Gas or electric? Smooth top or coils? We’ll help you sort out your options.
Features and Frills:
- Popular finishes: stainless steel and black; followed by white and bisque. An oiled bronze finish is also newly available as is a “clean” steel which doesn’t show fingerprints.
- Some models offer more than one type of burner- induction plus electric or gas, plus a warming zone.
- A bridge burner can combine two burners to handle larger pots and more evenly cook the food.
What to look for:
Electric:
- Smooth ceramic surfaces- they’re pricier than coils, but easier to clean.
- Warming zones for keeping cooked foods ready.
- Touch pads for precise tempetaures.
- A “hot-surface” light that warns when burners are too hot to touch.
Gas:
- Look for heavy cast iron grate and burners in various sizes and temperature ranges
- Gas on glass- easy to clean coking grates sit on top of a smooth, easy to clean ceramic surface.
Induction:
- A magnetic field heats the pot or pan, which then heats the food- the cooking surface never gets more than slightly warm to the touch.
There is a cooktop for every budget, ranging in price from just over $250 for a Maytag with electric coils all the way to a KitchenAid induction cooktop for $2,249.00. Of course there are many choices in the mid-range, such as a GE gas cooktop for $599.
Even the simplest meals usually involve some cooking- take your time and visit a few showrooms to check out all your options.
(Thank you to FamilyCircle magazine.)