A traditional cast - iron range or a modern alternative, will add cooking capacity and country style to the kitchen, but consider first the practicalities.
The heart of a quintessential English kitchen, a range cooker exudes rustic charm. There are two main types of range cooker: the traditional cast - iron model from well - known names such as Aga, Rayburn and Esse; and the contemporary version - two or more electric or gas ovens topped by a multi - burner gas hob or an induction hob. Which to choose depends on the intended use.

THE STORED HEAT RANGE
Traditional cast - iron range cookers have their roots in the old black leaded kitchen range, with an open fire at the centre and an oven at one side. These kitcheners, were very hard to control, relying on a complicated system of dampers to channel heat to the oven.

In the 1920s a Swede, Dr Gustave Dalen, invented what we know now as the Aga cooker - a closed cast - iron range with ovens that stored the heat rather than sending most of it up the chimney. The traditional Aga and other stored heat cookers, such as those from Dunsley and Redfyre, still work on Dr Dalens basic principle. The heat source is always on, heating a massive griddle and the heavy, well - insulated ovens. There is a large temperature gradient between the upper and lower ovens with one perfect for faster cooking and one for slower. There is no grill as such and because it takes about six hours to heat up, the cooker has to be on 24 hours a day. not the most efficient or cost - effective way to provide hot water, say experts.

A chimney or flue is needed for most gas, oil and solid fuel cast - iron ranges. The Aga, Everhot Electric, Redfyre and Esse gas flueless cookers do not need a chimney, nor do the power flue and balanced flue gas Aga.
For this reason, most people require a second electric or gas model for summer use.

THE CENTRAL HEATING RANGE

The alternative to the stored heat range cooker is a single or twin - burner, cast - iron range that can also be used to run central heating. This is essentially the difference between an Aga and a Rayburn. Cookers fitted with pressure - jet burners are more efficient than those with atmospheric burners and some models have a balanced flue, removing the need for a chimney.
With a rapid heat - up time, the cooker need only be turned on when needed. The top oven temperature can be varied to suit what is cooking, and the bottom oven heat is proportionate to that of the top oven. Traditional cast - iron range cookers can be fuelled by solid fuel, wood, electricity, natural or LPG gas or oil. There are several things to consider before investing in a wood - burning range cooker. One is a source of economically priced wood - last winter the cost of logs rose to an all - time high. There needs to be a ready supply of at least 10 cubic metres of wood, half of which is kept near the point of use and dry. The calorific value of wood is low so it needs to be fed regularly into the range to get the output, which is not easy for those out at work all day. Lugging and storing wood is also hard work. Linking the hot water supply from the range to solar panels can bring big savings, but is a job for an expert.
If the property does not have mains gas, LPG is a possibility but there will need to be space for a supply tank in the garden.
Whichever type of cast - iron range cooker is chosen, it is essential to consult an expert supplier and installer. For gas, contact GasSafe, tel 0800 408 5500, gassaferegister.co.uk; oil, OFTEC; wood and solid fuel, HETAS.

RANGE EFFECT COOKERS

A few years ago, modern range cookers appeared on the market. Varying in size up to 1200mm across, they can take up a lot of space but are a great buy if seeking a lot of cooking capacity and the convenience of infinitely controllable cooking in a traditional - looking appliance. There is no need for a chimney and installation is straightforward.

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The Italy wood - burning cooker has a built - in look and a large oven and hob approved by DEFRA for use in smokeless zones. The viewing window stays clear thanks to Air Wash technology. From ?3,700, Broseley. The Wamsler 1100 Series solid fuel central heating cooker burns wood and the stove has a firebox that can be raised to give more heat to the hob and oven, and less heat to the water in summer months. Available in a choice of colours from ?4,000, Wamsler. The Stoves Richmond 100DFT is a dual fuel cooker. Features include a multifunction, programmable main oven, gas hob with seven burners, dual zone grill and wok burner. From ?1,766, Stoves Richmond. The electric EC4i is available in 20 different colours. Connection is simple to a standard electric cooker point and it is flueless so can be located anywhere in the kitchen. With a touch - control induction hob, the four individual electric ovens provide 124 litres of combined space, heat quickly, and can be turned on and off independently. Priced ?5,500, Esse.

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The 36in Professional Series, shown in Rosso, has a professional - style gas hob, multifunction 124 - litre electric fan oven and handy storage compartment. From ?3,200, Bertazzoni. The four - oven Aga has the choice of either a warming plate, or hob which can be specified as gas or electric ceramic. Available in natural gas, LPG and electric versions, it can be equipped to provide domestic hot water at an extra cost. From ?15,000, Aga.
The oil - fired Heatranger 600 comes in three models with boiler outputs from 16.6kW to 29.3kW, powering up to 20 radiators and providing hot water. It has twin burners and an eco mode to ensure optimum efficiency. From ?6,500, Rayburn. Falcon has brought many features from its range of professional equipment to the CKR1092 914mm dual fuel range cooker, including a heavy - duty, high - speed roll - out electric grill and 5kW wok burner. From ?3,700, Falcon.