8. Mid-priced ranges get high-end features

Restaurant-style ranges are the #1 dream item for many cooks. Prices can be cruel, though, and some features are actually better suited to restaurants (which have galley slaves) than home. Enter the new units, which pack a lot of high-end appeal into price tags of about $2,500 or less. Dual ovens are now common-place, so you can roast salmon and bake cookies at the same time—and all in a 30-inch footprint for small kitchens.

Convection, a must on gas ovens, has become standard no matter the fuel source, so heat circulates evenly. Burners on all-electric models are hidden under smooth ceramic surfaces. Ranges with sci-fi speedy induction burners have reached mainstream price points. There are even a few reasonably priced dual-fuel options available, allowing cooks to enjoy the precision of a gas cooktop and the consistency of an electric oven all in one.