balanced better than smaller, single-burner grates can.

Oven

Capacity matters somewhat, but most slide-ins have an oven that’s larger than 4.8 cubic feet, which is plenty of space for a huge 26-pound Thanksgiving turkey, a 16-inch pizza stone, or all but the very largest sizes of baking sheets and roasting pans. (No 30-inch range we’ve seen can fit a full-size baking sheet.)

All but the very cheapest slide-in ranges come with three oven racks. A few of the pricier slide-ins include one rolling rack, which helps dishes glide in and out of the oven.

The vast majority of slide-in ranges have some kind of convection cooking mode; essentially, it turns on a fan in the back of the oven cavity. When convection works well, large batches of cookies will bake more evenly, pastry crusts will come out flakier, and roasted meats and veggies will be crispier on the outside and juicier on the inside. Some models add an extra electric heating element near the fan, usually known as “true” convection or European convection, depending on the brand. (We’ll just call it heated-fan convection.) We think it’s worth having some kind of convection mode, regardless of which type. While a convection setting is similar to air frying, many newer models also come with an air fry setting that allows for air frying without preheating on certain racks and temperature settings, which gets you closer to the experience of a tabletop air fryer.

Many owners want a self-cleaning mode, particularly a high-heat, “pyrolytic” mode. Some repair technicians say that high-heat cleaning could damage the electronics, particularly if other components like fans or insulation are not in peak condition. But self-cleaning features undergo tests before the ranges are sold. (A self-cleaning mode is also by far the easiest way to clean an oven, though we have tips for making it a gentler, less laborious process.) Some ranges have a steam-based self-cleaning feature, but it’s more for frequent, light cleaning, and not a substitute for a high-heat setting. Our take: You should have the option to use a high-heat cleaning mode on all but the cheapest ranges. If you’re worried about damaging your appliance, don’t use it.

Build quality and design

For the models we were able to check out in person, we looked for knobs that are made out of metal, that have a nice weight, and that feel securely fastened to the front of the range, without too large a gap between the dial and the body. We checked for oven doors that opened smoothly with a nice heft, racks and drawers that were easy to slide out or remove, and a sturdy control panel—preferably with a glass touchscreen, because it will look nicer over time than a control pad with membrane-style buttons. If the control pad has membrane buttons, they should feel tight and responsive. We also jiggled the grates around to see how secure they were on the cooktop and how easy they were to remove for cleaning. (All of the units we saw were floor models, so they may have seen more wear and tear than a range in a typical house.)

The more finish options there are, the more flexibility you have when designing your kitchen. We gave a slight preference to those with at least three options, though most people seem to be perfectly content with a stainless steel finish.

Reliability and customer service

Reliability and customer service are difficult to pin down, but here’s the standard we’ve set for our picks: Owner reviews shouldn’t reveal any clear, consistent pattern of widespread defects, design problems, or egregiously bad product support. For this reason, we favored slightly older and more popular models because they tend to have more user ratings, so we know more about them.

We also took into account reliability data from J.D. Power and Yale Appliance. Neither source is comprehensive, though.

Over our years of reporting on appliances, we’ve also gathered feedback from repair technicians about the brands that they think are most reliable. But the feedback is highly anecdotal and not very consistent, so we don’t weigh it too heavily in our decisions unless there seems to be a consensus about a specific brand or product.

Less-important features

A wok grate, temperature probe, or any other cooking accessory can be cool and useful, and many ranges come with one or more of these as a toss-in. But you can buy any of them separately, too.

Extra cooking modes like delayed starts, food-specific presets, proofing modes or scan-to-cook modes are all fine, but use varies widely. We didn’t go out of our way to avoid models with these extra cooking modes, but we didn’t favor them, either.

Wi-Fi connectivity can’t baste a turkey or turn a cookie sheet. It can help you diagnose malfunctions, download new features, or allow you to control the oven settings with voice commands, though we’re still concerned about the potential security and privacy risks of having a connected appliance (plus, they don’t always work in every home). Even if you think Wi-Fi is a little silly to have in a range, it’s common enough now that you might not be able to avoid it for much longer. You can always just choose to never set it up.

Note: The GE JGS760 has been discontinued and replaced with a new line, the 600 series, that we’re in the process of evaluating.

Slide-in ranges all have good cooking specs and features, but we like the GE JGS760 more than the rest. (Note that this is a front-control range, rather than a true slide-in.) The brand has a strong reputation for stoves, and this model is well-reviewed with no obvious defects, design flaws, or reliability concerns. It comes in six different finishes, more than we’ve seen from competing models. That should help the stove look good in all kinds of kitchen decors. The cooktop is versatile and sensibly laid out, and the JGS760 has a large oven with convection and a choice of self-cleaning modes. We noticed a few complaints about defective units, including a few issues with the oven preheat cycle—but not enough to suggest a widespread quality-control problem. (We also recommend the electric version of the JGS760 as our favorite electric slide-in.)

We had a chance to look at the JGS760 at a showroom in Portland, Maine, and could find no obvious build-quality problems. The buttons and control knobs were all fairly well secured, and the oven and storage doors were lightweight and swung open smoothly. The knobs clearly indicate which burners they control—an obvious design feature that isn’t as common as you’d think. The electronic touchpad is sealed by a plastic membrane; we would’ve preferred glass touch controls, but membranes are pretty typical for a range at this price. As is typical for gas stoves, the cast-iron grates are secured to the cooktop surface by four shallow indents in each corner. These were large enough for the grates to shimmy a millimeter or two if pushed. Though not as secure as some grates we’ve seen, it’s possible that the showroom model we saw was just worn out.

The JGS760 originally came in six finish options, though not all are still available widely: stainless steel (JGS760SPSS), fingerprint-resistant slate (JGS760EPES), fingerprint-resistant black stainless steel (JGS760BELTS), fingerprint-resistant black slate (JGS760FPDS), black (JGS760DELBB), and white (JGS760DPWW).

Reading through the user reviews, we couldn’t find any trend pointing to some underlying design flaw or quality-control issue. All the bad reviews seem to be from owners who received defective units, which is always a risk with any appliance.

The JGS760 puts the most powerful burners up front and the secondary burners in the back, plus a fifth oval-shaped burner in the center for the griddle. The 18,000 Btu power burner is slightly more powerful than what you’ll find on similar ranges and should boil a half-gallon of water in about 8 to 10 minutes (depending on the pot and other factors). It sits next to another 15,000 Btu power burner, which will boil a little slower but is still quite strong. The weaker burners are in the back row, including a 5,000 Btu “simmer” element. The cast-iron grates extend all the way to the side edges of the stove, and the surface separates into three parts so that they’re easier to carry to the sink or dishwasher for cleaning.

The JGS760’s 5.6-cubic-foot oven is big enough to fit the largest Thanksgiving turkey you’re likely to find in stores, a large 16-inch pizza stone, or a three-quarters baking sheet. It includes a standard convection mode with options for convection bake and convection roast, which refers to which elements are engaged during the convection cycle. There are three removable racks with six height options, offering plenty of room to fit a variety of items, and the oven has both a high-heat and steam-based self-cleaning option. And there’s a number pad for inputting temperatures or countdown times.

The JGS760 has a Wi-Fi feature, which syncs with an app so you can remotely check to see if the oven is preheated or whether the timer has gone off. But you don’t have to set up the Wi-Fi if you don’t want to.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We noticed a few one-star owner reviews complaining about the oven shutting off during the preheat cycle. This is an annoying problem to deal with, but it appears to be a relatively uncommon defect and doesn’t change our minds about recommending this range.

The JGS760 technically doesn’t come with continuous cast-iron grates; the central portion of the cooktop is a griddle (and a few owners complained about this choice). You can buy a central grate separately if you want one.

Many similarly priced ranges have at least one upscale feature, like heated-fan convection or a gliding rack, but the JGS760 has none.

If you’re willing to pay for a better-looking, heavier-duty range than a basic slide-in but don’t want to step all the way up to a pro-style or luxury model, we recommend the Bosch 800 Series HGI8056UC. (Depending on where you live, it may be harder to find than our other picks. If that is the case, you might consider the dual-fuel model of the 800 Series: The HDI8056U has the responsiveness of a gas cooktop and the consistency of an electric oven, for a few hundred dollars more.)

The Bosch is considerably more expensive than the GE JGS760, but we think it’s the finest-looking and most durable gas range you’ll get for the price. Its classic stainless steel look should work well visually in most kitchens, even if you remodel around it over time. In reading user reviews, we didn’t spot any evidence of reliability or quality-control issues. It’s also a true slide-in range, so it will overlap your counters a bit when it’s installed correctly.

Its cooktop is laid out like a built-in cooktop, with the power burner smack in the middle, another subtle nod toward its higher-end appeal. It also includes one of the better convection features in this category (on paper at least), with full heated-element (or European-style) convection for bake, roast, or broil modes. It also comes with a couple of nice-to-haves such as a temperature probe and a proofing mode for making bread.

Despite the much higher price compared with a lot of slide-ins (like the GE JS760), the cooking specs on the Bosch 800 Series don’t really stand out. The cooktop, for example, has basically the same set of burners as a range that costs $1,000 less, topping out with one 18,000 Btu power burner. And at 4.8 cubic feet, the oven is smaller than what you’ll find in most of today’s ranges (though it still fits all the same common large items as any of its competitors, including a turkey, pizza stone, or three-quarters baking sheet).

If you value top-of-the-line cooking features, consider the GE Profile PGS930. It has the best all-around specs we’ve seen in a gas slide-in range. Its power burner is the strongest we’ve seen outside of a pro-style range, and the oven has a few extra features and cooking modes compared with the cheaper GE JGS760. We couldn’t find any evidence of defects or design flaws, either. It’s a good-looking range, if not quite as sturdy or as polished as the Bosch 800 Series, though it comes in more finishes. It’s also a front-control range, rather than a true slide-in.

The PGS930’s 21,000 Btu tri-ring power burner is among the strongest and most versatile we’ve seen at any price—you usually have to step all the way up to a Wolf or Bluestar range to find a burner with so much output. GE claims the tri-ring design allows you to use it to boil a big pot of water as well to simmer at temperatures as low as 140 °F. With most stoves in this price range, you’re really meant to use different burners for different tasks, which can mean moving pots around the cooktop. But the Profile’s tri-ring burner can be your go-to for pretty much any task.

We really like the look and feel of the glass touch controls, which are a nice step up from the membrane-style controls on the JGS760. The knobs felt securely fastened as well as heftier than those encountered on cheaper models.

Compared with the less-expensive JGS760, the Profile PGS930 adds a couple of modest improvements to the oven: heated-fan convection, a proofing mode, and a temperature probe.

The Profile PGS930 does have a Wi-Fi feature, which syncs with an app so that you can check remotely to see if the oven is preheated or whether the timer has gone off. You can always just ignore it—you don’t even have to set up the Wi-Fi if you don’t want to.

The PGS930 has two finish options: stainless steel (PGS930YPFS) and fingerprint-resistant black stainless steel (PGS930BPTS).

If you want this range and its impressive gas cooktop with the steady temperatures of an electric oven, you might still find the dual-fuel version (P2S930) in local stores, even though it is no longer being manufactured.

If you want the look of a slide-in range but don’t want to spend much money, the Frigidaire FCFG3083AS is your most affordable option.

It’s a fine stove with good reviews, though its specs are on the lower end of what you usually find in this category. The cooktop has an 18,000 Btu power burner, which is fine, and continuous grates. The 5.1-cubic-foot oven is a little smaller than average but plenty big for almost any task. It doesn’t look bad, either. This range was updated with a convection oven in late 2022 (which is great), but it still doesn’t have many reviews. We couldn’t find any evidence of widespread quality-control issues on the previous version.

Here’s what you miss out on compared with a mid-priced slide-in: The oven doesn’t have a number pad for inputting temperatures (just +/- keys). The build quality feels flimsier, with cheaper-feeling knobs than most (though they are metal). The center grate is also oddly narrow for some reason, making the other two larger (and heavier) than usual, which could make them a little unwieldy to wash.

A double-oven range isn’t as spacious or versatile as a double wall oven—but it can still be a good way to add extra cooking convenience to a kitchen that’s set up for a regular 30-inch stove. We suggest the GE Profile PGS960YPFS, which has the best cooking features of any slide-in gas range we’ve seen, including one of the strongest power burners we’ve encountered on any non-pro-style stove. Its lower oven could fit bigger birds and roasts than other two-cavity models, too. (We previously recommended a now-discontinued version of the GE Profile PGS960, which offered a very similar experience to that of the PGS960YPFS.)

Relative to similar stoves from other brands, this range has the strongest and most versatile cooktop we found, with a 21,000 Btu, multi-ring power burner. The lower-oven cavity has 15 inches of clearance, which is the tallest you’ll find in this category by at least an inch. That extra space means a large turkey, ham, or other roast is more likely to fit—this model should be able to handle a 20-pound turkey. There’s a convection feature in the lower oven, too. The PGS960YPFS comes in fingerprint-resistant stainless steel. It has a Wi-Fi feature, which syncs with an app that lets you download software updates for settings like no-preheat air fry and convection roast. You can also use the Wi-Fi–enabled app to get notifications when the oven is preheated or the timer goes off, or to use voice commands instead of the control panel. But you don’t have to set up the Wi-Fi if you don’t want to, and you can disconnect it once you download an update.

This model still has some of the same downsides as all double-oven ranges: It can be a pain to bend all the way down to the lower oven, you probably won’t be able to fit the largest birds or roasts in it, and you might get some heat transfer between ovens. But if you think a double-oven range will suit your needs, we think the GE Profile PGS960YPFS is a solid choice.

GE makes a slew of other slide-in ranges, and if you like the look of a particular model that we don’t specifically recommend in this guide, it’s probably fine. In general, GE’s major cooking appliances have above-average ratings from owners, strong reviews from editorial sources, and a solid reputation among appliance pros like technicians and kitchen designers.

We’d like to evaluate the Frigidaire Gallery FGGH3047VF, a newer version of our budget pick. We also want to take a look at LG ranges like the LSGL5833F, which appear to use a different method of convection than the company’s ProBake technology that we’ve previously dismissed. We’d also like to look closely at Samsung models like the NX60T8711ST, which has a feature that remembers the settings you use often and saves them. Though we’ve traditionally left Samsung out of our stove guides because of concerns about their customer service, we know people who use and like their stoves and think it’s worth evaluating them again. We also hope to vet the KitchenAid KSGB900ESS, which markets itself as a luxury stove without a luxury price tag.

There is increasing evidence that using a gas stove may be potentially risky for your health, even with ventilation, in part because gas stoves emit chemicals like benzene, methane, and nitrogen dioxide, the latter of which has been linked to childhood asthma. This is an especially important issue if you have a small home or a kitchen without either a ducted range hood or an exhaust vent that ducts to the outdoors.

If you own a gas stove and want to mitigate the risks, read our thorough advice on how to use any gas stove more safely—including how to adequately ventilate your kitchen, when to supplement the use of your stove with countertop appliances, and how to monitor your kitchen’s air quality.

If it’s possible for your household, consider switching to an electric range (or even an induction cooktop). If you can wait (and are eligible), you may also be able to take advantage of hefty federal rebates for buying electric appliances; these rebates are slated to arrive in late 2024 at the earliest.

Meanwhile, as concerns grow, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is studying safety standards on new gas stoves. And the Department of Energy has adopted stronger efficiency regulations that would effectively reduce their emissions. Neither of these potential regulatory changes will make it to the marketplace for several years, but some of the research shows that specific features and layouts of gas stoves may be more efficient.

The most important thing you can do to care for your range is to clean the cooktop and oven after every use—ideally when they’re both still slightly warm and it’s easier to remove greasy residue. A quick wipedown with a damp rag is often all you need to prevent fat and other food substances from baking onto either surface (or burning and creating smoke that can ruin your meal) the next time you cook.

You should also read your stove’s manual before you use any cleaning products on its cooktop surface, grates, or oven interior, and especially before you use a self-cleaning function. (Most require you to remove racks and anything else inside an oven.) Many common cleansers and sponges can scratch or mar metal surfaces, damage grates or gas ports, or react dangerously when exposed to an open flame.

To learn more about how to clean your range’s oven, read our piece on how to clean an oven.

Rachel Wharton contributed reporting. This article was edited by Ingrid Skjong and Courtney Schley.