KitchenAid KERS208XSS Freestanding Electric Range Review

Introduction

Despite the low price, we found splendid all-around performance from the {{product.model}} in our tests, finding its rangetop, conventional oven, and broiler performances quite satisfactory, in addition to a few potentially helpful features like split oven racks, a keep-warm drawer, and a keep-warm burner.

The only real negative thing we found from this oven was the convection mode, which failed to average the proper temperature and varied more than we like to see.

However, this may be the oven for you, if you don't need superior convection performance. Read on for more.

Design Overview

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One of {{product.brand.name}}'s most inexpensive models, the {{product.model}} does look a bit more utilitarian than some of other KitchenAids we've seen. But then again, that may be simply because electric ranges don't look quite as professional. (Name a restaurant that uses electric—you can't, can you?) While the rangetop controls are located at the back—necessitating the reach over the boiling stove--we do appreciate the fact they are knobs and not something else like a digital display. It seems self-evident that manual controls of a rangetop provide simpler control—and more of it—than +/- buttons.

Front

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Range-top

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Upper Oven

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Broiler

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Warming Drawer

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Cooking Performance

We deliver moderate praise to the {{product.name}}, finding that it performed well in our tests. The boiling, searing, simmering results from the rangetop and temperature accuracy and variance from the oven were all solid, but nothing stood out particularly as spectacular. A good all-around performer.

{{photo_gallery "Primary Oven Keep-Warm Ramp-up", "Primary Oven 350F Ramp-up", "Primary Oven Max Ramp-up", "Secondary Oven Convection Ramp-up", "Oven Temperature Variance", "Range-top Water Boil", "Range-top Temperature Range"}}

Range Performance Overall

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We found the {{product.name}}'s range performance quite satisfactory, with the electric advantage certainly used. The electric advantage—over gas—is the ability for a broader temperature range, something a user will probably have to weigh against the gas advantage—the superior control.

Water Boiling

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The water boiling abilities were impressive: all four burners came in under eleven minutes, including the simmering burner. With the front right hitting four and a half minutes to boil six cups of water and the rest coming in between nine and eleven minutes for the same task, this rangetop will especially prove useful to chef who uses more than a single burner to boil a pasta pot.

Low Temperature Cooking

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The {{product.name}} exhibited strong simmering abilities. Though not as impressive as we've seen from electric other rangetops, the front burners managed 114°F and 76°F (left to right) and the rear 111°F and 124°F. We generally like to see things under 130°F, so this should definitely satisfy users. These low temperatures enable simmering of very small quantities of liquids as well as melting chocolate without a double boiler.

High Temperature Cooking

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The high portion of the stove elements' temperature range were quite satisfactory. At 567°F to 783°F, these temperatures are certainly hot enough to sizzle and sear. Just make sure you remember to turn off the rangetop when finished. It's not difficult to leave a flameless element on.

Overall Oven Performance

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The oven's performance was satisfactory in almost all areas, and should be fine for most chefs. And for those in a hurry who prefer a frozen pizza, the quick ten minute preheat is sure to be appreciated.

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Target Temperature Accuracy

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The ability for the {{product.name}} to average the target temperature was okay. Set to 350°F, the oven's average temperature was 340°F, ten degrees off. This isn't terrible, but the oven ran cool at 350°F. The keep-warm setting missed its the target of 170° by 33°F, running a bit of a fever. Despite these two misses, the oven struck the maximum setting of 550°F quite well, at 556°F, only one percentage point off.

The convection oven—often a beacon of progress in temperature control—did very poorly here, averaging a temperature of 328°F. Sometimes, ovens automatically subtract the typical 25°F to compensate for the convection mode's superior heat transfer, but that wasn't the case as it was set to 350°F without the "EasyConvect" feature.

Temperature Fluctuation

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Set to 350°F, the oven did a fine job of suppressing too much variance, skating between a low of 328°F and a high of 359°F, a difference of just 31°F. Despite the poor accuracy of the keep-warm setting, we found strong temperature control and very evenly delivered heat. The maximum setting had a bit of variance, but that's less important at such high temperatures and should be forgiven by users.

On convection mode, the oven showed some solid variance control, staying in the 36°F window between 312°F and 348°F after overshooting the preheat into the 370s. So even though the average was less than it should have been, the temperature was fairly smooth.

Broiler Performance

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The {{product.name}}'s broiler did exceptionally well, hitting a temperature over 600°F in just over five minutes.

Broiler Features

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The broiler can be set to between 400°F and 550°F. According to the manual, the oven door should be open to the broiler position as well. Additionally, the manual has a useful guide to broiling rack positions depending on the food.

Overall Efficiency

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Weighing the quantifying power performance numbers (boiling and preheating, not the quality of the oven variance) against the power consumption we tested, we found an oven with decent efficiency. The rangetop drew 8920 watts and the oven 3540, both on par to the manufacturer's specifications. Since there isn't any EnergyStar testing done for household ovens, the standards of energy consumption aren't so clear cut. Efficiency probably isn't a huge concern when buying an oven, but making sure the specs match to performance certainly is. For that, this oven passes with an A.

Features

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Besides the four main elements, a fifth 100W warming element sits in the middle of the rangetop as an added option for keeping food warm before its trip to the plates.

The features a few potentially useful features. Inside the 5.8 cubic foot cavity, three racks racks, one of which is split, accommodating unique and inventive ways of cramming more food in. And with the convection heating, the oven's internal temperature loses its hot spots providing more even heating, though the temperature control wasn't spectacularly impressive.

Below the oven, a keep-warm drawer is available to warm food and plates or for storage.

The timer and controls are pretty self-eplanatory. We did however very much like the addition of the "Add 1 Minute" button, like a snooze button for an oven. Other than that, the timer is fairly standard and comes with all the trimmings of auto-shutoff and delay start.
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Controls

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Unfortunately, the rangetop controls are located at the rear of the oven, necessitating a perilous reach over a potentially scalding stove. However, they are at least knobs, which is something not all electric ovens have these days.

The ovens control panel sits on the oven's back splash, so the user is subject to the similar dangers of reaching over a hot stove. Because the oven doesn't use a dial—because it has features—the user's hand does have to hover for a few moments longer, keying in the proper temperature.

The broiler controls are just like the oven's, located on the back panel. Unlike many broilers, the temperature is adjustable, though changing rack positions might be a better way to adjust the broiling processes.
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Cleaning

Conclusion

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For around $1,400, the {{product.name}} does exactly what it should do.

With the prestige of this higher-end Whirlpool brand, the {{product.model}} has good enough looks for most kitchens, even if this stainless steel model looks a bit like it was simply painted shiny.

We found solid all-around performance in the rangetop, oven, and broiler, something which we don't often see. In the pro column, we feel silly naming almost all aspects of the range's performance, but we'll do it anyway: water boiling, searing, simmering, broiling, oven precision at all temperatures, efficiency, and preheating time. In addition to those great performances, this range boasts a fifth keep-warm burner, a warming drawer, and special split racks.

The only things we didn't love were the keep-warm setting running hot and the oven when set to the convection mode. Significantly missing its target temperature by almost 25°F, it also varied a bit more than we would have liked.

If you aren't concerned with the sketchy convection capabilities, we heartily recommend the {{product.name}}.