The Ultimate Guide to the Best Cooktops of October 2023

Best Cooktops: Not all stoves are created equal, as you’ve no doubt discovered if you’ve ever tried to cook at your mother-in-law’s house, burned your bacon, and missed your kitchen. Most individuals prefer the stove type they were taught to use while cooking. Still, if you’re a new homeowner, remodeling your kitchen, or simply sick of burning your plant-based meat replacement every time you cook, it may be time to consider getting a new stove or cooktop.

There are three main kinds of cooktops: induction, gas, and radiant electric. All have advantages and disadvantages, but with the proper application, they may perform admirably. While an open-flame gas stove’s accuracy and usability could appeal to an at-home cook, a young family might find an electric stove simpler to clean and safer. Though they are among the priciest stoves, induction cooktops are perhaps the safest and most economical for the environment and your energy costs.

To simplify your decision, we’ve divided out the top 7 best cooktops of 2023 based on price, user reviews, warranty, and other significant considerations.

How the Best Cooktops Were Chosen

Before compiling our list of the top cooktops, we identified rival models that satisfied the prerequisites. Subsequently, the group evaluated more than sixty of the most accessible cooktops from that inventory and assigned a score to each one based on a range of characteristics. Our ranking was further whittled down to the best cooktops. The average price, user feedback, warranty, Number of burners, rapid boil setting choices, intelligent features, and finish options are all considered when ranking products.

GE Profile 30-Inch Built-In Touch Control Induction Cooktop

The Profile 30-inch Induction Touch Control Built-In by GE Cooktop is among the most expensive cooktops on our list. Still, its long list of clever, user-friendly features and high customer satisfaction scores propel it to the top of our ranking as the greatest cooktop of 2022. With a 12-month warranty and excellent customer report ratings, GE stands behind the GE Profile in case of any problems. More intelligent features than any other cooktop on our list of the ten best are included in this one, including pan detection. When you remove the pans from the stovetop, the burners are turned off, and the heating area is sized to fit your pans.

Pros & Cons

• Control locks, sync burners, and pan detection are clever features.
• Touch control and a smooth, elegant surface design come in various colors and finishes.
• Includes GE’s Fit Promise, under which GE will cover up to $100 of required adjustments.

• It has only four burners.
• Among the most expensive cooktops on our list
• Cookware that is not metallic cannot be used with induction cooktops

Frigidaire Gallery Electric Cooktop, 30-Inch

There is a 3,200-watt heating element on the Frigidaire Gallery 30-inch Electric Cooktop, which is boiling. According to the makers, this element can boil a quart of water in less than three minutes. Although the Gallery model has five burners, some users find it challenging to use all five at once because of the proximity of the components. The front controls of this Frigidaire cooktop are simple to operate and come in black or stainless steel for customization.

Pros & Cons

• Water is boiled in less than three minutes using a 3,200-watt element.
• Frigidaire’s “fit guarantee” pays $100 for any required adjustments if it doesn’t fit.
• Excellent cost

• Control knobs on the front and center might quickly get in the way.
• Customers found keeping the stove surface clean and in good condition difficult.

Cooktop, LG 36-Inch Electric

The LG 36-inch electric cooktop, the first on our list, has smooth-touch controls that are simple to operate and intuitive. These controls are quickly out of the way since they are positioned in the middle between the burners. Cleaning is as simple as wiping the whole surface clean since the controls are built into the smooth surface. There’s no need to go into the spaces around physical control knobs. This LG stove has excellent customer reviews, is priced reasonably, and complies with ADA regulations.

Pros & Cons

• ADA-compliant cooktop with a 48-inch maximum high forward reach and a 15-inch maximum low forward reach
• Smooth touch controls are simple to use and maintain.
• The cooktop’s quick-change heat makes managing it simple.

• Consumers complain that when a hot pan is put back on the burner, the safety mechanisms of the appliance inconveniently activate.
• Controls can be complicated to read when things get messy.

Frigidaire Induction Cooktop, 36-Inch

Using induction technology instead of conventional electric heat, the Frigidaire 36-inch Induction Cooktop produces flawlessly uniform heat surfaces. Because only the pots and pans heat up on an induction cooktop—the surface remains at ambient temperature—they are hailed for being safer and more straightforward to clean than electric cooktops, which boil water much more quickly. This implies that spills are easily cleaned immediately or after cooking and cannot burn to the surface. With five burners on this 36-inch cooktop, you have plenty of space to preheat food before cooking.

Pros & Cons

• Five induction burners for quicker and faster food cooking
• Pan detection with auto-sizing only to heat the right-sized region
• Outstanding value, particularly for an induction cooktop

• Cookware that is not metallic cannot be used with induction cooktops.
• Despite “power boil” settings, some users say the water boils slowly.

Frigidaire Induction Cooktop, 30-Inch

While this Frigidaire is smaller than the 36-inch Induction Cooktop mentioned above, it still has almost all the same unique features. The 30-inch model only accommodates four burners, but it still has auto-sizing pan sensing, which maximizes the induction heat directly to the appropriate pot or pan size. Additionally, Frigidaire’s “True Temp Melt & Hold” precise low-heat option, which melts delicate sauces, cheeses, or chocolate to perfection and keeps them warm without burning, is available on cooktops of both sizes.

Pros & Cons

• Smooth and easy-to-clean induction surface
• 50% quicker than electric cooktops at boiling water
• has several clever features, such as a low-heat melt function.

• Cookware that is not metallic cannot be used with induction cooktops.
• Despite “power boil” settings, some users say the water boils slowly.

Frigidaire Gallery 30-Inch Induction Cooktop

It’s important to distinguish between the Frigidaire Gallery 30-inch Induction Cooktop and the Frigidaire Gallery 30-inch Electric Cooktop since the former utilizes induction power rather than typical radiant energy. This Gallery cooktop from Frigidaire has precise, uniform heat distribution over the whole pot or pan, and it boils water 50% quicker than conventional electric cooktops. Using the Frigidaire Gallery with metal cookware is much more straightforward since induction warms the pot or pan alone, not the cooktop’s surface, making it safer to touch and much easier to clean.

Pros & Cons

• Cooking versatility is provided by four heating components with varying sizes.
• When cooking, an easily cleaned induction surface is safe to touch.
• Frigidaire’s “Fit Promise” pays $100 for any required adjustments if it doesn’t fit.

• Cookware that is not metallic cannot be used with induction cooktops.
• Consumers lament that there is no way to turn off the audible tones produced by the controls on the device.

GE Built-in 30-Inch Electric Cooktop With Four Burners

Despite a great price point and a 12-month guarantee, the Electric Cooktop With Four Burners, another 30-inch from GE, is not as popular with consumers as its induction cousin. Larger cookware and grills can be cooked evenly across the two left burners thanks to GE’s SyncBurners function, and seamless digital touch controls make cleanup much simpler than scraping around or under physical knobs. With GE’s fit guarantee, you may get up to $100 in adjustments to ensure your cooktop fits in your kitchen when you purchase this cooktop.

Pros & Cons

• It incorporates clever functions such as Melt Settings, Keep Warm, and SyncBurners.
• A power boil dual-ring element can provide 3,100 watts of focused heat,
• GE Fit Guarantee gives $100 towards any needed modifications

• Provides only four burners.
• It is expensive, particularly for an electric cooktop that radiates.

What Is a Cooktop?

Regarding cooktops, the terms “range” and ” stove” tend to be used interchangeably, which might be perplexing if you’re looking for a certain kind of surface. A cooktop is distinct from a stove or range since it has a countertop cooking surface and does not have an oven. Although cooktops may run on electricity or gas,

The term “cooktop” usually refers mainly to cooking surfaces that are electrical (induction or radiant). Generally, a “cooktop” is a level cooking surface integrated into your counter’s top. At the same time, stoves and ranges are usually independent gas-powered equipment connected to ovens.

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Induction vs. Electric

Even electric and induction cooktops utilize electricity to cook food; however, there are differences in how each cooktop distributes heat to your pots and pans. Electricity is passed via coils on radiant electric cooktops, which heat up and deliver heat energy to the cooktop’s glass or ceramic surface and any objects you lay on top of it.

Because the metal coils in a radiant electric cooktop heat the cooktop surface uniformly, your pots and pans will receive heat much more evenly than they would from a gas range. However, it would be best if you moved the bank to cease the heat transmission from radiant electric cooktops since they take some time to cool down after turning off.

Unlike radiant electric cooktops, which heat and transmit heat by conduction, induction electric cooktops generate a magnetic current by passing electricity through copper coils under the cooktop surface. Your metallic pots and pans get direct energy transfer from the magnetic current, which heats them.

The end product is a pot or pan heated precisely and with much less wasted heat energy (and power). In contrast to a radiant electric cooktop, which might have a hot surface to the touch, a ceramic or glass cooktop does not heat up on its own. This implies an induction cooktop won’t heat your drink and ceramic cookware.

How to Choose the Ideal Cooktop for Your Needs

When deciding which cooktop is best for your house, consider several criteria. We advise you to concentrate on the kind of heating technology (gas, electric, or induction), the size and quantity of burners on the cooktop, the available warranty(s), the cost of maintenance, and any intelligent features you may wish to take advantage of.

Gas vs Electric vs. Induction

The first decision to make when selecting a cooktop for your house is which heating methods are available. When we talk about “cooktop,” we usually mean a flat countertop cooking element. We don’t usually mean gas ranges, although gas burners are available separately from complete fields (including ovens). So, you may want to consider that if you’re remodeling your kitchen and want to add a new cooking surface.

Professional cooks choose gas burners because they precisely control the heat setting. Additionally, they may be utilized in the event of a power outage, which may be advantageous for those who live in areas vulnerable to power outages. When using a gas burner, the heating process begins instantly and may be precisely regulated, with the altered heat level reacting immediately.

However, since gas cooktops have open flames, they are also riskier. Because of their more complex burner designs and protecting grates, they may also be significantly dirtier and more difficult to clean.

Electric cooktops, also known as radiant electric cooktops, often have a smooth, sleek, aesthetically pleasing surface that is relatively simple to clean. For individuals on a tight budget, the most economical cooktop has heating elements since it can achieve temperatures more significantly than gas ranges. The slow heat-up and cool-down times of radiant electric cooktops make it challenging to regulate the temperature precisely.

Since induction cooktops are the most efficient in energy, time, and safety, they are often considered the best. Induction cooktops may achieve minimum energy loss since they only heat the pot or pan. As a result, induction cooktops are better for the environment and your power costs. Cooking is also more efficient with induction cooktops, which claim to boil water in half the time. The stove surface may be safely touched since the heat is solely transmitted to your cookware.

However, induction cooktops are far more costly than gas or electric ones and are only compatible with ferromagnetic cookware, including stainless steel, cast iron, and a few other varieties. They will not, however, function with ceramic, glass, or copper cookware.

Dimensions and Burner Count

The size and quantity of burners (or heating elements) you want are the following decisions you must make when selecting the ideal cooktop for your house. The most popular standard sizes for cooktops are 30 and 36 inches, although many more sizes are available to fit any home. These are the most frequent sizes found on our list.

Additionally, the quantity of burners could be a crucial factor. Most cooktops have four or five burners; however, with a smaller cooktop, five burners may not be as desired due to the tiny area around the burners. Consider other features, such as the capacity to combine two burners into one super-burner for grills or different long pots and pans, and pay attention to burner size about the cookware you already own or want to acquire.

Guarantee and Upkeep

When looking at gorgeous new cooktops, warranties and upkeep may not seem like significant issues, but you won’t feel the same way when something breaks and you have to wait 13 hours for customer service. Consider the warranties offered by the equipment you are contemplating and the kind of upkeep your prospective stove will need.

Spills from gas burners will always be more challenging to clean up than those from electric or induction cooktops because they fall below the grate and are more difficult to remove. Meanwhile, induction cooktops merely heat the pots and pans, and spills on radiant electric cooktop surfaces may burn and stick. Spills can be cleaned up promptly with induction cooktops.

Because changing the sealed electric components in an electric cooktop may be much more costly than just replacing a gas burner part, repair and maintenance for electric and induction cooktops can be significantly more expensive than gas ranges.

Most firms provide a limited 12-month guarantee, but some on our list above offer extended warranties and extra parts protection plans to ensure that your cooktops remain in excellent condition even in the event of burnout.

Clever Features

The last thing to think about when selecting a stove is additional features. Innovative features abound in many contemporary cooktops, particularly electric or induction-based ones. These functions include automatic pot identification, auto-turn-off, burner resizing, and unique low- or high-temperature settings. When comparing cooktops, these characteristics shouldn’t be your primary concern, but understanding what intelligent features you want might help you narrow your selections to a few preferred models.

What Is the Difference Between a Cooktop and a Range?

The phrases “range” and “cooktop” are often used synonymously to describe a household appliance that can broil food and boil water. Knowing the difference between a cooktop and a range is crucial when shopping for a stove. A range is essentially a cooktop that has an oven built into it. A cooktop is an oven-free stand-alone device that may be mounted on your countertop.

We examined information on over 60 items to get the best cooktop rating. The star rating of each product is established by assessing many criteria, such as:

The mean cost (25%)

Every cooktop with a lower average price received additional points, up to 25% of the ranking.

Client Evaluation (20%)

Twenty percent of the ranking comprises user ratings, including reviews from Consumer Reports, merchant websites, and Google.

Warranty (15%)

Each cooktop received more points, or 15% of the score, the longer and more thorough the guarantee was.

Burners in Number (10%)

After weighing the Number of burners on each cooktop, the editorial team awarded gas stovetops with more burners a higher rating.

Quick Boil Temperature (10%)

Ten percent of the points were determined by whether or not a burner had a quick boil setting.

Number of Smart Features (10%)

When searching for contemporary cooktops, homeowners are drawn to innovative features. A cooktop received higher points for having more intelligent features.

The percentage of finish options available (10%)

After examining the finish possibilities for each cooktop, the editorial crew deducted or added points equal to 10% of the ranking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)