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Electric range - coil or smooth top?

9 years ago

I am looking at replacing my electric range and trying to decide between smooth top and coil. My appliances are white and I do not want SS, this unfortunately seems to eliminate induction. Our counters are going to be white-ish with little pattern. I'm not sure how the black smooth top will look, and honestly I'm not sure if there is really an advantage over coil as I've read that the smooth top tends to get hot and spills burn on. Any input (including a reasonably priced white induction) is greatly appreciated!

Comments (22)

  • 9 years ago

    by white induction if you mean a white surface, I haven't seen one of those for a while. If you mean the stove itself, I haven't seen one of those, either.

    as for smooth vs coil, I'd probably go for coil simply for what you said about the surface burning on smooth.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Smooth. There's a little gadget that slices whatever burnt on food off. Use as needed.

    White induction ranges

    http://www.magneticcooky.com/white-induction-ranges/

  • 9 years ago

    I absolutely hated hated my smooth top electric. The hardest thing to control temperature. I am a very good cook but I burnt more stuff on that stove. I could not get rid of it fast enough. It was a top of the line Kenmore stainless steel, nice stove but terrible for cooking. And the top got spots on the glass that would not come off. I now have a wonderful Kitchenaide dual fuel unit with gas burners and electric double ovens with convection. Never ever will I put up with another. I never had a problem with coils, had those for years and I had cast iron burners on one of the jennair stoves which I really liked but they are hard to find here in the US.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wouldn't buy or except a free smooth top or coil range for a remodel of any consequence. . . . .Because the induction Viking is dubious and $8k, Dacor was bought by Samsung and doesn't show a current white model and the Bertazonni is $5.5k I'd take a different route. I'd choose the induction range I wanted in SS or black and have the door glass surround trim piece and the lower drawer facing piece powder coated in white. I've taken a door apart following the manufacturer's instructions to clean between the glass pieces. It's straight forward. And worth it to get induction at a reasonable price for a reliable unit. So pick whichever one you want. A SS control trim won't be a design problem, imo, I'd leave it.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Is budget a strong consideration here? Because you could also do an induction cooktop over a white wall oven, although that would cost more than an induction range and present some hassles if you aren't doing any other remodeling.

    I personally prefer coils to a smoothtop if we're talking about a radiant range, but these days you can't find a decent quality new coil stove no matter what you're willing to pay, and it's becoming very hard to get replacement parts for the older coil stoves now. I know that because I've spent the past five months in a fruitless search for a replacement coil for my old GE now that I don't plan to do a full remodel before moving.

    Induction is much better, but you would probably also have to budget for new pots and pans, since not all pans work on induction.

  • 9 years ago

    I currently have smoothtop electric, and am switching to induction. But if I had to choose between coil and smoothtop, I would take smooth top every time. Although spills can bake on, if you take a sec to clean after each use, it is not a big deal. The smoothtop looks so much nicer, and I will take doing a quick clean up daily over the mess of cleaning the coil burners.

  • 9 years ago

    Thank you all for the feedback! We aren't getting new cabinets, so changing to a cooktop with wall mount oven.

    From everything I've read on induction, I'd love one, but I don't care enough about cooking to spend $5k on one. I work in a pharmaceutical plant and I see stainless equipment all day, I don't want to have it in my kitchen at home too. I know that really limits my choices.

    The electric coil I have now still works, but drives me nuts because depending on the day the oven is between 25 and 75 degrees off


  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    From everything I've read on induction, I'd love one, but I don't care enough about cooking to spend $5k on one

    There's no need to spend even half that. If you don't mind a regular high back range you can get one for about $1200, and Frigidaire has a slide in with a street price of $1500. Go to ajmadison.com and put things in your cart to see the actual prices. They always say "ending today" but they never do. You can probably get a price match or close to it wherever you decide to buy.

  • 9 years ago

    They make withe smoothtop- my neighbor has a GE one. Make sure to ask what colors items come in, as I'm also getting some I've never seen black in store, but can easily be ordered that way. They store will only show the most popular colors which sell most easily.

  • 9 years ago

    I couldn't wait to get rid of my coil stove. I hated the dirty pans. We went to a large appliance store to replace it and they only carried two coil models as nobody buys coil anymore. That was eight years ago. The salesman didn't tell us about induction so we bought a glasstop. Mine doesn't clean with a razor blade and I don't enjoy polishing it every evening with CeramaBryte. I'm going for induction next time.

  • 9 years ago

    Definitely smooth top!

    I have no problems cleaning the spills with Barkeeper’s Friend powder.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just went from gas at my old house to a smoothtop electric. I loathe it with the burning heat of a thousand suns. I will probably replace it with induction, but I love my cookware, which is not induction compatible, so I'm still pondering. This electric range is a Frigidaire Gallery with convection and I will say the oven is fabulous, and the top is bisque colored, as is the range. I really dislike black cooktops as they look like a black hole and that is also slowing my move to induction. .

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a smooth top electric range and I love it. I actually chose it over our previous range due to an INTENSE loathing for cleaning the grates in the gas range. I have no issues keeping it clean at all...and I cook, from scratch, every single day...and I'm not a careful, clean-up-as-I-go type cook. BKF as needed, razor blade for anything really cooked on and once a week or so with Weiman's cook top cleaner and it looks like the day we installed it.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    There is a thread here where someone found a Kenmore freestanding white induction range. They say it is in Canada, so not sure why it wouldn't be available in the U.S. also. Here is the thread. It is old but the last comment was from Sept. 2016 and shows a picture of the range. White induction range Kenmore was being made by Electrolux when we were searching for induction ranges a few years ago.

    I went from a coil range to my induction and aside from hating cleaning under the coils, I also love the fact that the induction gives more counter top space when it is not being used to cook on. Most people I know hate their radiant heat smooth cook tops. I don't think a black cook top will look bad in a white kitchen as people are used to seeing them as black most of the time.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think that you are basing this decision on that you MUST HAVE a white range is poor judgement. Weigh your priorities: an outdated, PITA, cooking appliance that is white, vs. a modern induction range that is stainless. So what if your other appliances are white? It will look fine.

    Frigidaire Induction Range - as Writersblock mentioned, you have to put it in the cart to see the true (lower) price of $1259. If you want to buy local, print out the cart price, and take it to Sears/BestBuy/local appliance store, and have them match it,

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago
  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't have induction, I have a gas range, so don't have the experience with induction to recommend it or not. I do know though that many people have to buy new cookware when they buy induction, because not all cookware works on induction, so the OP needs to be aware of that.

    If the OP is determined to have a white range, then I would recommend the GE double oven white electric range. It's not induction, but it has the advantage of two ovens in one. Since the OP does not cook often, I bet the smaller oven will get used the most, a great convenience.

    GE Double Oven Electric Range - $1200 with black top and knobs

    GE Double Oven Electric Range - $1500 with white top and touch pad (not knobs)

    I prefer knobs - easier to work with. If I were choosing between the one with knobs or the one with white top, I'd choose the knobs, no question. You shouldn't be concerned about the black top. No one will care or notice.

  • 9 years ago

    We bought a coil range when we remodeled 4 years ago. DH does most of the cooking in our family, and cooks with cast iron almost daily. We have had smooth top in the past (in an apartment), and hated it, and didn't want to give up my grandpa's cast iron cookware for induction.

  • 9 years ago

    Cast iron actually works great on induction.

  • 9 years ago

    Just got pricing on the GE 30 inch induction (with bridge) for $1139. All black with no stainless (just another crevice to clean). There is a gray version but is $400 more and not worth it to me.

  • 9 years ago

    I have a whirlpool white oven with black smooth top (top is schott). It looked nice for less than 3 months and then something (boiled over pasta water?) stained it and engrained itself in the glass. No amount of scraping or ceramabryting would ever take it off. I read somewhere that different stove manufacturers use different ceramic tops, even from the same ceramic top manufacturer, which may be why some people love them and some hate them. I have seriosly considered just getting 4 portable induction cooktops at $80-$100 each and using them when I need them. That way they're not on my counter when I'm not cooking.