Best Electric Cooktops of 2025

These 30- and 36-inch models are the top performers from CR's tests

Paul Hope, Consumer Reports Home & DIY Editor.

By Paul Hope
Home & DIY Editor

Allen St. John, Consumer Reports Senior Home & Tech Writer.

By Allen St. John
Senior Home & Tech Writer

Updated August 23, 2025

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closeup of an electric cooktop — Electric radiant cooktops cost significantly less than induction cooktops and are easier to clean than electric-coil cooktops.

Electric radiant cooktops have a lot going for them. They cost much less than induction models. And because the surface is a simple slab of glass, they’re sleeker and much easier to clean than electric-coil models.

They offer surprising performance, even when compared with gas cooktops and pro-style gas ranges.

In this article

Best 30-Inch Electric Cooktops
Best 36-Inch Electric Cooktops
How CR Tests Electric Cooktops

Best 30-Inch Electric Cooktops

Should You Repair or Replace Your Broken Cooktop?

CR’s interactive tool leverages product costs, depreciation rates, and survey data to help you make the right choice.

Best 36-Inch Electric Cooktops

How CR Tests Electric Cooktops

In our labs, we test 30- and 36-inch electric cooktops from brands such as Bosch, Frigidaire, KitchenAid, LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool. We test every cooktop at low and high heat. For high-heat cooking, we use a standardized pot filled with about 4 quarts of water on the largest cooktop burner. We jack up the burner to the highest setting and note the speed at which the water heats up.

For low-heat cooking, we use a pot equipped with thermocouples to measure the heat needed to melt chocolate or simmer tomato sauce without scorching.

We also field surveys of CR members, asking them about whether their cooktops broke or stopped working as they should during the first five years of ownership. We also ask about whether they’d recommend their cooktop to a friend or family member. We use the data from their responses to generate our scores for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.

Paul Hope

Paul Hope is a Home & DIY Editor at Consumer Reports and a trained chef. He covers ranges, cooktops, and wall ovens, as well as grills, drills, outdoor power tools, decking, and wood stains. Before joining CR in 2016, he tested kitchen products at Good Housekeeping and covered tools and remodeling for This Old House magazine. You’ll typically find him in his old fixer-upper, engrossed in a DIY project or trying out a new recipe.

Allen St. John

Allen St. John has been a senior product editor at CR since 2016, focusing on digital privacy, audio devices, printers, and home products. He was a senior editor at Condé Nast and a contributing editor at publications including Road & Track and The Village Voice. A New York Times bestselling author, he's also written for The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and Rolling Stone. He lives in Montclair, N.J., with his wife, their two children, and their dog, Rugby.