47 Cooktops

If your kitchen doesn’t have room for a range, you’re likely in the market for a cooktop. Cooktops offer you much more placement flexibility, and you can customize them to fit your cooking needs. To figure out what cooktop is right for you, think about how you’d like it to function as well as the type of heat you prefer to work with.

If you’re searching for a new kitchen cooktop, be sure to consider the following:

What type of cooktop should you consider? Depending on your preference, you can choose between gas, electric, modular, halogen and induction cooktops. Read below to learn more about each.
Gas cooktops: Gas cooktops create quick and controlled heat. While they’re often more expensive upfront, they tend to be cheaper to operate. Surfaces commonly come in porcelain-enamel, tempered-glass and stainless-steel, and try to seek out sealed burners to prevent cooking debris from getting below the cooktop.
Electric cooktops: Available in coil, radiant or solid disk heating elements, electric cooktops provide a wide range of heat levels. Coil elements heat up quickly, radiant elements are hidden beneath a sleek glass ceramic surface, and solid disk elements provide consistent heating by being embedded in a cast-iron burner. Flat bottom cookware offers the best results when using electric cooktops.
Modular cooktops: These cooktops let you customize the unit to your needs by including both gas and electric burners. In addition, they’re compatible to custom cooking accessories such as woks, griddles and deep fryers.
Halogen cooktops: Featuring glass ceramic surfaces, halogen cooktops glow when they’re turned on to indicate they’re ready to cook. They’re easy to clean and cook quickly.
Induction cooktops: These energy efficient cooktops never get hot to the touch; they emit a magnetic field that only heats compatible magnetic cookware. These cooktops get hot fast and clean easily, yet they’re often a more expensive option.


What size should you look for? Cooktops generally range from 30” to 45” in width. The size that is right for you will depend on the size of your family, your cooking needs and your available counter space. It’s possible counter space will dictate cooktop size, so be sure to carefully measure the height, width and depth of the area you want to fit your new appliance.

What features might you want to consider for your cooktop? Avoid the need to install an overhead range hood by installing a built-in downdraft vent, or choose electronic touchpad controls for ease in precise temperature selection. You may want to mix in simmer or high-heat burners for cooking variation. Also consider dual or bridge elements which will allow you to select between differently sized elements to accommodate heat to smaller and larger cookware.

Begin your search for the perfect cooktop stove for your kitchen here.

Find cooktops design ideas here.