Cooktop – What do you want from a cooktop? Is it cost-efficiency (electricity bill or gas bill), ease of cooking, speed, heat control, safety, solar-energy connectivity, cleanliness or value for money?
And today modern technologies have evolved so much that we have now a large array of technical-advanced cooktops – Induction, electricity and gas.
Energy efficient
To come to cost-effectiveness, you have to compare their electricity consumption (for induction and electric cooktop) and how well they utilized them.
Take for example induction cooktops. It needs only to need 225-watt-hours to boil 2 litres of water whereas an electrical cooktop will need 320 watt hours.
This show that induction cooktops are proven to be more energy-efficient.
Induction cooktop only uses 90% of the electricity for cooking food. Electric cooktops, which offer a consistent heat flow, only use 70% of the electricity.
This clearly shows that an induction really makes full use of the electricity and leaves very little to waste and therefore saves on your electric bill. Every penny of your hard-earned money is well-spent.
Wasted energy
But the gas stove is the least energy-efficient in cooking when compared with induction and electric cooktops. Why?
Because it makes uses only about 40-55% of the actual heat. The rest are wasted on the surroundings.
1. Electric Cooktop
Modern electric cooktops have a glass-ceramic surface with a metal coil beneath where current flows to create electrical resistance but nowadays they use infrared halogen lamps instead.
Food is cooked by the heat being transferred from these heating elements through the glass ceramic to the cookware.
Due to its conventional method of transfer of heat-to-pot, an element of heat is lost in transit.
GE Profile Series 30-inch Built-in Knob Control Electric Cooktop
- Five radiant cooking elements
- Power Boil Dual-Ring Element
- SyncBurner
- Dimensions: 5 9/16 H x 29 7/8 W x 21 D
- Keep warm setting
- Melt setting
- Control lock capability
- Red LED backlit knobs with a patterned surface
- 8″/5″ dual element
- 9″/6″ Power Boil element
GE Profile Series 30-inch Built-in Knob Control Electric Cooktop Buy Now at Walmart
Magic Chef Built-in Electric Cooktop
- 24″ radiant cooktops offer a smooth surface for quick and easy cleaning
- The sleek built-in design fits flush against countertops
- Schott glass-ceramic panel combines the aesthetics of glass with the heat resistance and stability of ceramic
- Standard dial controls along the right side of the cooktop for convenience and safety
- 4 heating elements: one 8.3″ 2500W dual-element, one 7.1″ 1800W element, two 5.5″ 1200W elements
- Dual element accommodates large cookware for big batches and home canning
- Dual Element indicator light and Hot Surface indicator light
- Overheat protection for added peace of mind
- Power Rating: 240V ~ 60 Hz / 27.9 amps / 6700 watts
Magic Chef 24′” Built-in Electric Cooktop in Black Buy Now at Walmart
2. Induction Cooktop
To the uninitiated, electric cooktops and induction cooktops might look alike. Both have a flat and sleek top, however, the similarities stop here.
Many are unaware that an electric cooktop’s heating element is the halogen lamps or metal coils, whereas, in an induction, cooktop heat is generated in the cookware itself.
Basically, induction cooktops generate electricity using magnetism from the copper coil beneath the glass surface.
It creates a magnetic field which penetrates the glass top to the metal of the pan.
This causes the electric current to flow to the pots and pans to dissipate energy them. This results in heating up the pan and the food cooked.
Clever heh? Only the cooktop will actually heat up, it just sent an electromagnetic current to the pot and that’s where it induces heat to the cookware. In this way, less heat energy will be lost in the air, leaving your surroundings relatively cool.
Depending on the make and model of the induction cooktop, the temperature can reach up to a maximum of 550+ ℉. From your experience, you may know how much to set the temperature to cook a certain dish.
You can precisely control the required temperature in Induction cooktops, unlike gas cooktops where it is guided by the intensity of the flame.
With so much power in your hand, you will tend to execute the highest temperature to expedite your cooking, but in mere seconds your dish could be in ruins if you’re not careful.
Unless you’re grilling, most sauteing and simmering, low to medium heat is all you’re required.
Check out the cookware that supports inductions here.
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Kuppet 24 Inch Electric Cooktop
• Kuppet 24 Inch Electric Stove Induction Cooktop Vertical with 4 Burners Kuppet Electric Cooktop with 9 Heat Setting, 99 Munites Timer, 220V, Black.
•The Kuppet electric cooktops get 9 levels setting for precise power control, instant change by touching the direct level buttons 1-9, instead of increasing step by step. The 1-99min timer makes cooking a pleasant leisure time, set power and timer, and lets the electric cooktop do the rest.
Kuppet 24 Inch Electric Cooktop, Kuppet Built-In Induction Cooktop Vertical with 4 Burners(1200/2000W) Buy Now at Walmart
Frigidaire Induction Cooktop
This Gallery Series Induction Cooktop with 4 Elements in Black.
The Electric Cooktop comes with 4 induction elements over a smooth surface for fast and even heating.
Induction technology only heats compatible pots and pans while staying cool to the touch making it both energy-efficient and safe.
Frigidaire FGIC3066TB 30 Gallery Series Induction Cooktop with 4 Elements in Black Buy Now at Walmart
3. Gas Cooktop
Older generations of people are familiar with gas cooking. It’s a natural progression from open fire and kerosine cooking of lore.
Even today open fire cooking are still as popular and relevant.
You can as see this in barbeque grilling and most Chinese cooking with a wok.
Most prefer to use this cooking method because they are familiar with it.
Chinese cook swears by it
They can see how intense or how low is the fire. They can see the flames and feel the heat it emits. It shows the feeling and sensation that they are cooking. Chinese cooking swears by the wok’s heat and the pleasure they got out of it.
But technology has improved by leaps and bounds. Not only do you save on your gas bill, but electric cooktops and induction cooktops have also made advances in terms of efficiency.
Using electricity and induction will keep your kitchen more comfortable and cooler.
They will be no accidental fire or burn as there is no open fire to contend with.
Ramblewood High Efficiency 4 Burner Natural Gas Cooktop
• Natural gas type. 4 sealed burners. Electric ignition, 110V AC input. Max. Power per burner: 12000 BTU + 9000BTU + 7000 BTU + 3000 BTULPG/Propane conversion nozzles(4 pcs) included.
• Stainless steel surface with heavy cast iron pot stand, One simmer burner allow slow cooking.
• Safety device with thermal couple & flame out failure detection trigger mechanism. Auto shut off the gas supply.
• The gas pressure regulator(GR1-2N, 1/2 inch NPT thread size at both inlet & outlet) included. The inlet pipe thread size is 1/2 inch NPT.
One set(4 pcs) of LPG/Propane burner nozzle/valves included for conversion.
With a Cooktop dimension: of 23″(W) x 20″(D) X 3.9″(H), Cut out dimension: Minimum depth clearance for installation: 4.9 inches depth measured from the countertop surface.
A Safety device with a thermal couple & flame-out failure detection trigger mechanism. Auto shut off the gas supply. CE/GS certified.
Ramblewood High Efficiency 4 Burner Natural Gas Cooktop, Sealed Burner GC4-50N Buy Now at Walmart
Gasland Chef Built-in Gas Stove Top
HIGH POWER BURNER-Comes ready for natural gas installation and also includes an easy-to-use LP gas conversion kit.
Features a safe Electronic ignition system with (1) 3,400 BTU auxiliary burner, (2) 6,000 BTU semi-rapid burner, (1) 10,200 BTU rapid burner, (1) 12,500 BTU wok burner, giving it a total power of 37,600 BTUs.
It has a thermocouple flame-out failure system (FFD), ensuring the gas will shut off automatically if a flame is not detected, helping to avoid the risk of gas leakage.
Gasland Chef GH77SF 30” Built-in Gas Stove Top, Stainless Steel LPG Natural Gas Cooktop, 5 Sealed Burners Buy Now at Walmart
Bottom line
Buying a new cooktop to replace an old stove or to upgrade your kitchen can never be an easy task.
Besides, with the wide variety of brands, different prices, sizes and models to choose from, it can be mind-boggling.
But, if you love cooking, investing in a good cooktop, you’ll not regret it.
Your kitchen’s countertop space is among the key factors in deciding how big your new cooktop would be.
Most cooktops are available from the standard size to the larger ones.
Always measure your countertop to determine the size of your cooktop before you click to buy.
Cook for Large Families
If you have a big family and have lots of cooking, consider a cooktop with many burners or an induction type.
The induction type is known for its even heat distribution, cost-efficient and fast heating.
It cooks fast while keeping your kitchen cool.
One thing though, you need to invest in a new set of cookware which is induction compliant. You might have in you the existing cast iron or stainless steel cookware which might save you a couple of bucks.
Besides, this cookware can also be used in electric and gas cooktops.
An electric cooktop is not the same as an induction cooktop even though both use electricity.
Both also have an electric coil under their hood.
An induction uses an electromagnetic field to cause the cookware to heat up the pots above whereas an electric cooktop heating coil is the heating element itself which causes the pot and pans to heat up above.
This way of heat conductivity causes the electric cooktop loses some of its heat efficiency.
Troublesome
Though least in heat-efficiency, the gas cooktops are loved by everyone even though it’s troublesome to replace the gas tanks when it is used up unless your house is hooked up to some gas utility company.
Real fire and power
Most gas cooktop users will testify that real cooking comes with an open fire. Yes, you can see it and you can feel the heat!
Cleanliness
But gas cooktops are the least easy to clean because it contains so many parts, and the oil and grease will be stuck in the nooks and corners.
On the other hand, cleaning the induction and electric cooktops’ ceramic glass is a breeze but you have to be careful and restrain from using anything that is abrasive to clean these surfaces.
Matched the colour and theme of your kitchen
More than anything else, a cooktop you would want to match your kitchen’s theme and colour. To some, this is of paramount criteria and importance in choosing a cooktop. That would be your pride and joy for many cooking years to come!
“I was shopping for a stove last night. They had a range of options”
Source :punstoppable
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