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In all kitchens, the selection of your
oven and your cooktop are the most important selection you have to
make. Custom Designed Kitchens & Bath can help you narrow down your
choices and provide you with expert advice on the pro's and con's of
each option.
While ovens basically come down to
conventional and convection ovens (or a combination thereof),
Cooktops come in a greater variety. What you basically have to look
at are the various burner configurations.
- Gas
burners
heat up and cool off more quickly than electric elements, and
it's easy to see the flame and adjust it to the cooking task.
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Electric-coil
elements avoid the open flame and fumes of gas burners.
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Sealed-gas burners
simplify cleanup by extending the cooktop surface around the
burner element so spills stay on the surface. Most sealed-gas
burners incorporate an energy-saving electronic-ignition system.
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Ceramic-glass
cooktops feature a solid, smooth surface that's both attractive
and easy to clean.
Underneath, electric coils or halogen elements (or a combination
of the two) provide the heat; halogen burners heat faster than
electric units but are more expensive to operate.
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Magnetic-induction
cooktops are as smooth and easy to clean as ceramic-glass units
but stay cool to the touch. An electromagnetic field generates
heat so the pan -- not the surface -- cooks the food.
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Solid-disk cooktops
cook with electricity but are easier to clean than traditional
electric-coil units. The solid cast-iron cooktop surface
incorporates the burner elements, which are slower to heat and
cool than electric coils.
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