Innisfree Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 When we moved into our present house there was an old smooth topped stovetop which I hated, because it took forever to adjust temperatures. I figured, without really knowing, that the glass was essentially an insulator and slowed the transfer of heat to the units. Also, the information from the manufacturer, which the previous owners had helpfully left, said not to use it for canning. I like to can, so that was a problem. So eventually we replaced it with conventional coils. I like the way they heat and cool more rapidly, but unfortunately it's developed wiring problems and we need to replace it. Now it looks like the only exposed coils I see are essentially pretty low-end products. I'd like to get something good that I won't need to replace in the foreseeable future. Ease of cleaning is all well and good, but how do these new smooth-tops perform? Are they quick to heat and cool? Would someone who does a lot of cooking be happy with them? Does anyone have experience with these and care to comment? Also, what about canning (this question seems to baffle appliance salesmen)? If I could get gas, I would, but that's not an option. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Openhearted Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I love my smooth top. I will never have an exposed coil stove. I think you will get used to temperature variations of a new stove top range. I used a pressure scanner on mine with no problems. I must have read it was permitted in the instructions or I wouldn't have. However, I don't move it around. I set it on the burner where I want it, and there it stays. The only thing I don't use on mine is cast iron. I don't think that is permitted. But we use it when we go camping or cook on the grill.:) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I prefer smooth top too. They are easier to clean, IMO, although I get nervous about scratching them. If I were replacing something right now, I would try to get an induction cooktop! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I'm on my third smooth top in fifteen years and love them. My current one, two years old, heats SUPER fast. I have not used my pressure canner, but I have read that it should work just fine. Cast iron -- I use cast iron on my smooth top three or four times a day. No problems. No scratches. Heats up quickly and holds heat very well. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendy not in HI Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Gas? That's my favorite! I have a smooth top and I hate it. I love to use cast iron, and it doesn't do well on the smooth top. It took me about a year to figure out how to work with my stove top. I am pretty sure you are not supposed to use cast iron on the smooth top, but I do, and so far so good... We move a lot (military) and I get to try out all sorts of stoves. I prefer gas, but if that's not available, I like the exposed coils. Smooth top is easy to clean, but I cook better on the coils. It is entirely possible I have only use old bad stoves. Maybe there is newer, better technology out there that makes the smooth top superior, but from what I've seen, it's not my favorite. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 Gas? That's my favorite! I have a smooth top and I hate it. I love to use cast iron, and it doesn't do well on the smooth top. It took me about a year to figure out how to work with my stove top. I am pretty sure you are not supposed to use cast iron on the smooth top, but I do, and so far so good... We move a lot (military) and I get to try out all sorts of stoves. I prefer gas, but if that's not available, I like the exposed coils. Smooth top is easy to clean, but I cook better on the coils. It is entirely possible I have only use old bad stoves. Maybe there is newer, better technology out there that makes the smooth top superior, but from what I've seen, it's not my favorite.[/quote See, that's exactly what I was wondering too-- whether my experience was with an old one before they were really very good, and now they're much better, or if they're all slow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Openhearted Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I haven't noticed any slowness heating, but I have cooked on a smoothtop for almost 20 years. We have owned 2. It seems to heat very quickly, to me, anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I hate my flat top but that's basically all I've seen in the past, I don't know...10 years or so? My Mom always buys an exposed coil stove, and I love the ease of cleaning/replacing the pans. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 If I were replacing something right now, I would try to get an induction cooktop! :iagree: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I've had both. I thought cleaning the smooth top would be so easy. The weird thing is that it is was not easy to clean. I hated it. The functionality in terms of heating up and cooling down is fine, but cleaning it wasn't as easy as I assumed. Induction is nice and very fast at heating up and cooling down, but if you don't already have the right pots and pans for it then you'll have to buy new pans too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 So for induction, the pans have to work on a magnetic surface, right? I'm not sure how many of mine would do. Some are old, but I like them. Have to think about that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Found this: How to Tell If Your Pots Will Work with Induction!If you aren’t sure if your pans are magnetic or not, or what material your pans are made of, here’s an easy trick: Grab a magnet from your fridge and hold that magnet near the bottom surface of the pan. If you let go of the magnet and it sticks to the base of the pan, the pot is magnetic, and therefore will work with an induction stovetop. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 (edited) Smooth top all the way. Mine heats quite quickly, cools down a bit more slowly I'd guess. It's easy to adjust the temp up and down as I cook, but there's some residual heat for quite a while after finishing, so you can't be careless about towels on the stove and such. They do have a reminder light. IDK about canning. No problem with cast iron; I'm not sure why there would be? I mean, you don't want to bang and crash it around, but I don't know why the actual cooking would be an issue. Cleans super easy; you do have to use the right type of cleaner, something like Soft Scrub, but we don't use a special smooth top cleaner. We do lots of cooking. Ours is at least 5 years old, and possibly more like 10. Edited to add that mine is not induction, just radiant heat with smooth glass top. Edited February 29, 2016 by katilac 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 So for induction, the pans have to work on a magnetic surface, right? I'm not sure how many of mine would do. Some are old, but I like them. Have to think about that. Yes. I think if you're going for induction, at the price you pay, the extra $100 or so for new pans is negligible. Of course, you could buy more expensive pans too... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Yes. I think if you're going for induction, at the price you pay, the extra $100 or so for new pans is negligible. Of course, you could buy more expensive pans too... I haven't seen pans that cheap unless you are talking about some mega cheap crappy set at Kmart or something. And I don't even buy the most expensive pans. Not even close. So I do think the cost can add up if you need to replace several pans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I've had both the smooth top and traditional gas. I like the traditional gas much better. Sure, it takes maybe a little longer to clean sometimes, but not much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I've had both the smooth top and traditional gas. I like the traditional gas much better. Sure, it takes maybe a little longer to clean sometimes, but not much. Interesting. They have smooth top gas stoves? I've never seen that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 My 1st choice would be gas, no question. I loved my gas appliances at our old house, but we don't have gas service at our current house. I currently have a smooth top (the first I've ever had) and like it much better than coiled. I have had issues canning on my smooth top stove with a large water bath canning pot - the water never got hot enough to boil with that much water in the pot. So now when I can, I use DH's turkey fryer stand that uses propane for fuel and have no issues. I use cast iron frequently on my smooth top and have never had any problems. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Interesting. They have smooth top gas stoves? I've never seen that. No, I mean I've used the smooth top (electric) and the traditional gas. I can see I worded it in a confusing way! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 No, I mean I've used the smooth top (electric) and the traditional gas. I can see I worded it in a confusing way! Ah. Oh yeah nothing beats gas, but it's not always possible to get gas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Another thing I preferred about the coils was I never felt like I had to be careful. You can slam pots on there or drop pots on there. Not that I'm a crazy rough cook, but it happens. Then if the kids use it, they aren't careful. With the glass top I always felt like I had to baby it. I was worried about it. Maybe that was not warranted, but that is how I felt about it. So it seemed annoying to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 (edited) Interesting. They have smooth top gas stoves? I've never seen that. Oops, dp. Edited February 29, 2016 by J-rap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I have had two smooth tops. No gas available in our neighborhood, so electric it is. I use cast iron all day long. My 2 year old smooth top heats up fast and cools down slowly (it seems). I do not let gunk build up--soak with a wet papertowel and wipe away. I have done some canning--some jelly or tomato salsas--and did fine with the smooth top. More critical canning I'd be concerned about. Love the idea upthread about using a propane device outside. The only thing that seems to scratch mine is another piece of glass--I no longer put a casserole dish on the stove top and scoot it around. That leaves scratches. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I won't use my smooth top for canning. Most have an automatic shut off that won't hold a consistent temperature long and high enough to safely pressure can without risking cracking the glass. There are people who do it anyway, but I won't risk my stove (and void the warranty) when I can buy a separate burner or use an outdoor propane stove. Not that I've actually done it yet - I've only gotten as far as buying the equipment, lol. I do use cast iron on my stove nearly every single day. I just make sure not to drag or drop it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I always wanted a smooth top until I got one. I hate it! Thankfully, we are only renting this house. The home we own has coils and I never had an issue. The smooth top here heats super slow. We've had it looked at and they say nothing is wrong but my electric coil stove top could boil water in half the time. If I can't get a gas stove when we buy here, I will definitely go with coils over a smooth top. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 Yes. I think if you're going for induction, at the price you pay, the extra $100 or so for new pans is negligible. Of course, you could buy more expensive pans too... See, for me, it's the fact that I like my old pans. I'm probably heading for hoarder status. I've been using them for years, and I know which shape and size I like for everything. Some were my grandfather's, and some were my mother's, and some were dh's from before we were married. They give me warm fuzzy feelings. ;-) So, I just don't want to get new ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I finally got a gas stove but did a TON of canning (both water and pressure) on my glass top stove with no issue. I also used cast iron daily. No problems and no scratches. Had the oven not quit in a spectacular way, I would still be canning on it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 since you have to stick with electric - can you do an induction? (which is smooth - but works differently than most lexan tops.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 smooth I'm on second of life, and it works better (faster) than the old one did, but even with old one I liked it enough to replace with another smooth. We clean with oxalic acid or citric acid cleaner as per the instructions. Cleans easy. Newer has a dark top which doesn't show stains, but harder to see what needs cleaning. Old had white top which showed stains, but was also easier to see spills and dirt on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 If you can get an induction stove, you might look into it. All my pans worked on the induction stove and it was darn close to gas as far as responsiveness to your control. If anything, the surface cooled faster after turnoff than my gas stove/cast-iron grate does. My pans are all steel or cast iron/porcelain-covered cast iron, so that was not an issue for the induction burner. Glass or aluminum pans, no good. Someone else suggested getting a separate burner for canning, if the glass top is worrying to you. We got a separate burner for use during our kitchen remodel, and that was where I gained my experience with induction. I was very happy with it. But we got gas in the kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I absolutely adore my induction stove. If I have my way I will never own any other kind. Fast heat up super fast cool time (like 1/10th the time of a regular smoothtop). Actually the glass never really heats up enough to need to cool much. I'm a messy cook, I boil things over ALL THE TIME. I pick up pot, take towel wipe off burner, set pot back and keep cooking. Seriously the glass doesn't get hot enough to feel through a thin towel or rag. I also do lots of waterbath canning (I think I did around 150 -200 quarts last year). My old coil stove took an hour to bring the water to a boil, induction brings it to a boil in 18 minutes. I've loaned my kitchen and canning pots to several people who just want to can a few things. All the older ones struggle with the concept that they don't start boiling the water until after the food is prepped because it will be a raging boil long before they need it if they start at the usual time. I did have to by a new canning as the enamelware ones won't work. Ball makes a very nice one. Pressure canning doesn't really work because thus far there isn't a stainless steel one available (there is a small 4 quart version but it was designed in Europe and there is some questions as whether it is truly safe for canning) As far as pans go Walmart has a line called Tramontina tri-ply. Cooks magazine rated it as good as All Clad but it's significantly cheaper. I bought a 10 piece set of them for about $150 a few years ago. I've also picked up a few at Marshalls and TJ Maxx. I also use cast iron on mine. My cast iron pan is a bit rough on the bottom and I didn't want scratches so I bought a round silicone mat and put it between the burner and glass. Works like a charm. I've had mine for 5 years now and I still love it as much as when I first got it. Plus it's super easy to clean because nothing ever burns on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I hated my smooth top stove. It's not that easy to clean, plus ours cracked! When we remodeled the kitchen we got gas which I love! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I'm on my third smooth top in fifteen years and love them. My current one, two years old, heats SUPER fast. I have not used my pressure canner, but I have read that it should work just fine. Cast iron -- I use cast iron on my smooth top three or four times a day. No problems. No scratches. Heats up quickly and holds heat very well. Third smooth top in fifteen years...as in you've had to replace it multiple times during that period? I ask because I'm still using the Tappan range that was original to the house when it was built in 1973. The house was 20 years old when we moved in and I was very keen to get a new one then because it definitely looked outdated. But my friends were all complaining about their new ones, so I put it off. 43 years old and still going (mostly) strong. One of the coil burners isn't working, but I never need four so it doesn't matter. Now I figure if I hold out a little longer this look will be back in style. :coolgleamA: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I hated my smooth top stove. It's not that easy to clean, plus ours cracked! When we remodeled the kitchen we got gas which I love! Yeah this is so weird, but it was true for me too. You figure flat, you just wipe it right? Oh no no. You have to scrape it with a razor blade. And often times that doesn't do it. There was always some sort of spot. After awhile there were stains that would not come out. I hated that damn stove. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 (edited) Third smooth top in fifteen years...as in you've had to replace it multiple times during that period? I ask because I'm still using the Tappan range that was original to the house when it was built in 1973. The house was 20 years old when we moved in and I was very keen to get a new one then because it definitely looked outdated. But my friends were all complaining about their new ones, so I put it off. 43 years old and still going (mostly) strong. One of the coil burners isn't working, but I never need four so it doesn't matter. Now I figure if I hold out a little longer this look will be back in style. :coolgleamA: Third because the first one I had to leave behind when we moved out of the house, but I'd had it for six years at that point, and it was still completely fine. Then the second one we had for about seven years until there was a problem with the oven (due to a mouse chewing the wiring -- it's an old house). But the stovetop worked just fine, although we'd replaced the front burner once because it died (after being used three or four times a day for several years -- it was the big variable size burner). So now we have our third one (and a lot of mouse traps), and it's lovely. DH would prefer gas, but that's not available here. My new stove, while technically not as fancy as my last stove -- the big variable size burner has a super boil feature, and it'll bring several quarts of water to a boil in just a few minutes. I love that feature. Edited March 1, 2016 by happypamama 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 We had gas re-run at our house and it was well worth it and not horribly expensive. I will never have an electric again if I can help it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Gas all the way. I do a lot of canning, and it is great for that. We had a new smooth top LG at a rental house last summer, and I did like how it heated. I'm not in the market for a new stove, but if I could can on it, the LG would be fine if I didn't have gas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 Yeah, I've used gas in a previous house and loved it. Here it isn't an option. But I have to say, reading about induction, it sounds like it has similar flexibility. And I love the idea of a cool stovetop and spills that can be wiped up instead of burning on. Hmmm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 For smoothtops, remember to look at the actual units of measurement for the burners. When people are saying their stoves are "slow" my guess is the burners are very low power. I've got two smoothtops in my house, one older (I don't know, maybe 13) and the other newer (8). My newer stove has MUCH higher power burners than the older stove, no comparison. I think my newer stove has like 36K and 28K for the max burners. There is a way to convert that to BTU to compare to gas. I remember calculating it out and thinking that basically my new(er) stove is as powerful as a good quality gas stove. Get on a lower end gas stove and it will be slower. ;) But sure, go induction if you have the $$. I didn't want the magnetic fields, but I'm weird that way. And with regular smoothtop I can use my glass dishes too. Cast iron is fine, canning is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 We have the textured smooth top - if that makes sense. The super-smooth tops show every streak, scratch, & smudge. The textured smooth top is more forgiving. I grew up with a coil stove & much prefer the smooth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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