electric cooktop

16 years ago

First off, thank you all for the help you've unknowingly given me while I've been lurking here!

We're looking to replace a 20-year-old electric Jenn-Air 30" cooktop. The new one would have to remain in the island and gas is not an option. I don't need anything top-of-the-line, just something that will boil water for spaghetti!

I've seen some of you recommend the GE Profile, but I've read that it shorts out if you spill water on the controls. Does this happen with all smoothtop electrics? Which is better, knobs or electronic controls?

Also, we don't have a hood and don't want one, just the downdraft, which I rarely use. Would we need to get another downdraft or could we just do without the vent?

TIA.

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Comments (3)

inter_alia
16 years ago
Down draft doesn't work very well. Worse you limit yourself to very few cooktop options. Or you can get a separate popup DD which has it's own problems (cools food, expensive, takes cab space) and still doesn't work well.

I put an exhaust fan in the ceiling. With an electric top its enough. I went with a complicated external Fantec and ceiling register box. Doing it over I would get a Broan or Panasonic utility fan or bathroom fan. It would not have a grease filter but the fans are cheap enough to just replace it. I didn't use my old Jenn-Air DD fan much so don't expect to use the new fan much.

I went with Induction. All should be installed in about 2 weeks.
mpsmps
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you. The induction cooktops look great, unfortunately I don't cook well enough to justify the expense! Does anybody have any suggestions for a 30in electric cooktop?

We don't have space in the island for a popup and don't want one in the ceiling. Is it necessary to have a fan or vent at all? I don't think we've turned the downdraft on five times in 20 years.
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dan1888
16 years ago
We've had Jennaire since the first 60s grill and now have the radiant 30" slide-in with downdraft after twenty with the cartridge coil/grill units. This last three years have been completely joyless. The total lack of response from radiant makes using it and keeping it clean the worst possible nightmare. Please try a friend's stovetop to see if you can live with it. It is not the electric you have been using. And check with that friend about the effort necessary to clean the burned on residue that is always there. I can't wait until I can get an induction replacement. The tech support at Whirlpool admits he feels radiant will be replaced with induction over the next ten years but his company is currently bring up the rear.
If I had to get a cooktop right now and I could not spend more than $800 I would have one shipped from the UK where there are tons and the prices after vat refund are fair. The zoneless Aeg/Electrolux 78031kn-f is $713 after 17.5% vat refund with the pound about 1,5 dollars. That technology is better than any unit available locally. It weighs eleven pounds so getting it shipped will be reasonable. Even with the risk it would be worth considering. Try out a $99 portable unit from ebay if you need first hand knowledge. Anyone happy with radiant please step forward.... didn't think so.

Here is a link that might be useful: Aeg zoneless