OT: Thinking of getting a ceramic glass radiant heat stovetop?

[Karenj2]

We currently have a separate gas stovetop (and an electric microwave/oven wall unit). Using gas was new to me, but I've grown to love it, except for when it comes to cleaning the stovetop... What the pot sits on (not sure of the proper name) doesn't get clean, and I've been warned not to scrub it too hard because I could remove the coating which prevents rusting. The other thing that isn't my favorite is that it's difficult to cook spanning two burners.

I was wondering if anyone has any opinions/reviews of the radiant heat stovetops? Do you have any recommendations for specific brands? (I like the look of the one below, but I'd have to check the specifications.)

 

[merekc]

I personally hate my smoothtop stove. I'm not even sure I can pinpoint why. I have had all three types - coil, smoothtop and gas. I enjoy cooking (when I have the time) and I cook a variety of foods. My favorite stove for overall cooking performance was gas. I think it is the easiest to control heat and meal outcome, however as you mentioned it is dirty. I had this in an older home where the years of buildup was just part of the kitchen patina (that is not as nasty as it sounds). If I had this in my newer house, the gunky build up might bother me.

With the smoothtop, I think it is hard to get cleaned when food gets on it. I have only used the special cleaners a few times, but they still didn't get the burned on spots off. We also managed to scratch up one of the burners. I'm not sure whether I should be concerned about this or not.

We actually considered switching out the perfectly fine working stove in our recently purchased home because we dislike the smoothtop so much. However, gas is our favorite and we were concerned about having it with our curious little boys. And my husband didn't want to switch out for a coil, even though I would have considered it because the dislike of smoothtop is strong.

I have found as I've discussed stoves with other people (sounds like I need to get a life), IMO people who enjoy cooking and do so a lot prefer gas. People who don't cook as much or don't enjoy cooking are fine with smoothtops. I don't mean to offend anyone. Maybe other people will have opposite opinions.

 

[StephMK]

We have a smoothtop after switching from coils. We've never tried gas but I've heard cooks love it also. I couldn't wait to get rid of our coils - stuff falling underneath was tough to clean. I do like our smoothtop but it's not the perfect solution that I'd thought it would be. It gets dirty, it's hard to clean crumbs from the corners and there are spots where the finish isn't shiny anymore. Not very noticeable but I try to be careful w/our pots. Around the edge of the smoothtop, there is a rubber strip & stuff wipes up to there then sticks. I hate that! Why can't the entire top be perfectly smooth?

However, I do like it & like the way it looks. I bought a ceramic top cleaner from Home Depot that is awesome!! My top was getting burned on spots & had smooth burned areas that wouldn't come off. This stuff takes off anything if you rub it in long enough!! My top looks like new again after I use this.


Good luck w/your shopping!

 

[drcmk]

I learned to cook on gas but in the past ten years have cooked on coil and smoothtop electric. Gas is not available in our current neighborhood. If it were we would switch in a minute, because it is so much easier to control the level of heat with gas. I hated the electric coil, there was no good way to clean that and it took FOREVER to heat up. I can live with the smoothtop since I can't have gas. The polish does not clean the smoothtop. I use a razor to scrape of debris, while the cooking area is still hot (this is what the manual says to do) and this works great.

 

[tiggerluver12]

I have had a smoothtop for the past 10 years and absolutely HATE it!!!! Don't get me wrong, its much better than coil, but I would absolutely LOVE to have gas. The smoothtop gets dirty easily and is hard to keep clean. Burnt on food is a chore to remove - all of my burners have rings around them from burnt food that I can't get off. Tried all of the cleaners on the market, and nothing works.

 

[CarolA]

I have a coil and sometime soon will switch back to the smoth top. I hate my current oven/stove and was much happier with the one in my last house that was a smooth top. I find it much easier to clean and the heat is much more evenly distributred. (Gas isn't an option, there's not al line to the condo complex)

 

[KristinU]

We switched from gas to smooth top electirc a few years ago and we love it. A lot of people said we were crazy, but I love love love the ease of cleaning. It really didn't take that much getting used to cooking on either. We have the Maytag Gemini, but what I love most about it has nothing to do with the cooktop. I love the dual oven. As a family of three we use the larger lower oven maybe once a year, and the smaller oven heats up in no time, works great for toast, and uses less energy. The only drawback is that I can't just do the self-cleaning for the top oven - it is both or nothing. But you asked about cooktops

 

[ceiligh1]

We went from electric to smooth top in our old house. I grew to hate it. THe area would heat up to the temp you wanted and then cool off a bit, then up then down. Made it very hard to cook something that needed a specific heat. The cleaning was also an issue. Do not get the white top that I got it never looked clean for very long. When we moved we installed gas lines and a new gas stove. While it does not stay clean long either it does not bother me as much for some reason. Maybe because it is easier to cook on than the smooth top was. Also for my smooth top I was always told never to span two heating areas with a pot trying to use both to heat. It did something to the glass.

If you do go that route I found that a tooth brush with tooth paste worked best to get some of the baked on stuff off of the smooth top. That is after you use a blade of some sort to get the chunks off the top. HTH

 

[NCRedding]

I prefer my smoothtop to a coiled stove. I much prefer my current black specked smoothtop to the white smoothtop that came to my house.

I don't love it tho, for many of the reasons listed above. We had only had it two weeks when I was making fudge for Christmas; the sugar/butter mixture got on the side of the burner, and melted the glass--it is still pitted and can't be repaired. I also have a hard time getting it clean.

 

[Maybelle]

I have had a black speckles smooth top since around Oct. last fall after a fire in our kitchen.

While I like the look of the smooth top better, and I do think the clean up is easier than with coils, (as long as you use the recommended cleaners) I think it is harder for me to cook on than my coil stove was. Not really sure why that is, it just seems so to me. It seems to take a LOT longer to get water to boil. It is not a steady heat, like coils or gas. Other drawbacks are that the stove surface stays hot for a long time, which can be a problem if you are cooking on 2 or 3 burners and need to take a pan off a hot burner and put it somewhere. Also, it is easy to scratch, so I find myself always being very careful about how I put the pans down on it to make sure they don't slide around.

For cooking, I would definately prefer a gas stove, but for electric, even with it's drawbacks, I guess I would still choose the smoothtop.

 

[mom2grace]

The other thing that isn't my favorite is that it's difficult to cook spanning two burners.

We used to have a smooth top, moved and now have gas. You can crack the smooth top by cooking across two burners with a griddle or something like that. It's something about the heat not being able to escape underneath the pan in between the burners.

I will never do anything but gas now.

I also have an almost 3 year old daredevil, our stove controls are on the front where he could reach them, I removed the knobs and he can't light it, but I can.

 

[Belle5]

I have had a smooth top (black) for 2 years now and I would never, ever want to go back to coils! I cook for an army every day--make lots of messes and it cleans up great! You can''t just windex it, however. You actually have to get your cooktop cleaner out and follow the method. It only takes a few minutes and I only do it 2-3 times a week.

 

[PoohHappens]

I have a smooth top (gas not avail) and unlike everyone here I Love it. I have had it for several years and have not had any trouble. I find it easy to clean and I do not have stuff on it. It looks relatively new. I cook a lot, I am a very messy cook and I slide my pans all around. I do not have a single scratch either. Maybe it has to do with the type of top I do cook over two burners with a gridle (mine has space under it so it is not in direct contact with the burner) Also One of my burners is a higher wattage than the others. Boils faster etc, however some delicate foods it gets to hot for so I use a different burner for those. Mine is a whirlpool gold and the top says schott ceran. It is black and has a gray speckles on it more speckles on the surface less on the burners. It also has a warming burner and a simmer burner. Both do their job effectively, but I do not use them but a few times a year. The simmer functions as a regular burner also. THe cook top cleaner works great, use as directed, it helps the food not stick. for stuck on food I let it sit with some dawn on it then wash or heat the top slightly and use a razor blade. Mine is a range it is not just a cooktop. My oven is an electric/convection and I love it too. 3 trays of cookies at once and they all come out the same. Good luck, see if you have a appliance store in your area with a show kitchen where you can actually try out the appliances. That might give you and idea of what you think. I know I would not like a solid white one.

 

[bellarella]

While I prefer smooth top to coils, gas is way better for cooking. You don't have the temerature control with any form of electric that you do with gas. Also, when you turn gas off, it is off. When you turn a smooth top off, the burner is still hot for a long time. This drives me nuts, especially when I have several pots going at the same time.

 

[bevtoy]

We have a MAytag smooth cook top and we love it! It looks so much better than the old stove we had. I find it can be difficult to clean but I let the cook top cleaner sit a bit on the spills and they tend to come off Ok after that. I cook a lot, and I would not want to trade it in at all. If you are into canning they do NOT advise you to get the cook top.

 

[ducklite]

Try a little Barkeepers friend on the cool cook top make a paste and apply it with a wet sponge, let it sit for a few minutes and then use a bit of elbow grease and ti will come clean. Finish with the cooktop polish.

I like mine, but it's not as easy as I expected, and down the road I'll be going back to gas. Fortunately I had the common sense when we bought the place to ahve the stovetop wired/plumbed for both, so I can easily swicth back and forth.

Anne

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I like mine because it blends in with my granite and for a slide-in, it gave it a more built-in, flush, look.

The only thing I don't care for, is that pots and pans slide all over it when you're cooking. You have to hold the pot while you stir. Another thing - although minor - is that it shows dust.

Mine is a Frigidaire Professional Series. Here's a photo:

 

[moniot]

I second the Barkeepers. I will clean off anything. Sometimes a little elbow grease is needed but that is normal with most things. I have had my black flecked smooth top for 2 years. It gets used daily. I love to cook and so do my kids. Huge messes. The only issue I have is the lip around the edge. Crumbs get in there and it is a pain to get it cleaned. It still looks like new.

Mine is a Whirlpool with the Accubake system. I belive it is supposed to keep the temperatures even.

I would get another one in a heartbeat. I hated the coils and hated the mess build up with gas (propane).

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

We used to have a smooth top, moved and now have gas. You can crack the smooth top by cooking across two burners with a griddle or something like that. It's something about the heat not being able to escape underneath the pan in between the burners.

Mine (and a lot of others) have bridge elements. I can put a roaster on my smooth top, that covers both burners. The bridge element then heats the space in between the two main burners.

I also have a warming element that comes in handy.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I grew up & learned to cook on gas... moved to FL 15 years ago & we have no gas here. I had elec coils.. I hated it!!! Just got the smooth glasstop last month. So far so good... but I still like the way gas cooks better.....
If I weren't too chicken, I would have had the propane tanks on the side of the hosue for the gas stove but I as so afraid with hurricanes & winds. That would be just one more thing I would have to unhook & lug into my garage.