Henneke Duistermaat, sales and marketing director, Britannia looks at design trends in the range cooker market...

When we talk about range cookers, most people refer to range cookers with a steel chassis, which have at least 5 burners plus either two ovens or a large capacity oven.

Steel range cookers are much lighter than those made from cast iron - making the cookers easier to install. Also, their energy efficiency is far better. Those first steel range cookers already featured multifunctional ovens so that cooks can select the cooking function most suitable for their recipe.

Since the first steel range cookers were launched, a lot has changed. The fundamental appeal of range cookers, however, has remained the same: their versatility and the cooking options offered. Isn't it much easier to cook dinner for a party if you have more than one oven and five or more gas burners (or induction zones)? Range cooker buyers continue to be keen cooks. In fact, research shows that range cooker owners spend more time in the kitchen than people with built-in appliances.

One thing that has changed since the introduction of steel range cookers, is that consumers have become busier than ever before. These days fast pre-heat systems are a much sought after feature. They dramatically cut down waiting time when preheating the oven - especially useful for those in a hurry.

The popularity of TV cooking programmes has also increased interest in hob cooking. Stainless steel hotplates, cast iron griddles, triple ring burners - these are all features that range cooker buyers are interested in as cooking styles evolve and home chefs are prepared to try something different.

Though induction cooking has been around for a while, we find that there is still a need to educate consumers on the benefits: safety, energy saving and controllability. We are seeing sales of induction range cookers continue to grow.

While stainless steel, black and cream remain the most popular colours for range cookers, there is a market niche for different colours including various shades of reds, blues as well as bright colours such as yellow and lime green. In addition to a palette of colours, customers can also choose from a range of sizes (with 90cm, 100cm and 110cm the most popular choices) and different style options. Whether it's for a country style kitchen or to suit a high-gloss white design, there will be a range cooker that is perfect for the keen cook.