Glass-top cooktops, or ceramic cooktops, get more efficient and convenient even they are now a newly introduced appliance.With faster heating than gas, more cooking power than electric coils, and a sleek, low-profile look, ceramic cooktops are the perfect balance of form and function. But what are ceramic cooktops, and how do they work? Before you upgrade your kitchen with one of these powerhouses, here’s the lowdown on the options available and how they can each make your life a little easier.
How Do Ceramic Cooktops Function?
Any cooktop made of tempered ceramic glass with a smooth surface is a ceramic cooktop. Though you'll usually find all ceramic smoothtops lumped together on the sales floor, there are actually a few different options to pick from:
Radiant uses heated coils of metal under a sheet of ceramic glass
Halogen uses halogen bulbs instead of metal to generate heat
Semi-halogen uses a combination of metal coils and halogen bulbs
Induction uses magnets, which interact with the metal in your cooking pans, to generate heat
There are just small differences between the first three models. Halogen bulbs light up right away, so you always know when the cooktop is on, and the heating elements tend to cool off a tiny bit faster compared to radiant cooktops. Other than that, they all cook the same and offer all the same conveniences.
On the other hand, induction cooktop works differently. These cooktops are very fast to heat, and boil water twice as quickly on average compared to other cooktops. That's because it doesn't use a heat source to transfer heat to the pan like a traditional cooktop -- instead, the interaction between magnets and metal heats the pan directly, effectively turning the pan into a burner. That means that the cooktop won't heat up until you put a pan on it, even if the power is on.
Pros Of Using Ceramic Cooktop
At first, with ceramic cooktops, cleaning is a breeze. The smooth, sealed heating elements make it easy to wipe up spills with just a damp cloth or soft sponge -- no more metal grates collecting oil!
With most of ceramic cooktops, cooking is made much easier and more safe. Many have heat indicators that show when the stovetop is hot, and induction cooktops don't even heat until a pan has been placed on them. Some ceramic cooktops even turn off automatically after a set period of time -- which means curious kids are less likely to get hurt when helping out in the kitchen. Ceramic cooktops also eliminate the need to run potentially dangerous gas lines through your kitchen -- all you need is an electrical connection to make them work. The reduced risk of gas leaks can make your whole home much safer in the event of an earthquake, storm, flood, or fire.
Cons Of Using a Ceramic Cooktop
A good thing about ceramic cooktops is that there are almost no cons of its usage.
The biggest concern of using a ceramic cooktop for many is a scratched glass. Rough-bottomed pans or dropped items can potentially scrape or even crack the surface -- but the ceramic glass of your cooktop is tempered and built to withstand heavy use, so you'd have to drop something pretty heavy to actually break it.
Also, there could be a bit less precision and slower heating when it comes to radiant and halogen cooktops. Most professional chefs prefer the uniformity that flame cooking offers. However, if you're looking for truly professional cooking like you can get on a traditional gas burner, induction offers a solution for those weak points that other ceramic cooktops struggle with, offering speedy, powerful heat output and precise temperature control.
The other downside of induction cooktops is that not all the types of pans and pots will work with the magnetic cooking technology. So if you're thinking about getting an induction cooktop, be aware that you may have to invest in some new cookware as well.
Anyways, it’s always great to renew your living space, especially something like kitchen where we spend quite some time on a daily basis. So if you’re planning to add a touch of high-end technology to your kitchen, and improve your cooking experience, check out our cooktops for sale today at Townappliance.com.
