Electrolux EW36GC55GS

The Electrolux EW36GC55GS gas cooktop does not perform quite as well in professional tests as the top-rated Thermador SGSX365FS (*Est. $1,900). Although it achieves excellent results on low heat, it is not as fast as the Thermador at bringing water to a boil. However, users still say this cooktop is powerful and offers excellent temperature control: For example, the central burner can deliver anywhere from 450 Btu (for gentle simmering) to a powerful 18,000 Btu (for rapid boiling).

They also find the arrangement of burners on the 36-inch cooktop convenient.

One feature users especially like is the safety knobs, which must be pressed down in order to switch them on. However, one user complains that the placement of these knobs (front and center on top of the cooktop) puts them too close to the heat, so they keep melting and deforming. This problem appears to be an unusual one, as no other user mentions it.

ConsumerReports.org includes the Electrolux EW36GC55GS in its latest tests of gas and electric cooktops. Editors rate each cooktop on how fast it brings water to a boil and how gently it can simmer tomato sauce and melt chocolate without scorching. We did not find many user reviews for this cooktop, but there are about a dozen at AJMadison.com. We also consulted the 2012 Home Appliance Survey from J.D. Power and Associates for information about customer satisfaction with Electrolux cooktops in general.