Buying a new cooktop may seem like an easy task, but once you begin looking, you are faced with many options and various features. Here, you will find a quick summary of different features, and which may be better for your home and family!- Electric coil. In the past, coil burners on electric cooktops have been slow to warm up and cool down, but due to recent advancements the appliances response times have greatly improved.. Electric cooktops are very popular for maintaining low temperatures well; which is an important component for cooking sauces and melting chocolates.
- Electric smoothtop. Electric smoothtop cooktops include many of the same features as electric coil cooktops, but the burners are instead contained beneath a ceramic glass surface. The smooth surface features a streamlined design and is very easy to clean because there are no crevices where crumbs and spills can collect.
- Gas. Gas cooktops are very quick to warm up, as well as cool down. Many cooks prefer them because the heat source is visible and can be adjusted quite easily.
- Induction. Induction cooktops use magnetic energy, so the surface of the cooktop never feels warm to the touch. Instead, a magnetic reaction between the burner and the pot or pan causes the cookware and its contents to heat up quickly. Induction cooktops are also particularly energy-efficient. They do, however, require specific cookware, such as steel or cast iron. Like the electric smooth top with no crevices, the smooth surface is easy to clean.
Cooktop Sizes and Finishes
Most cooktops are designed to fit in a standard depth of 21 to 21.5 inches, though some professional-grade models are slightly deeper for an industrial look. When choosing your cooktop, you’ll notice that most models are 30, 36 or 48 inches wide. (The wider cooktops often have five or six burners instead of the traditional four.)
In addition to the standard options of white, black and stainless steel, some manufacturers are now making cooktops in a variety of colors — red, blue, yellow and green.
Cooktop Features
Cooktops today come with many different features that offer added convenience. Consider the following when choosing your cooktop:
- Touch-pad controls. These electric controls eliminate bulky knobs, which can be difficult to clean. Some touch-pad controls also include a child lock-out function for safety.
- High-power burners. Some cooktops come with one or two high-power burners. These burners heat up to especially high temperatures — some go as high as 15,000 BTUs on a gas cooktop or 2,500 watts on an electric — allowing for searing and braising foods as well as boiling liquids quickly.
- Continuous grates. Grates that run continuously across the cooktop make it easy to slide a heavy pot from one burner to another. Like smoothtop cooktops, they also better accommodate extra-large pots and pans.
- Sealed burners. On gas cooktops, look for sealed burners. Sealed burners include a metal cap to cover the small holes where the gas and flames emerge. The cap also distributes the heat of the flame more evenly and smoothly.
- Built-in ventilation. Some cooktops include built-in ventilation systems to vent any smoke that may occur when searing meat or cooking foods like bacon. A cooktop with built-in ventilation is useful if you do not want a vent hood over the cooktop.
- Special cooking tools. Some cooktops include built-in grills, griddles or woks.When buying your next cooktop, consider all the options.
We hope that this quick guide will allow you to better navigate the different types of cooktops and the various features available to you. Understanding all of these options will ensure you end up with the best cooktop for your home.