Confused by burners, knobs, and all those kitchen stove parts in between?
Fear not: We break it down for you in this essential guide to the kitchen stove.
From the no-frills versions to commercial-grade models, all kitchen stoves have essentially the same parts.
Credit: Michael Partenio
Before you jump into baking treats or cooking a meal, learn these basic stove parts of your range.
Here’s how to get to know your main cooking appliance, inside and out.
What is the Difference Between a Kitchen Range, Stove, Oven, and Cooktop?
Credit: John Bessler
Cooktops break out the burners, or cooking surface, into its own appliance.
An oven is simply the inner chamber in which food is heated.
Accessories
Some cooktops come with interchangeable accessories for the original four burners.
Credit: Michael Partenio
Some examples of stove accessories include grills, griddles, and woks.
Additional Burners
Many stoves utilize the space between the original four burners for a variety of uses.
The average cooktop produces a maximum of 6,000-10,000 BTUs.
Gas stoves have an output from 500-15,000 BTUs.
Broiler
The broiler is the set of coils at the top of the interior of the oven.
Turn it on via the broil setting on the control panel.
The broiler cooks with high, direct heat from the coils.
Burners
Burners are the stove parts that provide heat to your cookware.
The most basic stoves have four burners.
Burner size differs depending on the model.
Bigger stove burners distribute heat to larger pots more quickly.
Burner Covers
Burners appear differently based on both the fuel source and stove jot down.
Gas burners come in sealed or open setups.
These are typically push-button to enable precision in tweaks.
These should fit securely and evenly.
Drip Pan
Drip pans are used in conjunction with sealed burners to catch any dribbles or overflows.
They sit below the burner and can be removed for cleaning or replacement.
Grates
Grates are stove parts that sit above burners.
A cooktop’s grates distribute and dissipate heat evenly below the pan.
In the case of a gas oven, grates are made of cast iron.
For electric or smooth surface gas cooking surfaces, such asinduction stovetops, grates are ceramic-glass.
These also dissipate heat more slowly.
This means the stove surface remains cool to touch while cooking.
Induction cooktops feature flat, glass surfaces and cook faster than gas stoves.
Keep in mind that induction stoves require specialty cookware.
Knobs
Knobs are exterior stove parts that control the burners and sometimes the oven.
Stove knobs are typically located on the face of the appliance or on its top.
Oven
An oven is an enclosed chamber used for cooking food.
Most ovens within kitchen ranges are standard size.
Ovens may be smaller in ranges that include more than one oven or an additional warming drawer.
Oversize kitchen stoves often include a variety of oven sizes.
Oven Racks
Kitchen stoves include several adjustable oven racks.
These can beremoved for cleaningor for moving based on the temperature/cooking needs of your food.
