About Glass Top Stoves

Glass top stoves have been around since the early 1970s and continue to gain popularity by offering an energy-efficient and eco-friendly alternative to standard open burner cook tops. For home cooks who seek reliability and improved safety and functionality, a glass top stove can fit the bill. Read on to learn more about the features and benefits of owning a glass top stove.

Types

There are two types of glass stoves: radiant heating glass stoves and induction stoves.
The radiant heating stove uses radiant heating coils or halogen lamps to heat the burner space from beneath the glass-ceramic top. When the burner is on, the surrounding area does not heat up to the same temperature because the materials used in the cook top have a relatively low level of heat conduction.
The Induction stove functions through electromagnetic heat induction, and heats only the cookware used, not the cooking surface.

Function

The main function of the glass top stove, as with standard ranges, is to cook food. However, the glass top stove allows for better control of the heat source, which allows for more even cooking than with standard gas or electric burners. The glass top stove also provides a safer cooking surface than an open range, where one runs the risk of coming directly in contact with the burner, gas flame and electric coils. The burner of a glass top stove, being encased, is also fully covered by the cookware, and thus the heating element is kept away from hands.

Features

The glass top stove has many useful features, including: bridge elements, which allow for larger burner space for large pots and griddles; dual elements that increase or decrease burner size, allowing a person to use a small or large pot on the same burner; hot surface indicator lights (some models have these warning lights for each burner); and cooking zone outlines to determine cookware placement.

Benefits

The benefits of owning a glass top stove include giving a refined, smooth appearance to your kitchen's decor, providing an energy-efficient means of cooking and a wider range of cooking options, as well as making cleanup easier.
No matter whether the glass stove top is part of a full range, or just a counter-top unit, the lack of standard burners makes the visual line of your cooking area nearly seamless, and will aid in decorating styles that focus on simplicity and clean lines.
Depending upon the type of glass top stove you purchase, the energy efficiency is substantial when compared with a standard cook top. The heat from the burners is more centrally contained and directed toward the cookware, instead of heating the entire stove top and surrounding counter space. Certain models offer more functionality by providing controls to determine the size of heating area on each burner, and may also include extra elements set between each burner to increase the size of the cooking space.

Considerations

Glass stove tops work best when paired with the proper cookware and a minimum of banging, dragging and dropping things on the surface. If you are installing a glass cook top under a cupboard, consider moving anything heavy, such as glass jars and cans, to a different area to avoid dropping these items on the surface.
To avoid scratching and weakening the glass surface, do not drag heavy skillets (cast iron) or other cookware across the surface. Glass cook tops can weaken to the point of breaking over time, even without having been abused. The better you care for your glass stove top, the longer it will continue to work for you.

Prevention/Solution

Glass tops are easier to wipe down than standard cook tops, if you catch a drip or spill right away. However, if a spill or boilover has set in and hardened on the glass top, special methods are needed to remove hardened food particles. First, any burned on food needs to be delicately scraped off with a scraping blade or loose razor blade. To further avoid scratching and damaging the glass cook top, do not use steel wool, scratch pads or brushes that will permanently mar the smooth surface.
Abrasive cleaners such as Soft Scrub or Comet will scratch and permanently damage the glass surface. Cleansers specifically designed for use on glass stove tops are now readily available at grocers and other retail stores. Following the manufacturer's directions, spread a thin coat over the cooled surface of the cook top. Allow it to sit for a few minutes to break up any remaining particles, then wipe clean with paper towels or a soft cloth.

Resources

• Glass Top Stove Shopping Comparison