Fisher and Paykel have had a re-think of the humble kitchen range. Their new Izona Cooksurface looks more like a ceramic electric hob than a gas one, and dumps the four-burner pattern that nearly every other range uses. Though this gives you fewer cooking stations, it at least means you won't set your sleeves on fire reaching for the back ones anymore.

Most cleverly, it's got retracting pot supports, burners and controls, so when it's off its glass surface is easy to clean —handy for splash-it-all-around cooks like me. Add in extra-precise temperature control and LED displays, and you really do have a 21st Century gas cooking range. Sadly, it's a project and not quite ready for production yet, though it has just been shortlisted in the Australian International Design Awards. [MarkPascua]

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