Smooth top cooktops. Experiences / opinions?

[mrsilv04]

My folks are getting older, and as my mother gets older... her cooking is getting messier and messier.

They're due for a new cooktop. I'm wondering about a smooth top (glass) cooktop for them. Cleaning the current electric cooktop (with exposed coils) is turning into a weekly chore for them.

The smooth top units are definitely pricier. I have no experience with them, so I'm asking for others experience and opinions.

Right now, I'm seriously leaning towards the Kenmore 4273, which is a Consumer Reports Best Buy, even though it is at the lower end of the price range.

Thanks.

 

[RoGuE]

They are a little hard to clean. We have this special cleaner that is a cream like fluid. You rub it in and then I take a blade and scrape off burnt residue which seems to collect quickly. I also had to replace the entire cooktop glass once when someone dropped a corningware dish on it and cracked it. Cost about $130 for the part. But we also use it a lot so if it is used a bit less then the mess part shouldn't be as severe.

 

[gmchevroletruck]

I've had a few, and had no issues really...

The cleaner / razor blade trick works great, I see RoGuE passed that on already...a friend of mine who owns a cleaning service uses that, and it works. Without a razor, they're a pain in the butt to clean, but with it, it's not so bad. Never cracked one...that's the first I've heard of a cracked one, but I've often wondered lol. They seem to be pretty good, no major issues, IMO.

 

[greenaccord02]

You have to watch that the pots don't slide around too much or they will scratch and you really have to mind the temperature of what you set on them if a burner is on. I wouldn't say they're easy to crack, but it does happen.

 

[Silk]

Easier to keep clean,but you have to keep at it,clean after every use.Sounds obvious,but they retain heat for a long time....so you have to wait until they cool down to clean up after use.Oh,I'll do that later....um,yeah I'll do it tomorrow then.Other people use it...and next thing you know instead of a wipe down you need the special cleaner or razor blade.

After using one in a rental for a year,I don't want another just because they look good.

 

[PandaBear]

The problem I've seen is that unless your cookware are hard anodized or hard stainless bottom, it won't mate with the surface too well.

Nice looking, not always easy to clean, but convenient to slide a pot around the surface to use the place more efficiently, and if it is a rental property, women love the way it looks and make the place more attractive.

 

[JTK]

Yep, hard anodized aluminum flat bottom cookware does work best. A big pot of water will boil in a fraction of the time of a typical gas burner. We've had two glass top ranges. Both inexpensive GE units. The only issue we've had is if anything sugary/syrup spills over, you need to get off that burner, let it cool and clean it ASAP. For what ever reason high sugar content boilovers pit the surface. We use Softscrub to clean the surface when a wipedown won't do. No issues with that at all. They're the only way to go for electric.

Joel

 

[Shannow]

Parents had a glass cooktop that literally exploded one night while I was cooking spag bol.

In laws had one happen as well.

 

[sprintman]

Not installed properly. Appliance Gallery dude explained all that and the pitfalls of bevelled edge and other stuff I've forgotten. Nearly every cook top sold here is flat top these days.

 

[Lurch]

They are pretty nice. I got a new one a year or two ago.

I bought a new cast iron fry pan a few weeks ago, but when I got it home I didn't want to set it down on the smooth top range top, because I think it would have scratched it, so I decided to take it back to the store for a refund. I kind of wish I'd stayed with the regular electric burners in a way. If I had, I'd be able to use a cast iron fry pan without damaging the burner surfaces.

 

[D.K.]

Lurch
My wife and I use a cast iron skillet all the time on our smooth top. We have yet to scratch it.

 

[Cup of Joe]

Make sure the cookware is flat bottom. I went from coil units to a flat cook top, within 1 year the flat top glass cracked and was replaced under warranty. The repair guy said it was caused by our old cookware not being pefrectly flat so we had hot spots that eventually cracked the top during use.

Getting used to the new cookware was the next hurdle.

 

[mpvue]

all this talk of cracking and scratching makes me glad I have a Viking range w/ big honkin' cast iron grates. the last thing I need in my kitchen is a fragile cooktop.

 

[EricZoom]

I've gotten used to my smooth cooktop, especially after coming from a gas burner top. I find it pretty easy to clean. I use a cream cleaner called "Easyoff one step for cooktops". It works pretty good.

 

[javacontour]

I've been using one for about 5 years now. Other than the short time in an apartment that is.

If you have to have electric, then glass top is the way I would go. I think the clean up is easier than other electric ranges, and with the cleaner and blades it's a snap.

I'd prefer a gas range, so I think eventually we are going to get gas lines run so we can add a gas fireplace and gas range. We already have gas heat, so we'll have the lines run once we go on one of those projects.

We have some sort of Whirlpool that came with the home when we bought it. Two years, no trouble. I use both cast iron and aluminum cookware on it without drama.

 

[CivicFan]

We have glass top stove at home. I prefer it to the coil type because it's easier to clean and you have usable flat surface. My opinion is, if it's electric then the stove top should be glass surface:
- easy to keep clean;
- usable surface area;
- looks far better than the coil type.

But, of course, no electric stove top compares to gas.

 

[msparks]

I've had 3 of them so far. (In 3 different houses)

If I were to get another one, I would be sure to have one that has 2 sizes in one. Meaning you could use a small pot or a large pot on the same burner.

I use heavy anodized aluminum pots and pans that I got at Sam's club. They are Calphanon knock off's but work great.

I also have a very well seasoned Cast Iron Skillet (It's about 10 years old.) and use it on the stove sometimes.

No problems so far, and I'm not one for keeping clean. Maybe once a week I will pull out the razor and scrap it clean, then use the ceramic cleaner with a little scotch pad. It's like new and I've lived in this house since 2007.

The only thing better would be gas. I would never go back to an electric coil stove. UGH they suck.

 

[Kestas]

I believe the blue scouring pads - not the green Scotchbrite pads - are specified to clean cooktops. The green pads are too aggressive and abrasive. Also, Castrol Superclean can be your friend when you need to clean the range. It's basically a non-foaming Easy-Off oven cleaner.

 

[Lurch]

Someone in this thread said they use SoftScrub on their smooth top range, so I tried using some old Amway ScrubBrite stuff that's similar and it seems to work real good. May not have to use expensive range top cleaner for it.

Yeah, an iron pan might not scratch the surface if it sits still but I tend to like to slide the pan around with omelets, etc., and that might damage the smooth top.

I have a GE range, not a high dollar one.

 

[hr1940]

I have had smooth top stoves off and on since 1980. They have to be cleaned daily to keep them looking good. You have to have cookware with flat bottoms and take extra care when moving them around to prevent scratches. I enjoy cooking so my stoves get used a lot. The tops can break and it is expensive to replace when you factor in the cost of the part and the repairman. Ask your Mom what she wants. She is the one that will be using it and may not want to clean it off every time she uses it.