Budget gas cooktop
A cooktop is a great choice for a flexible kitchen design
A cooktop is essentially a range. minus the oven. What it lacks in functionality it makes up for in flexibility, at least in terms of kitchen design and layout. Cooktops can be installed anywhere ranges can; unlike ranges, cooktops can be built into kitchen islands, freeing up counter space, giving you more room to maneuver and making cooking a social activity. But you'll pay for that convenience -- you can easily spend up to $2,000 or more on a cooktop and still need to buy a separate wall oven in order to bake.Like ranges, cooktops come in gas, electric and induction models:
Gas cooktops typically have four or five burners with at least one high-powered burner (for tasks such as boiling water) and one smaller burner (for simmering or keeping food warm). The heat output of each individual burner is measured in British thermal units (Btu). Most gas cooktops have sealed (one-piece) burners, which are easier to keep clean than unsealed models because there's no burner well for crumbs to fall through. Many gas cooktops -- even some basic models -- have continuous grates that fit together seamlessly so you can slide heavy pots and pans between burners. Gas cooktops are available in both 36- and 30-inch models.Smoothtop electric cooktops -- by far the most popular type of electric cooktop -- have radiant burners under a layer of ceramic glass. They are easy to clean, although some manufacturers recommend using gentle cleansers to avoid damaging the cooktop's delicate surface. While most electric cooktops measure 30 inches wide, some 36-inch models are available. Most electric smoothtops have four burners of various sizes to accommodate different pots and pans. Some cooktops have one or more burners that can be adjusted (manually or automatically) to different sizes of cookware. Burners of different sizes will typically vary in power level, which is expressed in watts.
Induction cooktops have smooth glass surfaces, too, but they use electromagnetic elements that heat the pan directly rather than transferring heat from a radiant burner to the pan bottom. Cookware must be magnetic -- made of stainless steel or cast iron -- in order for an induction cooktop to work; glass and ceramic cookware won't do. (We have suggestions for induction cooktop-compatible cookware in our cookware report.) Popular Mechanics magazine does an excellent job of explaining in detail how induction cooktops work. In professional tests, induction cooktops excel at quickly boiling water and holding a precise simmer. Because the induction process heats the cookware material itself -- rather than applying heat with an exposed burner or cooking element -- these cooktops stay relatively cool to the touch.
Coil-style electric cooktops are still offered, though only at the low end of the price spectrum. These are harder to clean than smoothtop models, because food can easily fall below the burners, but they are easier (and cheaper) to repair if they break. And unlike smoothtops, you don't have to worry about scratching or breaking the unit's surface. Expert reviewer rarely look at these cooktops, but there's lots of feedback on user-review sites.
Cooktop review sources
Overall, we found ConsumerReports.org to be the best source for cooktop reviews. Editors report test results for more than 60 electric, induction and gas cooktops on their website. Cooktops are tested on their ability to boil water under high heat, and simmer tomato sauce and melt chocolate under low heat without scorching. However, rankings and test results are available only to subscribers. Reviewed.com is another helpful source. It does not review as many cooktops, but does a more complete job of discussing a model's high and low points. Again, coverage includes gas, electric and induction cooktops. J.D. Power and Associates' 2014 survey on kitchen appliances provides insight into brand performance, which is helpful, although individual cooktop models are not evaluated.User reviews are helpful in evaluating how well a cooktop performs in the real world as opposed to a test lab. Cooktops don't get as much feedback as many other appliances, but there's still enough at sites like HomeDepot.com, BestBuy.com, Lowes.com and elsewhere to be informative.
One caveat, however: Many user review sites now incorporate feedback that was originally posted elsewhere -- most often manufacturer sites -- into their ratings. These reviews are just as valid as those posted directly at the retail site, and show enough balance to remove any suspicion of censorship, etc. However, the same feedback now can be found on multiple sites, inflating the number of reviews and somewhat skewing the ratings. Among major user-review sites, BestBuy.com and Amazon.com are among the few that don't intermingle the feedback from elsewhere with that of their own customers. We took duplicate feedback at various sites into consideration when evaluating user reviews to get as accurate a read as possible on actual user satisfaction with a given cooktop.
Elsewhere in this Report:
Electric cooktops are terrific performers and stylish additions to any kitchen. Editors name the best cooktops overall, and the best budget buys.
Something about the sight of an open flame makes cooks crave gas cooktops. Editors find a gas cooktop from Thermador is tops, but also name some more budget-friendly options.
Induction cooktops are lightning fast and cool to the touch, but is one right for you? Editors explain what to consider, and identify a top performer based on user and expert feedback.
General Electric JGP970
The 36-inch General Electric (GE) JGP970, is a gas-on-glass cooktop that is highly rated and top-of-the-line. The top is a flat, one-piece, smooth and easy-to-clean surface. It has sealed burners that reduce the space between the four burners, and the cooktop surface keeps boil-over spills contained. The burners deliver 15,000 BTUs of heat and have a low setting with 140 degrees of heat for simmering. A continuous grate gives a steady, even surface that allows easy movement of pots and pans on the cooktop. This GE cooktop also has a safety feature that shuts off the gas if it is accidentally turned on. The grates and knobs are safe in the dishwasher, and this stove comes with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.Kitchenaid KECC508
The 32-inch Kitchenaid KECC508 is an electric ceramic glass cooktop that has touch-activated controls and is a best-rated stove. This cooktop has a melt and hold feature, a low-simmer function and a custom temperature management program. The elements function in triple and dual capacities for multiple uses, and the cooktop has a six-inch/nine-inch element, a seven-inch element and two six-inch elements. This cooktop also has three different simmer levels on each element. The Kitchenaid KECC508 has an indicator light and hot-surface light on the top of the stove, and a one-year warranty comes on parts and labor.If you want a classy-looking kitchen, buy a glass cooktop range. If you don't mind scratches and scars on your glass cooktop.
The Best Rated Glass Cooktop Stoves. The Best Rated Glass Cooktop Stoves. Top-rated glass cooktops are sleek, luxurious and sold at better-quality.
The Best Cookware for Glass Cooktops. The Best Cookware for Glass Cooktops. If you want a classy-looking kitchen, buy a glass cooktop.
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Dried-on bits of food and other stains get trapped on your gas cooktop. Every time you use the stove and it heats.
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The Best Gas Stove Tops. The Best Rated Glass Cooktop Stoves. Top-rated glass cooktops are sleek, luxurious and sold at better-quality.
Glass stovetops are easy to clean, and serve as extra counter space when not in use. There are certain types of cookware.
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How to Fix a Cracked Glass Cook Top. Stoves with glass cook tops are popular accents in homes with high-end appliances.
Over-the-range microwaves occupy a space above the stove, eliminating countertop clutter. However, to remain cool these microwaves must have two fans, which.
How to Replace a Glass Range Cooktop; The Best Rated Glass Cooktop Stoves; Comments You May Also Like. How to Fix a.
Both options also are made in 32- and 36-inch sizes, too. compared to $480 for a standard glass cooktop model and.
GE makes the best electric cooktops, Whirlpool offers the best budget buys
In professional tests, electric cooktops tend to outperform gas models, particularly when boiling water or cooking at low temperatures. However, electric cooktops stay hot longer than gas models after the power is turned off, and smoothtop models -- while generally easy to clean -- are susceptible to scratching or fracturing.Electric cooktops are available with either coil burners or smoothtop surfaces, which hide radiant burners below a glass or ceramic pane. Smoothtops are far more popular than old-fashioned coil models, and are also tested more frequently by major review sources.
Overall, we found excellent feedback for several GE Profile cooktops. For example, the GE Profile PP989DNBB (Est. $1,550) is a frameless 30-inch cooktop with a smooth black glass surface; versions in white or black with stainless trim are also available. It has four heating elements: one large front burner that expands from 6 to 9 inches with a maximum power of 3,000 watts, one 6-inch rear burner with 1,500 watts of power and two 7-inch burners with 1,800 watts each. There is also a bridge element that can connect the two 7-inch burners to form a single large heating area, suitable for a griddle. This unit has knob controls located on top of the cooktop rather than a touchpad.
One special feature of the GE Profile PP989DNBB is its three-speed downdraft fan, which provides built-in ventilation. This is a useful feature for a cooktop that's installed in an area with no existing ventilation, such as an island; however, as our report on range hoods notes, it won't do as thorough a job as a regular hood fan. The entire appliance is covered by a standard one-year warranty, but the glass surface and radiant heating units are covered for five years.
The GE Profile PP989DNBB cooktop hasn't been included in professional tests, but it gets favorable user reviews. HomeDepot.com hosts the largest number of those, though many are sourced from GE's web site. Users praise its fast heating, simple controls and variety of burners, including the expandable, high-powered burner. The downdraft fan is also a popular feature with users, although several note that it makes installing the cooktop more complicated. The most common complaint we saw about this cooktop is that it is difficult to keep clean; more than one owner notes that it needs to be cleaned after every use. Some say the glass surface is easy to scratch, or even crack if something hard is dropped on it.
The GE Profile PP945BMBB (Est. $1,100) lacks the downdraft feature, but has a few pluses of its own -- such as a lower price -- that we think make it a better choice for most; we name it our Best Reviewed electric cooktop. The PP945BMBB has four burner elements, but lacks the bridge element of the PP989DNBB. However, the expandable tri-ring front burner is more versatile than the dual-ring one on the PP989DNBB, and can be set as high as 12 inches with a maximum output of 3,000 watts. There's also a second expandable burner with two rings -- 5 inches and 8 inches. It is designated as a Power Boil element for "rapid, powerful heat; it is rated at 2,400 watts. The two rear burners are 6-inch, 1,200 watt affairs. Unlike the GE Profile PP989DNBB, the controls are a touchpad, and that generally gets good feedback as being easy to use. The top is black ceramic glass.
Reviews are good for the PP945BMBB. It earns a Recommended rating in one professional review for its "superb simmering and brisk heating," Owner reviews are also good -- at least as good as for the PP989DNBB, if not better. HomeDepot.com again hosts the most of these -- over a hundred spread out over the three available color options including stainless steel trim and white on white, in addition to the PP945BMBB's black.
While we give the nod to the GE Profile PP945BMBB, the black-glass, stainless-steel trimmed Electrolux EI30EC45KS (Est. $1,100) is also worth considering. It earns a perfect 10.0 score from the experts at Reviewed.com, along with Editors' Choice and Best of the Year honors. However, it fails to garner much other feedback -- user or expert -- anywhere else, which is about all that's keeping us from bestowing Best Reviewed status on it as well.
Like the GE Profile PP945BMBB, the Electrolux EI30EC45KS has a tri-element front burner that can go from 6, to 9, to 12 inches with a maximum power output of 3,000 watts. The other front burner is a single-element, 9-inch affair, but one that's capable of being cranked up to as much as 3,200 watts. The two rear burners are offset from the front ones; both are 6-inches, 1,200 watts. Cooktop control is via a touchpad with slide controls.
Reviewed.com is blown away by this cooktop's performance. "Some may be turned off by the atypical design and high price-tag, but rest assured that beneath the calm exterior resides a beast of an appliance," says James Aitchison. The control panel can take a little getting used to, but once done Aitchison says that it is "incredibly user friendly" with settings and controls that should cover just about any cooking situation. Performance testing reveals that the cooktop is an able performer in all regards.
Best budget electric cooktops
Toward the lower end of the price spectrum, the Whirlpool Gold G7CE3034XB (Est. $750) is one of the top performers in professional tests, and a Best Buy for value, with very good to excellent scores for both boiling and simmering. This 30-inch cooktop has a black ceramic surface that Whirlpool claims is "manufactured without the release of hazardous metals into the Earth"; it is also available in white and black with stainless trim. The largest of its four burners expands from 9 to 12 inches, with a maximum power of 3,000 watts; the two smallest burners, by contrast, measure 6 inches and output up to 1,200 watts. It has a hot-surface indicator and removable, dishwasher-friendly knob controls mounted on top of the cooktop. Whirlpool backs this cooktop with a standard one-year warranty.User reviews are largely positive. HomeDepot.com has the largest accumulation -- though many were originally posted on the GE site. Regardless, it earns a 4.5-star rating, with 90 percent saying that they would recommend the cooktop to a friend. As with other smoothtop cooktops, some users express disappointment that the great look of this cooktops disappears under the normal staining and splashing that are a part of meal prep, and that the stove is hard to get clean.
If your budget is tighter -- or maybe even if it is not -- the Whirlpool W5CE3024XB (Est. $550) looks like a slam-dunk choice and our pick as the Best Reviewed budget electric cooktop. This is one of the least costly electric cooktops to get a look from professional reviewers, and its performance impresses. "No frills, no fuss, no problem," says Reviewed.com. It aces that site's cooking tests, leading James Aitchison to say "Hidden beneath the unassuming exterior we found this cooktop to be a solid performer."
At this price point, it's unrealistic to expect cutting-edge styling; if you can accept that trade-off, the W5CE3024XB won't disappoint. "From its plain black surface to the simple white circles indicating burner placement, the W5CE3024XB is a prime example of function over form," Aitchison says. On the plus side, he adds, that means it can fit into an existing kitchen without too much design drama.
Features are sparse. There are no flexible/expanding elements. Instead you get one 9-inch burner (2,500 watts), one 7-inch burner (1,800 watts) and two 6-inch burners (1,200 watts each). There's also no touchpad control, but the standard knobs are dishwasher safe. If black on black won't do it for you or your kitchen, the cooktop is also available in white or black with stainless steel trim.
User enthusiasm mirrors that of the pros. It draws nearly 140 reviews at HomeDepot.com -- a number beefed up a bit by feedback also posted at Whirlpool's site. Regardless, the W5CE3024XB earns a rating of 4.5 stars, with roughly 93 percent saying that they would recommend the cooktop. The chief complaint among the complainers? Once again, cleaning issues move to the fore. Amazon.com hosts a much smaller pool of user reviews -- just under 30 -- but these are exclusive to the site. The take there is similar, and the Whirlpool W5CE3024XB cooktop earns a rating of 4.2 stars.
Elsewhere in this Report:
The best gas, electric and induction cooktops, along with some top values, are named based on expert and owner feedback as well as analysis by ConsumerSearch Editors.
Something about the sight of an open flame makes cooks crave gas cooktops. Editors find a gas cooktop from Thermador is tops, but also name some more budget-friendly options.
Induction cooktops are lightning fast and cool to the touch, but is one right for you? Editors explain what to consider, and identify a top performer based on user and expert feedback.
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