LG LCE3081ST

The LG LCE3081ST is a 30-inch smooth electric cooktop that gets good ratings from both professionals and users for its cooking performance. It has five burners, ranging in power from 100 watts (for warming) to a sizzling 3,000 watts, and two of the burners can be adjusted to accommodate pans of different sizes. It also includes a control touchpad with a child-safety lock and a hot-surface indicator.

In professional tests, this cooktop gets excellent marks for boiling water quickly and for cooking at low temperatures. Most users say high-heat performance is adequate, and they also like the cooktop's design, which they say is easy to clean. Most find it simple to use -- with the exception of the touchpad controls, which a few users say are not intuitive. This cooktop comes in black with stainless-steel trim and has a one-year warranty. If this LG model's price tag is a bit steep for your budget, consider the Kenmore 42732 (*Est. $710). It also performs very well in professional tests, though user reviews are mixed.

The best review of the LG LCE3081ST comes from ConsumerReports.org, which includes this cooktop in its latest tests of gas, electric and induction cooktops. We also found about a dozen user reviews at HomeDepot.com and a handful of non-overlapping reviews on the Google Shopping site. The 2012 Home Appliance Study by J.D. Power and Associates provides useful information about the reliability and performance of LG cooking appliances in general, though not about this particular model.