Bertazzoni vs ILVE vs Rangemaster vs Smeg: An Honest Comparison

We sell Bertazzoni. Take what follows with the scepticism that deserves — but a comparison that concluded "buy the thing we sell" in every scenario would be useless to you and, frankly, bad business. Here's how these four actually differ.

Bertazzoni

Best at: colour, hob quality and oven size. The Professional Series palette is the widest in the category and the boldest — nobody else commits to colour like this. Brass burners with a genuinely wide-range dual-ring burner, and oven openings among the largest in class.

Watch for: aftercare reputation is mixed. Build and design get consistent praise; service experiences vary by region. Ask any retailer who covers your area before committing.

Price with us: £4,099–£6,299. See the full range.

ILVE

Best at: customisation and traditional Italian styling. ILVE offers extensive configuration — finishes, trim, handle options — and a strong presence at the larger widths. If you want a cooker specified to a particular kitchen scheme rather than picked from a list, ILVE is usually the more flexible route.

Consider it if: you want a classic or period look, or you have a specific colour and trim combination in mind that a standard range won't deliver.

Rangemaster

Best at: UK ubiquity and service coverage. Rangemaster is British-made and by some distance the most widely serviced range cooker brand in the country. Parts are easy, engineers are everywhere, and the model range spans a much wider price spectrum than the Italian brands.

Consider it if: lowest lifetime cost matters more than design, you live somewhere with limited independent appliance service, or your budget is below the £4,000 mark where the Italian brands start.

This is the honest recommendation for a lot of people, and it's not a brand we stock.

Smeg

Best at: retro design as the primary proposition. Smeg's range cookers sit alongside a broader lifestyle brand, and the styling is the point. Strong UK distribution and good high-street availability.

Consider it if: the aesthetic is what you're buying, or you want a brand with a wide dealer network and easy showroom access.

How to actually choose

Start with service coverage, not the cooker. Ask each retailer who services that brand in your postcode and what happens if it faults in year two. A brand with excellent coverage in your area beats a marginally better cooker with none. This single question predicts satisfaction better than any spec sheet.

Then look at the hob, not the ovens. Ovens across all four at this price level are good. Hobs vary more — burner spacing, low-end simmer control, and top-end searing power differ meaningfully. If you can, cook on one.

Then decide how much design matters. If the cooker is meant to be a focal point, that narrows things quickly. If you want it to disappear, it narrows things differently.

Then check the physical fit. Required aperture, clearances, delivery access. Brand preference is irrelevant if the unit can't get down your hallway — see our access guide.

When we'd tell you to buy elsewhere

If your budget is under £4,000. If you want the muted Master Series or country-style Heritage look — Bertazzoni makes them, we don't stock them, and you should go to someone who does. If you need dense nationwide service coverage above all else. If you want a heat-storage cooker in the Aga tradition, which is a different category entirely.

If none of those apply and you want colour, hob quality and oven capacity, we think Bertazzoni is the strongest option — and our honest assessment including the criticisms is in are Bertazzoni range cookers worth it.

Call 0330 133 6617 — including if you want us to tell you we're not the right fit.