Which cooktop surface is best

Remember Me. Forgot username or password? Not a member? Need further assistance? Please call Member Services at Sign in or Become a Member. Electric cooktops Gas Cooktops. Cooktop Buying Guide Last updated: March 03, Find the Best Cooktop for Your Inner Chef We test, evaluate, and compare the latest cooktops, so you can save time and money. Factors to Consider Size Most cooktops are 30 or 36 inches wide, so we test models in these sizes.

Cooktop Ratings. Cooktop Types Choose from electric smoothtop, electric induction smoothtop, and gas. Features Worth Considering Some features really do boost safety and convenience. Expandable Elements, a Bridge, and an Oval Burner On gas cooktops, oval burners shown above accommodate griddles and elongated pans.

Photo: GE. Hot-Surface Warning Lights These are an important safety feature because the cooktop surface can remain hot long after an element has been turned off.

Cooktop Brands. This higher-end brand offers a full selection of German-engineered kitchen appliances. This midlevel mass-market brand sells a variety of appliances. The appliances are sold through Sears, home centers, and independent appliance retailers. Jenn-Air was the first to introduce self-ventilated cooktops. KitchenAid appliances are sold through Sears, home centers, and independent appliance retailers. A popular manufacturer of gas, electric, and induction cooktops in both and inch sizes.

The appliances are sold through independent appliance retailers. This manufacturer makes gas and electric cooktops including induction , primarily in and inch configurations. Viking is considered the original pro-style brand. The company adds premium features to its ovens and cooktops, and offers the Professional and Designer series, both sold through independent appliance retailers. However, with rough handling, it can break easily even though the outer surface may look very hard and strong.

Glass surface cooktops looks very fashionable, sleek, and modern. However, they are likely to get scratches easily. You can use baking soda with hot soapy water to clean and wipe the surface for keeping it neat and clean. No matter what type of surface material your cooktop is: stainless steel or ceramic, glass or porcelain, enamel or glass-ceramic, proper care has to be taken while cooking dishes or cleaning cooktop.

By proper care, I definitely do not mean to say that you have to baby your cooktop, but just be a lil gentle while handling it. This will greatly help in maintaining the cooktop and will also boost its performance and efficiency. Lastly, there are pros as well as cons with each surface no matter what the surface material your cooktop is constructed with.

Therefore, you need to choose the type of surface that will match the most for your kitchen, keeping in mind the options listed above. Kitchen Hacks. Buying Guides. On the other hand, if you have more space to play with, a wider cooktop can give you more flexibility and the ability to fit multiple pans and cookware on the surface at the same time. Generally, cooktops come in 30" and 36" varieties, though there are some exceptions that extend past the low- and high-end of this range.

Cooktops of all types can include a wide range of features, and how those features enhance the cooking experience can be an important factor in choosing the right product for you. You can choose between touch controls or physical knobs, WiFi connectivity or more traditional unconnected designs, and a wide range of other features. While they may not affect the overall cooking capability of your cooktop, they'll certainly either improve or take away from the experience you have while using them.

How easy to use is your cooktop? Does the placement of heating elements, controls, and other features make sense? Are the materials used in the design stylish and built-to-last or ugly and cheap?

These are all questions you should ask when it comes to picking the right stove top design for you. More and more cooktops are including connective capabilities in their designs, allowing you to control them from your smartphone and even request maintenance or learn more about how to use your stove top.

Connectivity may be more important for some users than others, so if it matters to you make sure you know whether a cooktop you're considering features wireless connectivity. The best of the best, the induction-style GE Cafe CHP reaches the top of our list thanks to its incredible ratings and performance in just about every category we listed above.

Its cooking power and range of heat capabilities is world-class, offering four elements three of them high-powered that can all manage incredibly high and low temperatures with aplomb. Meanwhile, the beautiful stainless steel trim is the perfect accent to the clean induction cooktop surface. That induction design is incredibly flexible and powerful even in mid-range applications, but the GE cafe series offers induction cooking at its absolute best. Reliable, capable of high-speed boiling, and featuring an included griddle pan for expanded cooking ability, the GE Cafe CHP is one of the best standalone cooktops available in Bosch is a brand that's been known for high-end appliances for decades, and they deserve their sterling reviews thanks to quality products and a dedication to stylish and dependable appliances that get the job done.

This Bosch Benchmark series gas burner continues this impressive history. This model features 5 sealed and double-stacked burners which ensures easy cleaning and powerful heating capacity. The heavy-duty metal knobs are large and easy to turn and manipulate, making adjusting your temperature simple and fast.

The cast iron grate is sturdy and coated for long-term use, and it's all housed in a stylish and minimalist package that will be right at home in any stylish kitchen. Bosch consistently rates extremely well in both reliability and build quality, so if you're willing to pay for a more expensive gas cooktop, the Bosch Benchmark series is among the absolute best money can buy.

It features a inch profile with 4 burners capable of a wide range of temperature levels. Rated extremely highly for both reliability and overall customer satisfaction, this GE standout has been impressing critics and consumers alike since its release.

The touch controls on this electric cooktop are incredibly responsive, with high-contrast lighting so that you can always easily read them even in bright daylight.

Heat indicators always keep you informed on where heat is remaining on the cooktop surface while a stainless steel trim surrounds the top and bottom edges of the cooktop for a stylish profile. The two heating elements on the lefthand side of the cooktop can be bridged and controlled via a single knob in order to heat griddles and large pans, rounding out the impressive features of this electric cooktop from GE. Miele's electric KB cooktop earns a spot on our list thanks to its impressive combination of heating power, features, reliability, and all-around design.

The strikingly built cooktop features 4 elements and is notably smaller than many competitors at just 25 inches in width. But don't let that fool you—for compact spaces, no cooktop packs more punch into such a small package. With strong and easy-to-turn control knobs, plus zone indicators that let you know where areas are still hot, you'll have everything you need for powerful cooking. Plus, the KM rates highly in reliability and customer satisfaction scores, so you can rest assured it will deliver for years to come.

Compared to other brands that have been manufacturing kitchen appliances for decades, Samsung is relatively new to the game.

But in just a short period of time, they've climbed the ladder to become one of the most dependable and impressive appliance designers in the market.

They also stand out when it comes to modern features, contemporary visual style and all-around capabilities. This Samsung gas cooktop features 5 burners, including a high-powered output burner for fast boiling and searing capabilities.

It also gets high marks in reliability and customer satisfaction thanks to features like a continuous grate design that makes moving cookware across its surface easy and seamless.