LOVE mine. We have the Frigidaire with the double oven slide in range as I hate gas (had it and got rid of it). Much better than coil and a pain, but not horrible to clean.

My parents got their first smooth Corian cooktop in 1979. They still have it and it looks great. When I built my house in 1988, I got one of the first ranges with a smooth top, Magic Chef. I was one of the first around to have it. After 19 years, mine started having some switch problems, but the top was still beautiful. My sister-in-law and mother-in-law bought the same stove after I did and still have it. I got a new Whirlpool with a black top about a year ago. I love the oven (quick preheat and big), but the cooktop scratches much easier and is tougher to clean. Yet, I CAN get it clean. It is also a beautiful stove. I love the single or dual option on the burners. It is still so much better than my first stove...a coil electric version. Hated that!

If you haven't already, check out the appliance forum regarding stoves and cooktops. There is a wealth of info over there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardenweb Appliance Forum

Mine is three years old and it has multiple scratches, even though I use only approved cleaners. I believe the scratches are from sliding pots around it.

The real deal killer for me ... that I did not know before I bought it was that you can not use cast iron skillets on it. For two reasons, the largest ones are just too heavy and may actually break the glass top; can't use my large canner either for that same reason. But even smaller skillets pose a problem because the heat retention properties of cast iron is so great; it may get hot enough to damage the cooktop.

I've had this one for 2 years and love it. My old one was 25 years old when we remodeled but it was still going strong. I really like them.

I know the big thing these days are those big professional looking gas stoves but I hate cleaning grates and I don't do it well.

Also, my stove is located next to a doorway and (strange as it may sound)I didn't want an open flame with people walking past.

You might also want to look at induction cooktops. They are also smooth, but the internal functioning is different (and, many think, better). Check the Appliance forum for more info. Good luck.

Wow, I'm surprised to see so many positive responses. My sister had one in her last home. It was built in 2002. She hated it. She thought it was hard to clean. There was a burned on spill that refused to come off, even with a razor blade or bar keepers friend. I am in the kitchen industry and I often hear negative remarks about smooth tops. Maybe they are getting better? I will watch this thread for more responses....because when my customers ask my opinion, I usually tell them that most people are disappointed with them. So, maybe I am wrong!

I'm not totally in love with mine, would still go back to gas if possible. But love it compared to alternatives. This one is 2 years old, but cooking on one for 8 years. A short learning phase to get a handle on cooking, temps and size of pans. It is so much easier to clean than coils or gas.

As with anything, attention to cleaning on a regular basis is key. I wipe down the stove before and after cooking. Anything left on the top and then cooking again will harden and become difficult or at least take longer to clean off. Only a couple of times did I need to use a razor.

Also I'm a pain with visitors around who know nothing about the cooktop. Sliding pans across or dropping them on without concern. Maybe nothing would happen, but really don't want scratches which can occur with rough usage.

Suggest also to check the appliance forum. There are different options to look at (size of cook areas, temps, quality) and pots/pans need to be right for use.

I have a GE Trivection range. I love my smooth cooktop. I use the cleaner and scrubber-pad that came with my range to deep clean and polish about once a week or so and have had no problems at all. After everyday cooking, though, I just wipe the top with a damp cloth. It cooks so much better than a coil top because the heat, to me, seems even and consistent.

My flat top is what I consider the biggest waste of $$ that I have ever spent. Mine is not 3 years old yet, and is scratched beyond repair. I can clean it to almost perfect, but once I turn on the burner to cook something, it looks like c*r*a*p again.

If you do have your heart set, purchase one with a black top, it may hide the stains better.

I wasn't aware of the serious damage that cast iron could have on the top...SNAP...yet another reason to hate it! I'm off to put my cast iron griddle skillet away.

Annie (looking forward to July when I move into my new home, where my new Kitchen Aide gas range awaits!!!)

We have had our GE smooth top for 7 yrs. It was a discontinued model purchased at a discounted appliance store so the stove is probably an 8 or 9 year old model . It is so easy to clean. Every so often my 13yr old son will cook dinner and he is not neat about it. He likes to cook recipes from the Racheal Ray 30 minute meals for kids cook book, which translates to over boiled pasta and olive oil splatter. I do the clean up which takes no time at all. Do we have scratches? Yes, you can see them if your eye is level with the stove top and your head is tilted at an angle with the right lighting. I have never had spill that couldn't be cleaned or scraped off. My only suggestion is that you get a smooth top that as some speckles on it to hide any scratches that come your way. If you have to have electric than the smooth top is the way to go. It is worth the minor scratches not to have to clean or look at the ugly coil stove.

I love mine, it's 10-11 years old. I use cast iron on mine all the time with no problems. I can't do gas because of allergies and asthma. I'm seriously considering induction the next time I buy an cook top. With smooth top your pans need to be reasonably flat.

Sky

I will be replacing my GE smoothtop range I purchased in 1996. I just use the razor scraper on the burnt "blobs", and the Ceramabrite cleaner (even with a damp paper towel). There are no scratches at all. I will definitely get another smoothtop. For those responders that have scratced tops, What brand is it?

I love how it looks, but don't love the cleaning aspect of it so much. Plus I can't slide pots around like I normally would. I never did mind the coil stoves but it doesn't seem like there is that much selection in them these days.

I have a GE smoothtop and LOVE it. It's only a few months old, but it replaced a coil-burner GE. I hated those coil burners: hard to clean, usually unlevel (and thus uneven heat). I think if you are limited to electric then smoothtop is the way to go (I would prefer gas...maybe in another house). I read the care instructions and do not slide my pans around. I also do not have any cast iron cookware (though I like it). Those are small compromises to make for such a nice looking, level-top range. I use the special cooktop cleaner 2-3x/week and wipe the surface daily. That is not too much maintenance for me, I consider it easier than the old coil burner range.

I've had one for 10 years and love it. It does have one or two areas that aren't perfect, but it is so much easier to clean than coils. My mil has had one for 7 years and hers looks perfect, but if something spills she immediately cleans it.

If you are comparing a smooth top to an electric coil, then, yes, I prefer the smooth top. I've had two and they've been easier to clean than most ranges I've had but I really DISLIKE their performance. Once you've cooked on a gas range, it's very disappointing to move back to electric. I'm going back to gas in my new kitchen.

Like you, we don't have gas so it's an electric range for us. We've been using the Bosch Integra slide-in (stainless) since May 07. While it takes some getting used to the controls as anything new does, we like it alot. I love the clean, sleek look of a smoothtop range. As for cleaning, I find it mostly easy to clean. My suggestion is to clean it after each meal and you won't have worries. Alot of the time, that just means wiping with very hot water or using a spray. I use Weisman's creme (Walmart $3.49) only when needed for stubborn, burn-on stuff. It can take some elbow grease to get it pretty, but doesn't take long. The key to having it remain in new condition is to treat it with care and clean it daily. I don't move pots around much either like I used to with coil. I'm used to that now.

As for the pots/pans, it's best to have solid, level bottoms for better cooking. Do not use warped pans. I've heard other people say they use cast iron pans on their smoothtop, but I don't. I just don't like them.

It sounds to me like all smoothtops are not created equal because some people find them a bear to clean, while others don't. Perhaps it depends on the brand. I just don't know.

I love mine. I had a Whirlpool before which was great and replaced it with a slide-in GE when I remodeled. I have used 30 year old Farberware, cast iron, and now new Caphalon all with good results. The old Whirlpool did have some burnt on rings around the burners after 12 years of hard use, but I still think it looked better than electric coils.

I've had a Kenmore smooth top for several years now. Back then, I had white appliances so the smooth top is a dark grey with white speckles on it. I love it. I haven't had any of the cleaning problems that others speak of. We're venturing on our gut & remodel very soon, and I've ordered a GE smooth top in all black. I can see that I will likley have more chore to keep it looking clean as it doesn't have the speckles on it- I would guess it will show smudges more easily. You can't use cheapie pots and pan on it as they are usually not truly flat on the bottom.

I LOVE my smooth cook top! As mentioned above, you do need to clean it regularly. I use the ceramic cleaner maybe twice a week (and use it sparingly) and then just wipe it down in between. Occasionally, I've had to use a razor blade on a tough spot, but most of the time the ceramic cleaner will get them off - plus it adds a protective coating that makes it easier to clean in between applications. Mine is black. I've had no problems with scratching (almost 2 years of use). No, you can't use cast iron. I did buy new pans - but I still use a couple of my mom's 50 year old stainless pans occassionally (double boiler and extra dutch oven). They are not perfectly flat on the bottom and they work ok. I had a coil electric stove before and I hated those drip pans - they always looked terrible. I'd never go back to coils. However, if I were buying today I would definitely check out induction too!

I have an Amana with a black top with slight speckles. I love it. I admit I'm no gourmet cook so it works well for me. So much better than dirty burner pans. I do try not to boil things over. I wipe with a damp rag and dry with a towel most times. I've had it at least 5 years.

I've had my Wolf smoothtop for almost 2 years now, and I'm very satisfied. A snap to clean, virtually no scratches, and I have yet to find a pot that doesn't cook well on it. There was a learning curve on how to regulate the heat (ie what settings match medium, high, low heat and when to pull a pan off a burner to cool it quickly), but now I find its pretty user friendly.

Does anyone have a MIELE smoothtop?

We're looking at the Miele KM 5676. It's a black electric smoothtop with five burners & no knobs.

Thanks!

I do not like mine at all.
- terrible heat control (like many electric ones)
- was trying to stir the pan w/ one hand (while separating the toddlers from killing each other w/ the other hand), the pan just rotated around w/ each stir, so the food inside did not get stirred/mixed up
- terrible to keep clean. I cook A LOT, and mine has different size burners, so I often have to use the same burners because of my same size pans, I either have to clean my spill-over in between each pot while the burner is HOT, or I let it get burnt on more and more w/ each item/pot I cook. (ahhh, the smell of burnt pancake batter: nasty).

"purchase one with a black top, it may hide the stains better." - I have the all black top: I strongly recommend against it. It's like buying a black car, you can see EVERY smudge/crap on it. The rings/scratches around the burners are just awful to look at.

Yes, smooth top is better than coil, but that's the only positive part.

We purchased a GE glass top for my last home and current home has a Whirlpool gas top. Both were black with speckles on them. Love them! Easy to clean with "softsoap" cleanser. They look nice and shiny. No problems at all and would buy them again in a heartbeat.

There's some comparison here.

I've had a smoothtop for 8 years now - the old one worked fine and, after the remodel, my new bigger one works great too. Both Whirlpools. I have even canned on this stove. The only thing I cannot use is a wok. I've never had a cleaning problem either. My condo is electric.

I HATE my smooth top. They're too finicky and fussy and show spots and scratches and...

I'd much rather have a sealed gas range.

About a year ago I replaced my pro style gas down draft with a smooth top --- at my husband's urging. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but found I really do like it, and haven't minded the cleaning. I find it extremely quick to heat up, and easy to control the temp (but there was a learning curve). My biggest disappointment is that every single one of my All-Clad pans are not flat on the bottom, and thus do not sit flat on the surface. Paid alot of money for these pans, and I would have expected them to be flat on the bottom. So, most of the time I use my 40 year old "Presto Pride" pans that I bought shortly after we were married. They are just as heavy as All-Clad, have copper bottoms, and still look fine. Wish I hadn't spent all that money on All-Clad -- I think I was swayed by the comments on this forum and thought I just had to have them.

My Whirlpool is 17 years old and I love it. It only recently got some scratches when a relative was careless. I found level bottom pans to work best. I do not use cast iron - it is just to heavy for my wrist which required reconstructive surgery for severed tendons after a break.

We do a lot of cooking frequently for medium to large dinners in our home and we're very happy with our Whirlpool smooth cooktop.

Don't drop anything heavy on it. Ours cracked when someone dropped a can from about three feet above.

We had one for about 13 years. It functioned really well for us. Cleaned up like a dream and we did not have any issues with any types of pots/pans we used. We went to a dual fuel in the remodel.

One thing I haven't seen anyone else mention is that it is really bad when a pan overflows (such as oatmeal) because, unlike a coil with the pan underneath, there is nowhere for it to go except on the hot burner. You then either have to sacrifice a cloth towel to the burner to keep the overflow oatmeal from burning, or accept that it will burn onto the bottom of your pan and/or the flat top. Very annoying.
And yes, the rounded pans will not cook evenly, as you asked, and they keep rocking the whole time you cook.
Carla in Sac

...Just purchased a new Kenmore electric smooth-top range with a bisque coloured smooth-top...my first smooth-top after being a coil-top owner all of "mon vie". Thought I'd check the internet to investigate what others think about smooth-top ranges...and...WOW!!!...what a plethora of opinions....just as I expected....some people like them and some people don't! I guess its just like anything else in life.....some people will like some things while others will not....C'est la vie!" I'm plugging in tomorrow so I hope my experiences with the smooth-top will be positive!
>>>>>> ALLAH AKBAH

Mine is a Kenmore, grey speckled -- put it in 6 years ago and if I visited this kitchen, I'd assume it went in yesterday. No scratches, no stains. When something burns on, I wait for the burner to cool somewhat, then lay a wet dishcloth on it - that and a little soft scrub take care of almost everything. The only thing I ever had to scrape off was melted plastic, the first week I had it. Set a plastic throw-away lid down in the wrong place. I'll put another smooth-top in my next kitchen.

Well, I vastly prefer gas anyway, so take this for what it's worth.

We had a smooth top in Israel, and I HATED it. I burned myself on it, because it's hard to tell what's what, especially out of the corner of your eye. But the thing I really hated was that when anything spilled, it cooked on to a cement-like crust.

I don't find it hard at all to clean the gas range I have now.

I also disliked my in-laws' smooth top. It just didn't seem to get hot enough, and it took forever to cool or heat up. I had to use two burners when I had to go from boil to simmer, etc. That was an old one, though; I'm sure they are better now.

If you can't have gas, maybe look at the induction models. They sound great to me.

We have a smooth top range in our lake house. It looks great and cooks well. I'll never buy another one. I have to clean the blasted thing almost every time I use it. If I don't use the right cleaner it streaks. It is a royal PITA.

Love mine!

I had our previous smoothtop GE Profile range (w/convection oven) for over 12 years and the top still looked like new...no scratches that I could find. Even when I boiled over tomato soup (which I did a lot) or other things, I just turned off the burner and took a very wet (dripping) dish cloth, wiped the excess food off the burner (fast!), rinsed the cloth and again got it very wet and placed it on the burner...it helped it not stick too badly. Later, when it cooled, I'd finish cleaning it. I rarely used the cleansers after the first couple of years and saw no performance difference. It was shinier when I used the cleanser though, so I would use it before parties.

The smoothtop was black w/grayish speckles.

We donated the range to our church and the family that got it told my husband how wonderful it is and they couldn't believe it was as old as we said it was...it still works perfectly & looks like new!

While we are going w/a cooktop this time, it's a smoothtop...another GE Profile (along with the Trivection double oven!) I tried to talk my DH into induction but no-go. So I just got the a basic cooktop and they are wiring us for induction...just in case! (I will eventually be able to talk my DH into induction, but not until this remodel is done and the bills stop coming in!)

BTW...I slid pans on my cooktop fairly frequently, no scratches. As to stirring and the pan turning, I seem to recall that only happened if I was using a pan w/o a flat bottom. I do not use cast iron, so I can't attest to that one way or the other.

I will never have anything other than a smoothtop! (Unless some wonderful new technology comes along to wow me!)

HTH!

I had a GE smoothtop for 12 years and loved it. I replaced it with a Kenmore smoothtop last December (just because I wanted a convection oven). The GE was a gray-blue speckle. This one is a black speckle. The GE was much easier to clean than this new one since the black shows smears more and the white burner circles are harder to clean. The GE looked like new when I sold it - not a scratch on it. I would suggest getting the speckles because it hides smears, etc., more. I turned down a chance for a great deal on a smoothtop with a white top - didn't want to keep that looking like new! This new one has not scratched yet. HOWEVER, the vents on the front of the oven door allowed something to run down in between the layers in the door. A repairman cleaned most of it out, but we are going to have to have them replace it. A major design problem. Other than that, I like the stove. The new burners seem to burn much hotter than the old stove did.

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