▁or ▁char co al ; ▁" gas ▁st ov es " ▁are ▁he ated ▁by ▁gas ; ▁and ▁" elect ric ▁st ov es " ▁by ▁electric ity . ▁A ▁st ove ▁with ▁a ▁built - in ▁cook top ▁is ▁also ▁called ▁a ▁range . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁industrial ized ▁world , ▁as ▁st ov es ▁replaced ▁open ▁fires ▁and ▁bra zi ers ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁more ▁efficient ▁and ▁reliable ▁he ating , ▁models ▁were ▁developed ▁that ▁could ▁also ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁cook ing , ▁and ▁these ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁kitchen ▁st ov es . ▁When ▁homes ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁he ated ▁with ▁central ▁he ating ▁systems , ▁there ▁was ▁less ▁need ▁for ▁an ▁app liance ▁that ▁served ▁as ▁both ▁heat ▁source ▁and ▁cook er ▁and ▁stand - alone ▁cook ers ▁replaced ▁them . ▁Cook er ▁and ▁st ove ▁are ▁often ▁used ▁inter change ably . ▁ ▁The ▁fuel - burn ing ▁st ove ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁basic ▁design ▁of ▁kitchen ▁st ove . ▁" N ear ly ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁( main ly ▁in ▁the ▁developing ▁world ), ▁burn ▁bi om ass ▁( wood , ▁char co al , ▁c rop ▁resid ues , ▁and ▁d ung ) ▁and ▁coal ▁in ▁rud iment ary ▁cook st ov es ▁or ▁open ▁fires ▁to ▁cook ▁their ▁food ." ▁More ▁fuel ▁efficient ▁and ▁environment ally ▁sound ▁bi om ass ▁cook ▁st ov es ▁are ▁being ▁developed ▁for ▁use ▁there . ▁▁ ▁Natural ▁gas ▁and ▁electric ▁st ov es