--- title: "Choosing and comparing — Cooktop Guides" description: "Gas against induction, radiant against coil, a drop-in top against a pro-style rangetop, and a downdraft against an overhead extractor — how each cooks, what it…" url: "https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/choosing-and-comparing/" --- Which cooktop suits the kitchen # Choosing and comparing guides. Gas against induction, radiant against coil, a drop-in top against a pro-style rangetop, and a downdraft against an overhead extractor — how each cooks, what it asks of the cabinet below and what it is like to keep repaired. ## Choosing and comparing, guide by guide. This section is for owners standing at a fork: a cooktop that has stopped working and a showroom full of alternatives, or a remodel where the counter is about to be cut. The guides here compare the kinds of cooking surface side by side across every brand, from a flame to a radiant ribbon to an induction coil, and from a flush drop-in top to a pro-style rangetop with its knobs on the front. [All 18 guides](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/) 6-minute read ### [Repair or replace a cooktop: the cutout, the supply and the part that failed](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/repair-or-replace-a-cooktop/) Igniters, elements and switches are worth fixing on nearly any cooktop; a discontinued board, glass nobody stocks or a new model that will not fit the old counter opening are where the sums change. 5-minute read ### [Gas, radiant or induction cooktop: heat, wiring and upkeep compared](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/gas-radiant-or-induction-cooktop/) How a flame, a glowing ribbon and a magnetic coil each heat the pan, what each asks of the cabinet below, how the kitchen air changes and which parts tend to need repair. 4-minute read ### [Rangetop or cooktop: front knobs, a notched counter and a bigger extractor](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/rangetop-or-cooktop/) A pro-style rangetop hangs in a notched counter over a base cabinet and needs serious overhead ventilation and clearances; a drop-in cooktop sits flush and leaves more choices open. ## Which cooktop suits the kitchen. Each comparison looks below the counter as well as above it. The cutout, the gas line or the 240-volt circuit feeding the junction box, the cooling air an induction top needs and the extractor a high-output rangetop demands all shape the choice, and none of them appear on a price tag. Where a figure matters, such as a circuit rating or a clearance, it comes from the maker's own installation instructions or from ENERGY STAR and the EPA. Read these before replacing a cooktop that could still be repaired, before switching fuel, and before asking a fabricator to cut stone for a model you have not measured. [Not sure where to start?](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/#start-here) ### The short answer Repair or replace a cooktop: the cutout, the supply and the part that failed Whether to repair or replace a cooktop depends first on which part failed and second on what a new one would ask of the counter and the cabinet below. ### The short answer Gas, radiant or induction cooktop: heat, wiring and upkeep compared Gas vs induction cooktop, with radiant electric in between: gas heats the air around the pan and needs a gas line and ventilation, radiant heats glass that then heats the pan, and induction heats the pan directly through a magnetic field. ### The short answer Rangetop or cooktop: front knobs, a notched counter and a bigger extractor Rangetop vs cooktop comes down to where the controls sit, how much heat each burner makes and what the installation demands. ## When reading is not enough. If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop. [What repairs cost](https://cooktoprepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 Each burner and zone, tried in turn 2. 02 The price, before any part is fitted 3. 03 The usual parts in the van 4. 04 Repaired, then cooked on ## The problems these answer. Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://cooktoprepair.center/problems/) Gas, fire, broken glass or live current ### Glass Cooktop Cracked 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Cooktop Burner Won't Light 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Cooktop Element Not Heating 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Cooktop Error Code 6 causes, cheapest first For the heart of your home. ## Questions about choosing and comparing. ### Which guide should I read first if my cooktop just failed? Start with the repair-or-replace guide. It sorts the failure into a cost band and shows how the existing cutout and circuit affect the price of a new unit. ### Do these comparisons favor one brand? No. They compare kinds of cooktop, not makers, and quote a manufacturer only where its manual states a specific figure that helps the comparison. ### Can I change from gas to induction without remodeling? Often the counter can stay, but the supply cannot: an induction top needs a heavy 240-volt circuit and the gas line has to be capped by a qualified installer. Check that the new model's cutout matches the old one. ## The other sections. Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns. [All guides](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/) Why the cooktop behaves that way ### [Common problems](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/common-problems/) - [Why a cooktop burner clicks but won't light, from the cap to the downdraft](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/why-a-cooktop-burner-clicks-but-wont-light/) - [Why a radiant cooktop element blinks off or never turns red](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/why-a-radiant-element-cycles-or-stays-dark/) - [Why an induction cooktop ignores a pan: magnet, size and center](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/why-induction-wont-recognize-a-pan/) Cooktop checks you can safely make ### [Troubleshooting](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/troubleshooting/) - [Cooktop checks worth making before you book a technician](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-checks-before-booking-a-visit/) - [Unlocking a touch-control cooktop that ignores every key](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/unlock-a-touch-control-cooktop/) - [Finding a cooktop model number without pulling it from the counter](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/find-a-cooktop-model-number/) Keeping the cooktop out of trouble ### [Maintenance and prevention](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/maintenance-and-prevention/) - [Cleaning a glass-ceramic cooktop without harming the glass or the seam](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cleaning-a-glass-ceramic-cooktop/) - [Cookware that marks or scratches cooktop glass, and the pans that are safe](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cookware-that-marks-or-scratches-glass/) - [Cleaning a cooktop's downdraft vent: grate, grease filter and chamber](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cleaning-a-downdraft-vent/) When to stop using the cooktop ### [Gas, fire and burn safety](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/safety-and-food/) - [A Gas Smell Over the Cooktop: What to Do in the First Minutes](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-gas-smell-first-steps/) - [Cracked Glass Cooktop: Power Off, Hands Off, Then Replace the Top](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cracked-glass-cooktop-what-to-do/) - [Induction Cooktops, Pacemakers and Other Implants](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/induction-and-implanted-medical-devices/) Set up to last ### [Installation and setup](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/installation-and-setup/) - [Cooktop Cutout Dimensions and a Counter That Fits](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-cutout-and-countertop-fit/) - [A Cooktop Over a Built-In Oven: Approved Pairs and Cabinet Height](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-over-a-wall-oven/) - [Under the Cooktop: Junction Box, Conduit and Gas Shutoff](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-wiring-and-gas-shutoff-under-the-counter/) Not sure which section? ### Start from your question The four questions most visits start with, each with the guide that answers it. 18 guides Where to start Where to start --- **[Read on the site: Choosing and comparing — Cooktop Guides](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/choosing-and-comparing/)** **[Book a visit with CooktopRepair.center](https://cooktoprepair.center/schedule/)**