Larger ovens, quicker cooktops and speedier self-cleaning are a few of the features you’ll hear about as manufacturers woo busy cooks. Some features can slice the time you spend over a hot stove. But others promise more than they delivered in Consumer Reports’ labs.

Continuous grates are among the best features found on ranges evaluated by Consumer Reports. The grates, which are next to one another, support oversized cookware and make it easier to move pots between burners.

Here are some points to consider as you shop for your next range:

¢ Consider the fuel. Electric coiltops still offer the most performance for the price, but electric smoothtops provide more style, easier cooktop cleaning and, for some models, speedier boiling. You’ll need special cleaners to help avoid scratching their surfaces, however. Gas ranges tend to boil more slowly, though their visible flame is easier to adjust precisely. Dual-fuel models meld gas burners with electric ovens – a marriage that has offered no benefits in CR’s tests.

¢ Support your cooking style. Expandable elements, five or more burners, and a large oven are important if you feed lots of guests or cook different meals for picky teenagers. But oversized, 12-inch elements are larger than most pots and are likely to be overkill, especially if you mostly warm leftovers and heat soup. Convection can speed roasting by forcing hot air around the oven, though its fans can cramp capacity there. And at roughly $250 extra, convection isn’t cheap.

¢ Think twice about pro-style ranges. Despite prices that typically run $4,000 and up, these models often are at or near the bottom of our ratings. Even some 30-inch ranges, which cost a fraction of the price, outcooked the 36-inch-wide models we tested.

¢ Features that count. Several features found on today’s ranges can add convenience, style and safety. Touchpad controls, for example, make precise setting of oven temperatures easier than with dials. Hinged or half-width upper oven racks let you stack small dishes on one side and fit tall items on the other. And ranges with front controls and low or no backsplash and sides provide a built-in look at extra cost.

On electric smoothtop ranges, look for expandable elements (concentric rings, which let you power the outer ones for larger pots and pans), a warming element (it uses low wattage to keep food warm) and a hot-surface light (to warn you when the cooktop is too hot to touch). On gas and dual-fuel ranges, continuous grates support oversized cookware and make it easier to slide between burners. Auto-reigniting burners allow snuffed flames to relight, keep sauce simmering and prevent a buildup of leaked gas.

¢ Some hot stoves. Two electric models scored the highest ratings of all our ranges: the smoothtop Kenmore 9641 (at $750, from Sears, it’s a CR Best Buy) and the coiltop Kenmore 9421 ($530, from Sears). Both excellent overall, the smoothtop offers stainless-steel styling, while the coil model features superb simmering and broiling. If you want convection cooking in an electric range, consider the Kenmore Elite 9912 ($1,400, from Sears) and the GE JBP84TK ($1,100). For very good performance at a very low price, the Hotpoint RB757WH coil model ($350) is a CR Best Buy.

Top rated among gas ranges was the Hotpoint RGB745WEH (at $550, it’s a CR Best Buy). Also very good and low priced were the Frigidaire FGF366D ($550) and the Maytag MGR5751B ($550). Both are CR Best Buys. For convection cooking, CR liked the Maytag MGR5875QD ($900) and the Frigidaire Gallery GLGF386D ($800).

If you want a dual-fuel range, consider the GE Profile J2B918WEK ($1,700) for its cooktop performance and capacity and the Kenmore Elite 7938 ($1,550, from Sears) for its better broiling.

All of these brands have proved reliable, according to reader responses to our Annual Product Reliability Survey.