Best Electric Cooktop For Your Kitchen

Do YOU know which Electric Cooktop Is Right for Your Kitchen?

You are going electric – excellent choice! Electric cooktops are found in more American homes than their gas and induction counterparts. However, the question still remains: which cooktop is right for your kitchen? The answer to this question will likely depend on price, performance, and priorities.

Price for Electric Cooktop

The first consideration when choosing your electric cooktop is often price. The most cost-effective option is the standard coil cooktop (average cost is $250-$350). Since these are the most standard in American homes, they are also the cheapest option. Additionally, the steel coils are highly durable, which means the chance of breaking them is slim, thus eliminating potential maintenance costs, such as replacing parts.

Similar in price is the solid disk cooktop (average cost $250-$350). Rather than coils, this cooktop heats via cast iron disks that sit on top of the cooktop. Like the coil cooktop, these disks are highly durable, meaning potential maintenance costs should be next to nothing. The negative to this cooktop, however, is that it is not as commonplace in America, which means that while it might be cheap to purchase, there may be little variety with respect to what you can get.

The least cost-effective is the smooth cooktop (average cost $350-$1000). Unlike the coil and solid disk, this cooktop’s heating mechanism (steel coils) is covered by smooth glass. While this does create some durability, it does not hold up as well as the coil or solid disk cooktops due to the ability to break or scratch the glass surface, potentially impacting its cooking ability. Additionally, it is more likely that the entire cooktop would need to be replaced should the glass surface break or become scratched, not just a singular part like the other cooktops.

CR2B12ST12" Wide 115V 2-Burner Radiant Cooktop

Performance

The second consideration for most appliance buyers is the performance of the cooktop, which often boils down to heating efficiency, control, and speed. When considering which cooktop is best, you’ll find that each has strengths and weaknesses with performance.

The coil cooktop is the most cost-effective, but it pays a bit of a price for that title. This cooktop will heat relatively quickly, keeping it on par with the other electric options, but its ability to fluctuate between temperatures can be problematic as it will take time to cool down (and warm back up). Part of the reason for this is due to new standards by the regulatory agency that manages electric safety standards (UL) in 2018. The new standards state that coil elements must cycle on and off when reaching 320 degrees, or manufacturers can use lower wattage coils, resulting in slower cooking times than non-cycling coils. Despite the new UL standards, efficiency is where this cooktop shines. Its efficiency rate is around 75%, which means that a majority of the heat produced goes toward cooking.

Solid disk cooktops are a bit slower than coil, and use a higher wattage, which means you are paying more and receiving heat at a slower speed. Like coil cooktops, the ability to control temperatures can be difficult given the power source, and the time it will take for the disks to cool down and heat up. Efficiency, however, is on par with coil in that most of the heat goes directly toward your cooking. For optimum performance, you will want to use flat cooking vessels to ensure better conductivity and heating.

Smooth cooktops offer excellent performance. Heating quicker, and more evenly, the ceramic glass top helps to concentrate the heat produced better than coil or solid disk, making them highly efficient. Furthermore, they cool down faster while keeping the areas around the burners cool as well. This provides extra security against potential burns.

Priorities

The final consideration for most buyers is their individual priorities. For many, this comes down to cleaning, safety, and aesthetics. Outlined below are each based on cooktop type.

Cooktop	Cleaning	Safety	Aesthetics
Coil	Can be difficult due to inability to get into nooks and crannies around coils. Also, it can be difficult to clean food baked onto coils.	Safe due to new UL standards and standard indicator lights. Cooktop can be slow to cool leaving residual heat.	Often thought not appealing as the steel coils are exposed.
Solid Disk	Easier to clean than coil. A damp cloth and gentle cleaner can be used on the disks. To dry, warm the disk using a low heat.	Safe due to new UL standards and standard indicator lights. Cooktop can be slow to cool leaving residual heat. However, can be safer than coil cooktops given the heat is localized to solid disks.	Disks are more appealing than coil but still exposed which some may find unappealing.
Smooth Cooktop	Easiest to clean. A damp cloth will clean most spills and messes.	Safest of the cooktops as indicator lights note when the cooktop is on. This cooktop also cools faster with less residual heat once it is turned off. Additionally, most smooth cooktops have residual heat indicators helping to prevent potential burns.	Sleekest cooktop as the cooking elements are covered by ceramic glass.