I've started to remodel my kitchen and I'm looking at ranges. I don't have natural gas (it's across the street and would cont over US$1200 just to get a line to the house), and I really don't have a place for a propane tank (as you might guess, I really prefer cooking with gas...) - So, I'm looking at electric ranges.

I went to a very high priced place to look at kitchens (believe it or not you have to have an appointment to talk to a sales person...). In part I stopped by there (you can browse any time) because a stove I was researching on the internet was cheapest there when I called around (cheaper than Sears, Home Depot and Lowes). I didn't see even 1 electric range there with coils.

Anyway, I've spoken with a lot of folks and most are really anti- glass-ceramic range tops, but most of the people are citing anecdotal information from others. Most are saying get one with standard 'coil' burners.

Do any of you have a glass-ceramic topped kitchen range? If so, your thoughts?

I've started to remodel my kitchen and I'm looking at ranges. I don't have natural gas (it's across the street and would cont over US$1200 just to get a line to the house), and I really don't have a place for a propane tank (as you might guess, I really prefer cooking with gas...) - So, I'm looking at electric ranges.

I went to a very high priced place to look at kitchens (believe it or not you have to have an appointment to talk to a sales person...). In part I stopped by there (you can browse any time) because a stove I was researching on the internet was cheapest there when I called around (cheaper than Sears, Home Depot and Lowes). I didn't see even 1 electric range there with coils.

Anyway, I've spoken with a lot of folks and most are really anti- glass-ceramic range tops, but most of the people are citing anecdotal information from others. Most are saying get one with standard 'coil' burners.

Do any of you have a glass-ceramic topped kitchen range? If so, your thoughts?Have you considered the $1200 amortized over the life of the range as well as the cost and operation of gas vs electric ranges?

No, I haven't. Actually, I'm planning on rehabbing the whole house but have been sorta forced to start with the kitchen. If I was going to do it all at once like I originally planned, gas would less of an issue because a lot would be torn up anyway so plumbing in gas wouldn't be such a pain. I considered gas for a new furnace (currently have baseboard heat and like it OK)/central air unit. And I've considered a gas generator backup - Which is what first got me to investigate gas several years back.

The negative is natural gas (and I assume propane) has gone up a lot in price. I looked back at almost 10 years of electric bills from this house and electric has only gone up about 6% (I draw from Cinergy's Zimer coal fired plant east of Cincinnati). So - With my family and friends telling me their gas price increase woes over the last couple of years I've sorta stayed away from thinking about gas.

I prefer cooking with a gas range over an electric range.

Do any of you have a glass-ceramic topped kitchen range? If so, your thoughts?Yep, I do, and it never entered my mind to even consider a "coil burner" when I bought it. Nobody, and I mean nobody buys anything but glass-ceramic tops around here these days.

I have not heard about one single mishap with them either. Quite the opposite: Several friends have told me about dropping frying pans and other heavy duty stuff on them and actually getting away with it.

If that is what is worrying you: Hesitate no more.

/Claes

Yes - Chipping / cracking and short element life were the main complaints. I'm thinking it's like the old turbocharger stories. At one time they were problematic, but any more they're very reliable. None the less, the old horror stories live on.

Yes - Chipping / cracking and short element life were the main complaints. I'm thinking it's like the old turbocharger stories. At one time they were problematic, but any more they're very reliable. None the less, the old horror stories live on.
I, too, prefer gas and have it in my home. Fire laws prevented us from having gas at our business so we went whole hog for our kitchen there. We got a combination microwave/electric convection oven (terrific!) plus a range top with infrared units under tempered glass. We bought new cookware specifically to mate with the system (no "good old cast iron" fry pans and dutch ovens.) In 7 years, cooking 2 meals every shift, (28 meals/week), we never had a problem with either unit, despite some amateurs bungling around in the kitchen. The top was 100 times easier to clean than a gas range. It seemed to me we got almost as much heat variation by turning the knob as with gas and the burners did NOT carry residual heat for a long period like old fashioned electric coil ranges did. When we turned off the burner, the delay before it was cool enough to touch with a hand was about as long as for touching the pan support grid on a gas range.

After having a small bacon grease fire, I got rid of the coil stove. We've had the ceramic ever since and still use an 18" cast iron skillet too. I've had it for over 3 years now and haven't had to replace an element.

Now watch, I'll get home and the stove will fall apart!:mg:

I have one of the glass top ranges. I bought it when they finished building my house 3 years ago. I, too prefer gas, but the nearest natural gas line is a mile or two way, and I doubt the propane guys would want to try my hill in their truck.

Anyway, I have not had any problems, but I have to use a special cleaner to clean the glass, and it takes longer than it should, IMO. Also, the glass does show dust and crud a lot clearer than some other surfaces (and no, my kitchen is not a pig sty, but for some it may be an issue).

That said, compared to the other type of coil range it is superior by far.

WHen we remodled our old home we installed a new one. We loved it did not have any problems at all. sleek, easy to clean, safe, energy saving, time saving, etc. Heats up fast and it cools down faster than the old coils. Just my thoughts and experience. When our current coil goes out at our new house it will be replaced with the ceramic.

We bought new cookware specifically to mate with the system (no "good old cast iron" fry pans and dutch ovens.)


WHAT!? You can't use cast iron on these!? :mg:

How do you make biscuits and gravy? :nope:

My old man has been using a ceramic glass top stove for 20 years now in the UK, it looks as new now as it did when he first got it.
Of course these things haven't taken off in North America as well as in Europe.
A side bar to this;
Haven't you noticed that much of the new innovative products are now coming from Europe.
Creepy Eh?
Wallace.

My Haven't you noticed that nuch of the new innovative products are now coming from Europe.
Creepy Eh?
Wallace.


Wallace, I have noticed this, too, especially when it comes to home construction, furniture (the Swedes come to mind), appliances, etc.

WHAT!? You can't use cast iron on these!? :mg:

How do you make biscuits and gravy? :nope:
Simply stated, the problem is not with being able to "cook" - cast iron is heavy (I use a 12-inch pan to make "country fried chicken") and some folks tend to drag it rather than lift it - we wanted to avoid as many scratches and "drops" as possible - mistake proofing for the kitchen! We went with a nice Calphalon set for stove top and Pyrex glass and ceramic ovenware for the microwave/convection oven (which did very nice browning and even broiling.)

I have a glass top range (replaced the old coils) and simply love it. The most important things I can think of are:
1. Make sure to by good quality completely flat bottomed cookware, no ridges or coil patterns on the bottom.
2. Clean the glass surface after every use, if you don't, the crud builds up and then burns and becomes much more difficult to remove.

Other than those caveats I would recommend getting a model that has the ability of one half of the range surface to heat up to handle big jobs, with the connecting element between two spots. Indoor grilling is great when you can use a big grill pan that covers half the range top.

When I built my new house last year, I got the ceramic glass cooktop. Like any electric range, you don't get the instant heat regulation like gas, but I really do like it. It's easy to clean, which means I probably do a little better job cleaning it each time I use it. I have to say that I think it heats more evenly than the old coil models.

The biggest problem I have had is that my kids sometimes set the nylon utensiles down on the stovetop, and then knock them onto the burner after they turn it off, they don't seem to stick to the stovetop, but it will make a mess of your stirring spoon! I don't think I would ever go back to the old coil type again, just because of the fact that everything is flat, and you don't get all that "burner pan crap" accumulating under a burner that you cannot get to till everything has cooled down.

My wife's aunt put one of these in their kitchen 6-7 years ago, when they completely remodeled their 100+ year old home. I've cooked on it several times at their family reunions, and I really liked using it. Looks good, cleans up well, and is pretty durable. They love it. We have gas at home, and we love it, but if we ever replace it, it may be with one of these, even though I'll have to run wire to it.

Mark, if you are going to redo the whole house AND heat/air, have you considered geothermal? More expensive to install, but more efficient, and you can get your hot water for the house from it.

We bought our first ceramic top about 4 years ago and I will never go back to pulling those coils out and scrubbing or replacing those metal liner thingies. Plus, you always had to lift the top and get all the crap that got down there. Yuck! The smooth ceramic top eliminates all of that. As for crud building up if you don't wipe it down after each use - isn't that true for all stovetops?

I still use all the same cookware I always did - heavy cast iron included - nothing has scratched it yet - and I have a 13 year old who is beginning to do quite a bit of stovetop cooking.

Something else I remember from my owner's manual, but I am not sure if it applies to all glass top ranges. There is something about sweet liquids that can pit the top, if left on it without cleaning. I have not had a problem with this, as I do clean mine after every use, usually right after we are done eating.

Its been so long since I cleaned an old range I forgot about the mystery glop that is impossible to clean from the old style burner pans. Even hydrochloric acid would have a hard time with some of that stuff. So, even though it gets cleaned more often, the glass top is easier in the long run to keep looking like new.