If you're renovating a large kitchen, there are lots of good reasons to choose a wall oven and cooktop over a range. You can break up the larger space, you'll get more flexibility in the layout, and you can mix and match models to get top-notch performance. But if you're tempted to put in a budget-busting pro-style gas cooktop—many of which cost more than a top-of-the-line range—look carefully at what you're getting and, just as importantly, at what you're not. Here are some myths we busted at Consumer Reports.
Myth 1: Faster Boiling
When pro-style gas cooktops and ranges came on the market, they wowed the world with their high-power burners. But mass-market brands caught up quickly. Today, most mainstream gas cooktops have power burners, and, in our ratings, most boil water as quickly as their pro-style counterparts. And few, if any, hold a candle to electric cooktops.
"A big reason for the electric advantage over gas is efficiency of transmitting energy," says Jim Nanni, associate director of appliance testing for Consumer Reports. "More energy from the electric burner goes into the pot." Fastest of all is induction, which transmits an electromagnetic wave directly to cookware—in our ratings, every induction model but one earns our highest score for high heat tests.
Myth 2: Steadier Simmering
For all the attention paid to high-power burners, our tests reveal that low-heat simmering is often where you'll see the biggest differences between cooktops—and that has the potential to affect what you're cooking far more than boiling. After all, any burner will heat a pot over time, but if a cooktop is lousy at simmering, you'll find yourself constantly adjusting the burner and stirring to avoid burning delicate foods, like tomato sauce.
"People tend to think of cooktop performance being dictated only by the power of burners," says Tara Casaregola, test program leader for appliances at Consumer Reports. "Cooktops are really a system—burners are important, but the design and construction of grates matters, too." Many pro-style cooktops rely on transmitting heat through heavy cast-iron grates, the result of which is often uneven simmers. In our tests, for example, the Jenn-Air JGD3536BS performed so poorly it earned our lowest score for low heat performance.
Myth 3: Improves Resale Value
If you've ever perused real estate listings, you've probably seen real estate agents eagerly call out features such as a chef's kitchen with pro appliances. But does adding a pro-style gas cooktop really provide a good return on investment when you sell your home? Not always.
"Most buyers really care more about having new appliances, not necessarily top-of-the-line pro models," says Adam DeSanctis of the National Association of Realtors. "And you'll generally get the best return on investment for moderately priced homes."
DeSanctis explained that putting pro appliances in a starter home won't necessarily win over millennials, who make up most of first-time buyers, since they typically have budget constraints. "And at the high end of the market, most buyers are either buying new construction or planning to gut a kitchen to get the design they want," he adds.
Should you go pro? That's not to say there's never a reason to go with a pro-style gas cooktop. They're beautiful, they've got beefy knobs that feel great to turn, and the sensation of seeing a flame adjust as you turn the burner is an experience electric cooktops simply can't match. And while electric cooktops generally beat out gas in our cooktop tests, there's one more happy medium to consider—induction.
Every induction cooktop in our ratings earns a total score of at least 90 out of a possible 100. Every model boils quickly, simmers steadily, and responds to changes in heat faster than gas or electric models. And if you do sell your home, you may win over buyers who see them as a high-end alternative to traditional options. If you decide to try induction, we're betting it'll win you over, too.
