I currently have an Electrolux glass top range. Since it is Electrolux and the other two appliances we got at the same time have died, I assume this one will also go before it’s time. I hate the glass cooktop but can’t get gas. I am wondering the pros and cons of induction vs the electric glass top. Anyone have any opinions on this one? Thanks in advance!
I also have an Electrolux glasstop. I don’t hate it and it does seem to get very hot. We redid the kitchen a couple of years ago and I spent a lot of time considering induction. I was using an induction hot plate during Reno. The cons were I have quite a few nice pots that wouldn’t work and I have a habit of picking up a pan from the burner to stir or look or slow it down and the burner would turn off. All said, the old stove was the only appliance I kept. When it dies I will rethink this decision. I currently only buy a new pan if it’s induction capable - just in case.
I have gas . . . so no direct experience in my own home. But, I have cooked frequently on induction and glass tops. If it were my kitchen and I couldn’t get gas - I’d go induction. I think the heat control is so far superior that it would be my first choice.
There are some electrical circuit considerations if you’re switching from glass top to induction, so make sure the circuit that your stove is on can handle induction and if not, just an additional cost consideration to make that work.
1 Like
Can I ask why you hate regular glass cooktop? I have one now, and I hate it too. However, what I haet about the regular radiative glass cooktop… won’t translate to induction glass cooktop.
Sure. I hate cleaning it. The slightest thing and it’s dirty. I hate the fact that once a burner is hot you can’t reduce to simmer unless you switch burners.
1 Like
I have a glass cooktop & the same two complaints.
The cleaning to me seems similar between the two in my experience. The heat is totally different.
Me too. I hate the cleaning part. I am told the cleaning is slightly better for induction gladdtop because the glass is less hot. Not sure.
I have induction and have had glass top they are very different.
Cleaning induction is really easy, because it doesn’t get very hot spills don’t burn onto the top. It’s also pretty easy to wipe it with a dish cloth straight after cooking so you can wipe up before things set.
I just use a nylon scourer pad with a little detergent and then dry with a dish cloth. If I want it to shine I then use a little methylated spirit on a paper towel and it looks brand new (its two years old). No hard scrubbing required or specialist cleaners.
You do need to check the controls when you buy it. I see one poster has one that turns off when they remove a pan. Mine does that but it comes back on if you put the pan back on in a reasonable period - for example when you lift a pan to whisk something or add a bit of water from the sink.
Mine also has timers on each element which is quite good for some things that I want to cook for a certain time then let sit - rice by absorption for example. The element cools quickly once there is no power.
A few downsides. Two already mentioned, you need the right pans and I too had to dump some old faithfuls. They are also power hungry so may need more power than an old fashioned glass hob. The other thing is they can be noisy with certain pans, with certain pans the sandwich construction hums when the induction current is on at a certain level - easily fixed by turning it up or down but can grate.
I used to swear by gas but I find induction far far better. It heats faster, it’s just as (if not more controllable) and is very clean.
2 Likes
I have given my experience based opinion on glass cook-tops over on the “most overrated/underrated” thread. Suffice to say they are the creation of Voldemort.
I’m replacing mine with one of these:
https://www.appliancesuk.co.uk/Cda-HE6050-60cm-Solid-Plate-Electric-hob-in-Stainless-Steel
Are solid plate cooktops common in the US? All I’ve ever seen are coil. I’ve had both, and solid plate just works (and looks) better, IMO. Way better than glass.
1 Like
I rarely see solid plates. Why are they better (slightly) than the coils?
A lot of people complain about glass cooktops being difficult to clean. If so, why not just ignore the cleaning part? I mean. Electric coils and gas stoves get dirty too. We just don’t dig deep down to clean.
Ignoring the cleaning part means it looks truly awful, even after just boiling an egg, so you have to clean multiple times a day. Properly. A quick wipe just makes it look worse. The other issue is that fat/sauce spatters from any cooking sit on the glass waiting to transfer on to the bottom of another pan, greatly increasing dirtification issues. On a gas top these generally miss the pan supports; on a solid plate electric they just carbonise to nothing, but on a glass surface they burn on and just look unsightly, until you (again) clean the wretched thing.
I’ve only seen them in commercial kitchens.
And not only that, sometimes just placing a pot from the oven on top of the glass dirties it. And you really have to keep on top of it or it looks awful!
1 Like
Wise words.
Now, which idiot planned my kitchen remodel? Oh. Me.
1 Like
Robin - the problem with the old solid plate cook top is they retain heat so the difficult to adjust and fine tune when cooking. I have used a few over the years and find them tricky to keep clean as spills do tend to burn onto the hot enamel surrounding the plates.
I do urge you to look again at induction. I was very much the skeptic and had had lots of glass ceramic cook tops that seemed to weld spills on to their surfaces in seconds. These were all in rental units and cleaning without scratching the glass was a nightmare.
I assumed induction would be the same but its almost the complete opposite. Spills are really easy to wipe up and because the top stays reasonably cool* they can be wiped as they happen. And the relatively cool surface doesn’t get hot enough for the spill to weld or chemically combine with the glass.
The heat comes from the pan transferring heat to the glass as the induction current is directly heating the metal of the pan - remove the pan and remove the heat source. Unlike glass ceramic cooktops where the element sits under the glass and heats it up, remove the pan and the hot element is still sitting under the pan.
Hi Gwenn,
Induction is different–in a good way–and the more I learn about the different versions of induction, it gets better and better. It’s the pan that heats first–not the plate surface. It turns itself off to prevent overheating. It can give you very subtle levels of control. It’s quite easy to keep clean.
There are many different induction possibilities–so do some studying.
Ray
1 Like
I echo everything that PhilD has said about induction. I just got mine after my kitchen remodel, and I love it! I previously had a glass top electric range.
I love the lightening fast heat changes, from hot to colder, and back. Water boils faster than you are ready for it.
Cleanup is a breeze. If I am being ultra squeaky clean, and want to minimize cleanup, I just put down a couple of paper towels onto the cooktop. I fry and splash away. Then when I’m done, I just toss the paper towels. Cleanup couldn’t be any easier!
I had to get rid of a couple of pans, but I feel that it was a good tradeoff for the quick control I have over the food.
Once you go induction, you’ll never go back!
2 Likes
I’m in love already
Experienced a unique (to us) induction technique in Japan. At the end of a fugu (pufferfish) set meal, a nabe of the bones/skin and vegetables. The cooking vessel was a paper lined wicker basket, with a metal disc in the water to conduct the heat. The water came to a rolling boil easily.
Now that we know that it can be done, still hesitant to try this at home. 
4 Likes
