This Kenmore, however, lacks a few must-have features: The broiler is down in a drawer, and there’s no self-clean option. Those omissions will make your life more difficult. Other ranges—from Amana and Frigidaire—boast lower prices or sport better features for the money.
After cooking on it for a week, we have no major complaints about this Kenmore, which performs as we’d expect from a budget gas range. Though sale prices can dip as low as $499, our main concern about the 7343 series is that its competitors may be better values for the majority of consumers.
How it Looks
The most important thing about this Kenmore is that it’s available in stainless steel. If you choose that finish, the Kenmore 73433 will add a modern finish to your kitchen.
That drawer beneath the oven is where broiling must take place.
Otherwise, it’s a fairly plain range: All finishes get black grates, a porcelain enamel top, burner controls at the front, and oven controls at the back. Build quality isn’t anything special. There’s a 10,000 oval-shaped burner in the center of the rangetop, and each burner has a single function.
There's a singular purpose for every burner on this gas range.
As we mentioned, there’s no self-clean option for the oven, and the broiler is down in the drawer below the oven. That means you no longer have the storage space that some ranges offer in a bottom drawer.
How it Cooks
For its price, we were generally pleased with how well this range cooked in our tests, although it had some issues with high heat. Up on the rangetop, the 14,200 BTU right-front burner took just under ten minutes to boil 48 oz. of water, and that was the fastest we found. Similarly, that burner had a peak temperature that was hotter than any other—and it still barely reached 400ºF. If you’re searing or stir-frying, you’re out of luck.
The difference between this range and a less-expensive Frigidaire is this specialty 10,000 BTU oval-shaped burner.
The dedicated simmer burner was too gentle, not even reaching 100ºF. That’s not hot enough to warm up soup, and there’s no guarantee that a medium setting would be any warmer than the 140ºF on offer on the rest of the burners.
Bake, broil, and timer — no self-clean option here.
Down in the range, preheat took a respectable eight and half minutes, and we had no issues with how it handled roasting and baking. Even though it lacks convection, the cookies, cakes, and pork roasts we made came out evenly cooked.
Value
Kenmore offers a full one-year warranty on all its appliances. Kenmore appliances are only available from Sears and Kmart.
Most ranges that sell for under $600 don't have grates this thick.
For about the same sale price as the Kenmore 73433/2/9, you can buy the Amana AGR5630BDS—a range that’s also available in black, white, and stainless. It got our Best of Year award for value gas range two years in a row, and it’s easy to see why: Though it lacks a center burner, it comes with self-clean and a standard broiler, and has 0.8 cu. ft. more oven space.
If you want stainless, don't want to shop at Sears, and don’t care about a center burner, check out the Frigidaire FFGF3047LS. Under the skin, it’s almost identical to this Kenmore, but it also sells for just $499.
Meet the tester
Keith was the Editor in Chief of Reviewed's appliance and automotive sites. His work has appeared in publications such as Wired, Car & Driver, and CityLab.
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