Glass Top Elements vs. Coil Top Elements

1.11.19

Glass Top Elements vs. Coil Top Elements

Honestly though, what’s the difference between these two? They both use electricity channeled through elements to heat and cook food, and they’re both straightforward to use. So really though, what’s the difference? I know that I’ve seen both and you likely have too, even if you haven’t used them yourself. Each one has a huge user base that prefers one over the other, and will argue day and night which one is better. So take a little journey with me and let’s find out just what the fight is all about!

Glass Top

So the first major difference is the smooth top of these ranges. They’re vitroceramic which means that they’re very resistant to cracking because of the heat needed to thoroughly and safely cook food. This heating method doesn’t have the elements sitting on top, exposed to the open air. They’re layered under the ceramic, so the actual top tends to be cooler.
Smooth tops like this also promote more even cooking because they’re level; no one element is lower than the other. Because of that smooth surface, they’re also much easier to clean than other cook tops. You don’t have to dig stuff out of all the nooks and crannies.
These cook-tops are also, arguably, more aesthetically pleasing to the eye and can make a kitchen really pop with a sleek, modern vibe.
With all of that being said, there are drawbacks to them. For instance, you can’t really drag your cookware on and off without risking scratches, which also risk the heat causing the glass to crack where those scratches are. Another drawback is that they have poor heat control, fast to heat and slow to cool down. They also tend to be more expensive than coil tops.

Coil Top

Electric coil topped stoves are tried and true. They’ve been around for a long time and even though they’re becoming obsolete, a lot of people still prefer to use them. For one, you can use virtually any kind of cookware on them without fear of damaging the stove or your pots and pans. This means you can use your cast iron, stoneware, or glass cookware without fear of damaging the surface. They also offer more affordability versus a smooth top range, being cheaper in the end than most smooth top brands.
Again, with all that being said, there are disadvantages. One being that coil top stoves are typically only four burner, which means you have less cooking space. The actual coil also tend to be slow to heat up and slow to lose that heat once you’re done with cooking, making accidents all the more likely, especially if you have small children.
Food cooked on coil tops also tend to be cooked unevenly given that some elements may be tilted or just sit a little wonky causing food to slide to one side of the pan. They’re also messy to clean up, food drips under the coils and gets burned on underneath them. There are also spots that are harder to clean than others.

Conclusion

I know that I, personally, tend to like smooth cook-tops better than coil ones. I’ve grown up with both types and I can still remember how hard my grandparents would have to scrub to get the coil top clean. Even then they wouldn’t be able to clean everything.

So, are you a smooth top kind of person or a coil top kind of person?