When thinking about your ideal range, it's important to consider size. All too often, old habits die hard and changing lifestyle needs are not taken into account. For example, if the 48-inch range you currently own used to be the workhorse of the kitchen—before the kids left for college or when you used to entertain more frequently—and you now find yourself using the range less often and cooking for fewer people, a smaller size may be best for your evolving lifestyle. One key advantage to downsizing the range is that countertop space is freed up.