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CHOOSE A COOKTOP

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When choosing a new cooktop, keep your needs and lifestyle in mind. Cooktops have come a long way from the basic four-burner models. With all of the available features, deciding which cooktop is best for you will depend on the features you want and your budget. Cooktops are now available with smooth tops, grills, different burner configurations and much more.

General Cooktop Features

Many models of both gas and electric cooktops have the exact same countertop cutout, so planning and designing your new kitchen has never been easier:

  • Cooktops today are easier to clean, better looking and offer more cooking flexibility (more precise temperature control, for example) versus the cooktops from only a few years ago.
  • Ceramic cooktops are available in gas and electric.
  • The edge of the cooktop is frameless, so it won’t trap food and be difficult to clean.
  • Cooktops have available accessories, such as interchangeable burners and grids for grilling.
  • Downdraft exhaust is available on some electric and gas models. A downdraft cooktop is perfect for a kitchen island with no overhead exhaust.

Electric Cooktop Features

  • Smooth ceramic cooktops have a sleek appearance and offer easy cleanup.
  • Ceramic cooktops are available in a variety of colors to complement any kitchen design.
  • The ribbon elements on a smooth top cooktop heat as quickly as the old coil elements and some are adjustable in size. For example, an adjustable element can accommodate either large or small pans. A triple element can heat a large 9″ x 19″ griddle or casserole dish.
  • Some sealed ceramic cooktops can be recessed so they are virtually flush with the countertop.
  • An electronic touch-control cooktop is available with no knobs. The electronic touch-control makes this cooktop a great addition to your kitchen’s decor. This type of cooktop offers other features as well:
  • If an unoccupied element is left on, sensors in the cooktop will turn off the element.
  • Sensors adjust the size of the element to the size of pan being used.
  • The control-lock feature for the elements is a safety feature to prevent accidental activation.
  • A digital reminder timer alerts you when the cooking time has expired.

Gas Cooktop Features

  • Sealed surface burners contain spills for easy cleanup. Many cooktops are designed with the sealed burners recessed below the surface of the countertop.
  • Models are available with “gas-on-glass” where the sealed burner is mounted directly on the ceramic cooktop, offering easy cleaning of an electric smooth top with the performance of gas.
  • Sealed “simmer” burners allow you to cook delicate foods without using a double boiler.
  • Precise temperature controls allow you to control the temperature for every cooking need. You can even cook items at very low temperatures without scorching.
  • One or more sealed “high power” burners, up to 15,000 Btu’s, allow you to boil quickly or do other high temperature cooking like frying or cooking with a wok.
  • Cast-iron, porcelain enamel-coated grates are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.

 

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Pros and cons of induction ranges and cooktops

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Every induction range and cooktop Consumer Reports has tested—19 and counting—delivers fast cooktop heat and superb simmering. That’s because induction models have an electromagnetic field below the glass cooktop surface that quickly generates heat directly to the pan, offering you precise simmering and control. But induction models aren’t cheap, so here’s what you’ll want to know before you shop.

What induction is—and what it isn’t

The only difference between an induction and electric smoothtop model is that the surface elements on an induction model heat pots by using an electromagnetic field, rather than radiant heat, says Tara Casaregola, the engineer who conducts our tests of cooking appliances. The electromagnetic field doesn’t create a glow so you won’t know it’s on. That’s why manufacturers are adding virtual flames and other special lights as a cue. As for the range ovens, they use pretty much the same old technology for bake and broil elements, whether the range is an induction or electric smoothtop.

The induction advantage

Induction elements typically heat quickly and no other technology that we’ve tested is faster than the fastest induction elements, but we’re talking 2 to 4 minutes faster to bring 6 quarts of water to a near boil. Life changing? Probably not. However, if you turn on an induction element by mistake with no pot on it won’t get hot, and when you remove a pot from an element the heating stops. And an induction surface stays cooler than a radiant smoothtop, which should make cleaning up spills easier. But your pots will get very hot while cooking and that heat transfers from the surface below and around the pot. So if you’re using several induction elements the surface will heat up too.

You need the right cookware

Magnetic cookware, or more accurately, induction-capable, is needed for induction to work. If a magnet strongly sticks to the bottom of the pot, it will work with an induction cooktop. Some stainless-steel cookware is induction-capable, and some isn’t.

What’s that noise?

“A buzz or hum is common and often is louder at higher settings, says Casaregola. “And we often hear clicking of element electronics at lower settings and the sound of the cooling fan for the electronics.”

Dig out your dial thermometer

The magnetic field of an induction cooktop can interfere with a digital thermometer so you may need an analog thermometer, an old-fashioned solution to a modern problem.

 

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR MAJOR KITCHEN APPLIANCES

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Appliances are part of our daily modern lives. Appliances, alone, do not make a kitchen. But, they just might be the most important aspect of your space. After all, the kitchen’s primary function is for preparing and cooking meals.

How high-end do you want to go? Chefs and bakers who plan to use the restaurant-quality features on professional models can justify hefty price tags that can consume their kitchen budget.

Cooktops. Gas, electric or induction? The choice is personal, though you don’t often hear of people who go from gas to electric. When choosing a cooktop for performance, consider efficiency: how much heat do you lose from burner to pan? With gas, you lose about 40 percent, says Nancy Divita, showroom manager at Trevarrow Inc. On the other hand, with induction heat—a flat cookstop like electric that performs like fast-heating gas stoves—you lose the least amount of heat. Induction isn’t mainstream, but it’s making a return in the American market now, Divita says. “Induction is certainly a time-saver because you can bring a pan of water to boiling faster than you can on a high-performing BTU (gas) range top,” Divita says.

When shopping for gas cooktops, ask about BTU, which stands for british thermal units, a measurement of energy content. Serious ranges are 9,200 BTU and up. Ask about variable control, meaning how long can you maintain “simmer” without the flame going out. Look for burner grates made of cast iron or a metal that conducts heat for better heat transfer from the burner to the pan.

Ovens. A high-performing convection oven, which circulates heat with a fan to cook food faster and more evenly, will help you get dinner on the table faster than a traditional oven. Bakers, on the other hand, will want the traditional bake/roast/broil. In a perfect kitchen world, you can have both with a stacked or side-by-side oven station.

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(415) 831-1259 San Francisco
(415) 388-0690 Marin County
(650) 525-0512 South SF / Daly City / Pacifica