Range Cooker Features You'll Actually Use (And Wonder How You Lived Without)
When you start researching range cookers, it's easy to get swept up in technical specifications. Burner outputs, cavity litres, multifunction settings, programmable timers - the feature lists can feel endless.
But once the cooker is installed and becomes part of your daily routine, it's the smaller, thoughtful details that make the biggest difference.
What really matters?
Not just the features that may sound impressive in the showroom. Not just the ones that look good on a comparison chart. But the ones you'll actually use - the details that make cooking feel easier, safer and more enjoyable...
Here are eight features that we think you will actually use regularly...
1. Induction Boost Function
If speed matters to you, the boost function is something you will use constantly.
What it is: A temporary surge of extra power delivered to an induction zone.
When you will use it: Boiling water faster, getting a pan smoking hot for steak, or recovering heat quickly when adding cold ingredients.
Real benefit: It transforms weeknight cooking. Pasta water boils in minutes, stir-fries stay sizzling, and large pans heat evenly and quickly.
Induction cooking is already known for precision and efficiency, but boost mode takes it further. It's particularly useful when you need to recover heat quickly - for example, after adding cold ingredients to a hot pan. Instead of waiting for the temperature to climb back up, the hob responds instantly. Once you get used to that level of control, traditional hobs can feel slow by comparison.
Find it on: Mercury 1200 Induction
2. HandyRack
One of those little features that feel obvious once you've used it, the Rangemaster HandyRack is more than just a roasting tray - it's a thoughtful tool built into the oven door of many Rangemaster cookers to make roasting easier, safer and more efficient.
What it is: A height-adjustable wire rack with an enamel roasting tray that clips onto the inside of the oven door. It swings out with the door, keeping your roasting tin supported and accessible without having to reach deep into a hot oven.
When you will use it: Instead of lifting heavy, hot trays out to baste or check your food, the HandyRack lets you open the oven and slide the whole assembly out on its frame. This means no balancing trays on an oven shelf or risking burns.
Real benefit: It is robust enough to handle substantial roasts (big enough for joints up to around 12lb/5.5kg) and the roasting dish and rack are dishwasher safe, so cleanup is quick and simple.
Because it is integrated into the design of a number of Rangemaster cookers, rather than just an add-on, this turns what used to be a fiddly oven moment into one that feels intuitive and safe.
Find it on: Rangemaster Nexus SE
3. Telescopic Shelves
If you roast, bake, or cook with heavy dishes, telescopic shelves are a genuine upgrade.
What they are: Oven shelves mounted on extendable runners that glide out while remaining fully supported, much like the glide out grill.
When you will use them: You can check, flip, or stir food without lifting a heavy tray out of the oven.
Real benefit: It reduces the risk of spills or burns.
Telescopic shelves are particularly useful when cooking with cast iron cookware, roasting large joints, or baking multiple trays at once. Instead of removing a dish completely to inspect it, you simply slide the shelf towards you and access it comfortably - meaning the oven door is also open for less time. For anyone who cooks frequently, this feature quickly becomes essential rather than optional.
Find it on: Fisher & Paykel Series 9 Classic 90 Pyro
4. Teppanyaki Griddle
A teppanyaki griddle isn't just an accessory - it's a completely different way of cooking. Once you start using one, it quickly becomes one of the most versatile surfaces in your kitchen.
What is it: A flat, solid cooking plate that either sits over burners or integrates directly into the hob, creating a large, evenly heated surface.
When you will use them: it provides consistent contact heat across the entire plate, making it ideal for cooking multiple ingredients at once.
Real benefit: Unlike a ridged griddle, a flat teppanyaki surface allows for even browning, better caramelisation, and easier flipping and turning.
The real appeal is its flexibility. From smashed burgers and perfectly seared steaks to prawns, scallops, and stir-fried vegetables, the even heat delivers consistent results. It's equally useful for fajitas, halloumi, or a fully cooked breakfast - it also handles pancakes and flatbreads just as confidently. Because you can cook several elements side by side, it's ideal for feeding a group without juggling multiple pans - and with less washing up at the end. For everyday meals or relaxed entertaining, a teppanyaki griddle adds genuine versatility that goes far beyond a standard hob.
Find it on: Bertazzoni Professional 120
5. Soft Close Doors
One of those subtle upgrades that quickly becomes something you notice every day, soft close doors elevate your cooking with smoother, safer oven access.
What it is: A damping mechanism built into the oven (and storage) doors that allows them to close gently and quietly - no slamming, just a controlled, premium feel every time. ILVE use this system across many models and applies it to both oven doors and storage drawers.
When you will use it: You'll appreciate soft-close every time you shut the oven after checking on a roast or unloading a tray. It is especially nice in busy kitchens with kids or pets around - the doors shut with finesse, reducing noise and the risk of accidentally catching a finger.
Real benefit: Beyond comfort, soft-close doors help protect the oven's internal seals and glass panels over time by reducing impact wear.
In everyday cooking, closing the oven is something you do dozens of times - so having it feel thoughtful and effortless really does make a difference.
Find it on: ILVE Majestic
6. Catalytic Liners
Cleaning the oven is nobody's favourite job - which is exactly why catalytic liners are such a useful feature in a range cooker.
What they are: Special textured panels fitted to the sides (and sometimes the back) of the oven cavity.
When you will use them: The liners absorb and break down grease splashes while you cook, using the oven's heat to oxidise fat deposits.
Real benefit: They significantly reduce the amount of manual scrubbing needed.
During normal cooking - particularly at temperatures above 200°C - the liners gradually break down food splatter and grease. Instead of baked-on residue building up over time, much of it is absorbed and dispersed automatically. This makes ongoing maintenance far easier and helps keep your oven cleaner between deep cleans.
Find it on: AGA Masterchef Deluxe 90
7. Pizza Function
If you love homemade pizza, a dedicated pizza function is more than just a novelty - it's a feature you'll genuinely use.
What it is: A specialist oven setting that combines intense base heat with fan assistance to replicate the conditions of a traditional pizza oven.
When you will use it: It removes the guesswork from getting that perfect balance of crisp crust and fully cooked toppings.
Real benefit: The lower heating element delivers strong bottom heat to crisp the base, while the fan ensures even cooking and bubbling toppings without burning.
Pizza settings are ideal not only for fresh dough but also for flatbreads, naan, focaccia and even reheating takeaway pizza without a soggy base. The concentrated bottom heat ensures the underside cooks properly - something standard oven settings can sometimes struggle with.
Find it on: ILVE Roma
8. Slow Cook Oven
A dedicated slow cook oven brings gentle, consistent heat that transforms certain dishes completely.
What it is: A low-temperature oven cavity designed for extended cooking at steady, controlled heat.
When you will use it: Ideal for hands-off cooking and developing deep, rich flavours in meals such as stews and meats.
Real benefit: Typically lower than conventional ovens, maintaining gentle warmth for hours.
Slow cooking is perfect for casseroles, stews and braised meats, where time and low heat create tenderness and depth. It is also excellent for cooking joints slowly to retain moisture, or for preparing dishes that need to simmer gently without boiling, like a hot curry.
Because the heat is stable and consistent, you can leave dishes cooking without constant checking or adjustment. It is particularly useful in colder months, giving you more control over both fast weekday meals and long, leisurely cooking sessions.
Find it on: Rangemaster Estel Deluxe 110 BC
The best range cooker features aren't super flashy - they're functional. They save time, improve safety, reduce effort and give you more confidence in the kitchen.
