Over the last few decades cooktops have been designed in a variety of widths including 12″, 15″ 24″, 26″, 32″, 45″ and 48″. However, in the last several years, cooktop sizes have been mostly limited to 30″ or 36″ wide. Designed for installation in a standard 24″ deep counter, cooktop depths vary from 19″-22″. Excluding knobs, burners or grates, general cooktop height is 2 1/2″ – 4″. Always confirm measurements and installation requirements prior to purchase to ensure a proper fit.
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When replacing a cooktop, two sets of dimensions should be considered: the cutout and overall dimensions. Overall dimensions refer to the cooktop’s exterior dimensions while cutout dimensions refer to the countertop cutout required for installation. Overall dimensions are always larger than cutout dimensions. Finding a cooktop with dimensions that best match the size of the existing setup will result in the easiest installation.
A commonly asked question is “what’s better, gas or electric?” There’s really no right answer to that question. Each fuel source has advantages and disadvantages. Understanding the differences in relation to your unique cooking style can help guide you towards the cooktop that best fits your needs.
Gas cooking is generally preferred by professional and aspiring chefs due to the fact that burner output can be precisely controlled. With the aid of electronic ignition, gas burners can be lit quickly and provide instant-on/ instant-off burner control. 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 220 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. Ceramic cooktops are the easiest to clean & maintain and will retain their new appearance longer than any other cooking surface in the industry. Though expensive & fragile when first introduced decades ago, today’s ceramic cooktops are extremely durable, scratch resistant and affordable.
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.
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. The color “true white” is a pure, bright white glass while “white” is more of a speckled gray. In some models, black cooktops can be ordered with a stainless steel trim. Depending on style, the stainless trim may cover all four sides of the cooktop or it may trim the front and back / side edges only. The terms “framed” or “unframed” are also used to describe whether or not a cooktop has a stainless steel trim.
Rangetops are predominantly stainless steel but often allow customization of knob colors, accents & bezels to enhance the products design & finish. 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. Back guards range in size from 3′-24″ inches high and can include shelves & hooks convenient for kitchen organization.
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. Cookware used on an induction cooktop must have ferrous iron content – in layman’s terms – a magnet must be able to stick to it. 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 90-seconds. Induction can also achieve the instant-on/ instant-off convenience of gas burners and allows for a wide range of burner heat control.
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.
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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.
What’s more, if you buy a new induction cooktop or range, you may be eligible for financial incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
While there are many benefits to cooking with induction, there also may be reasons to opt for a gas or electric model. Switching to induction can be expensive, and it can become even costlier if you don’t already have compatible cookware. Read on for more details on the benefits and drawbacks of induction cooking, and for some of our top picks of induction appliances.
Induction cooktops and induction ranges work by generating an electromagnetic field below the glass cooktop surface, which causes magnetic cookware sitting on top to heat up.
These cooktops and ranges look a lot like typical glass-top electric models. On most 30-inch induction cooktops, the magnetic field that causes cookware to heat up is concentrated into four spots (or elements).
As for the ovens in induction ranges, they broil and bake just as other electric ovens do, but their capabilities differ from model to model. High-end options might have features like built-in temperature probes, WiFi connectivity, and even in-oven cameras so that you can monitor whatever you’re baking with a smartphone. Less expensive options will have many of the same features you’d find on regular electrics, like storage or warming drawers, adjustable racks, and a self-cleaning mode. Most induction ranges have convection ovens.
To learn more about induction, see our cooktop and range buying guides. Our ratings of induction cooktops and ranges highlight each appliance’s performance and specifications.
Before you shop for an induction cooktop or range, consider your budget and your cooking habits. Here’s what you need to know.
Induction cooking feels very different from cooking with gas. Some avid cooks really love cooking on a flame and the immediate visual feedback they get from the turn of a knob. No electric option, even induction, can replicate that feel. In fact, because the electromagnetic field on an induction cooktop doesn’t create a glow, you won’t even know it’s on. That’s why manufacturers have started adding virtual flames and other lighting cues.
It can be expensive when you convert from gas to electric. If you’re replacing an electric range, the swap is simple. Induction cooktops and ranges use the same 240V outlet as a standard electric range or cooktop. But if you’re switching from gas, expect to pay an electrician several hundred dollars or more to install the necessary outlet.
You need the right cookware. While most of the cookware in our ratings is induction-compatible, some pans—including those made of aluminum and anodized aluminum—won’t work on induction. Most others, including stainless steel and cast iron, will. If you’re shopping for cookware for induction cooktops, look for pots and pans marked “induction-compatible.” To determine whether your existing arsenal of cookware will work with an induction range, see whether a magnet strongly sticks to the bottom of your pots. If it does, they’ll work on an induction burner.
It might emit a sound. “A buzz or hum is common, and often louder at higher settings,” says Kenneth Sutton, who oversees the testing of ranges and cooktops at Consumer Reports. “And we often hear the clicking of element electronics at lower settings, as well as the sound of the cooling fan for the electronics.” Heavy flat-bottomed pans help reduce the vibrations that cause this buzz.
You might need an analog thermometer. The magnetic field of an induction cooktop can interfere with a digital meat thermometer.
Induction cooktops and ranges are typically more expensive than conventional electric models. But prices have continued to drop in recent years despite inflation. And buying a new induction cooktop or range may make you eligible for rebates courtesy of the Inflation Reduction Act.
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