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.
