There is a lot of residual heat, so when reducing the heat, it can take a few minutes to settle at the lower setting. Smoothtops make it easy to clean up spills, but they require a special cleaner, and dropped pots can crack the glass surface, while sugary spills can stain the cooktop permanently. Electric induction cooktops use magnetic coils below the ceramic glass surface to quickly generate heat directly to the pan, offering precise simmering and control.
Magnetic cookware is needed for induction to work. If a magnet strongly sticks to the bottom of a pot, it will work with an induction cooktop. If you prefer cooking with gas , we get it. The flame makes it easier to judge the heat, to get a feel for it, and to quickly move from a high setting to a low one. Response time is particularly quick, especially when compared with a smoothtop.
When you turn the knob from high to medium on a gas cooktop, the pot and the food in it experience that change almost immediately. And you can strike a match to light most gas burners when your power is out. On gas cooktops, oval burners shown above accommodate griddles and elongated pans. Some cooktops have an elongated bridge element that spans two burners to accommodate rectangular or odd-shaped cookware, such as a griddle.
In some, one knob or touch control then operates both. These are an important safety feature because the cooktop surface can remain hot long after an element has been turned off.
Many smoothtops have at least one warning light. Ideally, each element should have a separate warning light. Most WiFi-connected cooktops work with an app on your smartphone. The app will let you check the status of burners, or even turn them off from afar. Some brands also use WiFi to pair cooktops with compatible range hoods, allowing the hood to turn on automatically, and adjust fan speed, based upon how many burners you're using.
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Forgot username or password? Not a member? Need further assistance? See our freestanding cooker buying guide , for more information. Ceramic and induction are by far the two main types of electric cooktops but there are two cheaper options — radiant coil and solid hotplate. However, they aren't as widely available.
Radiant coil cooktops utilise a coil element to heat the cookware. The coils can be a hassle to clean. Some can be unplugged and removed while others have a hinge so you can lift them for easier access to the drip trays underneath. Solid hotplate cooktops have a solid metal disk for each hotplate that's slower than all other types of cooktops to heat up and extremely slow to cool down.
This also makes them the least controllable. Skip to content Skip to footer navigation. Most gas cooktops also feature power burners that reach high temperatures used to achieve rapid boiling, and simmer burners that maintain low temperatures ideal for sauce preparation. Though true in the past, a common misconception regarding cooktops today is that the performance of electric cooktops is inferior to gas.
Electric cooktop burners, which run on volts, can achieve the same high temperatures as their gas counterparts. Some models also feature electric simmer burners that can maintain low temperatures. One difference is that electric cooktops with the exception of induction cannot go from high to low heat instantaneously as they require time to heat up.
One advantage to choosing an electric cooktop is the option of a ceramic glass surface. For those who desire the ultimate in electric cooking, induction is highly recommended. Though induction cooktops require the use of iron cookware only, induction heat allows for the fastest burner heat in the industry, the lowest burner temperatures for simmering, and infinite control on the burner heat. Induction surfaces offer unique safety features and are the absolute easiest to keep clean.
What color and design options are available? Cooktops are mostly available in black, white, or stainless steel colors. Some manufacturers still offer cooktop models in bisque, but selection is limited. Electric ceramic cooktops, or gas cooktops with ceramic surface are available in black, true white, white or bisque. In some models, black cooktops can be ordered with a stainless steel trim. Some manufacturers such as Viking offer custom colors. In models that are custom colored, the cooking surface is generally stainless steel and the custom color is used as an accent.
Back guards are also available as an additional accessory to a rangetop. What is induction and how does it work? Induction, a new innovation in ceramic electric cooktops, utilizes a unique scientific principle that provides numerous cooking, cleaning, and safety benefits.
Essentially, an induction burner acts as a high-frequency magnet. The magnetic field generated by the induction element reacts with the iron in the cookware which transfers heat and energy into the cooking vessel.
Induction is able to deliver the best cooking performance in electric cooktops. Induction burners yield the quickest heat-up time in the industry, with some reaching boiling temperatures in mere seconds. Induction cooktops offers a degree of safety that is exclusive by design. Because induction heat only reacts with ferrous iron, it is not hot to the touch. A young child could place his or her hand on an active induction burner and not be burned; though a ferrous iron pot on that same burner could reach boiling temperatures in 90 seconds.
For those concerned about cleaning and maintenance, the induction cooktop is the absolute easiest to clean and maintain. Because induction heat only reacts with ferrous iron, food spilled on the cooktop will not bake onto the surface as it would with a traditional gas or electric cooktop, making it much easier to keep clean.
More space can mean more burners The larger the cooktop, the more burners it could have. To maximize cooking versatility, consider what size will work best and what burner configuration is ideal:. Cooktops with specialty wok burners can reach as high as 30, BTUs.
Electric burner elements are designed to reach boiling temperatures as quickly as gas fueled burners. Maximum BTU output and number of burners offered varies by brand and model. Simmer Burners Simmer burners on gas cooktops can go as low as degrees. Though more difficult to achieve on an electric cooktop, the use of thermostats help to ensure smooth and consistent low temperatures. Low burner heat is ideal for preparing sauces, chocolates, and delicate items that are susceptible to scorching at high temperatures.
Electronic Touch Controls A touch control cooktop allows for more precise, digital controls for burner management.
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