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Cooktops

Your options include:

Gas burners
Electric coils
Glass ceramic surfaces
Modular burners

Gas burners

How they heat

Better know your Btu. British thermal units measure the heating power of gas cooktops and ovens. Technically speaking, a Btu is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit—or about the amount of heat produced by burning one wooden match. The higher the Btu capacity, the hotter the cooktop or oven can get.

For everyday cooking, 9,000 Btu should suffice. But if you plan to do a lot of sautéing, stir-frying, or other high-heat cooking, you’ll want to top out at 12,000 or more. Commercial burners can go as high as 20,000, and some designed for home use can hit 15,000. With that kind of heat, you can get 8 quarts of water boiling in six minutes.

Also consider what kind of precision you can get at the lower end of the heating scale. You may want some burners, for example, that can go down to 5,000 Btu and cycle on and off so that you can simmer without scorching.

Pros

Allow you to instantly turn the heat on or off.
Give you more precise control over the temperature when you’re searing meat or simmering sauces.
Some new models can use 30 percent less gas by relying on pilotless ignition instead of continuously burning pilot lights.

Cons

Can release gaseous fumes that, without proper ventilation, can lead to indoor air pollution.
Require certain gas hook-ups.

Expect to pay

About $300 on up to $1,000.

Electric coils

How they heat

Electric black coils—metallic tubes covered with insulation—create heat through electrical resistance. The heat moves from the coils to the pot or pan through conduction and radiation.

Pros

Don’t cause indoor air pollution.
Allow you to boil water faster on larger burners than you can on some gas cooktops.
They’re easy to maintain and repair.

Cons

You may pay less initially but electric can cost more than gas over the long run.
Don’t make a strong design statement.
Don’t offer precise control over temperatures.

Expect to pay

About $200.

Glass ceramic surfaces

Your options include:

Radiant
Halogen
Magnetic-induction

How they heat

Each type uses electricity to heat up a flat, glass ceramic surface. You use knobs or a touchpad to turn the heat on and off. Patterns on the cooktop surface indicate where to place your pots and pans.

Radiant—or ribbon—elements heat similarly to standard black electric coils; halogen works like ultra hot lightbulbs; and magnetic-induction creates magnetic fields that generate heat. Magnetic induction offers the kind of control you can get with gas burners, but it’s also the most expensive of the three.

Pros

Their smooth, flat surface makes cleanup easy.
When not in use, you can use the smooth surface as extra countertop space.
You get a clean, uncluttered look to the countertop.

Cons

Magnetic induction doesn’t work with aluminum pots and pans, only with steel and cast iron. If you can’t stick a magnet on your pots and pans, they won’t work with this option.
You have to be careful that you don’t burn yourself by accidentally hitting the touchpad controls or knobs.
You won’t get the same kind of precise temperature control that you can with gas, unless you choose magnetic induction.
Hard to tell if the burners are still hot when they’re turned off.

Expect to pay

From about $500 on up to $700.

Modular burners

How they heat

These can be electric or gas and allow you to vary the placement of the burners. You could have four burner locations, with two of standard size and two covered by a grill or griddle.

Pros