Kitchen Design: Is a Four-Burner Stove Necessary?

With counter space seemingly always at a premium and all that stove top real-estate just sitting there, have you ever asked yourself if having four burners is really necessary?

I got to thinking about this the other day as I babysat a pan of sizzling bacon. Looking at my stove, I realized that I really only use the front two burners. Even then, it’s usually the large burner on the right that receives the most attention.

Those back two burners get used two or three times a year at most. If this were any other appliance and it were being used that infrequently, we’d say toss it out with the next Kitchn Cure!

Of course, this is all theoretical since you could never throw out half of a stove top and trading in our big stoves (and their ovens!) for a hot-plate isn’t practical for most of us. But it’s definitely interesting to think about how we use – and take for granted – a major appliance like a stove. I covet those gorgeous 6-burner ranges on cooking and home remodeling shows as much as everyone else…but is there a real reason for buying one beyond the cool factor?

Maybe it’s just me. I’m only cooking for myself and my husband, and we’re rarely entertaining more than a few friends at a time. If I were cooking for a larger family, maybe that would give me an occasion to use more of the stove more often.

What do you think? Could you go down to a two-burner stove? Or do you use all four burners?

Related: Small Kitchen Solution: Cover the Stove for More Counter Space

(Image: Emma Christensen)