Cooktop Buying Guide When purchasing a Cooktop there are a few things you need to look at before choosing the one which will best suit your needs. There is a wide range to choose from and getting the right cooktop for your needs is important. There is three basic types of Cooktops, these are gas, ceramic and induction. Cooktops come in a range of sizes, starting at 30 cm (usually single or 2 burner), then 60cm (this is the most common and usually 4 burner), and other varying sizes up to 90cm (larger cooktops are available however far less common). When purchasing a cooktop you need to work out how much you use your Cooktop and how many burners you will be using at any one time. The more burners you use the larger the cooktop you will need. Gas Cooktops Gas is very popular due to the very quick temperature change. A great feature of gas is that you can get a visual of the flame size when setting the heat, It is also great because it can be used with all types of cookware.
Gas cooktops are generally cheaper to run that electric and more environmentally friendly. Not all homes have access to natural gas and in some cases Bottled or LPG gas can be used. Gas cooktops come in white, stainless steel or glass finish, they can come with either Enamel or Cast iron trivets. Enamel trivets are easy to clean and are designed for normal to light usage, for heavy usage cast iron trivets are better as they are stronger and more durable. Flame failure is a relatively new safety feature and is found on some cooktops. Flame failure is a small thermometer that is found on each burner and if the flame is accidently put out due to wind or water spillage, or the gas is accidently turned on, the thermometer will sense that the flame is not on and shut of the gas, preventing the room being filled with gas. The wok burner is a popular feature on gas cooktops and is generally larger than the other burners. It is great for stir fry's and cooking at a high temperatures. It is also great for simmering as you can get the smallest flame out of it, the wok burner should always be the first burner you start cooking with as it is the best all round burner. Some five burner cooktops come with a fish burner. This is an oblong shaped burner and is great for long and larger pans (ideal for cooking fish or pancakes). The fish burner is also great for using a grill plate for BBQ use. Electric Cooktops Electric cooktops are great for when gas is not available to the home or for easy cleaning, they can be used with all types of cookware. Electric cooktops can be broken into two types, ceramic and solid hobs. Ceramic hobs are made of a very hard and durable glass (usually black) and the coils glow red when working. They come with either knob controls or electronic touch pads. Ceramic cooktops take longer to heat up and retain the heat on the surface for a while once it is switched off (great for keeping things warm once cooking is finished). Ceramic cooktops are easy to clean once cooking is done due to the flat surface, so long as no spills get burn onto the surface. Some Ceramic cooktops will have burners with two rings. This is great for using both small and large pans as with a small pan you only need to use one ring and therefore saving energy. Likewise if you have a larger pan you can use both rings and therefore creating even heat to the pan. A safety feature on some Ceramic cooktops is they have a child safety lock and can prevent young children and small pets turning on the cooktop. Some Ceramic cooktops also have a timer and this is great to know how long you are cooking to get the same result each time. Solid Hotplates are usually the cheapest on the market. The hotplate is made of solid metal or in some cases a coil. It works much in the same way as Ceramic cooktops although they do not glow red when hot and therefore it is hard to tell if the surface is hot.
Induction Cooktops. Induction cooktops are relatively new to the market place and work on magnetic coils that radiate with the cookware to make the heat, they are extremely efficient and can be found in some of the world's most famous commercial kitchens (including Sydney's Tetsuya's). Induction is extremely quick to heat up (faster than gas), induction is also great for low level simmering (lowest of any type of cooktop), induction cooktops are also great because they have a great control of the temperature over all temperature ranges. Like some ceramic cooktops most induction cooktops have both a child lock and a timer as well as an indicator to tell you when the surface is hot after usage (this is usually for a very short period as the temperature is created at the pan and not the surface of the cooktop). Induction's surfaces are easy to clean and as the surfaces rarely get unexpectedly hot spills rarely occur and burn on. Not all cookware works with Induction so you need to be sure that you are using cookware which will work with induction or the pan will not heat up at all. A good test is to get a magnet and if it sticks to the bottom of the pan then it will work with induction, if not then it will not heat up when you try to use it. Many brands run promotions giving away free pots and pans with the sale of an induction cooktop so look out for this when purchasing an induction cooktop.
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