Ranges with ceramic cooktops that are speckled??

15 years ago

I am buying a range very soon and am wondering if in the 500-700 price range there are ones that have self cleaning ovens, 2 dual burners, concealed heating coil in the oven AND have the speckled glass black cooktop that supposedly looks nicer longer. I need to know brands and even model numbers. I was considering Whirlpool until I realized that they are solid black. Of course I want a good reliable range. I've always cooked with gas but have to get electric this time. Concerned about all the complaints about keeping them clean and unscratched. Don't need 5 burners.

Thank you.

Featured Answer

dan1888

15 years ago

Just so you're not too surprised- Ceran tops whether speckled or plain will be dirty with baked on staining every day or most of the time. 3M makes a scratch-free pad that won't hurt the surface when used with a few drops of cleaner. But it is a job. I use Cif, a UK product a friend brings back from visits. 500ml~20oz lasts 2 years. After using that a window cleaner and paper towels.
Thats not all the good news. Coming from gas, these tops are the most unresponsive cooking surface available. First the glass slowly gets hot then the pan is warmed. Anything on the outside of the pan or surface is repeatedly baked between them. And the glass does not change temperature quickly, so changes are outside normal attenton spans.
An answer is induction. A magnetic field heats the pan. The glass doesn't heat up much and the response is near instant. Wipe up spills with a damp cloth because they are not baked on. So far the reasonable prices and selection are in the UK not the US where the pricing is as a premium product.

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Comments (6)

rhome410
15 years ago
Have you checked GE Profile? I had one of their speckled, ceramic top ranges. It was called "white on black" and gave an overall gray impression...I see now they have textured white or textured black surfaces, but I can't tell from internet pictures how they actually look. Better than plain black glass, I'm sure. I thought it was a breeze to clean ours...compared to coil burners, and especially compared to me current gas rangetop. If anything, you'll have an easier time with textured black, because sometimes before scrubbing, things would burn on and make the light speckles look brownish, which you probably couldn't see on black. Barkeeper's Friend and the non-scratch scrubby side of the sponge was my favored cleaning method. They do offer these ranges with self-clean ovens and 2 dual-size burners.
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missmuffet
15 years ago
From what I've experienced and read, do yourself a favor and don't get the glasstop unless it is induction. My current rangetop is a mess no matter what I cook - and I just don't have time to keep scrubbing brown marks made from water boiling. Oh, and the steam from the oven vents onto the glasstop so it leaves a bit of a mess too. From the research I've done, people say that the induction tops don't have that problem.
irene526
last year
I have a ceran speckled top stove. It is 23 years old and the speckled top is just starting to wear. The other 3 look just as good as the day I bought it. I am looking for another to replace it.
wdccruise
last year
Induction elements ("burners") don't get hot like radiant elements so food doesn't burn onto them and they retain their good appearance with basic cleaning. The 30" Frigidaire FCFI3083AS induction range -- cooktop is black -- is $1100 and prices go up from there.
kaseki
last year
Induction elements ("hobs") glass surfaces get 'ouch' hot under the pan, but not 'slagging skin' hot. The hot is from the heated pan conducting or radiating heat down to the glass. They are superior for keeping clean and saving time. They are superior for responsiveness. You will need induction capable pans (have magnetic steel in the base or are cast iron) and a bit of experience time so you won't put them on full power and walk away thinking the time delay to explosive boiling is as long as for the coil type cooktops.