The glass cooktop does not get as hot as your old electric range - you have to scrub to remove burned on food with the unit you have. The induction glass does not get as hot, only the pan gets super hot, so food does not burn onto the cook top. All you have to do is wipe it clean with a soapy cloth. I often wipe the cook top right in the middle of cooking, as the top is hot but not as hot as an electric coil or a gas burner would be. Occasionally I take a bit of glass cook top cleaner and gently wipe it. Honestly I've never had any food stick to the cooktop.

The gloss finish on Onyx Collection products is a very high grade polyester gel coat. The gel coat is applied to the molds and then the product is cast in afterwords creating a bond that will last forever (also stated in their guarantee). As for the matte finish. It has more of a dull or corian finish that is essentially the same process except the finish is sanded off (product is still sealed). The matte finish (a little more expensive with less color options) will show less water spots but as stated before the maintenance and cleaning of this product (both gloss and matte) is exceptionally easy! Here is a link that might be useful: Onyx shower colors

I had never heard of Flor before your message. It's an interesting idea but like you I have no idea how well the installation method works or how the carpeting holds up. Seems a little expensive too, starting at $33 per yard and going up to $100 with most of it in $50-$60 range.

We have polished Absolute Black Premium throughout our new kitchen and love it! Yes, we would do it again! Scratching...I think Weissman is referring to me! I scratched my counter with my diamond ring...it was, unbeknown to me, under a book on the counter. When I dragged the book toward me, I heard a scratching sound. When I picked up the book & saw my ring, my heart sank...sure enough there was a scratch about a foot long on my counter. Luckily, the scratch is so fine that I have to really search to find it...I'm sure no one else sees it! Our counters look as good today as the day they were installed (spring 2008)...no "wear & tear", etc. other than that scratch, but no one can see it but me (and I see it only if I search for it). As to "streaks"...if you wipe your counters in a circular motion you rarely see streaks...unless you have too much detergent on your dishcloth/sponge. If you do, you will probably see streaks and/or a haze...but they wipe right off with a rinsed cloth. When I want my counters to look "pristine" and shine their brightest, I use Method Daily Granite Cleaner (found at Target, BB&B, and other stores) and a microfiber cloth. Note: The microfiber cloth is a great item...it works on granite, stainless steel, etc. better than even cotton materials. There's no lint. [FYI...my ring would have scratched any surface, so any counter I had would have been scratched!]