You know that big box in your kitchen? Yeah, the one you use to cook food. What do you call that thing? Chances are, you call it either a stove or a range. So, what’s the difference? The difference between a stove and a range comes down to the number of burners. A standard stove has 4 burners, while a range has 6, 8, or 10 burners. Here’s where it gets really tricky……..all ovens are stoves, but not all stoves are ovens. Stoves often include what’s called a stovetop, but they can also stand alone — that’s called a “cooktop.” Just to make it simple, if you have a cooking chamber without attached external burners, you should call it an oven. If you have a cooking surface with no oven, you should call it a cooktop. If you have both in one device, you should call it a range. The good news is that while “range” is the most accurate term to describe the majority of cooking appliances in American homes, at the end of the day, people will know what you’re talking about, regardless of the term you use.
