Primarily, stove tops are primarily of 2 types – based upon whether they heat food with the help of gas burners or electric elements. There is a third type which is a combination of both these aspects. In addition stove tops are of the fixed and portable types as well. The portable ones are advisable for usage where there is limited workspace and if you need to frequently move around objects in your kitchen to make space for the one in use.
Gas stove tops as the name suggest supplies cooking gas to the burner which in turn produces a flame on ignition. For this
reason they are easily controllable, and provide instant heating. The power of a gas burner is indicated by the term; BTU
(British Thermal Unit). How quickly the food gets heated or cooked depends upon the power of the burner. Cooking surfaces
of Gas burners are available in enamel, glass, aluminum or stainless steel. Choose the one that would blend well with your
kitchen décor. Gas stove tops are the cheapest. If you opt for a gas stove top you have to make provision for either piped
gas or LPG gas in cylinders.
2 - Electric Stovetops
Electric stove tops use electric elements to heat/cook food. Electric stove tops, unlike the gas stove tops take a lot longer to heat since the electric element has to be heated first and that in turn creates a flame. For this reason it is also difficult to control and vary the flame over the cooking period.
Electric stove tops are of different types based on the type of heating element used:
Ceramic Radiant coils
Halogen or Semi-halogen lamp elements
Radiant coil elements
Solid hotplate
Induction (magnetic field) elements
Ceramic radiant coils: These contain a ceramic glass sheet beneath which are metal element coils. They are sleek in design and extremely convenient to maintain and clean. While cooking spills on the burner are common. Unlike gas stove tops where food spills tends to get accumulated around the burner and hence one has to wait till the burner cools down to clean the spills. In this type of electric stove top there is lesser scope for dirt accumulation. Since the entire sheet tends to get heated one has to constantly clear the food spills and its flat surface allows for easy clearing.
Halogen or semi-halogen: This model uses the energy generated by light from tungsten lamps to heat. It provides for instant heat while keeping the surrounding cool. They are easy to clean. Semi-halogen stove tops are a combination of halogen and coil.
Radiant coil: Radiant coil comprises of a metal coil which has to be heated to enable cooking. They are slow to heat. The heating in a radiant coil is quite controllable. Maintenance and cleaning is however difficult.
Solid hotplate: As the name suggests it comprises of a solid metal disk which is called a hotplate. It takes longer to heat as also to cool down – which implies that it consumes more energy than the other types. These are the cheapest of all the electric stove tops. It is easy to clean due to the flat surface.
Induction: Induction stove tops consists of an induction coil which creates a magnetic field around it which in turn heats the vessel. Ironically the stove top remains cool through the heating process. The surface does not have any grove which may block dirt or food spills and hence is easy to clean and maintain.
A combination stove top as the name suggests hosts a combination of gas and electric enabled burners. This is advantageous
if you carry out a variety of cooking such as grilling and frying and do not want to depend upon any one energy source.
Having understood the types of stove tops, we should focus on understanding the following key attributes:
Key attributes:
Size: stove tops are made available in various shapes and sizes. Generally the size varies from 10” in length to around 36”. Make sure you make a choice based upon the available space in your kitchen. Most cook tops specify certain space requirements such as minimum distance beneath the burner and the cabinet. Make sure you have gone through all those specifications. In terms of shape you get these in rectangular as also in square shaped models with burners arranged in various configurations.
Controls & Knobs: Ensure that the controls and knobs are placed as per your convenience. Choose a model that has its controls, in the place most convenient to your usage pattern. There are models with controls and knobs at the sides on the top or the front of the device.
Vessel Size: Ensure your vessels are compatible with the burner size. Or else you would end up buying a cook top with burner either too big or too small for your vessels. This is especially applicable to electric cook tops.
Sensors: Look out for gas sensors in gas stove tops. In case the fire has gone out, but the gas is still flowing, the stove top automatically curbs the gas outlet.
Venting option: Venting of smoke and food odors from stove tops happens either in the downdraft mode or is absorbed by an exhaust fan or a chimney. Check the vent channel of the stove top prior to purchase. This would entail creation of the proper exhaust channels accordingly.
Cooking surface: Cooking surfaces are either in glass, ceramic or in steel. Each has its own advantage. Make sure you go for the one that best blends with your taste and kitchen décor.
Number of burners: Make sure that there is adequate space left between the individual burners. stove tops come with a standard set of 2 to 5 burners. Choose a configuration that you are used to or go for a higher number of burners only if you are sure that it would be fully utilized. If your general usage demands only 2 burners then go for a stove top with only 2 burners. The more the burners implies more simultaneous cooking – which is ideal for large families.
Power/Energy consumption: Check for the Energy Star ratings – indicating efficiency in performance and fuel consumption.
Warranty: Warranty offered varies from a year’s duration to 3 years. Look for a warranty that includes replacements on parts and offers the maximum tenure.
Price: Prices vary as per the type of fuel used – gas or electricity. You should also take into account the energy supply cost of the fuel – electricity/gas connection. Prices also vary in the case of the electric stove top as per the number and type of cooking element used, and the number of burners used. The prices range from $ 250 to $ 2000.
