Cooktops

Electric smoothtops are the popular pick over induction cooktops, largely because they cost less. Smoothtops make it easy to clean up spills, but they require a special cleaner.

Electric induction cooktops use magnetic coils below the ceramic glass surface to quickly generate heat directly to the pan, offering precise simmering and control. Magnetic cookware is needed for induction to work.

Unlike electric cooktops, gas cooktops vary widely in performance. The best in our tests have a large burner that can both heat up a pot of pasta water on high and simmer tomato sauce on low, and a smaller burner with gentle low heat for melting and delicate sauces.