Electric Cooktops

Electric cooktops with smooth ceramic glass are most popular

In professional tests, electric cooktops tend to perform better than gas models. They heat water more quickly and offer better consistency when it comes to cooking at low temperatures. However, reviewers warn that electric cooktops stay hot long after the power is turned off, and accidental cracks in the fragile cooking surface of smoothtop cooktops are possible.

Electric cooktops are currently available in coil and smoothtop models. However, coil models are now becoming scarcer in stores, and many major reviewers only test the popular smoothtop models, which house radiant burner elements under a smooth ceramic glass surface. Overall, users say electric smoothtop cooktops are easy to clean (though special cleaners are recommended to prevent damaging the cooktop's surface), and many consumers appreciate the sleek designs. Most electric cooktops also come in a variety of colors to match any kitchen decor, and some are finished with stainless-steel frames.

Professional reviewers and users alike are enthusiastic about the electric LG LCE3081ST (*Est. $1,050) . This 30-inch ceramic glass smoothtop cooktop has five heating elements, ranging in power from a 100-watt warming burner to a dual-power burner that goes from 1,400 to 3,000 kilowatts. Two of the burners are adjustable in size; one expands from 6 to 9 inches, the other from 5 to 8 inches. This LG cooktop has touchpad controls, which are located on the center front of the cooktop. It also includes basic safety features, such as a hot-surface indicator light and a child control lock. The cooktop has stainless-steel trim, and it comes with a one-year warranty.

In professional tests, the LG LCE3081ST does an excellent job with low-power cooking and is fast, though not the fastest model, at boiling water. User reviews from HomeDepot.com and Google Shopping confirm these results. The 20 or so users who have rated this cooktop say it is attractive, easy to use and easy to clean, and they like the high-powered burners and large surface area. Most also report it heats up quickly, although one user found it a bit on the slow side. A couple of users found the touch controls a bit confusing at first, but most owners are happy with this cooktop.

Another cooktop that earns praise from users is the GE Profile PP989DNBB (*Est. $1,100) . This frameless 30-inch cooktop has a smooth black glass surface with white, black or stainless trim. It has four heating elements: one large front burner that expands from 6 to 9 inches with a maximum power of 3,000 watts, one 6-inch rear burner with 1,500 watts of power and two 7-inch burners with 1,800 watts each. There is also a "bridge" element that can connect the two 7-inch burners to form a single large heating area, suitable for a griddle. This cooktop has knob controls rather than a touchpad, which are located on top of the cooktop (not on the front) where they may be bumped accidentally. One special feature of the GE Profile PP989DNBB is its three-speed downdraft fan, which provides built-in ventilation. This is a useful feature for a cooktop that's installed in an area with no existing ventilation, such as an island; however, as our report on range hoods notes, it won't do as thorough a job as a regular hood fan. The entire appliance is covered by a standard one-year warranty, but the glass surface and radiant heating are covered for five years.

The GE Profile PP989DNBB cooktop hasn't been included in any professional tests, but it gets very favorable reviews from about 30 users at AJMadison.com and Buzzillions.com. Users praise its fast heating, its large surface area and its variety of burners, including the high-powered burner. Several owners also note that it is very easy to install. The most common complaint we saw about this cooktop is that it is hard to keep clean; more than one user notes that it needs to be cleaned after every use to look decent, and another says that most cleaners don't do a very effective job on it. Two users say the downdraft fan is a useful feature, but one disagrees, saying it is far less effective than a normal range hood.

Toward the lower end of the price spectrum, the Kenmore 42732 (*Est. $650) is one of the top performers in a recent professional test, with excellent scores for both boiling and simmering. This is a standard 30-inch electric smoothtop cooktop with a white ceramic glass surface and dial controls. (It is also available in black, bisque or black with stainless trim.) The four radiant heating elements include two high-powered elements for quick boiling and one dual element that expands from 6 to 9 inches. The cooktop has a hot-surface indicator and comes with a standard one-year warranty.

Even though the Kenmore 42732 excels in independent tests, users at Sears.com (the only retailer that sells Kenmore appliances) give it somewhat mixed reviews. They praise it for fast heating, good looks and easy cleanup, though users complain that the temperature is hard to adjust; as one owner puts it, "Once you have your food hot it seems like it is impossible to cook it on anything but high." We also saw several complaints that the ceramic top is easily damaged. Some users report minor scratching, while others describe cracks running clear across the surface -- in one case, without anything ever being dropped on the cooktop. A couple of users find the control knobs a bit awkward, saying it is hard to tell when a burner is switched on. Overall, the four models of this cooktop earn about 3.5 stars from about 25 owners.

Even cheaper than the Kenmore 42732 is the GE JP328SKSS (*Est. $300) , the only well-reviewed cooktop we found with old-fashioned heating coils (two 6-inch burners and two 8-inch ones). Experts say electric coil cooktops are harder to clean than smoothtops, but they are also more durable, and the coils are easy to replace if they become damaged. This cooktop offers a range of features to make cleaning easier: the coils are removable, as are the drip bowls under them, and the entire cooktop can be lifted and propped up for cleaning underneath. It also has control knobs on the top front of the cooktop and a hot-surface indicator light. The GE JP328SKSS has a stainless-steel surface, but the same cooktop is also available (and even cheaper) in black, white or bisque porcelain enamel. All four versions have a one-year warranty.

Like other coil electric cooktops, the GE JP328SKSS has not been included in any professional tests. It is a favorite with users, who give it a 4.5-star overall rating on Google Shopping. The 40 user reviews we found on this site included many duplicates, but there were enough separate reviews to make it clear that owners find this cooktop a great value. They say it is easy to install, easy to clean and easy to look at with its shiny stainless top -- although a couple of users note that the surface does scratch easily. Still, we found no truly negative reviews for this cooktop, which is more than we can say for many that cost three or four times as much.