OK folks...electric cooktops?

[trof]

We're all electric, so please don't tell me how much better gas is.
Thank you.

Miz t. needs a new cooktop. Our old electric element one is giving out. Loose connections, etc.

She THINKS she wants one of them new-fangled glasstop models.
I don't like the limitations and drawbacks.
Only smooth bottomed cast iron (if at all).
So much for granny's old cast iron frying pan.
Careful of scratching and staining.
Etc., etc.

OK, what are your recommendations and why?
Many thanks.

[supernova]

1. I'm in the same boat

with you and Miz T.

I have a late 70s/early 80s electric stove that needs replacing. I want either a glass or induction cooktop (also glass). They are much easier to clean than the coils and eye pans.

I really hope I won't have to get rid of my cast iron skillet. It's my favorite all-purpose pan.

edit: I found a website that aggregates reviews, some from consumer reports... http://www.consumersearch.com/cooktops

[flamin lib]

2. I have a Whirlpool Gold ceramic cooktop and love it.

I've had gas and induction in the past and while I really liked the induction it's picky about cookware and doesn't like copper or stainless steel.

The new electric heats up really fast-not as fast as gas but damn near. It uses both radiant heat and conductive heat so it gets very hot very fast. Boil overs are a breeze to clean up, just hit it real fast with a terry cloth towel and keep on cookin'. No, it doesn't cool down as fast as gas either but sliding the pot to the side of the element does the job.

Yeah, you gotta' be careful not to scratch it with heavy pots but a little attention to technique and you'll find it isn't that big a deal, just lift the pan before shaking it to mix ingredients.

Mine is now five years old and has only the most tiny marks from wear and tear.

If you want to go really top end, there is an electric/induction combo that boils water in 90 seconds but it's $2k http://www.electroluxappliances.com/node30.aspx?categoryid=1186&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=electric%20induction%20cooktop&utm_campaign=Cooktops%20Induction%20Hybrid

Go glass and you'll never go back . . .

[NashVegas]

3. We Had a Ceramic Top When I Was a Teen

And I can't tell you how many times and how many of our family of 5-6 burned ourselves when the top looked cool. My mom even got a good 2nd degree burn once.

Stains were less of an issue; Barkeepers' Friend should take care of most.

My understanding is that induction cools down much, much faster. I have a set of alloy pans that were made for induction, butI use them on plain coils and love love love 'em (Aubecq).

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Induction never actually gets hot

The famous demonstration is to out a dollar bill on the cooktop "burner" and then put a pan on top of the bill with half the bill sticking it. Obviously it never burns.

Induction works by exciting the metal molecules in the pan, creating heat through their friction as the bounce around. It is very energy efficient as there is little wasted heat. The molecules get more or less "excited" pretty much instantly.

Also, the pan is all that gets hot. It then transfers heat the food within.

Induction is as responsive as gas and as clean as electric.

[NashVegas]

14. Sounds Good

ps - I thought of you the other day in TJ Maxx. They had some All-Clad and - I think Calphalon(?) - copper. I resisted (it wasn't tin-lined).

[sazemisery]

4. I am all electric and have tried 3 kinds of rangetops.

When we first moved to our present location (28 yrs ago) the house came with the conventional coil type burners. It was an old cheap stove and I hated it. It died shortly thereafter and we invested in a Kenmore Jenn Air knockoff that had the cast iron french burners. I hated it from day one. If you did not own the high end pans that were absolutely flat the burners would not heat up properly. That stove lasted until about 5 years ago. I purchased a glasstop mainly because I liked the ease of cleaning it. I use all of my cast iron cookware on it with no problem. Of course my cast iron is very old and has flat bottoms. My Caphalon pans have warped on the bottom over the years but a well placed rubber mallet made them flat again. :)

As far as cleaning them, I have no problem. The best product is Bar Keepers Friend


It does not scratch and gets up all spills, baked on or not. For extra hard stains and spills just us the BKF with one of those scubbies designed for non-stick pans. I was introduced to this product back in the 1970's when I worked at a bar/restaurant. It is environmentally safe and they do not do animal testing. And it works on many surfaces.
http://barkeepersfriend.com

I hope this helps with your decision.

[NMDemDist2]

9. +1 on the BKF for cleaning and I liked my glass top fine in AZ

I used my cast iron (Grammy's stuff was mostly smooth bottomed tho...)

I learned about the BKF after about a year so it took a razor blade to get the cooked on goop off, but it worked fine and after that regular use of BKF made it a keep up.

[Vinca]

5. I've been using one for about 10 years and I like it.

It does take some getting used to, though. I remember at first I thought it took forever for water to boil. Cleaning is a whole lot easier. Overall, I would buy another glass top range.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Consider induction if you can affored the cost

That will soon enough be the number one cook top type. Costs are falling already. They look very similar to glass cooktops but work very, very differently.

[Jazzgirl]

7. I bought my house 8 years ago. It came with a ceramic top stove.

I had been using a coil electric stove and was skeptical. I quickly learned to like this stove. It cooks great! I have Calphalon, cast iron and ceramic cookware and this stove is great for all of them. Yes you do have to be careful about sliding back and forth across the grill. I definitely don't do it with cast iron but it heats beautifully and cools off just fine. The indicators tell you when an eye is still too hot to touch. This stove is 10 years old but I plan to buy another one to replace it when this one goes.

[trof]

10. I knew I could count on my DUers.

Thanks for all the info.
I guess we'll go glass.
Induction is a bit pricey for us.
Thanks again.
Y'all are the best.
:-)

[ginnyinWI]

11. Ooo I really appreciate this thread too!

I'm at the point of wanting a smooth top to replace my seven year old GE electric coil range. Although I do love it and it works great--it is fast and efficient. But when the rice boils over and the burner starts smoking and the smoke detector goes off and the cats dive for the basement like it's an air raid and I have to run with a dish towel and fan the smoke detector so it will stop screaming--I wonder if a smooth top wouldn't be better? :think:

I like to use my three sizes of cast iron frying pans, and I also have a stove-top metal wok. Does anyone know how well a smooth top would work with that? It sits on my electric coils and works fine--gets nice and hot. My main set of pans is a set of Farberware stainless steel with copper bottoms. (Got a great deal online!)

[trof]

12. If the wok uses that circular ring...I dunno.

Anybody?

[NMDemDist2]

13. as long as they have a smooth bottom, I never had trouble with em

just don't drop them on the top :rofl:

even my HUGH!!!1111!! cast iron skillet with the little ring on the bottom worked OK IMO

[Warpy]

16. A round bottom wok won't work worth a damn on an electric stove

but some places sell the thin metal variety with a flattened bottom that will work for a lot of things, but cook them slowly instead of rapidly like a wok over gas. The other thing you can do is look for a portable gas ring that uses bottled gas for your wok. I had one years ago and it was great.

Just don't bother with an electric wok. They suck as bad and for the same reason, electricity just won't get them hot enough.

[EFerrari]

15. I didn't like mine because it was too hard to clean.

It was hard to get the area over the burners clean. fyi

[Warpy]

19. The directions with my wood stove said to use oven cleaner

on the front glass door. I find the crap just burns off often enough that I haven't bothered.

I wonder if that would also work on a glass cooktop, just spread some on while the burner was cooling. The chemical process turns lye and burnt on grease into soap, basically.

[Mira]

17. I don't cook all that much, and have not had mine a very long

time, so other than saying I personally LOVE it and have no issues at all I'll leave more detailed comments to others.
Should you decide to get one though, look for one that has at least one eye that has a "melt" setting. I think that is the best little trick. Super low heat to keep something warm without worry.
My son bought a way more expensive stove than mine, and his does not have that feature, and it bums him out, because he did not know about it.

Good luck.
I would think it depends on your household, the age of the people, the amount of use.
I would never go back.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

18. I got a Frigidaire I'm happy with

It was a nice medium-price range (I think close to $500 at Lowe's), has 5 burners on top (one's just a warmer), 3 racks in the self-cleaning oven, and also has convection, which I use all the time for baked goods and stuff I want to brown evenly (AWESOME for pizza!) I don't know how I lived without 3 racks before--and I haven't even used it for a holiday dinner yet.

I was told by the guys who installed it that you really should use the cleaner made for the glass tops because it's made to deposit stuff that fills in tiny scratches and strengthens the glass itself the more you rub in. I do just use a soft Scotch-Brite sponge for quick clean-ups.

You do have to take care not to plop things on it (no longer a surface you can drop a bag of groceries on), but I don't think they're as fragile as you'd think.

[katkat]

20. maybe not

I was just over at my aunt's, she has one of those glass top cooktops, a Kenmore. She and her daughters have been trying everything under the sun to clean off some stuff she burnt on. I think they're on about their 5th product and were about to resort to trying a razor blade.

They've gotten it down to almost flat with the surface, but nothing seems to take off that last residue, which is very obvious.

[Bonhomme Richard]

21. We use a razor blade that came with the stove. Works well. n/t

[NMDemDist2]

22. nice little cleaning tip in the Frugal forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=353x2621#2760

[hippywife]

23. I cook with gas and

hope never to have to use electric again, but here's my contribution to this thread for the frugal living forum. I don't know if it works or not, I just wanted to contribute.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=353x2621

:rofl:

ETA: I see someone beat me to it so it's true. I really didn't have anything to add. :rofl:

[NMDemDist2]

24. ROFL

:yourock:

:rofl:

:pals:

[hippywife]

25. I was in a wierd mood last night.

:eyes: :rofl: