The first things to consider when selecting a cooktop is electric or gas.  Gas is fast and offers exacting control, but sometimes it is a little too hot for delicate sauces.  (Look for continuous grates on your gas cooktop for easy sliding of pots and pans.)  Electric is easy to keep clean and the new technology offers very fast cooking as well as gentle simmering. 

Cooktop:  A Cooktop can be dropped in a cutout in the countertop and has either knobs or controls on top.  Gas cooktops usually have sealed burners for easy clean-up.  Electric (Ceran Glass Cooktops) cooktops have a smooth, easy to clean top.  Many brands will offer touch controls with no knobs to get in the way.  Gone are the old electric coil models with the hard-to-clean burner bowls.  Standard sizes for both gas and electric cooktops are 4-burner 30", 5 or 6-burner 36" and Thermador offers 45" with a griddle in the middle.  Our preferred brands for excellent quality cooktops are:  Bosch, Dacor, Gaggenau, Thermador, Viking, and Wolf.

Rangetop:  The Rangetop has knobs/controls on the front of the unit, is generally more powerful and has a more professional styling, as seen in this Viking Rangetop.  Standard sizes for Rangetops are 4-burner 30", 6-burner 36" and 8-burner 48".  The 36" to 48" Rangetops offer a variety of configurations such as adding a grill or griddle and Wolf offers a French Top.

If you have decided you would like Gas cooking, consider how much power you need.  A cooktop will have burners ranging from 2,000 BTU's up to 14,000.  The professional style Rangetop will have 15,000 BTUs or more, providing excellent recovery time when frying.  When using a high-powered Rangetop, consider planning for extra power in ventilation.  Avoid using downdrafts with Rangetops. 

Varios or Cooking Hobbs:  If you want to have versatility and total control in your cooking section, consider Gaggenau or Wolf.  These brands allow the chef to create the perfect Cooktop or Rangetop mixing gas and electric using Varios.  You can have both an electric smooth top and a gas power burner, as well as a grill/griddle, steamer, and a deep fryer.  Choose knobs on front or on top.  Below you will see an electric steamer, a 2-burner gas, smooth-top and an electric grill/griddle by Gaggenau.  You can make your cooking section as large as you would like.