Redesigning Your Kitchen? Here’s Why a Cooktop Is Better Than a Range.

Oct 25, 2023

Published May 8, 2023

Rachel Wharton

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Why buy a cooktop instead of a stove? One word: flexibility. Whether you’re contemplating a renovation or building from scratch, a cooktop—a thin, flat cooking surface that is installed into a cutout in a countertop or a kitchen island—allows you to customize your kitchen in a way that a freestanding stove does not.

Opting for a cooktop is likely to cost more than choosing a range. If you purchase a gas, radiant-electric, or induction cooktop, you will also need to buy a separate wall oven, which you can have installed in the wall at any height, under a counter, or even under your cooktop. If you’re renovating, you will also need to replace a countertop and at least a few of your cabinets with versions that have cutouts for your new appliances. (The kitchen-design industry calls cooktops and separate ovens "built-ins," because they are, well, built into your kitchen.) But if you have the budget and the space, the investment will enhance the design and functionality of your kitchen in four key ways.

Because your cooktop and wall oven are separate, you won't need to replace your cooktop if your oven breaks, and vice versa. Your cooktop and oven don't have to be the same width (you could get a 36-inch cooktop and a 27-inch oven, for instance) or from the same brand (a cooktop is so low-profile, its make isn't immediately apparent). You have the flexibility to install your cooktop and your oven in different locations within your kitchen—maybe even under a window, if you opt for a cooktop with built-in downdraft ventilation, which doesn't require a range hood. And you might be able to consider a different kind of oven altogether, such as a double oven or even a new smaller-footprint speed oven that combines a microwave, a convection oven, an air fryer, and a toaster.

Thanks to that versatility, a cooktop can help you spend your overall appliance budget more wisely on the things you’re likely to use the most, said Jessica Petrino Ball, a 10-year veteran of the kitchen-appliance industry who runs the education program for designers and customers at the appliance retailer AJ Madison. For example, if you rarely roast or bake, you might not need to buy a huge oven with a ton of capacity or features, which means you can focus on a better or bigger cooktop.

Built-ins like cooktops and wall ovens usually gain new features and components first, long before manufacturers add those updates to freestanding and slide-in ranges, explained Allie Holtz, senior manager of product marketing and merchandising for built-in cooking at GE Appliances. So if you buy a cooktop, you’re probably getting the most cutting-edge modes and design. For example, all new GE Profile cooktops, no matter the price, come with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity that allows them to set a precise temperature in a Bluetooth-connected pan or to automatically sync with a range hood for improved kitchen ventilation. They also have the same all-digital touchscreen interface formerly found only on appliances by Café and Monogram, GE Appliances's higher-end lines. (You swipe the interface with a finger instead of turning a knob.)

Abdel Tarchid, an architect and designer at the New York City outpost of Appliances Connection, which sells, installs, and supports appliances nationwide, said that his customers appreciate how cooktops make cooking more comfortable. For example, one of the biggest delights is that you can put a drawer with cooking utensils right underneath your cooktop for easy access to, say, your favorite tongs or wooden spoon.

More important, you could decide to set the counter that holds your cooktop at almost any height, which allows you to position it higher or lower to fit your stature or your needs, such as if you’re tall or you cook from a wheelchair.

Because you can separate your cooking stations (cooktop in one location, wall oven in another), you can better manage the flow between the sink or the refrigerator and the cooktop. Adrienne Anderson, who helps design professional test kitchens, calls this "kitchen choreography" and suggests mapping your habits before you build or renovate your kitchen so that you know where you move most—and what you love or hate about your existing space.

Unlike a stove or range, a cooktop all but disappears into a kitchen—and that's what many people want most, said Erika Jayne Chaudhuri, who runs a design-build company and has clients across Virginia, the Baltimore area, and Washington, D.C. That desire has only increased as more people continue to work from home, often at their kitchen counters, said Chaudhuri. And if you have a smooth-top radiant-electric or induction cooktop instead of a gas appliance, that space becomes a seamless part of your kitchen when it's not in use.

Petrino Ball tells her clients that an induction cooktop is a particularly good choice for getting a premium aesthetic and top-end performance for less than a luxury gas cooktop or range would cost. Even the more affordable induction cooktops have instant power and control, and they all look modern and sleek, said Petrino Ball. (All induction cooktops use the same Schott Ceran glass-ceramic top.) You can also opt for a cool but affordable off-the-shelf countertop to hold it.

This article was edited by Ingrid Skjong and Courtney Schley.

1. Erika Jayne Chaudhuri, interior designer, general contractor, and founder of Erika Jayne Design+Build, phone interview, October 28, 20222. Jessica Petrino Ball, editorial director and head of the education program, AJ Madison, phone interview, October 11, 20223. Allie Holtz, senior manager of product marketing and merchandising for built-in cooking, GE Appliances, Zoom interview, October 3, 20224. Adrienne Anderson, food stylist and kitchen-design consultant, phone interview, July 28, 20225. Abdel Tarchid, architect and designer, Appliances Connection, phone interview, July 21, 2022

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