Newbie - Freestanding Cooker or Integrated Advice

[AWB1]

Hello Mumsnet. I'm not a mum I'm afraid, but over the past year or so every time I need advice Google brings me to Mumsnet. Fab site and lots of great advice available.

At the moment I'm in the design phase of updating my kitchen (about 11ft x 11ft). I'm only integrating the dishwasher into a shaker style kitchen. My washing machine is in a separate room and I'm buying a freestanding fridge / freezer which will sit on it's own in a corner of the room. I'm debating between a 90cm range cooker (though only for aesthetics as I don't really NEED one), a freestanding 60cm or what I have now, built in oven and hob on top. Can people please tell me what they have and what they think? Have you gone from built in to freestanding cooker and regretted it /love it etc? I'm really open to ideas. (House is a rurally located semi, going for a country feel in the kitchen). Thanks.

Hoping to benefit from this thread as I’m having a similar dilemma.

Don’t worry about not being a mum - most of the topics covered on Mumsnet have nothing at all to do with being parents! I first found my way here by googling, «should I wax my moustache?»! That’s middle -age for you!

you've just made me laugh 😅

Built in all the way - otherwise food goes down the gaps and you have to pull it out to clean it!

we went for free standing cooker as i wanted the extra space on the worktop and hate built in cookers but its personal choice

I prefer built in for aesthetics mostly - I like clean lines and it just looks neater and more in place (I also opted for white glass for the oven, built-in microwave and induction hob, as the work surfaces and cabinet fronts are white, so everything blends in.) And yes - Pootles is right, things fall down the gaps of freestanding cookers.

In a country home-style property, a range cooker would work well. 90cm isn’t particularly overwhelming for size, either.

60cm freestanding screams “cheap” to me.

Unless you’ve got a big kitchen and are going to a big, statement range with a very defined country study - I much prefer integrated.

I'd go for the integrated for practicality, no crumbs down the cracks!

We have a 90cm range cooker. It's a stainless steal one and looks nice in our industrial/homemade kitchen.

Built in for tidiness and practicality.

I have friends with a huge £££ house who are now onto their second pricey range cooker in 7 years and still aren't happy.

The first was a britannia and it was impossible to set the oven termerature with any degree of accuracy - I often used to baby-sit their kids and using baking as an activity - I'd end up baking in their miele combo microwave oven as the posh range was so unreliable.

Apparently the new one isn't much better can't remember the brand.

They just seem a bit crap compared to even moderately priced built in appliances.

Freestanding cookers are much underestimated. If you are short on space, freestanding cookers are the best for cooking - full size double oven/grill and hob in a 60cm space. Cannon/Hotpoint are good ones for a small kitchen, they do an induction model.

You need to tell yourself it's a mini range and ignore the "Screams cheap" brigade. Spend your spare money on a nice fridge.

I'd go for this one

Had a dual fuel version in a previous house, we really miss it as we have a cheap Neff single oven now, which is hard going with a family.

If you like making things like roast dinners then freestanding all the way as you get much more oven space.

Thanks everyone.