Ceramic cooktops — sometimes called glass cooktops or smoothtops — are the latest and greatest way to stir up sauces and sear your favorite veggies.
Though theyre not exactly a brand-new technology, these appliances get more convenient and more efficient every year. With faster heating than gas, more cooking power than electric coils, and a sleek, low-profile look, ceramic cooktops are the perfect balance of form and function. But what are ceramic cooktops, and how do they work? Before you upgrade your kitchen with one of these powerhouses, here’s the lowdown on the options available and how they can each make your life a little easier.
What are the benefits of ceramic cooktops?
Easy cleaning, faster cooking, high-tech safety features, simple installation … what isnt made better with a ceramic cooktop?
Lets take these one at a time. First of all, cleaning is much simpler with a ceramic cooktop. The smooth, sealed heating elements make it easy to wipe up spills with just a damp cloth or soft sponge — no more metal grates collecting oil!
Lots of ceramic cooktops include features that make cooking easier and safer too. Many have heat indicators that show when the stovetop is hot, and induction cooktops dont even heat until a pan has been placed on them. Some ceramic cooktops even turn off automatically after a set period of time — which means curious kids are less likely to get hurt when helping out in the kitchen. Ceramic cooktops also eliminate the need to run potentially dangerous gas lines through your kitchen — all you need is an electrical connection to make them work. The reduced risk of gas leaks can make your whole home much safer in the event of an earthquake, storm, flood, or fire.
All that, plus theyre super stylish and on-trend! More and more kitchens are adopting the hidden or paneled appliance look, and a ceramic cooktop is another great way to help your appliances blend right into the kitchen around it.
What is a ceramic cooktop?
A ceramic cooktop is any cooktop with a smooth surface made of tempered ceramic glass. Though youll usually find all ceramic smoothtops lumped together on the sales floor, there are actually a few different options to pick from:
- Radiant uses heated coils of metal under a sheet of ceramic glass
- Halogen uses halogen bulbs instead of metal to generate heat
- Semi-halogen uses a combination of metal coils and halogen bulbs
- Induction uses magnets, which interact with the metal in your cooking pans, to generate heat
The practical differences between the first three are minor. Halogen bulbs light up right away, so you always know when the cooktop is on, and the heating elements tend to cool off a tiny bit faster compared to radiant cooktops. Other than that, they all cook the same and offer all the same conveniences.
Induction, however, is a bit different. These cooktops are very fast to heat, and boil water twice as quickly on average compared to other cooktops. Thats because it doesnt use a heat source to transfer heat to the pan like a traditional cooktop — instead, the interaction between magnets and metal heats the pan directly, effectively turning the pan into a burner. That means that the cooktop wont heat up until you put a pan on it, even if the power is on!
The science of this is a bit complex, and if youre interested in learning more, we recommend checking out this article explaining the ins and outs of induction. If you still have questions, be sure to reach out to us! Were always happy to share our appliance expertise. For the purposes of your kitchen though, induction means faster cooking and a safer cooktop for your family.
Use and Care of Glass Cooktop
What is a flat top electric stove?
Sleek and Modern Look: Flat top electric stoves, also known as glass top stoves, have a contemporary appearance that can elevate the aesthetics of your kitchen. Easy to Clean: The smooth surface is a breeze to clean. Spills and splatters are easily wiped away, and there are fewer crevices for food to get stuck in.
What is a glass top stove?
A glass top stove is also known as a ceramic-glass stove top. The smooth glass of these cooktops is generally made from tempered ceramic glass and has heating coils underneath the surface. WHAT IS A RADIANT COOKTOP? Radiant cooktops have a smooth, flat surface.
What are the different types of stovetops?
Pass it on The most common types of stovetops include gas, electric, induction and downdraft. Learn about different types of cooktops and cooktop features in this guide.
What is a flat top cooktop made of?
Although they may be called by different brand names, all flat-top cook stoves are made of a glass-ceramic blend rather than being all-ceramic or all-glass. Each appliance company has a trademarked name for its brand of glass-ceramic. Smooth cooktops have some qualities of ceramics and some qualities of glass.