Introduction

The Maytag MGR7685AB left us both unfulfilled and confused. Its $749 MSRP was a tenth the cost of some pro ranges, but its gas rangetop was an exceptional performer. Down below, however, the oven was a disappointment. If you exclusively sauté and boil, this might be the range for you. But if you're into cupcakes and casseroles, look elsewhere. As for our tastes, we prefer a range with a more balanced portfolio.

Design & Usability

We can't quite figure out whether this blends in or stands out.

Sitting on the lower end of the oven price spectrum, the MGR7685AB doesn't have too many features. No convection, two simple racks, and a simple pyrolitic self-cleaning mode, plus the standard delay and time bake. But while a lack of extras may sound negative to some, this oven is extremely easy to use. There are no funky convection options to worry about, no warming drawer buttons, or other distractions to convolute the easy operation.

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Rangetop

This range may be inexpensive, but you wouldn't know it from the rangetop.

If we only had scored the range's four burners, the Maytag MGR7685AB would have done quite well. On two of the standard-sized burners, the rangetop brought six cups of water to a boil in just five and a half minutes, with the other non-simmering burner taking a respectable nine minutes for the job.

This rangetop's ability to produce a variety of temperatures may not be quite as good as stoves that cost thousands more, but the Maytag can compete with all but the best of 'em. Gas ranges usually struggle to hold low temperatures, but the MGR7685AB's smaller simmer burner did a exemplary job keeping things just warm enough.

Oven, Broiler, & Convection

If the range is an overachiever, the oven is a loafer

There is almost nothing good to say about the Maytag MGR7687AB's oven performance. In all of our tests, the oven struggled to regulate even temperatures. Even though the oven averaged exactly 350°F in our 350°F test, its peaks and valleys were extreme, shooting past 400°F twice. The maximum temperature setting was about the same, and the keep-warm setting reached a new low.

Unfortunately there isn't a convection fan to provide another chance for competence, but the broiler did pass our test—though not by that much.

Conclusion

Only buy this if you rarely use an oven.

The Maytag MGR7685AB blends a near-professional rangetop with an oven that wouldn't even satisfy an amateur.

Hopefully we'll see an updated version of this range with better oven temperature control. With its excellent rangetop, this Maytag has got potential, but its lackluster oven means we can't offer it our stamp of approval.