I was told not to use a glass cleaner. At least nothing with vinegar or ammonia.

Agree with above poster. I have never had any spills that don't wipe up with paper towel or sponge. One of the beauties of induction. Only caution is if you have a spill don't get your electronic touch area wet cleaning it up while cooking or it will likely turn off or act goofy. If that happens to me I turn the unit off - clean up the spill with a paper towel so the top is dry then turn the unit back on. I use glass plus/fantastic/glass cooktop cleaner if soap and water doesn't take care of it.

The cooktop is turned on and controlled by touch on the cooktop so no pad area to have much concern about. Thanks!

I am the World's Sloppiest Cook...bacon grease splatters, tomato sauce etc. If you have a boil over move the pot and paper towel the mess, return pot. I clean up at end of day using a blue sponge scrubby (not the green) with hot water and a dab of Dawn, dry with a paper towel. Don't overthink.

Yes, we live in Old Lakeway! I did see that there is a lock on the controls so you don't turn it on and off while cleaning. So you don't use anything under the pots/pans when cooking?

Induction cooktops do not ever require razors for cleanup. The hob does not heat up- it only becomes hot from being in contact with the bottom of the pan which is hot. Nothing bakes on to an induction cooktop. Ease of cleanup is one of the biggest reasons people who have used induction do not want to go back to gas.

The only thing to worry about with the glass top is that it can get scratch from salt or sugar crystals- so if there is salt or sugar under your pan, and you drag the pan across the cooktop, you could scratch it badly- so be careful and wipe up sugar and salt.

You are going to love your new cooktop!

No such thing as heavy cleaning! Just wipe with a damp cloth and polish with dry one. As everyone else has already mentioned, you can clean a spill immediately and resume cooking (the cooktop can get warm, so do be careful).

I don't use anything under my pots/pans when cooking. I know that some like to use silicone mats or paper but IMO it's easier to wipe the cooktop than to deal with paper, etc.

I like to use the cooktop cleaner periodically to ensure that it's as clean as it can get.

Well, I'm glad to hear that induction cooktops are not so difficult to maintain!

Thanks everyone!

The reason to be worried about the type of scratches you can get from salt or sugar crystals is that they can expand over time into actual breaks. Just grab a damp sponge, lift the pan, and wipe them all up right away.

So, re the whole "razor blade" issue, I agree with my peers. It's not necessary. But if you get some spilled gunk under your pan and it bakes on, you might need to use a fingernail. :) I have the world's softest fingernails, and that's been sufficient for me. If you want to protect your manicure, try a file card or crummy thin plastic knife (not the "good" tableware kind).

I think I probably will use something, like paper towel, under the pans. I have a tendency to move the pan when I grab the handle.

And the seed has been planted to watch out for salt and sugar granules!

Thanks!

I don’t understand why people put paper towels etc under their pans. Clean up is so easy, I don’t see the point. Generally for me, a quick spray of windex, wipe with a cloth and done. Also moving pans around on it won’t hurt it, only if you have spilled sugar or salt under. I have had glass top stoves for years and never got big scratches from moving pans around.

Well my Wolf came with a razor blade scraper which I think I’ve used once. But a razor blade is a razor blade, nothing special about them.

While I was researching induction cookware, I read reviews where people mentioned that their pots/pans, especially cast iron skillets, actually scratched their cooktops. We've had electric, not induction, glass ceramic cooktops before. They did get scratched and got that hazy look. Was it from the pan or salt? Couldn't tell you. And it was also a pain to clean with boil overs because of the wait for it to cool down. I now realize that induction helps eliminate some of those issues, which is awesome to hear.

I wanted to know what to use to clean because I was told Windex was a no-no, which I used on my old cooktops. But that may only apply to Windex that contains ammonia. So I really appreciated the feedback there!

I will still use something under the element, if nothing else, for peace of mind and to make clean up easier. :)

especially cast iron skillets, actually scratched their cooktops.

As has been suggested here before, if you have cast iron with bumpity bottoms, just grind them smooth.

I use a silicone sheet when I'm cooking something messy, but those are usually low-temp things (like a simmering sauce or chili), so I don't get into the top of the safe temperature range. I haven't had a newspaper here in over a year (though I do miss it and might re-subscribe), but I have tried paper towels and they worked too....I just chose a silicone mat because I'd rather use something that I could wash and reuse.

Now that I think about it, either would help with any risk from using cast iron too.

I wonder if a paper towel would help with the resonance that sometimes starts up on some pans when they don't have much in them? It even happens with my AllClad pans, and sets my teeth on edge.
I have been regretting my purchase, but I think I will try a towel to see if it helps

My AllClad quiets down as soon as I put something in it.

that is my experience as well. It is when I melt butter or fry a single egg that it sets of that horrible vibration noise.

The cloudy thing is residue, and could either be from fat or soap. Alcohol and a microfiber ridged cleaning cloth should get rid of it.

A lot of the marks that some people call scratches are actually grime. I kid you not!

Add to that...clean pans do not scratch the glass. Period. They just don't, unless you have a poorly enough made pan that it has burrs. Which can be ground off. Built up crud will also make burrs that can scratch, but those should come off with just sandpaper if not a good pot scrubbie.

There is a HUGE difference between seasoning on a cast iron or carbon steel pan, and crud. People get precious about not cleaning their cast iron because they're babying the seasoning, but it's highly unnecessary. Don't soak your pan for longer than about 10 minutes--just long enough to loosen new crud if necessary. Scrub away. Use soap (maybe not Dawn and similar which are designed to depolymerize fats, i.e., unseason, but regular mild dishsoap) and water. Hot water.

Dry well with a towel. Wipe a little fat in a very thin layer all over the pan, including the top edges and put it on the heat for about five minutes. Try not to get it smoking, but it will steam a little. By doing this, you're making sure the pan is completely dry so it won't rust, and reinforcing the seasoning. Turn it off and let it cool down on the stove. Let it revel in the warmth..

But for heaven's sake, wash your pots!

Side benefit...they won't scratch if you do...

I've been using vinegar with microfiber cloth and it looks great.

On our old cooktop, I tried everything to get the haze off. And the original cooktop in this house had the same thing when we moved in.

And, I will continue to put something underneath when I cook for reassurance.

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

As used and suggested by another of our expert contributors -Kaseki- I use 3 small discs cut from a plain, non-woven, silicone baking mat arranged near the perimeter of each hob. Prevents scratch risk and provides some grip between your pot and the smooth cooktop and keeps the glass even less hot. I use Cerama-Bryte cooktop cleaner creme every once in a while for a real shiny and 100% streak-free finish, in between regular soap and water cleanups.